Mosquitoes in Guinea: Malaria, Yellow Fever at Conakry & Fouta Djallon (2026)

CDC says the yellow fever vaccine is required for every traveler 9 months and older arriving at Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport, from any country. It also recommends malaria prevention medicine for all of Guinea, from Conakry and the Îles de Los to the cooler Fouta Djallon plateau.

Are there mosquitoes in Guinea? Yes, all year, and the CDC recommends malaria prevention medicine for the whole country, Conakry, the Îles de Los and the Fouta Djallon highlands included. Every traveler 9 months and older landing at Conakry's Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport also needs proof of yellow fever vaccination, flying in from any country.

Disease risk ElevatedCDC recommends malaria medicine for all of Guinea and yellow fever vaccine from 9 months; two yellow fever cases were confirmed in Labé region in September 2024.

Bite nuisance NoticeableTraveler reports are scarce; the wet coast and basic island lodges tend to mean noticeable biting after dusk, with fewer bites likely on the cooler plateau.

CirculatingMalaria (all areas)Yellow fever (sporadic)Zika (CDC-listed)Dengue (small 2024 event)No confirmed yellow fever in 2025No chikungunya on CDC's page

CDC noticesNo country-specific notice for mosquito-borne disease

Travel clinicCDC recommends malaria medicine for all areas of Guinea and yellow fever vaccine for all travelers 9 months and older, and the vaccine is required for every traveler 9 months and older arriving at Conakry's Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport, from any country. Ask about meningococcal vaccine for dry-season trips and a Td or Tdap booster. See a travel clinic 4–6 weeks before you fly.

When to goThe dry season, roughly November–April, tends to bring the fewest mosquitoes. July and August, the heaviest rains on the coast, tend to be the worst. Malaria advice applies in every month, on the coast and in the highlands.

Data checkedOctober 2026 · sources

The yellow fever check at Conakry

CDC's listing says the certificate isn't required on a direct trip from the US, then adds an exception for every arrival 9 months and older at Conakry's airport, from any country. If you land in Conakry, carry the yellow certificate with your passport.

The virus recurs in sporadic cases. WHO reported three PCR-positive cases in late 2023, in Faranah region and the Koundara and Guéckédou districts, and two confirmed cases in September 2024 from Balaya and Korbé in Labé region. Guinea has no confirmed cases in WHO's 2025 table.

What we suggest you do with this: the CDC recommends malaria medicine for all areas of Guinea, and its yellow fever recommendation is "Vaccine is recommended for all travelers ≥9 months old." The entry rule for Conakry is "Vaccine is required for all arriving travelers from all countries if traveler is ≥9 months of age and arriving at Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport in Conakry." Book a travel-medicine appointment 4–6 weeks before departure and ask about meningococcal vaccine, which CDC recommends for meningitis-belt areas of Guinea in the dry season, roughly December to June. CDC's Level 1 notice for diphtheria in sub-Saharan Africa lists Guinea, where WHO's Africa office counted 502 suspected cases and 69 deaths in Siguiri and Kankan districts from January to late July 2026, and asks adults to have had a Td or Tdap booster in the last 10 years.

Malaria from the coast to the highlands

The CDC's wording is "CDC recommends that travelers going to Guinea take prescription medicine to prevent malaria." Transmission occurs in all areas, mostly chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, and the CDC's list has no exception for Conakry, the islands, the dry season or the altitude of the Fouta Djallon. People visiting family are the travelers most often caught out. CDC notes that travelers visiting friends and relatives are at higher risk of malaria because they often skip prevention medicine.

Malaria mosquitoes bite from dusk to dawn, so put repellent on at sunset, wear long sleeves in the evening and sleep in an air-conditioned or screened room, or under a treated bed net. Basic island lodges and rooms without screens or reliable power are the likeliest places to be bitten.

The CDC also lists dengue and Zika, spread by Aedes mosquitoes that bite by day, so add a morning coat of repellent, as our dengue & Zika routine explains. Its list also has sand-fly leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness from tsetse flies and two tick-borne fevers, so check for ticks after rural walks.

When to go

The dry season, roughly November to April, tends to bring the fewest mosquitoes. The rains run roughly June to October on the coast, heaviest in Conakry in July and August, and roughly May to October on the Fouta Djallon. The dry months overlap CDC's meningitis-belt advice, roughly December to June, so an upcountry trip then adds the meningococcal question. Malaria advice applies in every month.

Where you're going

city

Conakry

Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable

Inside the CDC's malaria advice with no city exception, and the airport is where every arrival 9 months and older shows the yellow fever certificate. Check the screens when you arrive, and keep a net for nights when the power or air conditioning fails.

island

Îles de Los: Kassa & Roume

Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Noticeable

A short boat ride off Conakry, with basic island lodges under the same malaria advice. Bring a treated net in case your room has none, and spray before sundown on the beach.

highland

Fouta Djallon: Dalaba, Labé & Pita

Disease risk ElevatedBite nuisance Occasional

A cooler plateau of waterfalls and hill towns where bites tend to be fewer, though CDC's malaria advice still applies. Labé region had two confirmed yellow fever cases in September 2024, and dry-season trips may fall under CDC's meningitis-belt advice.

Crossing a border? Our Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau briefings cover their yellow fever entry rules.

The Guinea kit

Spray, treated clothes for evenings and rural walks, and a net.

Picaridin 20% travel sprays: odorless in the coastal humidity and quick to reapply at sunset.
Permethrin 0.5% for clothing, applied at home 48 hours before you fly. It goes on clothing, never skin.
A treated travel bed net for island lodges and rooms where screens or power fall short.

Carry-on trio → Permethrin → Full rankings

One more rule outlasts the trip. Any fever during or after your trip means a doctor visit, and you tell them you were in Guinea. That holds for a year after you get home.

Traveler questions

Do I need a yellow fever certificate to fly into Conakry?

Yes, if you're 9 months or older. CDC's entry wording for Guinea is "Direct travel from United States: Vaccine is not required (see exception below for those arriving at Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport in Conakry)," and the exception reads "Vaccine is required for all arriving travelers from all countries if traveler is ≥9 months of age and arriving at Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport in Conakry." Carry the yellow certificate with your passport. The CDC recommends the vaccine for all travelers 9 months and older, so book a travel clinic 4–6 weeks before you fly.

Do I need malaria pills for the Fouta Djallon?

The CDC recommends malaria prevention medicine for all of Guinea, and its list has no altitude exception for the highlands, so Dalaba, Labé and Pita fall under the same advice as Conakry. The plateau is cooler and tends to have fewer bites, but which medicine fits your trip is a call for a travel clinic, made 4–6 weeks before departure with your full route.

I'm staying with family in Conakry. Does the malaria advice still apply?

Yes. The CDC makes no exception for cities, family homes or the dry season, and it notes that travelers visiting friends and relatives are at higher risk of malaria because they often skip prevention medicine. Bring your dates and any trips upcountry to the clinic. Our malaria-zone checklist covers the rest of the preparation.

Is there dengue or Zika in Guinea?

The CDC lists both. WHO reported a dengue outbreak in 2023, declared over that December, and a small event in July 2024 with 12 cases. CDC's Zika page puts Guinea among areas with current or past transmission but no outbreak, and 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." Both viruses spread through mosquitoes that bite by day, so repellent goes on in the morning too.

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.

Conakry's airport checks your yellow fever card. Malaria advice reaches the highlands too.