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With the onset of the rainy season in Central America, breeding sites for the mosquitoes that transmit the Dengue Fever virus have increased, leading to disease outbreaks.
According to local media reports on July 24, 2025, Belize City, a favorite destination for over 500,000 tourists, has recently been significantly impacted. The
Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness has reported 160 cases in the Belize District as of the end of June 2025, compared to 90 cases during the same period last year.
The Ministry is reportedly engaged in various interventions, including clean-up campaigns and spraying mosquito breeding sites, which are ongoing in several communities.
While 2024 was a record-setting year for Dengue cases (13 million) in the Americas, new data indicate that far fewer cases have been reported (3.4 million) so far in 2025.
As of July 27, 2025, the U.S. CDC's Global Dengue Travel Health Advisory does not highlight Belize's situation; various countries in the Region of the Americas are listed. The CDC recommends international travelers speak with a travel health advisor before visiting any area that is reporting a disease outbreak.
In the United States, the Miami, Florida, has reported both travel-related and locally acquired Dengue cases in 2025.
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health in the People's Republic of China recently announced that the outbreak of Chikungunya fever (CF) has accelerated approximately 119 km north of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
In July this year, an outbreak of CF occurred in the Shunde District of Foshan City, Guangdong Province, triggered by imported cases.
As of July 24, 2025, the CHP reported 3,645 confirmed cases in Foshan. The majority of cases (3,317) were reported in Shunde District.
All cases have been mild, with no severe or fatal cases reported to date.
Furthermore, there have been no confirmed cases of CF in Hong Kong, a city with over 7 million residents, since 2020.
'Although Aedes aegypti, the primary vector for spreading CF, is not found in Hong Kong, Aedes albopictus is another vector that can transmit CF. Imported cases of CF can lead to local transmission if mosquitoes bite them during the communicable period,' wrote the CHP.
Regarding Macao, located south of Guangdong Province on China's eastern coast, the first and second confirmed cases this year were recorded in mid-July. These patients travelled to Shunde and Nanhai, respectively, during the incubation period and were classified as imported cases.
Dr Tsui added in a press release that CF can easily lead to large-scale outbreaks in environments with severe mosquito infestations, placing a burden on the healthcare system. Therefore, CF should not be taken lightly.
The CHP currently recommends that the public use DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients properly to prevent mosquito bites effectively.
While two Chikungunya vaccines are approved for use in the United States and are recommended when visiting outbreak areas, they are not offered in China.
As millions of international travelers visit countries in South America, a mosquito-transmitted killer is devastating the Republic of Colombia in 2025.
As of July 23, 2025, the country has confirmed 103 cases of Yellow fever, resulting in 37 deaths, a staggering 36% fatality rate that underscores the virus's lethal potential.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) previously sounded the alarm with a regional alert, warning that Yellow fever continues to pose a grave threat across the Americas.
While the disease is preventable through vaccination, gaps in immunization have allowed it to surge in Colombia's rural and forested areas.
At the epicenter of the crisis are the municipalities of Cunday and Rioblanco in the Tolima Department, which is unusual, given their high altitude.
Tolima's rural terrain has historically been a breeding ground for the virus, but officials are determined to contain it.
Katherine Rengifo, Tolima's Secretary of Health, highlighted the establishment of a Unified Command Post, personally led by the governor, to oversee containment efforts.
"Every time there is an unvaccinated resident of Tolima or a visitor, there is a risk of transmission," Rengifo warned in a press release.
"All efforts by the Departmental Government, the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Health, and the Superintendency are focused on containing this outbreak and, above all, preventing its urbanization, which is the greatest risk we face."
"Urbanization, the spread of yellow fever into densely populated cities via the Aedes aegypti mosquito, could ignite a public health catastrophe, potentially overwhelming healthcare systems and leading to widespread panic."
To date, Tolima has rolled out over 728,000 doses of the yellow fever vaccine, achieving 57% coverage in a region that, until recently, lacked a robust immunization program.
This rapid scale-up is a testament to the collaborative push involving national and local health entities.
Unfortunately, the spotlight turned to Villarrica and Cunday, where teams are enforcing an "epidemiological lockdown"—a targeted approach combining surveillance, mosquito control, and mass vaccination drives.
Rengifo emphasized that the goal is to reach 95% vaccination rates to create a protective shield around vulnerable populations.
"The vaccine is free, safe, and saves lives," Rengifo added.
While Colombia's battle against yellow fever is far from over, the PAHO's latest data indicate that five other countries continue to report cases and fatalities in 2025.
Throughout the Americas, 134 fatal cases have been confirmed this year.
In addition to the PAHO's warning, the U.S. CDC has issued a Travel Health Advisory for the Americas, recommending Yellow fever vaccination for specific areas, such as in Colombia.
In the United States, the YF-VAX vaccine is expected to be commercially available at travel clinics and pharmacies in late July 2025.
In a significant stride toward combating one of the world's deadliest diseases, which is spread by mosquitoes, a large-scale, cluster-randomized clinical trial has demonstrated that mass administration of ivermectin, a drug used to treat parasitic infections, can substantially reduce malaria transmission.
Published in the New England Journal of Medicine on July 23, 2025, results from the BOHEMIA trial, the most extensive study of its kind, found that ivermectin led to a 26% decrease in new malaria infections among children when combined with standard bed nets.
Regina Rabinovich, BOHEMIA principal investigator and director of ISGlobal's Malaria Elimination Initiative, commented in a press release, "This research has the potential to shape the future of malaria prevention, particularly in endemic areas where existing tools are failing."
This finding, along with a study published in 2019, offers a promising approach against a parasite that continues to evade traditional control measures impacting the health of millions of people, primarily in Africa and South America.
In addition to reducing malaria transmission, the BOHEMIA team observed a significant reduction in the prevalence of skin infestations, such as scabies and head lice, in the ivermectin group in Mozambique. Furthermore, the Kenya community reported a substantial decrease in bed bugs.
According to the press release, the study's findings have been reviewed by the WHO Vector Control Advisory Group, which concluded that the study had demonstrated impact and recommended further studies.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Algorithm for the Diagnosis and Management of Malaria guides the recommended steps to treat malaria patients. Recommendations for antimalarial drugs to prevent malaria vary by country of travel and can be found in the CDC's Yellow Book, specifically in the chapter on Malaria Prevention Information.
As of July 25, 2025, international travelers in the United States, such as those in Florida, have been diagnosed with malaria upon returning from Africa.
Malaria cases are on the rise in southern Africa, including Botswana, eSwatini, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
Additionally, malaria vaccines have been approved for use in Africa; however, they are not available in the United States as of 2025.
During the winter of 2024-2025, cases of a highly contagious stomach bug characterized by sudden vomiting and diarrhea surged. Nicknamed the "Ferrari of viruses" for its rapid spread, norovirus is also known for its ability to quickly infect cruise ships.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cruise ship inspections for illness are on pace to set new records in 2025.
As of July 2025, the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program had reported 18 gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships this year, most classified as norovirus.
A University of Surrey–led research team identified cruise ship dining areas as priorities for preventing norovirus outbreaks.
However, according to those who study it, the virus hasn't received the attention it deserves, wrote Kate Schweitzer in an article published by JAMA on July 25, 2025.
From a prevention perspective, scientists have taken several approaches to developing a norovirus vaccine. Unfortunately, no candidate vaccine has been approved yet.
Schweitzer's unedited article is posted at this JAMA link.
Since Lyme disease was initially confirmed in Connecticut decades ago, it has become one of the most widespread vector-borne illnesses in the world, including the United States.
Over the years, this long-lasting disease has impacted countless outdoor-loving adventurers from the northeast, and it is now also found in the Midwest, in states such as Michigan.
To help identify at-risk areas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the Tick Bite Data Tracker. As of July 25, 2025, this digital app displays case data from emergency room visits.
While cases have peaked in May each year, Lyme disease cases continue to be reported until winter.
To enhance the diagnosing of Lyme disease infection, a recent episode of the Mayo Clinic's Tomorrow's Cure explores how researchers are advancing diagnostic tools to detect Lyme disease.
The episode features two leading experts, at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. They discuss the latest advancements and the ongoing efforts to control Lyme disease better.
From a prevention perspective, the CDC advises avoiding tick bites while Lyme disease vaccine candidates complete clinic trials.
Since the beginning of 2025, three European countries have reported human cases of West Nile virus infections: Greece, Romania, and Italy.
According to Italy's National Institute of Health, 10 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus have been reported since the beginning of 2025.
As of July 20, 2025, seven of these mosquito-transmitted cases had been reported from the Lazio region, specifically from Latina, Italy's second most populous region, with over 5 million residents.
Throughout 2024, twenty WNV-related deaths were recorded in Italy.
In the United States, 1,466 WVN cases were reported in 2024, with over 1,000 cases involving the nervous system. Most WNV cases are reported in the southwest states.
As of July 24, 2025, WNV vaccine candidates continue to be tested in clinical research for prevention purposes. However, none have been approved for use in humans.
