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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.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published the 27th Emergency Situational Update regarding cholera outbreaks.
The WHO reported that from January 2025 to May 25 2025, a cumulative total of 211,678 cholera cases and 2,754 related fatalities were reported from 26 countries.
Three WHO regions, with the African Region recording the highest numbers, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean Region, and the South-East Asia Region.
In May 2025, the South-East Asia Region reported 257 new cholera cases from Myanmar.
Since cholera is a vaccine-preventable disease, the WHO recommends oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) for travelers visiting countries where outbreaks are occurring.
As of June 22, 2025, the WHO has prequalified Vaxchora®, Dukoral®, Shanchol™, Euvichol®, and Euvichol-S OCVs.
In January 2025, the WHO stated that OCV production had reached 6.2 million doses. However, as of May 2025, the OCV stockpile consisted of 5.7 million doses, which is below the minimum emergency threshold of five million.
The WHO says that, during the current cholera outbreak, only one OCV dose course has been implemented in reactive vaccination campaigns.
As of June 22, 2025, there are ample supplies of OCVs at travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States.
In the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), several countries are currently experiencing outbreaks of hepatitis A virus (HAV), with two clusters involving closely related HAV subgenotype IB strains.
As of June 18, 2025, Hungary (66 cases), Austria (43 cases), Slovakia (23 cases) and Germany (three cases) have a high probability of sustained transmission and circulation of the HAV within specific groups, as assessed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Additionally, cases have been reported among members of the Roma communities in Czechia.
In 2024, Czechia sequenced a total of 52 samples, of which 34 were identified as subgenotype IB. Between January and the end of April 2025, 30 additional samples were analysed, with 25 identified as subgenotype IB.
Since hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable disease, the ECDC recommends tailoring outreach to populations at higher risk of exposure to HAV, based on an understanding of their specific needs, attitudes, and knowledge.
The specific recommendations include the following actions:
Targeted single-dose pre-exposure hepatitis A vaccination programmes for populations who are not vaccinated and who are more likely to be exposed to the virus.
Provide post-exposure prophylaxis to close contacts of cases by administering the hepatitis A vaccine, or in particular circumstances, hepatitis A immunoglobulins.
And finally, consider targeted vaccination of population groups more likely to be exposed to HAV in low and very-low-endemicity settings to provide individual health benefits.
As of June 20, 2025, the U.S. CDC recommends that international travelers visiting areas with HAV outbreaks consult with a vaccine expert one month before departure to assess vaccination options.
For example, vaccination is recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to Hungary. And when visiting the Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions in Portugal.
According to a recent World Health Organization report, the Western Pacific Region is facing significant dengue outbreaks for the second consecutive year.
Since dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease, countries such as the Republic of Singapore are conducting clinical trials pursuing the use of a third-generation vaccine.
On June 18, 2025, MSD (Merck & Co.) announced the initiation of the MOBILIZE-1 Phase 3 clinical trial (V181-005) evaluating the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of a single dose of V181, a quadrivalent vaccine candiate, for the prevention of dengue disease caused by any of the four dengue virus serotypes, regardless of prior dengue exposure.
Recruitment for this late-stage trial has begun, and the first participants are now enrolling in Singapore.
The study is planned to include more than 30 trial sites in dengue-endemic areas in the Asia-Pacific region, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Dr. Abdullahi Sheriff, Managing Director, MSD in Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei, commented in a press release, “We are grateful to the scientific community in Singapore for their commitment to scientific excellence and partnership throughout this journey."
"Singapore and the surrounding countries in Southeast Asia are areas with a risk for dengue, making it a serious public health threat."
Throughout 2024 and during the first half of 2025, dengue cases and related fatalities have been reported in most countries in the Region of the Americas, including the United States.
The global need for additional dengue vaccines is substantial. As of June 20, 2025, the second-generation QDENGA vaccine is in limited supply worldwide and is unavailable in the U.S.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today reported rabies cases in dogs continue to be reported from multiple municipalities in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste during 2025.
As of June 18, 2025, the WHO's 12th Edition reported six human rabies cases between April 2024 and June 15, 2025, in a Southeast Asian country.
Five of these cases have been fatal. Among those cases, three deaths were recorded in Oecusse, and one each in Ermera and Bobonaro municipalities.
Out of 1,445 dog bite cases reported between April 2024 and June 2025, 41% were classified as category III, considered high-risk and for which immediate vaccination and administration of rabies immunoglobulin are recommended.
However, only 18% of those category III cases have received immunoglobulin. But 66% of all bite victims received an initial rabies vaccination after exposure, but most have not completed the full recommended course.
The Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste, in collaboration with stakeholders and the public, has confirmed that it will launch a national rabies prevention campaign aimed at increasing vaccine availability, expanding vaccination of dog populations, and enhancing surveillance in both human and animal populations.
The U.S. CDC advises that you should consult with a healthcare provider to determine whether you should receive a pre-exposure vaccination before visiting Timor-Leste in 2025.
In addition to rabies, measles, typhoid, and chikungunya vaccinations should be considered before visiting Timor-Leste.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently confirmed that many air travelers fail to realize that defying the crew's instructions not only puts everyone's safety at risk but also poses a significant liability for airlines.
IATA figures indicate an increase in the rate of reported unruly passenger incidents.
Based on over 24,500 incident reports from more than 50 operators globally, there was one incident for every 480 flights in 2023, compared to one incident for every 568 flights in 2022.
To address one aspect of these concerns, the Türkiye Cumhuriyeti issued a warning on May 6, 2025, stating that potential disciplinary action may be taken against airline passengers who stand up before the plane has come to a complete stop and the seatbelt sign has been turned off.
The "Passenger Announcements Circular" No. UOD - 2025/01 empowers Turkish Airlines, the country's flag carrier, to impose fines on violators of around $70 per violation.
In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of air travel.
As of June 19, 2025, TSA regulations are designed to protect passengers and airline staff by minimizing potential threats at airports and on flights.
The TSA's Secure Flight is a risk-based passenger prescreening program that enhances security by identifying low- and high-risk passengers before they arrive at the airport, matching their names against trusted traveler lists and watchlists.
The TSA has reported that in June 2025, over 2.6 million people flew an airplane each day in the U.S.
