Travelers headed to Fiji this summer better pack more than just their swimsuits — they might want to add some serious bug spray.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just issued a warning for the tropical hotspot as dengue fever cases spike across the Western Pacific.
Dengue, a potentially deadly virus spread by mosquitoes, has Fiji’s government on high alert.
“About half the world’s population is now at risk for dengue with an expected 100-400 million infections occurring each year,” the World Health Organization (WHO) wrote in a recent statement, as countries like Mexico, Canada, and much of the Caribbean and Latin America are also seeing a rise in cases.
According to the agency, dengue fever typically starts with a high fever, headache, severe muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting and a rash.
Some people may also feel pain behind their eyes.
There isn’t a cure for it, and in mild cases, over-the-counter pain medications can relieve some symptoms.
In severe cases — known as dengue hemorrhagic fever — symptoms can escalate to bleeding, breathing difficulties and intense abdominal pain.
The Central Division alone has logged over 1,000 dengue cases from January to late March, according to the Fiji Government.
The March surge “is above the expected [dengue] levels for the same period last year,” it warned.
The World Mosquito Program dubbed 2024 the “worst year for dengue on record,” and the numbers aren’t slowing down.
In the US, the CDC marked dengue as a level 1 health alert, advising travelers to “practice usual precautions.”
“Spring and summer travel coincide with the peak season for dengue in many countries, increasing the risk of both travel-associated and locally acquired cases in the United States,” the CDC wrote in its recent health advisory.
Tourists are being urged to protect themselves by using EPA-registered insect repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants, and sleeping in air-conditioned rooms or ones with screened windows.
And it’s not just Fiji feeling the sting.
The CDC has flagged several other destinations with dengue fever hot spots, including Brazil, Colombia and the Philippines — all of which have reported more dengue cases among American travelers returning to US soil.
With climate change fueling unpredictable weather patterns — including heavier rains and flooding —experts fear that the conditions are prime for mosquitoes to breed and spread the virus.
“If we continue to release planet-warming gases into our atmosphere through industrial pollution, landfills, and other forms of pollution, dengue and other vector-borne illnesses will only thrive,” the Fiji Government warned.
