The Seychelles' chikungunya wave has passed. La Digue's sand flies haven't.
A chikungunya outbreak rose from mid-December 2025, peaked in the first months of 2026 and faded after mid-May, and the CDC has removed its Level 2 notice. Dengue and Zika still circulate, so the daytime repellent habit stays, and La Digue's beaches at sunset call for repellent on your ankles.
Yes. The Seychelles has day-biting Aedes mosquitoes, evening mosquitoes and, on some beaches, tiny biting sand flies, and dengue, chikungunya and Zika all circulate. A chikungunya outbreak that rose from mid-December 2025 faded after mid-May 2026, and the CDC has since removed its Level 2 notice. There is no malaria, and Mahé and Praslin tend to be milder than La Digue.
The 2026 chikungunya wave
Chikungunya cases rose across the islands from mid-December 2025, and local health authorities said it had spread more widely than dengue or Zika. A World Health Organization Africa bulletin counted 53 confirmed cases in the first six weeks of 2026, against 37 in all of 2025. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) counted more than 166 travel-related cases reported by 13 European countries from November 2025 to June 2026, where no traveler case had been linked to the Seychelles before 2025. In February it rated the risk for travelers as high, with the February–April peak travel season overlapping the outbreak.
Then it faded. By mid-February, Tourism Seychelles said the Public Health Authority was seeing far fewer people with fever and rash, and data from three European countries showed no imported cases with symptoms starting after mid-May. The CDC posted a Level 2 notice early in the year. When we checked on October 26, the notice page said it had been removed. CDC's Seychelles page says chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended and that all travelers should prevent mosquito bites. WHO linked the rise to the rainy season, so check the CDC notices page before a December–April trip.
Zika, dengue and the pregnancy note
Zika turned up in travelers returning to Italy, France and the UK from trips in 2024, and the health ministry then confirmed local transmission by retesting local samples, WHO said in its May 2026 Zika update. No local case count has been published. If you're pregnant, note that the CDC lists Zika for the Seychelles, where local transmission was confirmed for 2024, and talk to a healthcare provider before travel.
Dengue continues at a low level. In 2025 the local press reported a flare-up on Praslin, where 36 of 206 people tested were positive, against 16 of 1,600 on Mahé. All three viruses spread through day-biting Aedes mosquitoes, with peaks in the morning and late afternoon, so one routine covers them: repellent over sunscreen at breakfast, after swimming and before sunset. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule.
Mahé, Praslin and La Digue
La Digue is the island travelers name most often for heavy mosquitoes and beach sand flies, especially on the beaches at dusk. Mahé and Praslin are usually described as milder, and some resorts fog. The sand flies, probably biting midges like the no-see-ums in our Barbados guide, gather on seaweed-covered beaches and tend to be worst around sunset. Pick clean sand for a late swim, spray feet, ankles and calves before late afternoon, and choose an air-conditioned or screened room.
For timing, roughly May to September, the drier southeast-trade season, tends to be easier. December to April is harder, with the most rain, more mosquito breeding and the peak of the 2025–26 wave. CDC also lists leptospirosis for the Seychelles, so avoid wading in fresh water and floodwater.
Where you're going
Mahé: Victoria, Beau Vallon & the cruise port
The main island, with the capital, the airport and Port Victoria, and home to most of the population, so most cases are likely here. Visitors tend to find bites milder than on La Digue, though seaweed beaches such as Grand Anse can have sand flies.
Praslin: Anse Lazio, Côte d'Or & Vallée de Mai
Had a local dengue flare-up in 2025. Visitors report sand flies on some beaches and evening mosquitoes around hotels, so spray before sunset and before a walk in the Vallée de Mai.
La Digue: Anse Source d'Argent & Grand Anse
The island with the strongest reputation for heavy mosquito and sand fly bites, especially on the beaches at dusk. Cover ankles and calves before a late-afternoon beach visit.
Adding another island stop? Our Mauritius, Réunion and Maldives briefings cover them.
The Seychelles kit
- Picaridin 20% travel sprays: odorless, layers over sunscreen and easy to reapply after a swim. One 3.4 oz bottle covers about a week of daily use for one person.
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus 30% if you'd rather use a plant-based, EPA-registered repellent. Reapply it after swimming.
- Light long pants or socks for sunset on the beach. Sand flies go for the skin you leave out at ankle level.
What travelers report
Paraphrased from TripAdvisor threads and reviews and linked so you can read them in full. None is dated, and bites vary a lot by island, beach and season.
- La Digue vs Mahé and Praslin
A poster said the mosquitoes on La Digue were fierce, while others found Mahé and Praslin much milder. TripAdvisor ↗
- Seychelles beaches (La Digue) · evenings; August
Posters said beach sandflies were the main problem, with bites clustered on or near the beach and worst around sunset; one said August is drier, with fewer mosquitoes. TripAdvisor ↗
- Le Duc de Praslin, Anse Volbert, Praslin · rainy season
A guest complained about mosquitoes and other pests around the reception and car park. The hotel replied that it advises repellent because mosquitoes breed in the rainy season. TripAdvisor ↗
- Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island
A guest said the resort fogs against mosquitoes and they had no mosquito problems. TripAdvisor ↗
Any fever, rash or joint pain during or after your trip means a doctor visit, and you tell them you were in the Seychelles.
Traveler questions
Is chikungunya still a problem in the Seychelles?
Not at the level of early 2026. Cases rose from mid-December 2025, and 13 European countries reported more than 166 travel-related cases from November 2025 to June 2026, according to ECDC. By June, data from three European countries showed no imported cases with symptoms starting after mid-May, and the CDC has removed its Level 2 notice. CDC says chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended for the Seychelles. The wave rose with the rains, so check the CDC notices page before a December–April trip.
Is it safe to visit the Seychelles while pregnant?
The CDC lists Zika for the Seychelles, where local transmission was confirmed for 2024. Pregnant travelers should talk to a healthcare provider before travel.
Is La Digue worse for mosquitoes than Mahé or Praslin?
By reputation, yes. La Digue is the island travelers name most often for heavy mosquitoes and beach sand flies, especially around sunset, while Mahé and Praslin are usually described as milder. Sand flies gather on seaweed-covered beaches, so pick clean sand at dusk and put repellent on your feet, ankles and calves.
Do I need malaria pills or a yellow fever vaccine for the Seychelles?
The CDC's Seychelles page has no malaria section and recommends no malaria medicine. It doesn't recommend the yellow fever vaccine, and you don't need proof of vaccination flying from the US. The Seychelles does require it from travelers 1 year or older arriving from a country with yellow fever risk, including airport transits or layovers of more than 12 hours there, which can apply on some routings through East Africa.
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 Travel Health Notice
- CDC destination page for travelers
- World Health Organization
- nation.sc
- nation.sc
- CDC Travel Health Notice
- World Health Organization
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- CDC Travelers' Health
- voyagesafriq.com
- World Health Organization