The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has issued a health advisory urging travelers to exercise caution amid a chikungunya outbreak in neighboring countries, as many Maldivians are expected to travel abroad during the Eid holidays.
In a message posted on X, the HPA did not name specific countries, but the virus is currently spreading in parts of India and Sri Lanka, popular destinations for Maldivians.
The HPA has advised the public to follow preventive measures to reduce the risk of mosquito bites, the primary way chikungunya is transmitted.
Chikungunya is spread by Aedes mosquitoes, the same type that spreads dengue, as well as the Asian tiger mosquito. The virus is transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected person and later bites someone else.
Symptoms of the disease include high fever, sore throat, and intense joint pain, which in some cases may persist for a prolonged period.
