Coronavirus Breaking News

While the Republic of Costa Rica's Ministry of Health is a leader in disclosing mosquito-transmitted disease cases, the information may be contributing to the decline of tourism in this Central American country.

 As of June 19, 2025, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) data indicate that, since September 2024, eight of the last twelve months have seen fewer visitors.

For example, there was a 4.7% drop in air arrivals compared to May 2024.

The positive news from the ICT sector is that it projects a 2–4% growth for the remainder of 2025; however, challenges such as rising costs and safety concerns remain. 

As do reports of chikungunya, dengue, malaria, and even Zika cases in the mountains and beaches in 2025.

Furthermore, since April 2024, the Ministry of Health has reported a whooping cough outbreak in the Tibas district of San José.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the UK's Fit for Travel, visitors to Costa Rica may be exposed to mosquito-transmitted infectious diseases. As of June 19, 2025, the CDC recommends checking the travel vaccine list and seeing a healthcare provider at least a month before visiting Costa Rica.

In anticipation of next week’s meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory panel, a draft agenda was posted today.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) draft agenda, released on June 18, 2025, reflects a shortened two-day meeting that is open to the public to attend digitally and, if selected, to ask questions.

The agenda includes presentations on COVID-19, RSV, Chikungunya, and other vaccines.

It also includes discussions focused on thimerosal as a vaccine ingredient and the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine in children. Thimerosal is a mercury-based vaccine preservative for multidose vials.

In July 1999, the Public Health Service agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure.

Currently, only a limited number of flu vaccines contain the preservative.

Last week, the CDC’s 17-member ACIP was reduced to eight new members.

GSK plc recently announced that it has licensed its Shigella vaccine candidate, altSonflex1-2-3, to India-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL).

This agreement paves the way for the ongoing development and potential distribution of the vaccine in low- and middle-income countries where Shigella, an acute human infection of the large intestine, is the leading bacterial cause of diarrhoea, posing a significant health threat to children under five.

The urgent challenge posed by increasing antimicrobial-resistant enteric bacteria, including Shigella, highlights the broader impact a vaccine could have beyond helping to reduce illness and mortality rates.

If approved, a Shigella vaccine has the potential to indirectly reduce antibiotic consumption and help combat the rise of antimicrobial resistance.

As of June 18, 2025, there are no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- approved Shigella vaccines.

Thomas Breuer, Chief Global Health Officer at GSK, stated in a press release, "With young children in lower-income countries disproportionately impacted by Shigella, the development of a low-cost vaccine is an important goal for global public health."

Following the technology transfer, GSK will collaborate with BBIL on its design of the Phase 3 trial and support BBIL's efforts to secure external funding. This collaboration builds on GSK's existing relationship with the Indian Biotech company, following a product transfer and license agreement in 2021 for the world's first malaria vaccine, RTS,S (Mosquirix™).

Currently, Valneva SE and LimmaTech Biologics AG are co-developing the Shigella4V2 second-generation tetravalent bioconjugate vaccine candidate against shigelllosis, which is progressing in clinical trials.

France's Chikungunya outbreak, centered in the Indian Ocean, may be connected to the recent reporting of locally acquired cases adjacent to the Mediterranean coast.

A press release from the Occitanie Regional Health Agency, issued on June 16, 2025, confirmed a locally transmitted Chikungunya case in the Hérault Department. 

Since the beginning of May 2025, the Agency has reported 59 travel-related cases in Occitanie.

This Department includes the city of Montpellier, home to about 800,000 people.

The Agency wrote that anyone 'who have visited this town and who have shown signs suggestive of chikungunya since the beginning of May are invited by the ARS to consult their doctor.'

Recently, an indigenous (locally) Chikungunya case was reported in La Crau (Var) on June 11, 2025.

During 2024, over 20 travel-related cases were reported in France, and one local case in Île-de-France (Paris).

If your plans include visiting areas affected by the Chikungunya outbreak in 2025, the French and US health agencies recommend discussing vaccination options with a travel vaccination expert.

Currently, Chikungunya vaccines are approved by various countries and offer a high degree of protection from this mosquito-transmitted disease.

While Rabies is a rare disease, it remains a severe viral infection once symptoms appear. Thousands of people die each year from Rabies, mainly in Asia and Africa, with 40% of the cases being children.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), travellers visiting rabies-endemic areas must be aware of the risk and know what to do if they are bitten or scratched.

WHO estimates that dogs are the primary source of human rabies deaths, causing up to 99% of all transmissions.

European travellers have been amongst those affected, including in June 2025, Spain confirmed a rabies case in a traveller who a dog in Ethiopia had bitten.

However, in the United States, bat bites are responsible for the majority of rabies cases in humans.

In March 2025, a bat found in northern Person County, North Carolina, tested positive for Rabies, marking the second confirmed case in Person County this year.

To reduce the risk of Rabies in Texas, the Department of State Health Services conducts the annual Oral Rabies Vaccination Program bait drop for animals. In its 31st year, this program has proven to be an effective defense against the spread of domestic dog and coyote rabies, as well as the Texas gray fox variant.

From a prevention perspective, two types of vaccines protect people against Rabies: nerve tissue and cell culture vaccines.

As of June 17, 2025, rabies vaccination services are offered at travel clinics and pharmacies, but are only recommended for specific travelers.

To help control Chikungunya and Dengue infections reported among school-age children, the Ministry of Education in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka recently launched an innovative mosquito reduction program.

On June 12, 2025, Minister of Education Dr. Susil Premajayantha announced that a special mosquito alleviation program would be implemented before the new school term begins

According to the instructions, school principals could face legal action if mosquito breeding sites are found on school premises during inspections.

Each school must develop and implement its programme to eliminate mosquito breeding sites while continuing educational activities without disruption.

The ministry has sent notices to principals of all public and government-approved private schools, heads of religious schools, deans of national colleges of education, and heads of other educational institutions and provincial offices to inform them about the new measures.

The minister shared these insights during a sensitization program held at the Narahenpita District Secretariat, which was attended by all the principals of schools in the Colombo zone, police station officers, and representatives from the Colombo Municipal Council.

Like countries in the western Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is also experiencing Chikungunya outbreaks in 2025.

Since late 2005, Chikungunya has caused major outbreaks in Southeast Asian countries.

In 2004, the Chikungunya virus East/Central/South Africa genotype spread from Africa to the Indian Ocean islands, resulting in a large epidemic in Southeast Asia. A retrospective review of cases in Southeast Asia found neurological manifestations or shock in 20% of hospitalized children.

As of June 15, 2025, Chikungunya can be prevented with either a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine, which is recommended for international travelers visiting endemic areas.

With all eyes focused on the ongoing Chikungunya outbreak in the Indian Ocean, particularly in France's Departments of Mayotte and Réunion, attention has turned to the first indigenous case in metropolitan France in 2025.

According to a press release from Public Health France, this case was reported on June 11, 2025, in the commune of La Crau (Var), located in southern France.

In 2017, two local cases of Chikungunya were confirmed in the Var Department.

During 2024, one local case was reported in Île-de-France (Paris).

An indigenous (local) case is when a person contracted the disease on national territory and did not travel to a contaminated area in the 15 days preceding the onset of symptoms.

As a reminder, the Chikungunya virus, similar to Dengue and Zika viruses, is transmitted from person to person through the bite of a mosquito (tiger mosquito). Dengue and Zika cases have also been confirmed in France.

As of June 14, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory for the Indian Ocean region, which includes Réunion, Mayotte, Mauritius, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives to the northeast. 

Two approved Chikungunya vaccines are commercially available at travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States for the prevention of the disease. The CDC recommends vaccination for international travelers visiting areas with an outbreak.