Tips for Healthy Spring and Summer Travel

Key points

  • Prevent insect-borne diseases like dengue and Oropouche by avoiding bug bites
  • Look for CDC Travel Health Notices for your destination
  • Talk to a healthcare provider about travel plans, especially if you're pregnant

Don't Let Bug Bites Ruin Your Trip

A family of six, plus a dog, getting splashed by a wave at the beach
To help protect yourself and others, check CDC Travel Health Notices before you go on vacation.

The days are getting longer. The weather is getting warmer.

Spring break and summer vacations are on the horizon. For many students and families, the tropics are calling. If you're heading south, be sure to pack those swimsuits, sunblock—and bug spray.

About dengue

Destinations like Puerto Rico, Mexico, parts of Central and South America, and the Caribbean continue to see large numbers of dengue cases, a mosquito-borne disease caused by a virus that affected more than 13 million people around the globe in 2024.

Dengue causes a fever and can cause body pain so severe it's sometimes called "break-bone fever." Symptoms typically last 2–7 days. Most people get better in about a week, but about 1 in 20 people can get severe dengue, which requires hospitalization and can cause severe bleeding and shock. Severe dengue is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention.

About Oropouche

Oropouche also can be found in much of South America and parts of Central America and the Caribbean. It is caused by a virus that is spread by smaller insects called biting midges, along with some types of mosquitoes. In 2024, Oropouche started to appear in places where it hadn't been seen before, like Cuba.

The symptoms of Oropouche are similar to symptoms of dengue and other viruses that are spread by mosquitoes. Most people recover in a few days to a month, but their symptoms often come back a few days or weeks later. Some people (fewer than 1 in 20) will develop more serious disease, such as meningitis (swelling of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord), encephalitis (swelling of the brain), or bleeding. Based on limited information from areas experiencing outbreaks, Oropouche virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to their fetus. This spread has been associated with the baby being stillborn or having birth defects.

Aa midge and a mosquito biting a person.
Biting midges, which spread Oropouche, are much smaller than mosquitoes, which spread dengue.

Prevent diseases spread by insects

The best way to prevent these illnesses during your vacation is to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes or midges in the first place. Be sure to pack EPA-registered bug spray and loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants that can protect your arms and legs.

Don't let bug bites spoil your vacation—use the checklist below to help stay healthy.

Before travel

  • Look up CDC's Travel Health Notices to find out if these or other illnesses are circulating where you're headed.
  • Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk of getting sick from bug bites where you're going – especially if you're pregnant and headed somewhere Oropouche has been spreading.
  • If you're pregnant, reconsider non-essential travel to areas with a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Oropouche. If you have to travel, strictly follow recommendations to prevent bug bites during your trip.
  • Book a stay in places with air conditioning or screens that can keep out bugs.

Visit CDC's Before You Travel webpage for more tips.

During your trip

  • Once you're on your trip, use EPA-registered bug spray when you're outdoors. Wearing the long-sleeved shirts and pants you packed helps, too.
  • Stay someplace with air conditioning or screens that can keep out bugs.
  • It's not known whether Oropouche can be spread by sex, but travelers and their partners can consider using condoms or not having sex during travel.

For more traveling tips, see CDC's During Travel webpage.

After Travel

  • Once you're back home, keep taking steps to avoid bites for three weeks even if you don't feel sick to prevent spreading a virus to biting midges or mosquitoes at home and then to other people.
  • Watch out for dengue or Oropouche symptoms like a fever, headache, or body aches.
  • If you feel sick:
    • See a healthcare provider right away, and be sure to talk about your recent trip.
    • Drink plenty of fluids.
    • Manage any fever or body aches with acetaminophen.
    • Keep taking steps to prevent bug bites through your first week of illness.
  • It's not known whether Oropouche can be spread by sex. Travelers and their partners who are concerned about possibly getting or passing Oropouche virus through sex can consider using condoms during sex or not having sex during travel and for 6 weeks after returning from travel.

CDC also has more tips for how to stay healthy after travel. Enjoy the trip!

Print
Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases