Search API
International leaders, philanthropists, and global health partners announced today a collective $1.9 billion to advance polio eradication. This funding is essential as wild poliovirus is now endemic in only two countries, but outbreaks of variant poliovirus still threaten children in over 30 countries.
According to a press release from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) on December 8, 2025, the funds will accelerate efforts to reach 370 million children annually with polio vaccines and strengthen health systems in affected countries to protect children from other preventable diseases.
This includes approximately $1.2 billion in newly pledged funds, reducing the remaining resource gap for the GPEI 2022-2029 Strategy to $440 million.
The pledges announced today reaffirm international resolve to finish the job and protect future generations from a disease that once paralyzed 1,000 children every day across 125 countries.
"The fight to end polio shows what is possible when the world invests together in a shared goal. We're 99.9 percent of the way there – but the last stretch demands the same determination that got us this far," said Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation. "This renewed funding will help us cross the finish line and strengthen the systems that protect children from this terrible disease for good."
Success would make polio just the second human disease ever eradicated—after smallpox—and is projected to save the world more than $33 billion by 2100 compared to the ongoing cost of outbreak control.
The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) recently endorsed two critical innovations for polio eradication.
SAGE recommended that fractional doses of Sabin-based inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) be used in the same way as fractional doses of Salk-based IPV – helping stretch supply and reach more children.
SAGE also backed the broader rollout of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to help stop persistent outbreaks of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 in some of the toughest places.
In 2024, SAGE recommended that, where feasible, the use of both IPV and nOPV2 vaccines be employed for initial outbreak-response vaccination campaigns.
In the United States, the IPV is offered at travel clinics, and booster shots are suggested for certain travelers.
According to local media, the Romanian Ministry of Health has reported two confirmed cases of leprosy, and two other suspected cases are undergoing evaluation.
These are Romania's first eprosy cases in more than 40 years.
Romaina-Insider reported Corina Criste, director of the Cluj Public Health Directorate, told Agerpres on December 12, 2025, that a case of leprosy was detected in Cluj-Napoca, he second-most populous city in the European country.
Health minister Alexandru Rogobete said he has ordered intensified epidemiological surveillance, expanded testing of contacts, evaluations of the working and living conditions of foreign employees, and the request for international assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO says leprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, remains rare in Europe and is typically recorded among people originating from endemic regions in Asia, Africa, or Latin America.
In the United States, leprosy (Hansen's disease) is a nationally notifiable condition. Annually, the U.S. CDC detects around 150-250 cases of leprosy, with 225 in 2023 and 205 in 2024.
In 2025, Florida reported 36 leprosy cases, highlighting local transmission, especially in Brevard County.
In recent years, Argentina has seen a significant rise in Zika virus infections. Both Argentina and its South American neighbor, Brazil, face challenges in diagnosing Zika infections and distinguishing them from Dengue fever, another disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), current efforts focus on improving the sensitivity of surveillance systems. In Argentina, Zika is detected mainly through passive surveillance systems that identify cases in people seeking medical care.
This detection process is not a guarantee that the Zika virus is not in circulation.
This makes it challenging to monitor the increasing number of Zika cases, which can lead to severe congenital disabilities, including microcephaly. This happens because an infected pregnant woman can spread the virus to her unborn baby.
As of December 12, 2025, the PAHO reported Argentina has confirmed 1,045 Zika cases this year.
This data compares with 564 reported in 2024.
Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, with over 3 million residents, and an international traveler's favorite, has seen a significant rise in Zika cases in 2025, with hundreds reported by the Health Ministry.
While the U.S. CDC has not issued a Travel Health Notice in 2025 focused on Zika outbreaks in Argentina, the PAHO and other organizations caution all visitors to reduce their risk of infection.
In the near term, a Zika prevention vaccine may be approved. Until then, beware of mosquito bites!
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health in Hong Kong has announced that relevant departments will be conducting intensified mosquito control and prevention efforts along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails, a popular hiking area.
Published on December 9, 2025, this health alert is related to CHP's confirmation of a total of 78 chikungunya fever (CF) cases in 2025.
Among them, 10 were local cases, which were initially detected in late October 2025.
On December 7, 2025, the CHP wrote that some confirmed CF cases had reportedly been bitten by mosquitoes while hiking along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. These trails are situated in a countryside environment and cover a vast area, with the trails stretching approximately 7,000 metres. Along both sides of the trails, there are various natural breeding grounds for vectors, including puddles on soil surfaces and fallen leaves, which increase the risk of mosquito breeding.
This area is located east of Hong Kong Disneyland and northwest of the city of Hong Kong, which has welcomed over 40 million visitors this year.
The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems, stated the CHP.
Chikungunya is a mosquito-transmitted disease that is also vaccine-preventable.
As of December 12, 2025, chikungunya vaccines are offered at travel clinics in the United States and various countries.
Connecticut's health department today reported its first measles case since 2021. This patient is an unvaccinated resident of Fairfield County, located just northeast of New York and home to about 950,000 people.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) reported on December 11, 2025, that this child recently travelled internationally and began showing symptoms of measles several days later.
"The single best way to protect your children and yourself from measles is to be vaccinated," said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, in a press release.
"One dose of measles vaccine is about 93 percent effective, while two doses are about 97 percent effective. We must ensure we continue to protect those who matter most – children and other vulnerable people – from vaccine-preventable illnesses through on-time vaccination."
According to the 2024-2025 Statewide School Immunization Survey, 98.2% of Connecticut students had received two doses of MMR by kindergarten entry. Connecticut's MMR vaccination rate is one of the highest in the U.S.
MMR vaccination services are generally offered at clinics and pharmacies in the United States.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reported there are outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Mauritania and Senegal.
In a Level 1 Travel Health Notice published on December 11, 2025, the CDC says RVF is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever that causes illness in livestock and people.
However, there is currently no evidence of person-to-person transmission of RVF, which was first identified in 1931 in Kenya.
According to previous WHO data, in Mauritania, between September 27 and October 30, 2025, a total of 46 confirmed human cases of RVF, including 14 associated deaths (case fatality ratio: 30%), were reported in eleven districts from thirteen regions.
In Senegal, between September 20 and October 30, 2025, the Republic of Senegal reported a total of 358 confirmed human cases of RVF, including 28 deaths (case fatality rate: 7.8%).
The CDC says less than 2% of people infected with RVF will develop severe symptoms, which can include eye disease, hemorrhage, and encephalitis. Most people recover within one week, with treatment limited to supportive care.
While mortality is higher in severe cases, only about 1% of people who get RVF die, says the CDC.
An inactivated vaccine has been developed for human use, but it is not licensed or commercially available. It has been used experimentally to protect veterinary and laboratory personnel at high risk of RVF exposure.
In 2024 and early 2025, RVF vaccine candidates recieved funding rounds.
As schools and colleges begin their winter vaccinations in December 2025, many students are heading south to warmer weather.
One of the most popular destinations this year is the Republic of Costa Rica.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights that routine vaccines, such as measles, are needed before traveling abroad, several mosquito-transmitted viruses are currently infecting people in Costa Rica.
The positive news is that fewer infections are being confirmed in this Central American country.
Moreover, infection risks vary by city, such as San Juan, in the central mountains, or at the beach.
On December 5, 2025, the Costa Rica Health Department's Boletín Epidemiológico N° 46 confirmed recent cases of Chikungunya, Dengue, Malaria, and Zika virus infections.
So far in 2025, eight cases of Chikungunya have been reported. Last year, over 40 cases were reported.
Over 5,400 Dengue cases were reported in 2025. About 31,200 cases were reported in 2024.
And 12 cases of Malaria had been reported in Costa Rica. In 2024, 200 cases were reported.
Furthermore, the seldon discussed, but very serious Zika virus has caused 11 cases, far fewer than the 32 reported in 2024.
Regarding accessing preventive vaccines before a trip to Costa Rica, a travel consultant is best suited to answer questions, as some vaccines are available globally but not in the United States. Other vaccines, such as those for Zika, are still in clinical trials in late 2025.
In the U.S., travel clinics such as PassportHealth commercially offer consulting sessions for international travelers.
