Mauritius had Africa's biggest chikungunya outbreak of 2026. Here's the resort routine.

Yes. Mauritius has mosquitoes all year, including the Asian tiger mosquito, the day-biting Aedes species that WHO says drove most of the Indian Ocean's chikungunya wave. In 2026 that wave gave Mauritius the largest chikungunya outbreak reported in Africa, though it was growing only slowly by late August and the CDC has removed its travel notice. There is no malaria, and a daytime repellent habit covers a resort stay.

Chikungunya, two years running

In 2025 Mauritius had 1,583 chikungunya cases between March 15 and August 4, with no deaths, according to a World Health Organization risk assessment, part of the same wave that hit Réunion and Mayotte. The 2026 outbreak was much larger. It built from January, and by about the end of August the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) counted 6,891 cases, most on the main island and the rest on Rodrigues. The UK's TravelHealthPro service had reported 6,675 by July 12, so growth slowed sharply over the summer.

The CDC posted a Level 2 chikungunya notice for Mauritius earlier in 2026. When we checked on October 26, the notice page said it had been removed. CDC's Mauritius page says chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended and that all travelers should prevent mosquito bites. No district breakdown has been published, so it isn't known whether the resort coasts had more or fewer cases than Port Louis.

Dengue and the December–April rains

The 2023–24 dengue outbreak was the largest Mauritius had seen. WHO's Africa office counted 3,311 cases on Mauritius and 1,363 on Rodrigues between December 11, 2023 and March 19, 2024, with 4 deaths, and tied it to an especially wet summer. Port Louis was the hardest-hit area early on. Dengue has been low since, and in late February 2026 the health minister described it as close to eliminated, press reports said.

That history sets the calendar. December to April, the hot, rainy season, brought the dengue outbreak and the start of both chikungunya waves. The risk doesn't end with the rain, either. The 2025 outbreak ran into early August, and the 2026 one kept adding cases into July. Roughly June to October, the cooler, drier winter, is the easier stretch, and visitors report fewer mosquitoes then. Before a December–April trip, check the CDC notices page in case the notice returns.

Resort coasts and Port Louis

The honeymoon and beach resorts on the north, west and east coasts have a reputation for fogging their grounds once a week or more, and regulars say most bites happen outside them, on excursions, forest walks such as the Black River Gorges and in towns. Inside the resort, guests mostly notice bites after sunset and in the early morning.

The Aedes mosquitoes behind chikungunya and dengue bite by day, with peaks in the morning and late afternoon. Put repellent on over sunscreen at breakfast, again after swimming and before sunset, and reapply before an Île aux Cerfs boat trip, a gorge hike or a day in Port Louis. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule. CDC also lists leptospirosis and melioidosis, so avoid floodwater and muddy fresh water after heavy rain.

Where you're going

How the three resort coasts and the capital compare.

Adding another island? Our Réunion, Seychelles and Maldives briefings cover them.

What travelers report

Paraphrased from TripAdvisor reviews, newest first, and linked so you can read them in full. Both predate the 2026 outbreak, and bite levels change from one resort and season to the next.

• Sugar Beach Mauritius, Flic en Flac · mornings · 2023

  A guest rated the stay well but kept waking up with mosquito bites, which they put down to being on a tropical island. TripAdvisor ↗

• InterContinental Mauritius Resort, Balaclava · after sunset · 2012

  A reviewer called the resort pricey for how many mosquitoes and flies there were, especially after sunset. The hotel replied that it treats the grounds daily but no treatment is fully effective, and that mosquito plugs and cot nets are available from housekeeping. TripAdvisor ↗

Mauritius has added entry screening for people arriving from Ebola high-risk countries during the 2026 outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, so check the rules if your route passes through either. And any fever or joint pain during or after your trip means a doctor visit, and you tell them you were in Mauritius.

Traveler questions