Cuba's Chikungunya Outbreak Centered in Matanzas

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today issued a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory regarding the ongoing outbreak of Chikungunya Fever in Cuba.

Local media reported on September 26, 2025, that Andrés Lamas Acevedo, provincial director of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology, stated the most affected territories are Matanzas, Cárdenas, Colón, Jovellanos, Jagüey Grande, and Pedro Betancourt.

Previously, in late August, the U.S. Embassy in Havana reported an increase in the number of arbovirus cases, including Chikungunya.

Chikungunya is caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The CDC recommends vaccination for travelers before visiting an area with a Chikungunya outbreak.

For example, visitors from Cuba have been diagnosed in Florida with Chikungunya this year.

Additionally, the CDC advises that if you are pregnant, you should reconsider travel to the affected areas, particularly if you are close to delivering your baby. Mothers infected around the time of delivery can pass the virus to their baby before or during delivery.

Newborns infected in this way or by a mosquito bite are at risk for severe illness, including poor long-term outcomes.

In the United States, approved Chikungunya vaccines are commercailly available at travel clinics and pharmacies.