Urgent warning issued by CDC as chikungunya virus outbreak hits vacation destination

A South American vacation destination is on alert, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issuing an urgent warning of a virus outbreak.

Bolivia was hit with a Level 2 alert about the chikungunya virus on Feb. 10.

"There is an outbreak of chikungunya in Santa Cruz and Cochabamba Departments, Bolivia," the alert read. 

CDC ISSUES URGENT TRAVEL ALERT AS VIRUS OUTBREAK HITS EXCLUSIVE SUNNY ISLANDS DESTINATION

"You can protect yourself by preventing mosquito bites."

Common symptoms include a fever and joint pain, which start three to seven days after a bite from an infected mosquito, according to the CDC.

Headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash are other symptoms - with most people recovering within a week.

"Some [people] can have severe joint pain for months to years following acute illness," the CDC's site says.

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"Death from chikungunya is rare."

The CDC recommends that travelers get the chikungunya vaccine and take precautions to prevent mosquito bites.

Travelers should "use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, and stay in places with air conditioning or that have screens on the windows and doors."

The CDC recently issued a Level 2 advisory for the virus in the Seychelles, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean.

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In December, the CDC issued Level 2 travel advisories for Cuba, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Guangdong Province in southern China - advising Americans to "practice enhanced precautions" when visiting these areas.

Bolivia also has a Level 1 alert for measles, posted in May of last year.

"Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world," the alert noted.

"All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel," it added. 

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There were 323,300 international tourist arrivals in 2020, according to the World Bank.