Medical Summary
The health risk information presented here is summarized from Shoreland Travax®, a decision-support tool used by health care providers to perform a detailed health risk analysis based on specific locations, individual travel styles, and traveler risk behaviors. Travax provides practitioners current, independently researched malaria risk and prevention recommendations in a map-based format that goes beyond the annual WHO and US CDC statements included here. Not included here are current reports from Travax of disease outbreaks or environmental events that may pose elevated risks to travelers’ health and safety. The Providers section of this site offers a directory of health care providers who utilize Shoreland Travax for travel health counseling. Learn more about the detailed reports and maps available from these practitioners (includes links to samples).
General Information
French Guiana is an overseas region of France. Located in South America along the Atlantic Ocean (north of Brazil and west of Suriname), the climate is classified as predominantly humid equatorial (short dry season).
Vaccinations
Yellow Fever
See also: Library article for Yellow Fever
- Requirement: A certificate proving yellow fever vaccination is required for all travelers aged ≥ 1 year.
- Official Status: listed by WHO as a country where YF transmission risk is present.
Other Vaccines
Depending on your itinerary, your personal risk factors, and the length of your visit, your health care provider may offer you vaccination against COVID-19, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, rabies, or typhoid fever. Routine immunizations, such as those that prevent tetanus/diphtheria or "childhood" diseases, should be reviewed and updated as needed.
Malaria
See also: Library article for Malaria
The following is current information as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
WHO—International Travel and Health (current online update, Country List)
(2018) Malaria risk due to P. falciparum (45%) and P. vivax (55%) is high throughout the year in 9 municipalities of the territory bordering Brazil (Oiapoque river valley) and Suriname (Maroni river valley). In the other 13 municipalities, transmission risk is low or negligible. Multidrug-resistant P. falciparum has been reported in areas influenced by Brazilian migration.- Recommended prevention in risk areas: C – Risk of P. falciparum malaria, in combination with reported chloroquine and sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine resistance. Mosquito bite prevention plus atovaquone–proguanil or doxycycline or mefloquine chemoprophylaxis (select according to reported side effects and contraindications) a
aAlternatively, for travel to rural areas with low risk of malaria infection, mosquito bite prevention can be combined with stand–by emergency treatment (SBET).
WHO Country List footnote: When available, the date of the most recent update or confirmation is indicated in parentheses in the country list. If no date is indicated, the most recent update or confirmation was provided before 2013.
CDC—Health Information for International Travel (current online edition)
Areas with malaria: All areas, including Matoury, Macouria, and Kourou, except none in coastal areas west of Kourou and Cayenne City.- Drug resistance3 : Chloroquine.
- Malaria species: P. vivax >70%, P. falciparum 20%–30%, P. malariae rare.
- Recommended chemoprophylaxis: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, or tafenoquine.4
3 Refers to P. falciparum malaria unless otherwise noted.
4 Primaquine and tafenoquine can cause hemolytic anemia in people with G6PD deficiency. Patients must be screened for G6PD deficiency before starting primaquine or tafenoquine. See Tafenoquine Approved for Malaria Prophylaxis and Treatment for more information.
Other Concerns
Travelers' Diarrhea
See also: Library article for Travelers' Diarrhea
High risk exists throughout the country, including in deluxe accommodations. Community sanitation and food safety measures are generally inadequate. Some itineraries (e.g., remote destinations, austere accommodations) and activities (e.g., ecotourism, eating street or local-market food) further increase risk.
Travelers should observe food and beverage precautions, which reduce the likelihood of illness.
Travelers should carry loperamide for self-treatment of diarrhea and, if risk is moderate to high, an antibiotic to add if diarrhea is severe. Consult a knowledgeable health care provider regarding which antibiotic is appropriate for you and most effective for your destination.
Insect- and Arthropod-Borne Diseases
Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis), chikungunya, dengue, leishmaniasis, mayaro virus, Zika may pose a risk. Personal protective measures are important.
Other Disease and Health Risks
Additional concerns include hantavirus, helminths, leptospirosis, marine hazards, schistosomiasis, snakebites, tuberculosis.
Consular Advice
The material below includes information from the US Department of State (DOS), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCO), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), as well as from additional open-source material. Standard safety precautions that apply to all international travel can be found in the Library article Safety and Security.
Terrorism Risk
No intrinsic risk of attack by terrorist groups exists, but unforeseen attacks are possible.
Crime
Low risk of violent crime exists throughout the country.
Moderate risk of petty crime exists throughout the country, especially in major cities.
Civil Unrest
Protests and demonstrations may infrequently occur and have the potential to turn violent without warning. Bystanders are at risk of harm from violence or from the response by authorities. Disruption to transportation, free movement, or the ability to carry out daily activities may occur.
Transportation Safety
National incidence data on traffic-related injury or death are not available.
Natural Disasters
The rainy season is from December through July. Floods, mudslides, and landslides may occur.
Consular Information
Selected Embassies or Consulates of French Guiana, an Overseas Region of France
- United States: The U.S. does not have an embassy or consulate in French Guiana.
- Canada: Canada does not have an embassy or consulate in French Guiana.
- United Kingdom: U.K. does not have an embassy or consulate in French Guiana.
- Australia: Australia does not have an embassy or consulate in French Guiana.
French Guiana's Embassies or Consulates in Selected Countries
- In the U.S.: French Guiana does not have an embassy or consulate in the U.S.
- In Canada: French Guiana does not have an embassy or consulate in Canada.
- In the U.K.: French Guiana does not have an embassy or consulate in the U.K.
- In Australia: French Guiana does not have an embassy or consulate in Australia.
Visa/HIV Testing
HIV testing is not required to obtain a tourist, work, or residence visa.
