Following a Chikungunya outbreak in Réunion, the Mauritian government has taken precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne virus.
By mid-March, over 13 000 cases had been reported in Réunion, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This led to the triggering of Level 4 of the Civil Security Response Organisation's Arboviruses protocol, requiring impacted governments to enforce vector control, transmission surveillance, and inform the public to improve awareness.
In response, the Mauritian government introduced mandatory health screening for all travellers arriving from Réunion. On April 9, authorities officially enacted a regulation requiring screening at all points of entry. However, Travel News was informed by the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) that passenger screening for Réunion was discontinued just two days later on April 11.
The MTPA also issued a notice urging accommodation providers and other tourism operators to regularly fumigate and clean their premises. “They are also requested to advise their clients on preventative measures to protect themselves against mosquito bites,” said the MTPA.
During the MTPA Roadshow in Johannesburg on April 15, the Mauritius Minister of Tourism, Christian Harold Richard Duval, told Travel News that its notice aimed to spread awareness about Chikungunya.
“We don’t have an outbreak of Chikungunya in Mauritius. We had one case of Chikungunya but it was very minor. Currently, there are no cases,” explained Duval. “I think the main concern was about Réunion Island and the people coming from there, where there are about 20 000 cases.”
