CDC Issues Rabies Travel Alert for These 2 Countries—Here’s What Travelers Should Know

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning travelers heading to the countries of Haiti and India about the potential risk of rabies.

The agency recently published two advisories for both India and Haiti following reported cases of rabies there. Both countries are still listed at “Level 1,” which is the CDC’s lowest warning level and comes with a recommendation to “practice usual precautions.”

For India, there has been at least one report of a case in the United States from a traveler who came from India. A counterfeit ABHAYRAB human rabies vaccine has also reportedly been circulating through major cities in India.

In Haiti, the CDC has seen “increased cases of rabies” reported in both animals and humans there and at least one case of rabies has been reported in the U.S. in a traveler who came from Haiti. Separate from health issues, the country remains under the State Department’s highest travel alert, warning Americans not to travel there due to “kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, and limited health care.”

The CDC recommended travelers “avoid all contact with dogs (including puppies), cats (including kittens), and wild mammals… especially animals roaming freely on the streets” while in both India and Haiti in an effort to prevent contracting the disease. The agency also recommended American travelers get vaccinated against rabies before heading to either destination.

The CDC said travelers who do get bitten or scratched or have a fresh wound that is licked by an animal should wash the wound immediately and seek medical care even if they don’t display any symptoms.

“Rabies in humans is preventable, but you must get care right away,” the CDC wrote in its advisory. “Once symptoms of rabies develop, it is nearly always fatal.”

The CDC regularly publishes travel health notices to alert Americans of potential hazards when travelling internationally. Currently, the agency hasn’t issued any Level 3 or Level 4 warnings. However, there are several Level 2 and Level 1 alerts currently in effect.

In addition to the rabies warnings, the CDC updated a Level 2 advisory against polio around the world in November, telling Americans to exercise increased precautions and ensure they are up to date on polio vaccines before any international travel. The agency said polio is currently circulating in countries around the globe, including popular vacation spots like the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Kenya.

This fall, the agency also published a Level 2 advisory for cases of Yellow Fever in Colombia and a Level 1 global advisory against cases of Dengue, which is transmitted through mosquito bites.

The CDC has also issued a global Level 1 warning against measles due to rising cases.