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Sante Publique France reported today that a total of eight locally acquired cases of chikungunya have been confirmed in southern France since late May 2025.
Cases in France's mainland were reported in Occitane (Hérault and Gard), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Var and Bouches-du-Rhône), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Drôme), and on the island of Corse (Corse-du-Sud).
Although declining as of June 25, 2025, the number of chikungunya cases that have traveled to Réunion and the Indian Ocean remains high. It contributes to the early appearance of indigenous transmission.
Additionally, 645 imported cases of chikungunya have been reported over the past nine weeks.
The government says, 'This number of episodes has never been observed in France before.'
Public Health France reiterates the importance of protective measures against mosquito bites, the control of larval breeding sites, and the use of protective vaccination, if appropriate.
Overall, global coverage for vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, polio, and tuberculosis nearly doubled from 1980 to 2023.
However, this long-term trend masks recent challenges.
To achieve 90% global coverage for life-course vaccines, we must accelerate progress to reach current estimates of zero-dose children.
As of June 24, 2025, most zero-dose children remain concentrated in regions with various resource constraints that limit the availability of vaccination services.
This analysis, published in The Lancet, discloses that, as of 2023, more than 50% of the 15.7 million global zero-dose children reside in eight countries: Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Indonesia, and Brazil.
These researchers wrote, 'findings underscore the crucial need for targeted, equitable immunisation strategies, strengthening primary health-care systems, and adapting to local contexts are essential to advancing coverage.'
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) today issued updated travel advice for visiting the Kingdom of Thailand.
On June 24, 2025, the FCDO posted new information about the temporary suspension of border crossings due to civial unrest.
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the south, near the Thailand-Malaysia border, such as Pattani Province, Yala Province, Narathiwat Province, and southern Songkhla Province, south of the A43 road between Hat Yai and Sakom, and south of the train line which runs between Hat Yai and Padang Besar.
Additionally, the FCDO advises against all but essential travel on the Hat Yai to Padang Besar train line, which runs through these provinces.
This advisory may impact Thailand's international tourist arrivals, which reached about 35 million in 2024.
From a health advisory perspective, the U.S. CDC previously issued disease outbreak warnings and vaccination recommendations regarding chikungunya, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, measles, rabies, and typhoid.
On June 13, 2025, the CDC advised prospective visitors to Thailand to consult with a travel vaccine expert about immunization options.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently confirmed that the overall risk associated with the yellow fever situation in the Americas Region, particularly in endemic countries such as the Federative Republic of Brazil, is classified as ¨High¨.
As of June 24, 2025, mosquito-borne transmissions of the yellow fever virus (YFV) have been confirmed throughout the states, including São Paulo State.
The YFV was detected in two distinct geographic locations in São Paulo, between September 2024 and February 2025. Phylogenetic analysis of six new genomes revealed a reintroduction in 2022 from Midwest Brazil
According to Brazil's Ministry of Health, yellow fever is an acute, vaccine-preventable, febrile infectious disease with high mortality rates in its severe forms. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission, so avoiding mosquito bites is crucial.
Vaccination is the primary tool for preventing yellow fever in Brazil.
Since April 2017, Brazil has adopted a vaccination schedule of only one dose for life, a measure that aligns with the World Health Organization's recommendations.
When visiting Brazil and other areas endemic for yellow fever in 2025, the U.S. CDC recommends being vaccinated at least 10 days before departure. The YF-VAX vaccine is available at certified travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States.
With great anticipation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today posted an updated draft agenda for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting schedule for June 25-26, 2025.
The new agenda included ACIP votes on topics such as Influenza Vaccines, Thimerosal-containing influenza vaccine recommendations, respiratory syncytial virus vaccines for maternal and pediatric use, and the Vaccines for Children program.
As of June 23, 2025, the public is invited to attend this ACIP meeting digitally and, if selected, to ask questions.
The ACIP usually holds three regular meetings each year to review scientific data and vote on recommendations, which are presented to the CDC Director for approval.
Previous ACIP meeting agendas and votes can be found at this CDC link.
According to recent data published by France Public Health, international travelers are returning to mainland France infected with various mosquito-transmitted diseases.
As of June 18, 2025, France reported that over the past six weeks, the following diseases have been identified:
Chikungunya: 583 imported cases of chikungunya. Additionally, two unrelated indigenous (local) cases of chikungunya have been identified in 2025, one in the Var department and the other in the Hérault department. This report does not include data from the ongoing chikungunya outbreaks in the French Departments in the Indian Ocean.
Dengue: 395 imported cases of dengue fever,
Zika: 2 imported cases of Zika.
The chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses are primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, specifically Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito), in mainland France. Aedes albopictus has been established in southern France since 2004 and has been gradually spreading since then.
At the start of 2025, 81 out of 96 departments were colonized by the vector mosquito Aedes albopictus.
While dengue and Zika vaccines are not yet available as of June 23, 2025, two chikungunya vaccines are commercially offered in various countries, including the United States.
Bats play a vital role in the world's ecosystem, but in the United States, they are the most commonly reported animals to have rabies.
In March 2025, a bat found in North Carolina tested positive for rabies, marking the second confirmed case in Person County this year.
While not all bats carry the rabies virus, be cautious when you see one, advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, it is essential to recognize the possible signs of rabies in bats. Unusual behaviors that could indicate that a bat has rabies include being active during the day, being inside a home or laying on the ground.
This advice is essential when watching bats fly at dusk, such as in Austin, Texas.
The CDC stated on June 11, 2025, that if you observe unusual bat behavior, contact your local animal control or public health department.
Furthermore, when traveling abroad, be aware of infected dogs, which are the primary source of 99% of rabies cases globally.
From a prevention perspective, the CDC says two types of vaccines protect people against rabies: nerve tissue and cell culture vaccines.
As of June 23, 2025, the CDC recommends rabies vaccination for individuals visiting high-risk areas. Bavarian Nordic's RabAvert® vaccine is offered at travel clinics and pharmacies, but it is only recommended for specific travelers.
The World Health Organization states that for nearly a decade, the Horn of Africa has been battling persistent outbreaks of the poliovirus variant. Low immunity in children and unmonitored population movement have fueled the spread of poliovirus.
For example, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia recently reported four additional cases of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) from Oromiya.
According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative GPEI), on June 18, 2025, Ethiopia reported 33 cases reported in 2025.
This GPEI data compares with 43 cases reported in 2024.
The Global Polio Surveillance Action Plan 2025–2026 outlines enhanced strategies for acute flaccid paralysis and response to poliovirus transmission.
In 2025, Ethiopia strengthened its surveillance and preparedness efforts to prevent the further spread of the disease. In February, over 15 million children were vaccinated. The campaign launched in the country’s Somali region.
To alert international travelers to the risk of poliovirus in Ethiopia, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included this African country in the June 14, 2025, Travel Health Advisory.
The CDC recommends that all visitors to high-risk areas be fully immunized against this severe disease. Polio vaccines are generally available at travel clinics and pharmacies throughout the United States.
