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Paraguay
Risk:
Low-Moderate
Health Overview
Paraguay is an undervisited Level 1 destination with the Jesuit Missions (UNESCO); Gran Chaco wilderness; Asunción's colonial charm; and Iguazú Falls access from Ciudad del Este. Level 2 sub-advisory for five northeastern border departments. Dengue and Chagas require counseling. Malaria low risk limited to eastern border. Private healthcare in Asunción affordable and competent.
Key Health Risks
Moderate
Dengue Fever
Most significant mosquito-borne disease. Aedes aegypti day-biting. Year-round with peak October-April rainy season. No vaccine for travelers. DEET essential.
Moderate
Chagas Disease (American Trypanosomiasis)
Endemic throughout Paraguay especially rural Chaco and eastern border. Triatomine bugs (vinchucas) in mud-walled/thatched dwellings bite at night near face. No vaccine or PEP. Insecticide-treated nets; avoid rural dwellings at night. Mission travelers highest risk. Benznidazole for acute phase; chronic = cardiomyopathy decades later.
Moderate-High
Hepatitis A
Actively transmitted through food and water. Paraguay's street food culture creates exposure. Vaccine essential — enables authentic food experience.
Health Risk Callout
Chagas is Paraguay's most distinctive counseling point and most often missed. Vivid triatomine bug description lands differently than generic disclaimer.
Other Health Risks
Chikungunya (ACTIVE — Paraguay's health ministry reports chikungunya circulation in 2026, with 18 cases in the first half of the year, amid a PAHO chikungunya preparedness alert for the Americas issued February 2026); Dengue (276 cases in the first half of 2026, with re-emergence of serotype DENV-3 prompting intensified breeding-site elimination. A serotype shift matters clinically: prior infection with a different serotype raises the risk of severe dengue on reinfection, so travelers with a history of dengue warrant a more cautious conversation); Road safety (high fatality rate); Sun and heat exposure (Chaco temperatures exceed 113°F); Scorpion and snake bites in the Chaco.
Regional Information
Regional Risk Callout
Asunción: safest; best healthcare. Southern Paraguay (Encarnación; Jesuit ruins): safe; adequate care. Gran Chaco: extremely remote; no healthcare; 122°F+ heat. Northeastern border departments: Level 2 — criminal groups along Brazil border; Pedro Juan Caballero highest risk.
Regional Healthcare Callout
Asunción private hospitals adequate and affordable ($30-80 consultations). Gran Chaco: no infrastructure; medevac to Asunción. Eastern border: basic emergency in Ciudad del Este. Buenos Aires standard regional referral.
Vaccine and Malaria Prevention
💉 Entry Vaccine Required
YF required if arriving from YF-risk country. Not required for direct US travelers.
🛡️ Recommended Vaccines
CDC recommends Routine; Hep A (STRONGLY recommended); Hep B; Typhoid for rural/mission; YF for forested eastern departments; Rabies for rural mission travel
🦟 Malaria Information
- Risk Level: Low
- Areas: Eastern departments bordering Brazil: Canindeyú; Alto Paraná; Amambay; Caaguazú; Concepción. Asunción and Gran Chaco malaria-free.
- Recommended Drug: Chloroquine (P. vivax; chloroquine-sensitive); atovaquone-proguanil; doxycycline; mefloquine
- Drug Resistance: No
Almost entirely P. vivax (>95%); chloroquine-sensitive — one of few South American countries where chloroquine viable. Asunción; Jesuit ruins; Gran Chaco: no prophylaxis needed. P. vivax can relapse via hypnozoites months later.
Moderate
Physician Note
Dr. Robert
Emergency Medicine · 25+ Years · 40+ Countries
Paraguay has two distinct consultations. Asunción/Jesuit ruins: Hep A headline; dengue precautions; brief Chagas education. Mission/Chaco: Chagas moves to center stage — I describe the triatomine bug specifically because abstract warnings don't stick.
Gran Chaco warrants heat safety discussion — 113°F is physiologically serious. Malaria brief: low risk; P. vivax; chloroquine-sensitive; eastern departments only.
Pre-Departure Checklist
8+ Weeks
- Be sure to consult your Dr. prior to travel to discuss
- CDC recommends Hep A (STRONGLY recommended)
- Typhoid for rural/mission
- YF for eastern departments
- Rabies for rural
- Medevac insurance to Buenos Aires
- Chagas counseling.
2-4 Weeks
- STEP
- Azithromycin standby
- ORS
- Chagas prevention (insecticide net; Avoid rural dwellings)
- Malaria prophylaxis only for eastern border.
Day Of
- 911
- Ambulance 141
- Migone Battilana
- Embassy +(595)(21) 229-581
- Bottled water
- DEET
- Avoid night driving.
Trip Type Guidance
Adventure
- Gran Chaco wildlife safari (jaguars; Giant anteaters; 400+ birds).
Cultural
- Jesuit Missions (Trinidad/Jesús UNESCO)
Mission
- Indigenous Guaraní communities
- Rural poverty
- Chagas education.
Family
- Family-friendly in Asunción
Business
- Ciudad del Este free-trade hub
- Asunción tech/agribusiness.
Notes
Special Evacuation Notes
Medevac from Asunción to Buenos Aires (1.5 hours) or São Paulo (2 hours). Gran Chaco: helicopter evacuation feasible but logistics-intensive.
Safety Notes
Northeastern border: Level 2 caution. Asunción: safe in tourist areas (Villa Morra; Carmelitas). Night driving outside cities: avoid. Chaco: guide and equipped vehicle essential. Demonstrations near government buildings: avoid.
partner recommendation
Medical Evacuation & Assistance
A medical crisis far from home can cost $50,000+ to evacuate. Global Rescue — the partner we personally trust — provides worldwide evacuation and round-the-clock medical assistance.
Good For
Adventure
Family
Mission
Business