Jakarta. The Balinese government is telling tourists not to worry about the Zika virus amid a US health alert.

The US government has told its nationals to “practice enhanced precautions” when traveling to Bali, citing Zika virus concerns. Bali’s authorities have said that the province has not identified any Zika virus cases in the province to date.

“We hope travelers are not scared of coming to Bali. It is safe and comfortable to spend your holidays here,” Bali’s tourism department chief I Wayan Sumaraja said in Denpasar over the weekend, as reported by the state news agency Antara.

The Zika virus usually spreads through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Common symptoms range from fever, rash, and red eyes to muscle pain. Wayan said that warding off Zika would be similar to preventing dengue fever.

"So tourists should remain vigilant to avoid mosquito bites," Wayan said, while urging travel agencies to also prioritize health and hygiene standards.

The US public health agency CDC rolled out the health alert following an increased number of Zika-related cases being reported in travelers returning from Bali, according to the embassy’s official website. 

Bali’s economy heavily relies on the tourism sector. The province attracted roughly 3.2 million foreigners in the first half of 2026. Some 134,519 of them were US passport holders, the government statistics showed.

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