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Since the Zika virus was first detected in the Americas in May 2015, 52 countries and territories have confirmed locally transmitted cases.
While mosquito-transmitted diseases like Zika are detected mainly through passive surveillance systems that identify infections when people seek medical care, countries such as the Republic of El Salvador have taken proactive diagnostic measures.
The country's Ministry of Health monitors for three arboviruses, Chikungunya, Dengue, and Zika, when a person is tested at a facility. And adapted the "It's in your hands" campaigns to include Zika.
As a result, over the last three years, the El Salvador has reported a decreasing number of Zika cases to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
This Central American country reported 106 Zika cases in 2023, 92 in 2024, and 44 as of December 17, 2025.
This data contrasts with a much higher number of Chikungunya and Dengue cases.
Currently, the U.S. CDC does not recommend pre-trip vaccinations for these diseases, but it did include El Salvador in recent Dengue and Measles Travel Health Notices.
And in 2024, the local U.S. Embassy issued a Health Alert due to an increase in Dengue cases.
El Salvador is experiencing a significant tourism spike in 2025, with over 3 million visitors so far. When visiting El Salvador, the Embassy recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive digital alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
Over the last few months of 2025, the Florida Department of Health (FDH) has reported an uptick in travel-related Chikungunya fever cases. During week #50, 46 additional Chikungunya cases were confirmed.
As of December 13, 2025, FDH reported two hundred six travel-associated chikungunya cases in Florida this year.
Florida counties confirming cases include, but are not limited to, Broward (20), Hillsborough (20), and Miami-Dade (127).
FDH says these people recently arrived from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, and Cuba (194).
Cuba's 2025 Chikungunya outbreak began in western provinces like Matanzas and has reached the capital, Havana.
FDH says Chikungunya is an infection caused by a virus transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, similar to Dengue. Initially reported in 2006, Chikungunya has become a locally acquired and travel-related health concern in most years in Florida.
Over the last two years, Chikungunya vaccines have been approved and are available in Florida at various clinics.
As of December 17, 2025, the U.S. CDC recommends pre-departure vaccination before visiting a Chikungunya outbreak zone, such as Cube.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging countries in the Americas to strengthen immunization activities as measles cases continue to rise in the region.
So far in 2025, over 10,000 confirmed measles cases have been reported across ten countries, representing a 34-fold increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On December 15, 2025, the PAHO stated in a press release that these measles outbreaks are linked primarily to low vaccination coverage, with 71% of cases occurring in unvaccinated individuals.
Countries with the highest case numbers include Canada (4,548), Mexico (3,911), and the United States (1,356). Other countries reporting confirmed cases are Bolivia, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Costa Rica.
Mexico leads measles-related fatalities with 14 this year.
"Measles is preventable with two doses of a vaccine, which is proven to be very safe and effective. To stop these outbreaks, countries must urgently strengthen routine immunization and conduct targeted vaccination campaigns in high-risk communities," said Dr. Daniel Salas, Executive Manager of the Special Program for Comprehensive Immunization at PAHO, in a press release.
As of mid-December, Canada lost its measles elimination status after three decades, and Mexico is also at risk of losing its measles-free status in the months ahead.
To alert international travelers to their health risk, the U.S. CDC published a Level 1 Travel Health Notice stating that all international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
MMR vaccination services are generally offered throughout the United States at travel clinics and pharmacies.
For a few decades, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has been a standard, effective, low-cost immunotherapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).
However, the 100-year-old BCG vaccine alone did not help all patients with bladder cancer recover.
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ANKTIVA®, with BCG, for the treatment of patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with carcinoma in situ (CIS), with or without papillary tumors.
An Original Research article published in the Journal of Urology, January 1, 2026, edition, demonstrates efficacy at 12 and 36 months, including disease-free survival, disease-specific survival, long-term progression-free survival, and high cystectomy avoidance in patients with BCG-unresponsive high-grade papillary-only NMIBC.
These researchers stated the findings also show tolerable safety consistent with BCG treatment alone, with 3% grade 3 and no grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse events.
"Patients with BCG-unresponsive papillary-only non-muscle invasive bladder cancer have few treatment options, with cystectomy being considered the definitive treatment," said lead author Sam S. Chang, M.D., Professor of Urology and Chief Surgical Officer of the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, in a press release on December 16, 2025.
"Prolongation of progression-free survival, disease-specific free survival, and avoidance of bladder removal are clinically meaningful goals of next-generation chemotherapy-free immunotherapy."
"Our findings provide evidence that ANKTIVA plus BCG would offer a novel and efficacious treatment option for these patients."
ANKTIVA is currently approved in the USA and the United Kingdom, and has a Conditional Marketing Authorization in the European Union, with BCG, for the treatment of patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with CIS, with or without papillary tumors.
"The evidence that CIS and papillary disease are clonally linked, combined with the QUILT-3.032 findings showing long-term cystectomy avoidance, sustained avoidance of progression to muscle-invasive disease, and 96% bladder cancer-specific survival at three years, supports the consideration that ANKTIVA plus BCG addresses the unmet need for patients with papillary disease alone who face the prospect of total radical cystectomy following failure of BCG therapy," added Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder, Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of ImmunityBio.
As winter vacations approach, many travelers are looking for the latest updates they can trust on disease outbreaks, travel advisories, and vaccine recommendations.
Whether heading to Costa Rica or exploring Florida's outstanding beaches, Vax-Before-Travel publishes up-to-date information focused on mosquito-transmitted viruses so you can confidently "Know Before You Go."
To help meet the growing consumer demand, Vax-Before-Travel's research-based travel information is now available for free when enrolling in a weekly newsletter.
Within a few seconds and key strokes, registered travelers will begin receiving fact-checked travel information in weekly newsletters.
Don Hackett, the publisher of Vax-Before-Travel (VBT), stated on December 16, 2025, "With over 15 million people traveling monthly, the U.S. CDC recommends that most vaccines be administered at least one month before departure, if not earlier."
"VBT's information is essential, as research suggests tens of millions of people are not adequately vaccinated before traveling to countries with endemic diseases, such as Chikungunya or Dengue.
"Data suggests last-minute travelers defer approximately 18% of their protective vaccines due to insufficient time before departure," added Hackett.
According to the CDC, the time between the vaccine's administration, the protection it offers, and the start of travel is significant.
Additionally, VBT connects you with a certified clinic to request an appointment for recommended routine and travel vaccines.
The Ministry of Health of Peru (MINSA) recently declared a national epidemiological alert in direct response to the significant increase in international travel and large gatherings associated with year-end festivities.
For example, local media reports that about 1.5 million visitors have already visited the historic site of Machu Picchu during the first 10 months of 2025. Machu Picchu is Peru's most visited tourist destination.
Announced on December 12, 2025, this proactive measure focused on the health risk associated with influenza A (H3N2) subclade K and measles.
A MINSA official clarified that the Influenza A H3N2 virus does not present any significant warning signs or severity. Minsa began influenza vaccinations in April 2025 for vulnerable groups.
In the United States and Europe, they use the same flu shot we use, which has a 70% effectiveness rate," explained Luis Quiroz.
Additionally, the spreading of measles in Peru was highlighted in a U.S. CDC Travel Health Notice.
Furthermore, the CDC recommends vaccinations, including Chikungunya, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever, for many visitors to Peru in 2025.
These travel vaccines are available from various clinics in the United States.
Senior leaders at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) convened a Lyme disease roundtable today, bringing together federal leaders, members of Congress, clinicians, researchers, innovators, and patient advocates for a public discussion on YouTube regarding the future of Lyme disease care and policy.
Since its detection in Lyme, Connecticut, in the late 1960s, this tick-transmitted virus has spread throughout the Northeast and into the upper Midwest of the United States. Lyme is also detected in various European countries.
On December 15, 2025, the Global Lyme Alliance Chief Scientific Officer will be in attendance to offer research integrity and patient perspectives central to the conversation.
A related HHS media statement confirmed 'This roundtable represents an important moment in national Lyme disease dialogue and underscores the growing recognition that addressing Lyme disease requires collaboration across medicine, public health, government, and patient advocacy.'
According to various information sources, a Lyme disease vaccine candidate has advanced to late-stage, phase 3 clinical studies. Analysts indicate there is significant consumer demand for this innovative vaccine in 2026.
In late 2025, Ethiopia experienced its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in its southern regions.
As of December 12, 2025, Ethiopia's Ministry of Health posted on Facebook that there have been 14 confirmed cases of MVD with nine related fatalities.
Accordingly, the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 5km of the towns of Jinka and Hawassa due to the ongoing MVD outbreak.
In early December, the U.S. CDC updated its Level 1 travel advisory, stating to watch for symptoms of Marburg while in the outbreak area and for 21 days after leaving Ethiopia. If you develop fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, rash, chest pain, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or unexplained bleeding or bruising, contact a healthcare provider.
Since its initial outbreak in 1967, no suspected, probable, or confirmed MVD-related cases have been reported in the United States or the United Kingdom. Previous MVD outbreaks have been confirmed in Europe and other African countries.
Currently, no preventive vaccine has been approved for human use. However, Marburg vaccine candidates are conducting clinical research as of December 15, 2025.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently released a briefing note informing countries about the increasing circulation of the influenza A(H3N2) subclade K (J.2.4.1) virus.
The PAHO noted in a media release that the genetic evolution observed in subclade K is part of the natural variation in seasonal influenza viruses.
As of December 12, 2025, in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada, there has been a gradual increase in detections of subclade K. As of now, similar circulation levels have not been reported in South American countries.
While evidence on vaccine effectiveness for the current season remains limited, preliminary data from Europe suggest that vaccination continues to offer comparable protection against severe disease, including hospitalization, wrote the PAHO.
The ECDC previously wrote that compared to previous years, influenza is increasing unusually early in the EU/EEA, with A(H3N2) driving the increases in recent weeks. Even if a less well-matched A(H3N2) virus dominates this winter, the vaccine is still expected to protect against severe disease.
The U.S. CDC wrote last week that subclade J.2.4.1, renamed "H3N2 subclade K," was identified in August 2025. Of the 401 influenza A viruses subtyped during Week #49 in the USA, 14.% were influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, and 86.0% were A(H3N2).
These viruses have slight changes in their hemagglutinin gene and have been antigenically characterized as "antigenically drifted" in comparison to the virus selected as the A(H3N2) component of the U.S. 2025-26 seasonal influenza vaccines.
The CDC reaffirmed its recommendation that most people in the USA, and those traveling abroad for the winter holidays, get an annual flu shot.
