What UK and international health agencies report about chikungunya and Zika in Mauritius, why no authority lists a Zika risk for the island, and how to avoid day-biting mosquitoes.
What the health authorities report for Mauritius
Two agencies give travellers different but compatible pictures of mosquito-borne illness in Mauritius. TravelHealthPro, run by the UK National Travel Health Network and Centre, reports 6,675 confirmed chikungunya cases in 2026 as of 12 July 2026, split between Mauritius (6,583) and Rodrigues (92). It also records 1,395 locally acquired cases in 2025 as of 8 July 2025. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control puts the 2026 figure at 6,891 cases since January, with data as of 30 August 2026, most on Mauritius Island. The counts differ because they were cut on different dates. Neither agency reports associated deaths among these cases. A third source, TravelHealthPro, records 1,395 locally acquired chikungunya cases for 2025 as of 8 July 2025, showing how fast the picture moved within one year.
Why the case numbers kept rising
The outbreak began in 2025 and gathered pace through 2026. The WHO Regional Office for Africa's weekly bulletin for 21 to 27 July 2025 records 1,378 chikungunya cases in Mauritius as of 30 June 2025, since 15 March 2025. Of these, 1,339 were local and 39 were imported. It reports no deaths and notes that 1,323 patients had fully recovered. That bulletin is a mid-year snapshot with a 30 June data cut-off, so it is not a year-end total. Comparing it with the later TravelHealthPro and ECDC figures shows sustained transmission rather than a single short event. Numbers from different dates should not be added together. The bulletin's data cut-off is 30 June 2025, so its 1,378 cases sit well below later national totals as the outbreak continued through the following year.
The Zika question: absence of a listing, not proof of absence
Travellers often ask about Zika in Mauritius. Neither of the two destination pages checked lists a Zika risk. TravelHealthPro's Mauritius country page has no Zika section and does not use the word Zika. CDC's Mauritius page also has no Zika section, so it lists no Zika risk for the island. No primary source checked records locally acquired Zika transmission in Mauritius. That is an absence of a listing, not proof that transmission never occurred. The WHO Zika fact sheet does not name Mauritius or list countries with Zika risk, so it gives no evidence of local transmission either. Read these pages as current risk statements, not as guarantees about history. CDC's Mauritius page has no Zika section either, and the WHO fact sheet names no countries, so none of these sources describes local Zika spread on the island.
Malaria is not a risk, and yellow fever rules differ
Malaria is not a concern for most travellers. The World Health Organization certified Mauritius malaria-free in 1973, and its register was last updated on 15 July 2025. Certification requires at least three consecutive years of zero indigenous cases. TravelHealthPro states there is no risk of malaria in Mauritius, and CDC's destination page has no malaria section. Yellow fever is more nuanced. TravelHealthPro states there is no risk in the country, but a certificate is required for travellers aged one year or over arriving from countries Mauritius considers to have yellow fever risk. It notes this differs from the WHO list. CDC's Mauritius page records that yellow fever vaccination is not recommended and is not required. For yellow fever, the United Kingdom guidance and American guidance diverge on certificates, so check your own route and status before booking rather than assuming one rule applies.
Which mosquitoes bite, and when
The mosquitoes that spread chikungunya and Zika bite mainly during daylight. The WHO chikungunya fact sheet describes Aedes aegypti as feeding both indoors and outdoors. The WHO Zika fact sheet says Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, mostly outdoors, though they can also feed indoors. TravelHealthPro's bite avoidance factsheet adds a detail worth knowing: Aedes aegypti can bite at night in well-lit areas. So daytime cover is the priority, but evening terraces and bright rooms are not automatically safe. Anopheles mosquitoes, which spread malaria elsewhere, are more active from dusk to dawn, but the species and place affect the pattern. For Mauritius, plan around day-biting Aedes. WHO states that Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day and mostly outdoors, although they can also feed indoors, which is why screens and daytime cover both matter.
Repellents: what is recommended and how to apply it
TravelHealthPro recommends repellent containing DEET at 50% concentration for all travellers over two months, provided it can be tolerated. It states there is no further increase in protection beyond 50%, and that icaridin has similar properties at 20%. DEET is not recommended for babies under two months. Apply repellent after sunscreen, and use a sunscreen of 30 to 50 SPF. The WHO chikungunya and Zika fact sheets advise repellents containing DEET, IR3535 or icaridin, applied according to the product label. WHO does not set a concentration in those sheets and refers users to the label. Follow the label for reapplication and for children. Seek pharmacist advice before travel if you have skin conditions or use other medicines.
Clothing, screens and nets as real protection
Physical barriers work when correctly specified, intact and correctly used. WHO advises clothing that covers as much of the body as possible, plus window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out. TravelHealthPro says doors and windows to sleeping accommodation should be screened with fine mesh. It advises all travellers to malaria-endemic areas to sleep under a mosquito net unless the room is well screened or has working, switched-on air conditioning where mosquitoes cannot enter. WHO advises insecticide-treated nets for people who sleep during the day, including young children, sick patients and older people. Babies under two months should be protected with clothing and insecticide-treated nets draped over cots and prams, secured around the edges. WHO advises insecticide-treated nets for people who sleep during the day, and TravelHealthPro describes DEET as unsuitable for babies under two months.
Sources
- Mauritius country information: TravelHealthPro (UK National Travel Health Network and Centre)
- Mauritius, CDC Travelers' Health: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Chikungunya virus disease worldwide overview, situation update September 2026: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- Weekly Bulletin on Outbreaks and other Emergencies, Week 30: 21 to 27 July 2025: WHO Regional Office for Africa
- Countries and territories certified malaria-free by WHO: World Health Organization
- Zika virus (fact sheet): World Health Organization
- Insect and tick bite avoidance: TravelHealthPro (UK National Travel Health Network and Centre)
- Chikungunya (fact sheet): World Health Organization
This article is general information, not medical advice. Ask a doctor or pharmacist about your own health.