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According to the WHO's Multi-country External Situation Report #57, published on August 28, 2025, all clades of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) continue to circulate in several countries.
The WHO writes that 'when mpox outbreaks are not rapidly contained and human-to-human transmission is not interrupted, they continue to pose a risk of sustained community transmission.'
In July 2025, 47 countries reported a total of 3,924 confirmed cases, including 30 deaths (case fatality ratio 0.8%).
China, Germany, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom have reported additional cases of mpox due to clade Ib MPXV since the last situation report.
These new cases have been linked to international travel.
On August 20, 2025, the WHO Director-General extended the standing recommendations for mpox until August 2026 to further prevent or reduce the international spread of mpox, as well as its impact on health.
Both the WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend receiving your first mpox vaccine at least 6 weeks before travel. After completing your first and second vaccine doses, which are given 4 weeks apart, it takes about two more weeks to get the best protection against mpox.
The majority of U.S. cases of clade II mpox continue to be reported in people who are not vaccinated or have received only one dose.
Several cases have recently been tied back to an outbreak in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and other West African countries.
The CDC suggests that whether or not you've been vaccinated (JYNNEOS®, MVA-BN®, IMVAMUNE®), you continue to reduce your risk of getting mpox.
When the World Health Organization confirmed in June 2025 that the spread of the poliovirus remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, it identified several countries where visitors are at risk of contracting this severe disease.
As of August 27, 2025, new data from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) reveal an unexpected surge in polio cases in the Republic of Yemen, situated in southern Arabia.
According to the GPEI, 25 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (CVDPV2) cases were reported this week. This updated data brings the number of cases in Yemen for 2024 to 187 and 29 for 2025.
'The recent increase in reported cases and environmental sample isolates from 2024 and 2025 is not particularly linked to an increase in poliovirus transmission, but rather to retrospective testing,' wrote the GPEI.
CVDPV2 is a strain of poliovirus that can emerge in under-vaccinated populations when the oral polio vaccine (OPV) strains genetically revert to a form that can cause paralysis.
To address the shortcomings of this vaccine, the nOPV2 vaccine has been deployed over 1 billion times in various countries.
In the United States, the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) was developed in 1955 and has been offered since 2000. IPVs produce antibodies in the blood that target all three types of poliovirus, thereby preventing the virus from spreading.
As of September 2, 2025, the U.S. CDC recommends IPV booster doses for specific travelers visiting areas where poliovirus has been detected, such as Israel and Germany.
IPVs are currently offered at travel clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.
The Dominican Republic Ministry of Health recently announced that the Caribbean island country had reduced dengue fever cases by over 85%.
As of Epidemiological Week 33, the total for 2025 is now 174 dengue cases, a significant improvement from last year's outbreak..
During 2024, 1,110 dengue cases were recorded in the same period.
The Health Ministry stated the decrease is attributed to the effectiveness of the national relaunch of the "Let's Beat Dengue" campaign, which carries the slogan "Eliminate, Clean, and Cover."
As part of the campaign, educational workshops, community operations to eliminate breeding sites, targeted fumigations, junk removal, distribution of informational materials, and larvicide distribution were implemented.
Dominican Republic's Minister of Health, Víctor Atallah, highlighted in a media release posted at the end of August 2025, that these prevention initiatives have positioned the country as a leader in disease control in the Region of the Americas, where dengue virus-transmitting mosquitoes have caused significant harm over the past few years.
“We have demonstrated that prevention works. The country today shows encouraging figures that reflect the dedication of our personnel and the commitment to protecting the health of the Dominican people."
"Now we will redouble our efforts to sustain and expand this success, and continue winning the battle against dengue," stated Atallah.
In addition to dengue, this vacationer's favorite destination continues to battle two other mosquito-borne diseases, chikungunya and malaria.
As of September 2, 2025, the U.S. CDC recommends chikungunya vaccination for at-risk travelers visiting areas with outbreaks; however, vaccines for dengue and malaria are not available in the USA.
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is found in twenty-one countries in the Americas, including the United States, where it has become endemic.
In the U.S., blood-sucking insects occur naturally in the southern half of the country and, as of September 2025, have been identified in 32 states.
The state of Texas has undertaken extensive efforts to document human Chagas disease cases that were made reportable in 2013. The first known autochthonous case of human Chagas disease in the U.S. occurred in an infant in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1955, in a home infested with triatomines.
According to the U.S. CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases (Volume 31, Number 9—September 2025), in this Perspective, researchers review a body of evidence establishing the robust presence of T. cruzi parasites in the U.S., not only among insect vectors, wildlife, and domestic animals but also among humans without travel histories who are assumed to be locally infected.
After feeding, these bugs pass the parasite in their feces. If the feces enter a person's body through a cut or near the eyes or mouth, it can cause infection.
These researchers wrote, 'Updating Chagas disease endemicity status as hypoendemic is a crucial step toward a more effective management model, one that addresses the unique challenges and complexities of this country regarding vector-borne diseases.'
'Such a shift will help reform curriculum in professional schools to enable the next generation of practitioners to be competent in recognizing the low but present risk for locally acquired T. cruzi infections and better serve those who acquire the parasite elsewhere and require diagnosis in the U.S.'
A Viewpoint published by The Lancet in May 2025 wrote that, despite many studies, there is still no vaccine for Chagas Disease.
To make matters worse for those infected, the only two drugs available have proved efficacy only when administered during the acute phase of the disease.
The U.S. government has recently issued travel alerts regarding visits to the Plurinational State of Bolivia in 2025.
As of August 31, 2025, the U.S. CDC included Bolivia in two recent Travel Health Advisories: one for measles outbreaks and another for yellow fever.
Additionally, Bolivia is reporting an unusual number of mosquito-transmitted chikungunya fever cases in 2025.
The Pan American Health Organization's latest data indicate that Bolivia trails just Brazil in the number of chikungunya cases (5,159) and deaths (4) in the Americas in 2025.
Oropouche virus and Zika diseases are also emerging risks in Bolivia.
If you plan to visit Bolivia, the CDC has confirmed that U.S. FDA-approved travel vaccines are available for these diseases at various retailers in the USA.
From a safety perspective, the U.S. Department fo State's travel advisory for Bolivia says visitors should exercise increased caution in Bolivia due to civil unrest. Some areas have an increased risk.
For example, the State Department advises against visiting the Chapare region due to crime.
If you do visit this area, the local embassy recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive digital alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
After consuming Louisiana-harvested oysters contaminated with the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, a sixth person has died along the Gulf of America.
The recently deceased were served the oysters at separate restaurants in Louisiana and Florida.
On February 23, 2025, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) stated that all Louisiana oysters harvested outside of Area 3, as well as all other Louisiana seafood statewide, are safe for human consumption. While cooking kills the virus, outbreaks have occurred from eating undercooked oysters harvested from contaminated waters.
During 2025, the LDH reported cases from Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
As of August 28, 2025, the Florida Department of Health (FDH) reported 23 cases and five related deaths in various counties this year.
In 2024, FDH reported 82 cases and nineteen related deaths. Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota Counties experience an unusual increase due to the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that usually lives in warm seawater and is part of a group of vibrios that are called "halophilic" because they require salt, says FDH. Oysters are filter feeders and can accumulate contaminants and microorganisms present in the water.
The U.S. CDC defines coastal waters as including both saltwater and brackish water. Brackish water is a mixture of saltwater and freshwater. It is often found where rivers meet the ocean.
Vibrio wound infections are treated with antibiotics and surgery to remove dead or infected tissue, according to the CDC.
In late June 2025, the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County announced a locally acquired case of dengue fever, prompting health officials to be vigilant for potential spread of the virus by mosquitoes in the greater Tampa area.
On August 27, 2025, the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County informed residents of a confirmed human case of locally acquired dengue. This area is located on Florida's west coast, adjacent to Tampa, and west of Orlando.
In response to this finding, surveillance and prevention efforts were conducted by conducting aerial spraying to help reduce the mosquito population.
According to state officials, there have now been 16 cases in 2025, with Florida's east coast counties of Brevard (11) and Miami-Dade (3) leading the way.
Additionally, the Florida Department of Health published its Arbovirus Surveillance update #34 on August 23, 2025, reporting a total of 171 travel-associated dengue cases this year. Most of the cases (99) are related to people who traveled to Cuba.
As of August 30, 2025, only Puerto Rico offers dengue vaccinations in the United States. Outside the U.S., various countries provide a second-generation dengue vaccine that is generally effective against two of the four dengue virus types.
