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Dengue, Zika, and chikungunya outbreaks in Cuba: Quebecers urged to be careful not to bring these viruses back during their holidays
The Caribbean island is experiencing its biggest health crisis since COVID
Mathieu-Robert Sauvé
Saturday, November 22, 2025 00:00
UPDATE Saturday, November 22, 2025 00:00
Quebec tourists who enjoy all-inclusive holidays in Cuba should beware of mosquito bites carrying tropical diseases, which have made a strong comeback in the Caribbean in recent months.
“I had such intense and painful body aches that I had difficulty going down the stairs,” says Julie Mallette of Gatineau. She contracted dengue fever during her stay in Cuba last September.
Even though she had coated herself with mosquito repellent, three insects managed to bite her leg in broad daylight.
"They are very small mosquitoes that you can't even feel, but a single bite is enough to transmit the virus," said the federal public service employee.
Symptoms began four days after she returned home and worsened rapidly. She went to the emergency room at Buckingham Hospital in late September, where blood tests confirmed she had dengue fever. She feels well now, but the joint problems and pain lasted about ten days.
Comeback
Cuba has dealt with a dengue epidemic in the past, but the country managed to stop the problem by spreading pesticides, explains infectious disease specialist Benoit Barbeau of the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM).
"This year we are witnessing a resurgence of this infectious disease and two others, Zika and chikungunya," he comments.
According to the Reuters news agency, a third of the Cuban population has been infected this fall by one or more of these diseases that are currently mobilizing the National Public Health.
“Dengue fever has long been a problem in Cuba, but the situation has worsened as the economic crisis hampers the government’s ability to disinfect soils, clean roadsides, and repair sewers,” read a dispatch dated November 13. The chikungunya virus, which is also transmitted by mosquitoes, has also made a notable comeback, as has Zika (see box).
In Canada, the alert level was raised on November 18, with travelers planning to go to Cuba being advised to "take enhanced health precautions." This includes using insect repellent, wearing long clothing, and sleeping under a mosquito net in rural areas.
I still like Varadero
The 34,000 subscribers of the Facebook group "I love Varadero" are not surprised by this epidemic and several point out that the situation remains safe provided that the necessary measures are taken.
André Delisle, who is part of this group, is very critical of the situation in Cuba. "The authorities have not taken sufficient measures to prevent this kind of disease. Friends I help told me that relatives have died of dengue fever in the Boca de Camarioca region. For me, Cuba is finished," he told the Journal .
For Ms. Malette , her infection does not mean the end of her love affair with the island. "I will go back, but I will be more careful," she says.
Diseases without treatment
There is no specific treatment for dengue, Zika, or chikungunya. Patients should use standard methods to manage viral illnesses: rest, hydration, pain medication, and medical monitoring to prevent complications.
Dengue
Widespread in the Caribbean (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Martinique, Guadeloupe), this viral disease is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito .
Symptoms appear three to seven days after the bite of an infected mosquito: sudden fever, intense headaches, muscle and joint pain, significant fatigue and sometimes a skin rash.
Chikungunya
The presence of the virus, transmitted by the species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus , is confirmed in Cuba, Martinique and Guadeloupe.
It causes fever and sometimes debilitating joint pain two to 12 days after infection.
Zika
Transmitted by the same mosquitoes as chikungunya, Zika causes generally mild symptoms three to 14 days after infection: fever, rash, headache, muscle and joint pain, and conjunctivitis.
The major risk concerns pregnant women, as the infection can cause congenital malformations (microcephaly).
Malaria and West Nile virus are also present.
Malaria causes a recurring high fever accompanied by chills, sweats, headaches, and intense fatigue. In severe cases, it can lead to severe anemia, neurological damage, or organ failure, requiring urgent hospitalization.
West Nile virus infection is often mild, with symptoms including fever, headache, muscle aches, and sometimes a rash. Severe cases can cause meningitis or encephalitis.
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2...apporter-des-ces-virus-pendant-leurs-vacances
