Malaria is rising in the Comoros, and CDC's advice covers all three islands.
- Travel clinic CDC recommends medicine or vaccines for some areas · which ones
- No CDC travel notice for mosquito-borne disease
Confirmed malaria cases more than doubled from 2023 to 2024, and the Comoros are the main source of the malaria imported into neighboring Mayotte. CDC recommends prevention medicine for Grande Comore, Mohéli and Anjouan, and dengue mosquitoes bite by day, so the routine runs from morning to night.
Are there mosquitoes in the Comoros? Yes, and CDC recommends prescription medicine to prevent malaria on all three islands, Grande Comore, Mohéli and Anjouan. Malaria cases have climbed sharply since 2020, and CDC also lists dengue, so a family visit or an aid posting starts at a travel clinic, then repellent by day and a net at night.
Malaria is rising on all three islands
What CDC says: "CDC recommends that travelers going to Comoros take prescription medicine to prevent malaria." It lists the transmission areas as "All" and names atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine as the options. What we suggest you do with this: book a travel-medicine appointment 4–6 weeks before departure and bring your dates, the islands you'll visit and where you'll sleep. Our malaria-zone checklist covers everything around the prescription.
The numbers have moved fast. Confirmed cases rose from 4,546 in 2020 to 21,079 in 2023 and 55,277 in 2024, and WHO estimated 139 malaria deaths in 2024, up from 53 the year before, according to its World Malaria Report 2025. Santé publique France, the French public health agency, said 95.6% of the 161 imported malaria cases Mayotte recorded by June 21, 2026 came from the Comoros, a sign the rise carried on into 2026. The parasite is mainly Plasmodium falciparum, resistant to chloroquine.
Travelers visiting family are the ones malaria most often catches out, because they tend to skip the prevention medicine. Malaria mosquitoes bite from dusk to dawn, so put on repellent before sunset, wear long sleeves after dark and sleep under an intact net or in a screened, air-conditioned room.
Dengue by day, and the 2005 chikungunya epidemic
CDC's Comoros page lists dengue, and it has repeatedly turned up in returning travelers, including five who came back to Marseille with it in August 2019. A 2016 survey on all three islands found antibodies to at least one arbovirus, the family that includes dengue and chikungunya, in almost 85% of the 400 people tested, most of all on Grande Comore. There are no dengue figures for 2025 or 2026, and the Comoros aren't on CDC's global dengue list.
Chikungunya isn't on CDC's list for the Comoros. In 2005, Grande Comore had the first big epidemic of the Indian Ocean wave, with 5,202 cases reported from January to May. Both viruses spread through Aedes mosquitoes that bite in daylight, with peaks after sunrise and in the late afternoon, so repellent goes on over sunscreen in the morning and again after swimming or diving. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule.
When to go
The islands' rains tend to run roughly November to April. June to October, the cooler dry season, tends to bring the fewest mosquitoes, judging by Mayotte next door, where Aedes numbers fall in the dry months. December to May tends to be the worst. CDC's malaria advice applies in every month.
Where you're going
Moroni & Grande Comore
Inside CDC's malaria advice. Grande Comore has had more dengue and chikungunya exposure than the other islands, so wear repellent from the morning on, not only at dusk.
Mohéli & the marine park
Lodges here have a reputation for plenty of mosquitoes in the rainy season, even with bed nets. Check the net for holes on arrival, bring a plug-in repellent and reapply after diving.
Anjouan
Covered by CDC's countrywide malaria advice, with no local bite reports to go on. Keep the same day-and-night routine as on the other islands.
Adding Mayotte or Madagascar? Mayotte has its own CDC Level 2 malaria notice, and our Mayotte and Madagascar briefings cover both.
The Comoros kit
- Picaridin 20% travel sprays: odorless in the humidity and quick to reapply after a swim. One 3.4 oz bottle lasts one person about a week of daytime use.
- Permethrin 0.5% for clothing: treat a long-sleeved shirt and trousers at home 48 hours before you fly. Clothing only, never skin.
- A compact bed net and a plug-in repellent for rooms where the net has holes or the screens have gaps.
Two last notes. CDC lists leptospirosis, so avoid wading in floodwater. And any fever during or after your trip needs prompt care and a malaria test, and you tell the doctor you were in the Comoros. After time in a malaria area, that rule holds for a year.
Traveler questions
Do I need malaria pills to visit family in the Comoros?
CDC recommends prescription medicine to prevent malaria for all of the Comoros, listing the transmission areas as "All." That covers Moroni, Mohéli and Anjouan, family homes and lodges alike, and confirmed cases more than doubled from 2023 to 2024. Travelers visiting family are the ones malaria most often catches out, because they tend to skip the prevention medicine. CDC names atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine as the options; which one suits you is a call for a travel clinic, made 4–6 weeks before departure. Our malaria-zone checklist covers the rest.
Is chikungunya a risk in the Comoros?
CDC's Comoros page doesn't list it. Grande Comore had a huge epidemic in 2005, with 5,202 cases reported from January to May, and WHO counted 4 confirmed cases in the Comoros in the first five months of 2025. Mayotte, next door, had larger epidemics in 2025 and 2026. Chikungunya spreads through the same day-biting mosquito as dengue, so daytime repellent covers both.
Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for the Comoros?
No. CDC says "Vaccine is not recommended," and gives the entry rule as "Vaccine is not required."
Are there many mosquitoes on Mohéli?
In the rainy season, quite possibly. Lodges on Mohéli have a reputation for plenty of mosquitoes in the rainy season, even with bed nets. Check the net for holes and the bathroom for gaps when you arrive, bring a plug-in repellent, and reapply spray after swimming and diving. CDC's malaria advice covers Mohéli as it covers all three islands.
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
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)
- CDC Travel Health Notice
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- Health authority (santepubliquefrance.fr)
- CDC Travel Health Notice
- Health authority (santepubliquefrance.fr)
- Health authority (santepubliquefrance.fr)