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Since Queensland recorded a locally acquired human case of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in January 2025, residents have been urged to avoid being bitten by infected mosquitoes, which are being found along Australia's east coast.

This JE case, the first since 2022, may have infected the Darling Downs region, near Goondiwindi and Wide Bay regions, and animal populations in other jurisdictions.

On March 15, 2025, local health authorities confirmed the first Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) detection in Hemmant, an eastern riverside suburb of Brisbane.

Brisbane is the capital and largest city of the state of Queensland, with a population of over 2.7 million.

According to a press release, Chief Health Officer Dr. Heidi Carroll said this latest detection meant JEV posed an increased risk of infection in humans across several regions in Queensland."

"This latest detection is the first for Brisbane and tells us that more mosquito populations are likely carrying the virus."

"While most people infected with JEV experience only mild or no symptoms, those who develop more serious symptoms may experience fever, headache, abdominal pain, or vomiting, typically within five to 15 days of being bitten."

"Tragically, in some cases, it can cause severe neurological illness and even death."

Furthermore, this year, JEV detections have been confirmed in New South Wales (NSW).

On March 14, 2025, the fourth JE-related fatality was reported since the virus was first detected in NSW in 2022.

In 2022, the U.S. CDC updated a Level 2 Practice Enhanced Precautions Advisory regarding the JE outbreak in eastern and southeastern Australia to alert international visitors to this health risk.

The CDC recommends JE vaccination for at-risk travelers before visiting outbreak areas.

The JEV vaccine is available at over 100 vaccination providers across Queensland. It is free for eligible Queenslanders. Since 2022, more than 18,000 Queenslanders have been vaccinated against JEV. 

After a measurable decline in malaria cases globally over the last two decades, case numbers have rebounded throughout Africa during the previous two years, highlighting the need for enhanced prevention and treatment options.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), despite the expenditure of $4 billion per year, malaria fatalities have not substantively been reduced during outbreaks.

While the WHO recommends two malaria vaccines (Mosquirix™ and R21 / Matrix-M™) to reduce mosquito-transmitted malaria outbreaks in Africa, a new study has identified a potential change in case management.

In The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Virak Eng and colleagues provide evidence of the benefit of high total-dose primaquine (7 mg/kg) compared with low total-dose primaquine (3·5 mg/kg) to prevent relapsing P vivax malaria in Cambodia.

These findings, published on March 17, 2025, and funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, provide strong evidence for the optimal primaquine dose for anti-relapse therapy and support the 2024 WHO malaria treatment guidelines update recommending high-dose primaquine in most endemic countries.

In the United States, most malaria cases are international travel-related, not locally transmitted.

Previously, the WHO estimated the annual global demand for malaria vaccines at 40–60 million doses by 2026. These vaccines are not commercially available in the U.S.

While a U.S. FDA-approved shingles vaccine has been well received in the market and numerous studies indicate it's effective and safe, a non-mRNA adjuvanted subunit vaccine candidate has completed a significant series B financing.

Announced on March 17, 2025, Curevo Vaccine closed a $110 million Series B round to advance the development of Amezosvatein, its vaccine for shingles (varicella-zoster virus).

"This Series B round will fund the extension of our successful Phase 2 program into an additional 640 participants, including the key population of adults over age 70, to finalize dose selection ahead of the Phase 3 program," said Curevo's CEO, George Simeon, MBA/MPH, in a press release.

"Designed based upon feedback from regulators and other stakeholders, this short extension trial will begin mid-2025 and set the company for clinical, strategic, and regulatory success."

The Phase 2 study (NCT05304351) 's primary completion date is March 31, 2025.

Like Shingrix®, amezosvatein, the assigned non-proprietary name for CRV-101, uses a subunit protein antigen called glycoprotein 'E' (gE). Targeting the gE antigen is proven to elicit a long‑term, protective immune response to prevent shingles.

Amezosvatein's adjuvant contains an optimized version of the TLR4 agonist proven by Shingrix to be biologically active in shingles vaccination.

Amezosvatein was engineered to maintain exceptional efficacy and have a best‑in‑class tolerability profile.

The SLA-SE adjuvant formulation was developed at Seattle‑based Access to Advanced Health Institute and amezosvatein was licensed from the Mogam Institute for Biomedical Research, a research institute funded by South Korea's GC Biopharma.

Until a phase 3 study is completed and approved by the FDA, this shingles vaccine candidate will not become commercially available in the U.S. Currently, the U.S. CDC recommends two doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine to prevent shingles and related complications in most people. This vaccine is offered at most pharmacies.

The Shingles Vaccine industry is projected to reach about $7 billion by 2032.