Coronavirus Breaking News

As 2025 draws to a close, I want to begin by first thanking the millions of health workers, vaccinators, surveillance officers, laboratory scientists, social mobilizers, and community volunteers who carried polio eradication forward during what was a difficult year, wrote Dr. Jamal Ahmed, Director, Polio Eradication, WHO, and Chair of the Strategy Committee of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. 

In a Dear Colleagues letter, Dr. Ahmed recently offered various insights on December 18, 2025, such as these clips: 

These challenges demanded difficult choices. They reinforced the need for sharper prioritization, greater efficiency, and uncompromising focus on what matters most to interrupt transmission.

In direct response to the realities of 2025, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) developed a focused 2026 Action Plan as an operational companion to the Polio Eradication Strategy 2022–2029. This Action Plan is grounded in realism and urgency. It protects non-negotiable functions while adapting to financial constraints, and it prioritizes impact and execution.

The plan focuses on concentrating resources on the highest-risk geographies, including the remaining subnational areas with persistent wild poliovirus and circulating variant poliovirus transmission.

It includes intensifying and refining vaccination strategies, expanding use of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), and targeted use of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) to close. 

More than two billion doses of nOPV2 have now been delivered globally.

This innovation has fundamentally strengthened our ability to control and prevent variant poliovirus outbreaks and stands as a testament to what science, partnership, and disciplined execution can achieve together. 

Introduction of the IPV-containing hexavalent vaccine and scale-up of fractional-dose IPV are further examples of scientific innovations that help advance the effort.

It is important for us to remember, even before eradication is achieved, that the impact of this effort has been profound. Tens of millions of people are walking today, and millions are alive who might not have survived.

Entire communities that were once beyond the reach of basic health services have been reached with vaccines, protection, and care. This legacy matters, and it must not be forgotten as we focus on finishing the job, added Dr. Ahmed.

The unedited version is linked at Vax-Before-Travel.com.

The Florida Health Department (FHD) Arbovirus Surveillance Report for Week #52 highlights the impact of travel on our local health landscape, as two mosquito-transmitted diseases were introduced to Miami-Dade County this year by visitors from Cuba.

José Martí International Airport is located in Havana, Cuba, about 200 miles across the Straits of Florida, making it a very close neighbor to Miami International Airport.

As of December 30, 2025, there were 256 Chikungunya and 305 Dengue fever cases reported in the greater Miami area this year.

Throughout 2025, Florida recorded 268 travel-related Chikungunya cases and 416 Dengue cases among international travelers. Last week, eighteen cases of chikungunya fever were reported in persons who had international travel.

Additionally, Florida's East Coast saw 62 locally acquired Dengue cases, including 25 in Miami-Dade.

To better inform travelers of these health risks when visiting Cuba, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) includes Cuba in various Travel Health Notices. 

The CDC advises international travelers to speak with a travel vaccine expert before visiting high-risk areas in 2025.

In a step toward supporting patients living with recurrent genital herpes, a chronic and stigmatized sexually transmitted infection, Gilead Sciences, Inc. recently announced that it had exercised its option to exclusively license two investigational therapeutic candidates from its partner, Assembly Biosciences, Inc.

This agreement marks the first set of antiviral assets that Gilead will advance under its 2023 research and development collaboration with Assembly Biosciences.

This clinical program targets the sexually transmitted herpes simplex virus (HSV) helicase-primase enzyme. Over four million people in the U.S. and European countries experience recurrent genital herpes.

According to Gilead, no new therapies have been approved for HSV in the U.S. or Europe for more than 25 years.

The candidates, ABI-1179 and ABI-5366, are novel long-acting oral inhibitors designed to potentially offer once-weekly or even monthly dosing for chronic suppressive therapy, with the potential to improve chronic suppressive therapy for recurrent genital herpes.

Positive interim Phase 1b data for ABI-5366 and ABI-1179 demonstrated potent antiviral activity and improvements in clinical outcomes, including a significant reduction in virus-positive lesions. Both compounds also exhibit pharmacokinetic and safety profiles supportive of once-weekly oral dosing.

"At Gilead, we develop novel antiviral therapeutics that aim to deliver meaningful solutions that improve the lives of people affected by serious viral infections. Our research partnership with Assembly Bio has been highly fruitful, and we are excited to continue the clinical development of our herpes simplex virus candidates, "said Jared Baeten, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Clinical Development, Virology Therapeutic Area Head, Gilead Sciences, said in a press release on December 22, 2025.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades.

As of December 29, 2025, herpes vaccine candidate information is published by Vax-Before-Travel.com.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has been alerted to the circulation of counterfeit batches of the rabies vaccine Abhayrab® in India.

The counterfeit versions differ from the genuine product in formulation, packaging, labelling, and manufacturing. As a result, individuals who received counterfeit doses may not be fully protected against rabies.

Indian Immunologicals Limited manufactures this vaccine and is not registered or available for use in Australia.

As of December 28, 2026, the ATGI says Australia remains rabies-free, but travellers to endemic areas are at risk if exposed. 

However, Australian travellers or residents who received rabies vaccination in India may have received it as part of pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis.

ATAGI recommends that anyone who received Abhayrab® or any unknown rabies vaccine in India from November 2023 onwards consult their healthcare provider. Replacement doses using an Australian-registered rabies vaccine (such as Rabipur® or Verorab®) may be required to ensure adequate protection.

Healthcare providers are encouraged to review vaccination records for patients who have recently traveled to India and to offer replacement doses where appropriate.

Rabies is a rare but almost invariably fatal viral disease that affects the central nervous system. It is transmitted primarily through the bite or scratch of an infected animal and is prevalent in many countries, including India.

For more information, visit the Department of Health website or consult the Australian Immunisation Handbook.

In the United States, each year, 1.4 million Americans receive healthcare for a possible rabies exposure, 100,000 receive post-exposure prophylaxis, and fewer than 10 die from rabies.

In most countries, infected dogs are the source of rabies. However, the U.S. CDC says bats have been the leading carriers of the rabies virus, along with Raccoons, skunks, and foxes.

When departing abroad from the U.S, FDA-approved rabies vaccines are commercailly offered at travel clinics. They are recommended for travelers visiting high-risk areas in 2026, such as Africa, Haiti, and Southeast Asia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is closely monitoring the situation of Nipah virus (NiV) infections in South Asia, where the virus continues to pose a public health challenge despite strong containment efforts by national authorities.

First identified after an outbreak in Malaysia, an outbreak occurred in Bangladesh in 2001, and human NiV cases have been confirmed nearly every year in the country.

To date, the WHO Disease Outbreak News (577) reports that Bangladesh has documented 347 cases through its established surveillance system, with a case fatality rate of 71.7%.

In 2025, Neighboring India reported four confirmed NiV cases in Kerala state, including two deaths, across Malappuram and Palakkad districts—the first recorded cases in Palakkad.

Kerala's health authorities, through the Information and Public Relations Department, promptly issued alerts, traced contacts, and intensified containment measures, preventing wider spread.

The WHO currently assesses the public health risk from NiV as moderate at national and regional levels, given the high fatality rate and challenges in early detection.

However, the risk of international spread remains low, with no confirmed cases outside the affected areas in Asia.

Furthermore, the WHO advises travelers and residents in affected regions to avoid raw date palm products during the season and to seek immediate medical care for symptoms such as fever, headache, or respiratory issues.

Unfortunately, as of December 27, 2025, the WHO reports that no specific drugs or vaccines exist.

In a significant advancement against the deadly virus, the University of Oxford announced on December 15, 2025, that it has launched the world's first Phase II clinical trial of its ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine candidate in Bangladesh.

In recognition of the urgent need for a Nipah virus vaccine and the compelling early data, the European Medicines Agency granted the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine PRIME designation in June 2025. This designation aims to expedite the development and regulatory review processes for medicines that address unmet medical needs.

The ChAdOx NipahB vaccine was manufactured for this clinical trial by the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, in collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

Vax-Before-Travel lists additional Nipah virus vaccine candidates.

The Government of Canada recently updated its Travel Health Notice with various information Canadians should consider when planning a visit to the United States.

On December 24, 2025, Canada advised travelers to take normal security precautions in the USA. And within large urban areas, violent crime more commonly occurs in specific neighbourhoods.

From a health perspective, Canada recommends talking to a healthcare provider or visiting a travel health clinic, preferably 6 weeks before your trip, to get personalized health advice. Even if your travel date is coming up soon, it's still worthwhile to make an appointment.

Previously, Canada issued measles travel advice on November 13, 2025.

And regarding routine vaccinations, Canada says make sure you are up-to-date before you travel, no matter where you're going in the USA.

These may include vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella, meningococcal, and others.

Conversely, the U.S. Department of State maintains a Level 1, Exercise normal precautions when visiting Canada in 2025. Travelers can review the latest Travel Advisory about Canada at this link.

However, before traveling north this winter, the U.S. CDC has highlighted Canada's extensive measles outbreaks in 2025, and recommends vaccinations before visiting outbreak areas.

The first detection of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) for the 2025-2026 summer season has been confirmed in a mosquito near Horsham Rural City Council, Victoria. 

While rare, the Australian Centre for Disease Control (ACDC) says JEV spreads through bites from infected mosquitoes and can cause severe brain inflammation (encephalitis). It is fatal in about 1 in 250 patients.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer, Dr Caroline McElnay, said in a press release, "Mosquitoes can bite anyone, but people living, working or spending time outdoors in northern Victoria – especially near rivers – may be at higher risk."

"Simple actions like wearing repellent, covering up, and limiting outdoor activities at dawn and dusk can help reduce your risk."

JEV is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in 24 countries in the Pacific/Oceania Regions, exposing more than 3 billion people to infection risks.

As of December 24, 2025, nine JEV cases and five deaths were reported in Australia during the 2024–25 summer, with many more cases likely going unreported because, in most instances, people don't have any symptoms.

In 2022, JEV was detected in south-eastern Australia for the first time, with 45 human cases and seven deaths reported.

The ACDC has written that an effective preventive vaccine for JEV is available for people at higher risk of contracting the virus in Australia. If you are not eligible for a free JEV vaccine but are at higher risk, you can talk to your healthcare professional about buying one privately.

When departing from the United States, JEV vaccines are commercially offered at travel vaccine clinics.

Furthermore, the risk of JE introduction into the U.S. may be highest in California due to the frequency of international arrivals from Asia and Australia and the abundance of mosquitoes.