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While the mpox Clade 2 outbreak has spread globally since May 2022, Clade 1 cases have been limited to travel-related detections in most countries.
According to the South Africa's Department of Health's announcement on February 27, 2025, the country has recorded three laboratory-confirmed cases of mpox Clade 1 in three provinces, such as Gauteng.
Gauteng province contains the country's largest city, Johannesburg, home to about 16 million people.
This news increases the cumulative number of positive cases from 25 to 28, including three deaths.
The DOH wrote in a press release, 'There is no need for the public to panic, but people are urged to remain cautious of how mpox spreads and to seek help when faced with symptoms of mpox.'
'The risk of wider transmission remains low in South Africa, but anyone can contract mpox regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation and race.'
Mpox has become a vaccine-preventable disease.
However, South Africa has a limited stock of a mpox-specific vaccine for the treatment of patients who experience severe health complications as a result of this sexually transmitted disease.
As of March 4, 2025, about four mpox vaccines have been used worldwide.
Globally, mpox continues to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security, as per the declarations by both the World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in August 2024.
The mpox outbreak is ongoing in thirteen out of 22 countries in Africa, with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo currently reporting the highest number of cases.
In the United States, most Clade 1 mpox cases have been travel-related.
While no area within the United States has officially been declared endemic of Dengue, Florida's Health Department has continued to report both locally acquired and travel-related cases in 2025.
As of March 4, 2025, Florida's latest Arbovirus Surveillance update disclosed thirty-two cases of dengue reported among persons who had traveled internationally. These cases are in Lake, Collier, Hillsborough (2), Marion, Miami-Dade (19), Okeechobee (3), Orange (2), Palm Beach (2), and St. Lucie counties.
As of December 2024, 999 travel-associated dengue cases had been reported, mainly among Brazil, Cuba (567), and Puerto Rico visitors.
In 2024, 91 locally acquired dengue cases were reported from ten counties, such as Miami-Dade (50), Hillsborough (Tampa), Manatee, Monroe, Orange, Pasco (13), and Broward.
Most of these dengue cases are serotyped as DENV-3 and 4.
As of 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Canada, and the United Kingdom have not issued travel alerts or vaccination requirements for visiting Florida. However, Miami-Dade County is currently under a mosquito-borne illness alert.
These agencies do recommend avoiding mosquito bites while visiting Florida, as Dengue vaccines are unavailable in the U.S.
As the 2024-2025 flu season winds down in the United States, the U.S. CDC recently reported positive news regarding this year's influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE).
On February 27, 2025, the CDC announced that the interim 2024–2025 seasonal influenza VE estimates among children and adolescents were 32%, 59%, and 60% in outpatient settings and 63% and 78% against influenza-associated hospitalization.
Among adults, VE was 36% and 54% in outpatient settings and 41% and 55% against influenza-associated hospitalization.
The CDC wrote that this data indicated 'vaccination with the 2024–2025 influenza vaccine reduced the risk for influenza-associated outpatient visits and hospitalization.'
Unfortunately, twelve pediatric deaths associated with seasonal influenza virus infection were reported last week, bringing the 2024-2025 season total to 98 pediatric deaths.
Last flu season, 207 children died from influenza infections.
These CDC findings support the recommendation that all eligible persons aged ≥ over six months receive an annual influenza vaccination.
From an availability perspective, with over 100 million vaccines distributed this season, flu shots should be offered at clinics and pharmacies as long as influenza viruses are circulating.
As Spring Break vacationers plan their trip to Mexico in March 2025, the local government has issued an alert regarding a vaccine-preventable disease.
In late February, Mexico's Ministry of Health reported a notable increase in whooping cough (pertussis) cases in 2025.
As of March 3, 2025, 120 pertusis cases have been confirmed across 21 Mexican states. led by Nuevo León (24 cases). This increase is very concerning compared to the 15 cases recorded in the same period in 2024.
Mexico isn't alone in reporting a spike in pertusis cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that the number of pertussis cases in the United States increased last year.
Preliminary data show that more than six times as many cases were reported as of week 52 on December 28, 2024, compared to the same time in 2023.
As typical infection patterns return to the U.S., the CDC expects pertussis cases to increase in both unvaccinated and vaccinated populations. Pertussis occurs in vaccinated people since disease immunity from vaccination fades over time.
Furthermore, keeping infants away from unvaccinated people is also advisable to avoid contagion.
The CDC recommends that everyone maintain good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of whooping cough. When coughing, it is essential to cover your mouth.
Therefore, vaccination is the best way to prevent pertussis infection before flying to Mexico to enjoy the warm weather and Spring Break 2025 activities.
While the United States only reported 199 Chikungunya fever cases last year, recent research indicates this low number may be related to under-testing.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that among the cases reported in 2024, a higher-than-expected number of Chikungunya cases occurred among returning travelers from India, where the National Center for Vector-Borne Diseases Control in India reported 192,343 CHIKV cases in 2024.
Although not listed as a hemorrhagic fever virus, the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) can be easily confused with more well-known diseases, such as dengue or yellow fever.
According to the CDC, a Chikungunya diagnosis should be made by nucleic acid testing during the acute phase of infection or by serologic testing after the first week of illness.
Additionally, a positive CHIKV-specific IgM antibody test result should be confirmed by neutralizing antibody testing at a state public health laboratory or
Therefore, the CDC says healthcare providers should consider CHIKV infection in patients with acute onset of fever and polyarthralgia for appropriate clinical management. Providers are also encouraged to report suspected Chikungunya cases to health departments to facilitate diagnosis and mitigate the risk of local transmission.
These CDC recommendations are challenging as most CHIKV infections are related to international travelers visiting over 100 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Furthermore, Pune's National Institute of Virology has indicated that CHIKV variants are causing more cases and lingering symptoms in 2024. A study published on October 19, 2024, identified Chikungunya's "Indian Ocean lineage" as the primary cause of the recent surge in cases and lingering symptoms.
This novel CHIKV lineage, first identified in 2006, has also spread globally.
These experts have determined that the incidence of post-chikungunya chronic rheumatism and fatigue and the impact on quality of life and chronic fatigue in adults seven years after infections were significant.
To alert travelers of this health risk, the CDC updated its Level 2 Travel Health Advisory regarding outbreaks in various Indian states, such as Maharashtra and Telangana. These areas are very popular destinations for international travelers.
In 2025, the CDC recommends travelers to Chikungunya outbreak areas speak with a travel vaccine expert about immunization options since the U.S. FDA has approved one effective vaccine commercially offered at clinics and pharmacies.
A more straightforward and less expensive CDC recommendation to reduce Chikungunya disease cases this year is to avoid mosquito bites when traveling abroad.
Health agencies continue to report a spike in measles cases during the initial two months of 2025.
Today, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) issued an updated report on an outbreak of measles in the South Plains region of western Texas. As of February 28, 2025, 146 cases have been identified since late January.
In eastern Texas, Harris County reported two measles patients related to international travel in 2025.
About 50% of these cases have an unknown vaccination status, as the investigation is ongoing. DSHS is investigating whether these cases received a measles vaccination after exposure.
As of March 1, 2025, DSHS has not reported any measles cases at Texas universities in Austin, San Antonio, or San Marcos.
DSHS wrote that due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities.
In total, 164 measles cases were reported by nine U.S. jurisdictions this year.
The best way to prevent getting sick is to be immunized with two doses of a vaccine against measles, which is primarily administered as the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. Measles vaccines are offered at public health facilities, pharmacies, and travel clinics in the United States.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads to others through coughing and sneezing.
"Another option for healthcare professionals, as well as students and others at high risk for measles infection, is to have a tighter draw. This is a blood test for measles and costs less than $50 to know your status," V. Yvette Cheeks MSN, RN, NPE-C informed Vax-Before-Travel News.
"It is a quantitative test and tells you how immune you are," added Cheeks, the owner of The Immunization Clinic based in Missouri City, TX.
Over the last five years, measles outbreaks have been reported in 103 countries.
As of February 21, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) republished a global Watch-Level 1 Travel Health Notice, identifying measles outbreaks in 57 countries.
However, the CDC did not include Texas in this notice.
Both the Texas DSHS and CDC recommend that anyone concerned about measles exposure speak with a healthcare professional as soon as possible!
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the recommendations for the viral composition of the trivalent influenza vaccines for the 2025-2026 influenza season in the northern hemisphere.
Announced on February 28, 2025, the WHO recommendations are used by the national vaccine regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies to develop, produce, and license influenza vaccines for the following influenza season.
The twice-yearly update of viruses in influenza vaccines is necessary for the vaccines to be effective due to the constantly evolving nature of influenza viruses, including those circulating and infecting humans.
Additionally, the WHO's recommendation for the B/Yamagata lineage component of quadrivalent influenza vaccines remains unchanged from previous recommendations.
For the 2024-2025 flu season, about 100 million influenza vaccines were distributed in the United States.
As of February 28, 2025, about 45.8% of children and 45.2% of adults, including 70% of adults 65+, reported receipt of an influenza vaccine this season. The CDC reported on May 25, 2024, that about 48% of U.S. adults received a flu shot during 2023-2024.
