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As thousands of French vacationers plan their summer holiday to visit islands in the Indian Ocean, a mosquito-transmitted disease has become a significant health nuisance in 2025.
To notify international travelers, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reissued a Level 2 Travel Advisory regarding chikungunya outbreaks in several countries in the region, including Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Réunion, Somalia, and Sri Lanka.
Numerious cases of Chikungunya, both imported and local, have been detected in these vacation destinations.
As of June 10, 2025, the CDC writes, 'Most people infected with the chikungunya virus develop some symptoms. You can protect yourself from disease by preventing mosquito bites, which includes using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, and staying in places with air conditioning or that have screens on the windows and doors.
Additionally, vaccination is recommended for travelers who are visiting an area with a chikungunya outbreak. Two chikungunya vaccines are approved for use in the United States, which are commercially available at clinics and pharmacies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that the Republic of Sudan's Khartoum State is facing an infrastructure breakdown and severe constraints on access to healthcare.
Since May 2025, there has been a rapid increase in cholera cases in Khartoum State, with over 16,000 cumulative cases and 239 deaths reported.
Effective as of June 10, 2025, a 10-day reactive oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaign was launched in five localities to protect more than 2.6 million people aged 1 year and above from cholera infection, interrupt transmission, and help contain the ongoing cholera outbreak.
WHO Representative in Sudan, Dr Shible Sahbani, commented in a press release, "The vaccines will help stop cholera in its tracks as we strengthen other response interventions."
Khartoum is the capital city of Sudan, with over 7 million residents, located adjacent to the Nile rivers.
The WHO's Global Cholera and Acute Watery Diarrhoea Dashboard was updated in June 2025, indicating that over 224,000 cholera cases and 2,800 related fatalities were reported from 26 countries this year.
Cholera is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It poses a global threat to public health.
As of June 12, 2025, OCV remains in limited supply worldwide, except for the United States.
The Canadian government has issued an updated travel advisory for the Republic of Costa Rica, urging visitors to stay vigilant due to increasing civil unrest and natural hazards.
Published on June 9, 2025, the exercise a high degree of caution travel advisory also notes a rise in localized crime that may come as a surprise to tourists.
This advisory is essential, as Costa Rica attracts thousands of Canadians each year. Approximately 143,000 Canadians visited in the first four months of 2025, with an average stay of 14 nights.
From a health risk perspective, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that visitors may be exposed to mosquito-transmitted infectious diseases, such as chikungunya, dengue, malaria, and Zika, in June 2025.
Additionally, the Costa Rica Ministry of Health has reported an outbreak of Bordetella pertussis (whooping cough) in the Tibas district of San José.
The CDC recommends checking the travel vaccine list and seeing a healthcare provider at least a month before visiting Costa Rica.
The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica and the UK NHS have also issued recent health alerts when visiting this Central American travel favorite.
According to an analysis recently published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fewer infants were admitted to hospitals struggling to breathe from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) last season.
This positive trend was announced in the MMWR (74(16);273–281) on May 8, 2025, following the approval of RSV vaccines and antibody treatments for the 2024-2025 season.
Data from the RSV-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RSV-NET) and New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN) showed infants aged 0–7 months (eligible for protection with maternal vaccination or nirsevimab), 2024–25 RSV-associated hospitalization rates were lower compared with the 2018–20 pooled rates.
The most significant estimated rate reduction was observed among infants aged 0–2 months (RSV-NET: 52%, 95% CI = 49%–56%; NVSN: 45%, 95% CI = 32%–57%) and during peak hospitalization periods (December–February).
In a sensitivity analysis of the NVSN surveillance site in Houston, Texas, where the RSV season began before vaccine and antibody treatments were available, the effect was even more pronounced, with a 71% drop in infant hospitalizations.
The findings suggest the importance of protecting infants born during the RSV season through either maternal vaccination during pregnancy or nirsevimab (Beyfortus) administration in the first week of life, ideally during the hospitalization for birth.
According to updated data posted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Argentine Republic continues to be confronted with an expanding number of Zika cases.
As of June 11, 2025, this South American country has reported 720 Zika cases this year.
In 2024, only 56 Zika cases were reported by the PAHO.
The Argentine Health Ministry says Zika is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. When the mosquito feeds on the blood of a person infected with Zika and then bites others, it can transmit this potentially severe disease.
Pregnant women, whether of reproductive age or sexually active, should take extreme preventive and protective measures. Zika infection during pregnancy is associated with fetal brain abnormalities and other birth defects.
Therefore, pregnant women should avoid travel to an area with active Zika virus transmission, says the Ministry.
From a prevention perspective, avoiding mosquito bites is the best option for a person in 2025, as a Zika vaccine is not yet available.
Currently, the U.S. CDC has not issued a Travel Health Advisory focused on Argentina's Zika outbreak. But does highlight the risk for visitors from chikungunya and measles.
The latest provisional data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show an increase in travel-associated malaria cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, exceeding the levels seen in recent years.
As of June 10, 2025, the UKHSA data indicate that imported malaria cases remain at concerning levels in the UK, despite a slight decrease in diagnoses, from 2,106 in 2023 to 1,812 in 2024.
Most cases were reported during peak summer travel months between July and October.
The World Health Organization's latest malaria report estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 related fatalities worldwide in 2023.
The WHO African Region bears the heaviest burden of malaria disease, with Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania being among the countries most affected.
Dr Diana Ayoola Mabayoje, co-founder of African Diaspora Malaria Initiative (ADMI), commented in a media release, 'Our focus is on community engagement and outreach, and we will be targeting African communities in London ahead of summer travel.'
Malaria is a potentially fatal disease, but it is almost entirely preventable when antimalarial tablets are taken correctly.
Furthermore, two malaria vaccines are now offered in specific countries, such as in Africa.
In a demonstration of continental unity, twenty African Union Member States affected by cholera outbreaks in 2025 have issued a call to action.
Following the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) lead, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, called for bold leadership and systemic change on June 2, 2025, "The people of Africa are watching. They expect bold, coordinated, and unwavering leadership that puts their health and dignity first."
As of May 2025, the Africa CDC reported approximately 130,000 cholera cases and 2,700 deaths, representing 60% of global reported cases and an alarming 93.5% of cholera-related deaths.
The Africa CDC emphasized the systemic drivers of the crisis—limited WASH infrastructure, insecurity, weak coordination, and vaccine shortages:
"Africa needs 54 million doses of oral cholera vaccine annually, but receives barely half. This gap is unacceptable."
"Urgent action is needed to scale up local production and secure (vaccine) supply."
Globally, over 244,000 cholera cases and 2,800 related fatalities have been reported in 2025.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, and the U.K. National Health Service recommend oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) for travelers visiting countries experiencing outbreaks.
The WHO says that all OCVs require two vaccine doses for complete protection for up to three years.
In the United States, OCVs are expected to be available at travel clinics and pharmacies in June 2025.
