Health alert issued for Oropouche virus outbreak in Panama

Health alert issued for Oropouche virus outbreak in Panama
Geopolitics
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John Barrett Deputy Chief of Mission | U.S. Embassy in Panama

On January 31, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its Travel Health Notice regarding outbreaks of the Oropouche virus in Panama's Darien province. Travelers are advised to consult this notice before visiting the affected area. The CDC has raised the travel health notice level for Darien province to Level 2 – Practice Enhanced Precautions, while the rest of Panama remains at Level 1 – Practice Usual Precautions.

The CDC provides more information on their Traveler's Health website under the "Panama – Traveler view" section. Additionally, U.S. citizens can find more details from the U.S. Department of State's Panama Country Information page.

For those needing assistance, they can contact the U.S. Embassy in Panama City at +507 317-5000 or via email at Panama-ACS@state.gov. More resources are available through the State Department’s Consular Affairs by calling +1 (888)407-4747 or +1 (202)501-4444.

U.S. citizens traveling abroad are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates.