Cameroon confirmed dozens of yellow fever cases in 2025. Malaria advice covers the whole country.
- Travel clinic CDC recommends medicine or vaccines for some areas · which ones
- No CDC travel notice for mosquito-borne disease
The CDC recommends malaria prevention medicine for every part of Cameroon, Douala, Yaoundé and Kribi included, and Cameroon checks for yellow fever proof from every arriving traveler 1 year and older. The health ministry also recorded dengue, Zika and chikungunya epidemics in 2025, so repellent goes on by day as well as at dusk.
Are there mosquitoes in Cameroon? Yes, in every month, and the CDC recommends malaria prevention medicine for the whole country, Douala, Yaoundé and Kribi included. Cameroon also requires proof of yellow fever vaccination from every arriving traveler 1 year and older, on a direct trip from the US too.
Malaria and yellow fever: the clinic visit
The CDC's wording is "CDC recommends that travelers going to Cameroon take prescription medicine to prevent malaria." Transmission occurs in all areas, mostly Plasmodium falciparum resistant to chloroquine. The health ministry counted more than 2.1 million confirmed cases from January to September 2025, in figures WHO published. The CDC notes that people visiting friends and relatives are at higher risk because they often skip prevention medicine. Malaria mosquitoes bite from dusk to dawn, so repellent at sunset, long sleeves after dark and a screened or air-conditioned room or a bed net cover that shift.
Cameroon had dozens of confirmed yellow fever cases in 2025. WHO found the most in the South and Littoral regions, which take in Kribi and Douala. Most cases lived in rural areas, and more were confirmed in early 2026. Carry the yellow International Certificate of Vaccination with your passport.
What we suggest you do with this: the CDC recommends malaria medicine for all areas of Cameroon, and for yellow fever, "Vaccine is recommended for all travelers ≥9 months old." Cameroon's entry rule is "Vaccine is required for all arriving travelers ≥1 year old." Book a travel-medicine appointment 4–6 weeks before departure and bring your full route. CDC also recommends meningococcal vaccine for meningitis-belt areas in the dry season, roughly December to June. CDC's Global Polio Level 2 notice lists Cameroon, so ask too about the single lifetime polio booster for adults who had the childhood series. Our malaria-zone checklist covers the rest.
Daytime mosquitoes and the other biters
The CDC lists dengue, Zika and chikungunya for Cameroon, all spread by Aedes mosquitoes that bite in daylight. The health ministry recorded dengue, Zika and chikungunya epidemics in 2025, with no published case counts or places. CDC says chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended. Repellent over sunscreen in the morning and again before sunset covers the day shift, and our dengue & Zika routine has the schedule.
CDC also lists African sleeping sickness, spread by tsetse flies, which WHO puts at 1 to 10 cases a year in Cameroon. Leishmaniasis comes from sand flies that bite from dusk to dawn, and African tick-bite fever from ticks. CDC says active cholera transmission is "localized to the region of Far North," and that vaccination may be considered for travelers going there. Don't swim in rivers or lakes, since CDC says schistosomiasis is found in Cameroon.
When to go
The dry season, roughly December to February in the south and November to May in the north, tends to bring the fewest mosquitoes. The southern rains run roughly March to November, heaviest on the coast from July to September, when the lowland forest and mangrove around Douala and Kribi tend to be buggiest. The Far North has one short rainy season, roughly June to September. Malaria medicine applies in every month and region.
Where you're going
The State Department advises against travel to the Northwest, Southwest and Far North regions, as reported; check the current advisory.
Douala
Inside CDC's malaria advice with no city exception. The Littoral region around Douala had confirmed yellow fever cases in 2025, and more than 35% of its malaria cases that year were severe, the ministry's data show.
Yaoundé
The Centre region, which holds Yaoundé, and the East had the country's highest malaria rates in 2025, over 135 confirmed cases per 1,000 people a year. Keep the sunset routine and a screened or netted bed every night.
Kribi
Kribi's South region had more confirmed yellow fever cases than any other in 2025, by WHO's count. Lowland forest and mangrove along this coast tend to bring more mosquitoes, especially in the rains.
Crossing to Nigeria or Gabon? Our Nigeria and Gabon briefings have the rules there.
The Cameroon kit
- Picaridin 20% travel sprays: odorless in the coastal heat and layers over sunscreen for the morning coat. One 3.4 oz bottle covers about a week of daily use for one person.
- A full-size backup in the checked bag for a long family stay or posting.
- Permethrin 0.5% for long sleeves and trousers: for forest areas, against mosquitoes and tsetse. Treat them at home 48 hours before you fly. Clothing only, never skin.
One more rule outlasts the trip. Any fever during or after your trip means a doctor visit, and you tell them you were in Cameroon. Malaria can show up weeks later.
Traveler questions
Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for Cameroon?
Cameroon requires proof of it. The CDC's recommendation is "Vaccine is recommended for all travelers ≥9 months old," and Cameroon's entry requirement is "Vaccine is required for all arriving travelers ≥1 year old." That applies on a direct flight from the US, so carry the yellow International Certificate of Vaccination with your passport. Cameroon had dozens of confirmed cases in 2025. Book a travel clinic 4–6 weeks before you fly.
Do I need malaria pills to visit family in Douala or Yaoundé?
The CDC recommends malaria prevention medicine for all of Cameroon and makes no exception for cities, family homes or the dry season. CDC notes that people visiting friends and relatives are at higher risk because they often skip prevention medicine. Which medicine fits you is a call for a travel clinic, made 4–6 weeks before departure with your full route. Our malaria-zone checklist covers the rest of the preparation.
Is there dengue or chikungunya in Cameroon?
The CDC lists dengue, chikungunya and Zika for Cameroon. The health ministry recorded dengue, Zika and chikungunya epidemics in 2025, with no published case counts or places. CDC says chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended. All three spread through mosquitoes that bite in daylight, so repellent goes on in the morning as well as at sunset.
Is it safe to travel to Cameroon while pregnant?
The CDC's Zika page puts Cameroon among areas with current or past Zika transmission but no outbreak. For those areas it tells pregnant travelers to "Talk to a health care provider about potential risks. If you decide to travel, prevent mosquito bites and sexual exposure to Zika." Raise it at your travel clinic visit, before you book.
Sources
Health authorities, surveillance reports and news coverage of official bulletins used for this briefing, last checked October 2026. Traveler reports are linked where they appear. This page summarizes public-health guidance and is not medical advice.
- CDC destination page for travelers
- CDC Travel Health Notice
- World Health Organization
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- World Health Organization
- afenet-journal.org
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- CDC Travelers' Health
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- CDC Travel Health Notice
- World Health Organization
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)