US health officials have issued a fresh travel warning for a popular Costa Rican beach destination after cases of the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya continued to rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has assigned a Level 2 Travel Health Notice to Costa Rica's Guanacaste Province, urging Americans planning trips there to take extra precautions. The warning matters because Guanacaste is one of the country's most visited tourist regions, drawing large numbers of holidaymakers to its beaches, surf breaks and hiking trails.

The notice specifically flags Playa Langosta, where the majority of chikungunya cases have been recorded, as the focal point of the outbreak. Chikungunya is spread by infected mosquitoes and typically causes fever and severe joint pain, though it is not generally considered a candidate for a wider pandemic. Travellers to the region are being advised to take preventative measures against mosquito bites while the outbreak is monitored.