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The travel advisory for the Republic of Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa, has been elevated to Level 4 status by the U.S. Department of State.
As of October 24, 2025, the State Department stated U.S. residents 'should not visit Mali for any reason.'
Furthermore, the U.S. government cannot provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens outside Bamako due to safety risks.
Have a plan to leave in an emergency that does not depend on U.S. government help, and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive digital alerts from the U.S. embassy. Enrolling helps the U.S. embassy contact you or your emergency contact in an emergency.
About 200,000 international travelers visit Mali annually.
From a health perspective, medical services for routine and emergency procedures are limited in Mali. Health facilities are available in major cities. It may be harder to find adequate health care in rural areas.
The U.S. CDC previously issued Level 1: Practice Usual Precautions for Mali regarding dengue and measles outbreaks. In addition to these diseases, the CDC recommends vaccination against yellow fever, typhoid, polio, and malaria medications when visiting Mali in 2025.
These vaccines and medications are offered at travel pharmacies.
Israel's Health Ministry has reported the death of an unvaccinated toddler from a measles infection. The child died due to complications related to the virus.
As of October 26, 2025, this child marks the eighth death recorded since the measles outbreak began, with all cases involving infants who did not have any underlying medical conditions and were unvaccinated.
During 2025, there have been 1,778 measles cases and 574 hospitalizations.
The Ministry reported in a press release that the current measles outbreak areas include Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modi'in Illit, Nazareth Illit, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod, Safed, Netivot, and the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council.
In these areas, people can visit family care centers and health maintenance organizations, and vaccinations are available without an appointment.
The Ministry advises unvaccinated individuals and parents of infants who have received one dose of the vaccine to avoid participating in large gatherings in outbreak areas due to the risk of infection.
As a result of the Ministry's efforts to increase vaccination coverage, vaccinations in Jerusalem have increased by 500% since September compared to the same period last year, and by 630% in Beit Shemesh.
In light of these figures, the first-dose vaccination coverage (for ages 1-6) against measles in Jerusalem rose from 77% to 84%, and in Beit Shemesh from 72% to 82.6%.
According to the U.S. CDC, international travelers planning to visit Israel in 2025 should be fully vaccinated against measles and polio.
In the USA, these vaccines are offered at travel clinics and pharmacies.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) recently confirmed the first local death from the West Nile virus (WNV) in the 2025. The resident of the San Fernando Valley was hospitalized and died from a neurological illness caused by severe West Nile virus.
A total of 14 West Nile virus infections have been documented in Los Angeles County in 2025, excluding Long Beach and Pasadena. Half of the infected people live in the San Fernando Valley region.
Public Health reports West Nile virus cases every year, generally from June to November, as the virus is endemic in the region.
According to LACDPH, about 1 in 150 people will have severe WNV symptoms that may include high fever, stiff neck, muscle weakness, and sometimes rash. Symptoms usually appear 3 to 14 days after being infected.
West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease affecting residents of LA County, which has also reported locally acquired dengue cases in 2025.
"To the family and friends grieving the loss of a loved one due to West Nile virus, we extend our heartfelt condolences,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer, in a press release on October 24, 2025.
“This tragic loss reminds us how dangerous mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus and dengue can be. Protect yourself and your neighbors by using insect repellent, getting rid of standing water where mosquitoes breed, and keeping window and door screens in good repair. Small actions like these can make a big difference in preventing illness.”
In collaboration with local vector control agencies, Public Health monitors the risk of WNV infection. It actively engages residents to provide information about reducing the risk by promoting protective measures against mosquitoes.
As of October 27, 2025, there is no WNV vaccine available in the USA.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that polio vaccine coverage in Europe is at its lowest level in several years, leaving more than 450,000 infants unprotected.
In 2024, polio vaccination rates in Europe decreased.
"Gaps in immunization coverage make children vulnerable and pose a health security risk to our region and beyond," stated Ihor Perehinets, MPH, the regional emergency director for WHO's European office, in a press release issued on October 24, 2025.
This WHO warning comes as new polio cases have been confirmed in Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
In Afghanistan, two patients were infected with wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), with paralysis onset in early October, bringing the country's total WPV1 cases to nine for 2025.
Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea (PNG) reported two cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) this week in Central and Enga provinces, with paralysis onset in August. So far this year, PNG has confirmed three cVDPV2 cases.
Furthermore, poliovirus type 2 has been detected through routine wastewater surveillance in 6 countries in the Region (Finland, Germany, Israel, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom) since September 2024.
WHO/Europe, together with other GPEI partners, continues to support national and local public health authorities in their investigations and monitoring of the situation, as well as in strengthening immunization programs and rapidly responding to detections of the virus to prevent it from spreading.
To alert international travelers to their polio risk in 2025, the U.S. CDC has issued a Travel Health Notice listing 39 countries. The CDC advises travelers to be fully vaccinated before visiting these areas.
Since the Zika virus was first detected in the Americas in 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have reported cases from 52 countries and territories in the region.
As of October 24, 2025, the PAHO Zika data dashboard indicates that there have been over 23,000 cases and four related fatalities in the Region of the Americas this year.
The current leaders are Brazil (21,762), Bolivia (1,012), and Argentina (849).
And in the Central America Region, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala are the unfortunate leaders in reporting this mosquito-transmitted disease.
This PAHO data aligns with 2024, when 44,480 cases and two related fatalities were confirmed across all countries for the entire year.
Last year, Brazil reported about 90% of all cases.
In the Americas, one in four Zika-infected people may develop symptoms, but in those who are affected, the disease is usually mild, with symptoms lasting between 2 and 7 days. The clinical appearance is often similar to dengue or chikungunya.
According to the PAHO, Zika virus infection during pregnancy poses severe risks to the fetus, ranging from congenital Zika syndrome to microcephaly to milder neurodevelopmental issues.
From a severity perspective, there is scientific consensus that Zika is a cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
As of October 2025, the UK travel advisory says that since there is no vaccination or medication to prevent Zika infection, women should avoid becoming pregnant while traveling to at-risk countries such as those listed above, and for 2 months after their last possible Zika virus exposure.
Prevention involves reducing mosquito populations and avoiding bites, which occur mainly during the day, says the UK advisory.
In the future, a Zika vaccine candidate may be approved for human use.
Since the first cases of Oropouche virus disease (OROV) were detected in Panama at the end of 2024 and the beginning of this year, a total of 613 confirmed cases have been reported across seven regions in Panama during 2025.
According to Panama's health ministry, OROV crossed the southern border from Colombia and is now found in Panamá Metro, Los Santos, Herrera, Panamá Norte, Veraguas, Panamá Oeste, Coclé, Darién, and Panamá Este (East Panama).
This disease is primarily spread by the bites of infected biting midges (small flies) and mosquitoes.
The Ministry of Health recommends that residents living in areas with active virus transmission use repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and install mosquito nets or wire mesh on doors and windows. They are also urged to avoid traveling to areas with active virus transmission.
Blas Armién, national head of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health, explained in a media release on October 22, 2025, "Of the 15 health regions, at least seven have identified the circulation of OROV in the human population."
Armién added the most common symptoms of Oropouche include sudden onset of high fever, intense headache with photophobia, muscle and joint pain, and, in some cases, skin rashes (exanthemas).
In this regard, Armién warned that infection during the first trimester of pregnancy can cause genetic alterations in the fetus, such as hydrocephalus. He also emphasized the importance of attending prenatal checkups, as a case of vertical transmission (from mother to child) has been reported in Panama.
Regarding neurological disorders, he mentioned that cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome and flaccid paralysis may occur.
Because it presents symptoms similar to those of dengue, a specific diagnostic algorithm is used to distinguish the two diseases.
To alert international travelers of this health risk, the U.S. CDC reissued a Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Notice in September 2025. The CDC has included countries such as Brazil and Cuba in this warning.
The CDC says, given the limited information on the risk of possible spread through sex, including the unknown of whether the virus may be present in vaginal fluid, travelers and their partners concerned about possible sexual transmission of Oropouche virus can consider using condoms or not having sex during travel and for 6 weeks after returning from travel.
As of late October 2025, no preventive vaccines targeting OROV are available.
The Government of the Hong Kong SAR Center for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today published an update on chikungunya fever (CF) cases.
As of October 23, 2025, Hong Kong has recorded 43 confirmed, imported CF cases this year.
Among these, a patient recently passed away.
The CHP says severe symptoms and deaths caused by CF are extremely rare, with a mortality rate of less than one in 1,000, and the conditions of the other 42 patients are mild.
The occurrence of severe complications is mainly related to the patients' underlying health conditions. Elderly persons (particularly those aged 65 or above), young children (particularly infants under 1 year old), pregnant women, and persons with chronic illnesses (such as hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease) are at higher risk of developing complications after contracting CF and may require a more extended recovery period.
Therefore, members of the public (especially the abovementioned high-risk groups) are advised to seek medical advice promptly if they develop relevant symptoms, particularly a fever, sudden severe joint pain, and skin rash, after visiting areas affected by CF.
Since the beginning of 2025, and as of September 30, a total of 445,271 suspected and confirmed CF cases and 155 CF-related deaths have been reported in 40 countries/territories.
Cases have been reported in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. CF outbreaks currently occur in many countries worldwide.
From a disease prevention option, chikungunya vaccines have been approved in various countries, including the United States.
