Jamaica Flooding Raises Leptospirosis Risk

Published on Nov 17, 2025, 11:51 am CST

7 min read

Key points

Jamaica has confirmed 11 leptospirosis cases after Hurricane Melissa flooding
Cases are concentrated in western and north coast parishes that include major resort corridors
Health officials are warning travelers to avoid floodwater and use boots and gloves if exposure is unavoidable
Leptospirosis symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle pain after floodwater contact require rapid medical care
The U S Level 3 Jamaica travel advisory remains in place but the health risk picture has sharpened after Melissa

Impact

Who Is Affected: Travelers heading to western and north coast Jamaica, including Montego Bay, Negril, and Ocho Rios resort areas, face higher waterborne disease risk in flood hit communities
Key Locations: St James, Hanover, St Elizabeth, and St Ann parishes have confirmed leptospirosis cases, overlapping with key resort and transfer corridors in the Melissa impact zone
Trip Planning Moves: Build extra time into airport transfers and excursions to avoid flooded back roads, and favor tour operators that can confirm dry, paved routes and vehicle access
Health Protection: Pack closed shoes or boots, avoid wading through water, and seek prompt evaluation if flu like symptoms appear within days of possible floodwater exposure
Insurance And Costs: Review travel and medical insurance for emergency care, hospital admission, and evacuation benefits in Jamaica, and keep insurer contact details handy on the ground
What To Watch Next: Monitor Jamaica's Ministry of Health and Wellness and PAHO updates in case case counts rise or targeted health alerts are issued for specific communities

Anyone visiting western and north coast Jamaica in the weeks after Hurricane Melissa now needs to treat floodwater as a real health hazard, not just a nuisance, after health officials confirmed 11 cases of leptospirosis across several parishes that overlap with key resort and transfer corridors. The Ministry of Health and Wellness says cases have been detected in St James, Hanover, St Elizabeth, and St Ann, all areas where stagnant water and damaged sanitation systems remain a problem after the storm.

The formal United States State Department Level 3, reconsider travel, advisory for Jamaica has not changed, but the new case cluster and intensive prevention messaging from Jamaican authorities sharpen the health dimension of the post Melissa risk picture for travelers moving through affected communities.

Jamaica's Post Melissa Health Picture

Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica's south coast on October 28, 2025, as a Category 5 storm and produced catastrophic flooding, infrastructure damage, and long power outages across much of the island, with western and southern regions hit especially hard. Situation reports from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO, describe severe damage to multiple hospitals and health facilities and persistent challenges restoring water, sanitation, and basic services in many communities.

In that context, health officials had already been warning about suspected leptospirosis cases in flood impacted areas when the Ministry confirmed 11 infections linked to post storm conditions. Local reporting indicates that these cases are spread across St James, Hanover, St Elizabeth, and St Ann, which together cover major resort and transport hubs, including Montego Bay, Negril, and parts of the north coast highway used for transfers to Ocho Rios and other destinations.

For travelers, that means the greatest risk is not inside large resorts, which generally maintain their own water and sanitation controls, but along flooded local streets, rural roads, and volunteer or outreach sites in affected communities where contact with contaminated water is more likely.

What Leptospirosis Is And How It Spreads

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease spread through water, mud, or soil contaminated with the urine of infected animals, often rats, livestock, or dogs. Jamaica's Ministry of Health and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both flag the infection as a known risk on the island, especially after heavy rains and flooding in low lying areas.

People can become infected when bacteria enter the body through cuts in the skin or through the eyes, nose, or mouth. That can happen while walking through floodwater in open shoes, handling soaked debris without gloves, swimming in contaminated rivers, or even eating food that has been exposed to dirty water or rodent urine.

Typical early symptoms include sudden fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or red eyes. In more serious cases, leptospirosis can progress to jaundice, kidney failure, breathing problems, or meningitis, sometimes requiring intensive care. Prompt treatment with antibiotics often prevents severe illness, which is why Jamaican authorities are pressing both residents and visitors to seek rapid medical evaluation if they develop flu like symptoms after possible floodwater exposure.

Practical Risk For Visitors Along The North And West Coasts

Most visitors reach western Jamaica through Sangster International Airport (MBJ) and then travel by road along the coast or inland hills to resorts in Montego Bay, Negril, or along the north coast toward Ocho Rios. In normal conditions, those transfers use paved highways and do not require travelers to step into standing water.

Right now, the main health risk arises when routing detours into smaller roads that still have large puddles, blocked drains, or damaged septic systems. Travelers who decide to volunteer in flood affected communities, visit friends or family in hard hit neighborhoods, or explore rural areas without a guide are more likely to encounter contaminated water, farm runoff, or mud.

Resorts and tour operators that are fully open are generally operating with enhanced cleaning and maintenance routines. The higher risk situations for a visitor are walking in sandals through waterlogged streets, handling luggage or bags that were put down in dirty puddles, or taking part in activities like river tubing or hiking in areas that have not yet been cleared and assessed since the storm.

How To Reduce Exposure On Transfers And Excursions

Travelers can reduce their leptospirosis risk by combining common sense route choices with basic gear. When booking airport transfers or private drivers, ask operators to confirm that their current routes avoid flooded back roads and low lying shortcuts, even if that means a slightly longer drive time. If you expect to walk through neighborhoods that still show standing water, pack closed shoes or lightweight boots, and avoid flip flops or open sandals until you are on dry, cleaned pavement.

On excursions, especially river trips, off road tours, or community visits, travelers should confirm with their tour provider that sites have reopened after safety checks, that toilets and handwashing facilities are available, and that activities do not involve wading through flood pools or crossing damaged drainage channels. Families with children should be particularly cautious, because kids are more likely to splash in water or touch debris without noticing cuts on their skin.

If you do have to cross shallow water, health officials recommend wearing boots or closed shoes, keeping any cuts covered with waterproof dressings, and washing exposed skin with clean water and soap as soon as possible afterward.

Insurance, Medical Care, And When To Seek Help

The United States State Department's Level 3 advisory already highlights limited medical capacity, high costs for emergency evacuation, and the importance of having robust medical and evacuation insurance before traveling to Jamaica. Travelers should verify that their coverage includes emergency treatment for infectious diseases, hospital admission, and, where appropriate, medical evacuation to another facility if needed.

On the ground, visitors who develop fever, chills, severe headache, or muscle pain within about 2 weeks of contact with floodwater should seek medical attention rather than self treating for a routine cold or flu. When you arrive at a clinic or hospital, be explicit with staff about any floodwater or river exposure and the dates and locations involved, because that information can prompt testing and early antibiotic treatment.

For more context on how Hurricane Melissa and the Level 3 advisory are shaping travel choices, readers can review Adept Traveler's earlier coverage of Jamaica's post Melissa recovery, including the advisory update that first framed the combined crime, health, and natural disaster risks.

Final thoughts

Jamaica's confirmation of 11 leptospirosis cases in western and north coast parishes does not close the island to tourism, but it does shift the post Melissa calculus for travelers who plan to move through flood affected communities. With the Level 3 advisory still in place, the new cluster and aggressive prevention messaging make it even more important to avoid contact with standing water, to choose tour and transfer operators who can route around problem areas, and to seek prompt care if symptoms appear after exposure.

For most resort guests who stick to dry, cleaned areas and paved routes, the added risk can be managed with simple gear and cautious planning, but it should be factored into November and December trips alongside crime and storm recovery conditions when deciding whether, when, and where to visit Jamaica.