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The Florida Department of Health recently published its Arbovirus Surveillance update #15, disclosing that mosquito-borne diseases have been detected in residents and visitors this year.

While most cases of chikungunya, dengue, and malaria have been confirmed in Miami-Dade County, which is currently under a mosquito-borne illness alert, counties on both Florida's coasts have reported infections.

As of April 12, 2025, there was one confirmed travel-related case of chikungunya in 2025. Eleven instances of chikungunya onset in 2024 were reported in individuals with a travel history to Brazil (five), India (five), and Pakistan.

Throughout 2025, fifty-nine cases of dengue fever were reported among individuals who had traveled internationally, and one locally acquired case of dengue (DEN-3) was reported in Miami-Dade County. 

As of December 2024, 1,016 travel-associated dengue cases had been reported, primarily among visitors from Brazil, Cuba (567), and Puerto Rico. In 2024, 91 locally acquired dengue cases were reported from ten counties (Miami-Dade (50),

This year, ten travel-related malaria cases have been confirmed in the state of Florida. In 2024, 72 cases of travel-related malaria were reported in individuals with a history of visiting malaria-endemic areas, such as Africa (Nigeria) and Central and South America.

From a disease-prevention perspective, while chikungunya vaccines are amply available in Florida, dengue and malaria vaccines are only available in other countries.

As of April 19, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Canada Health, and the United Kingdom have not issued vaccination requirements for visiting Florida; however, these agencies recommend staying up to date with recommended vaccines as the best travel advice.

Throughout the last few years, various mpox therapeutics have been made available to treat infected individuals. While clinical study results were pending, various health agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), approved their use.

For example, Tecovirimat's efficacy for treating smallpox was established based on data from the FDA Animal Rule and from a study involving 359 healthy adults.

To confirm the efficacy of SIGA Technologies, Inc.'s TPOXX® (tecovirimat) for mpox patients, researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and other organizations, using tecovirimat, in infected patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Published by the New England Journal of Medicine on April 16, 2025, these researchers determined that tecovirimat did not reduce the number of days to lesion resolution in patients in the DRC with mpox caused by clade I MPXV.

This lack of real-world efficacy had been confirmed in previous mpox studies.

However, Mpox vaccinations with JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN®) have been shown to be effective in preventing clade I MPXV disease.

West Africa continues to bear the scars of the Ebola outbreak that occurred a decade ago. From 2014 to 2016, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia faced the largest Ebola outbreak since the virus was first discovered in 1976.

This Ebola outbreak resulted in over 28,000 cases and 11,000 related fatalities.

As of April 2025, more than 30 Ebolavirus disease outbreaks have been reported.

The good news is that vaccines against Ebolavirus, the pathogen responsible for those outbreaks, have since been licensed, and stockpiles have been developed.

"All Ebola outbreaks that have occurred since we had a stockpile were quickly stopped – thanks to the vaccines and rapid other response measures," says Allyson Russell, an epidemiologist and senior programme manager in Gavi's High Impact Outbreaks team, in a GAVI news article published on April 15, 2025.

However, these Ebola vaccines aren't effective against the other three orthoebolaviruses that cause severe disease, including the Sudan virus outbreak in the Republic of Uganda.

Uganda's Ministry of Health declared its eighth Sudan Ebolavirus outbreak in January 2025. Since then, about 14 cases, including four related fatalities, have been reported.

To alert the international community, the U.S. government recently updated a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory.

On March 12, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a Sudan virus outbreak in the districts of Kampala, Wakiso, Jinja, Mbale, Kyegegwa, Kabarole, and Ntoroko.

Still, the unpredictability and rapid progression of Ebola outbreaks make testing vaccine efficacy challenging.

As of April 19, 2025, no vaccines have been approved to protect people against the Sudan Ebola virus. However, candidate vaccines are being tested in the Solidarity Against Ebola human clinical studies in Africa.

Over the past decade, the Republic of Costa Rica has seen a significant increase in tourism from the United States and the United Kingdom, which has dramatically boosted the local economy.

However, the Tico Times reported on April 17, 2025, that the positive tourism trend has suddenly shifted in 2025.

This local media outlet's article, "Why Tourists Are Vanishing," reported that in February 2025, only 270,810 tourists arrived in Costa Rica by air, a 7% decrease from the previous year.

According to the Costa Rican Tourism Board, this data marks six consecutive months of decline.

The reasons behind these decreases include tourists facing higher costs due to the local currency, rising insecurity, an increase in tourists reporting crimes such as assaults and thefts, and eating shellfish.

On April 15, 2025, the U.S. Embassy confirmed a ban on the harvesting and sale of bivalve mollusks (such as piangua, mussels, clams, and oysters) from the coastal area between Playa Herradura and the mouth of the Guacimal River.

According to local authorities, recent tests in shellfish from this region detected paralytic marine toxins, a serious type of toxin that can lead to shellfish poisoning.

Additionally, mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika are once again affecting both residents and international visitors.

The Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization have confirmed, as of April 18, 2025, that seven cases of chikungunya have been reported so far this year, 1,957 cases of dengue, six cases of malaria, and six cases of Zika.

Recently, the Ministry of Health announced positive news as the local vector control teams are proactively eliminating mosquito breeding sites and fumigating houses to reduce these infections.

Moreover, approved vaccines to prevent chikungunya and dengue are available in various countries this year.

While tourists have other Central American and Caribbean destinations to visit, Costa Rica's lush mountains and delightful beaches will continue to welcome visitors during the summer of 2025.