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The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently reported very positive news regarding the multi-year outbreak of dengue fever in the Region of the Americas.
On July 10, 2025, the PAHO reported In the epidemiological week #25 of 2025, a total of 3,349,004 suspected cases of dengue were reported this year. This data represents a significant 70% decrease compared to the same period in 2024 and an 11% decrease compared to the average of the last five years.
Additionally, a total of 1,600 fatalities have been recorded, resulting in a case fatality rate of 0.048%.
While the majority of dengue cases have been reported in Brazil, Mexico's dengue outbreak remains a concern in 2025.
Mexico has reported 49,085 cases and 2,352 related fatalities this year.
From a sub-type perspective, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico and Panama report the simultaneous circulation of DENV1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4.
This PAHO data indicates the need for international travelers to obtain dengue vaccinations may diminish during the summer of 2025. In the United States, only Puerto Rico offers dengue vaccinations.
India is a tropical country undergoing rapid urbanization, making it one of the most affected regions for vector-borne diseases, including Chikungunya Fever.
Epidemics of Chikungunya have been reported since 1963 and continue to occur, with the most recent outbreak recorded in 2025, particularly in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
As of July 14, 2025, India's National Center for Vector-Borne Diseases Control had reported a total of 30,876 Chikungunya cases this year.
However, according to local news reports, the number of Chikungunya cases in India may be underreported as the rainy season approaches due to issues with diagnostic testing.
Blood tests diagnose Chikungunya. However, since the clinical appearance of both Chikungunya and Dengue is similar, laboratory confirmation is crucial, especially in areas where Dengue is prevalent.
Furthermore, the U.S. CDC says laboratory testing practices for Chikungunya vary significantly among the 100 countries reporting cases.
In Bhopal, the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, a higher positivity rate for Chikungunya was recently detected at 7.02% compared to Dengue's 2.47% in July 2025.
In 2024, Bhopal reported a 16% positivity rate for Chikungunya.
Since millions of international travelers visit India each year, various health agencies have issued vaccination recommendations.
To prevent infections, the CDC recommends that Chikungunya vaccination may be considered for individuals traveling to or moving to India, particularly if they plan to stay for an extended period.
When departing from the United States for India, travel vaccine clinics and pharmacies offer Chikungunya vaccination services for a fee.
Since the summer of 2024, countries in the Region of the Americas have reported low numbers of Oropouche cases. In the past, Oropouche virus has caused periodic outbreaks in and around the Amazon Basin.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the countries most impacted include Brazil, Cuba, Panama (specifically, the Darién Province), and Peru.
Furthermore, countries such as Spain have reported Oropouche cases in travelers to the Americas in 2025.
The disease is primarily spread through bites from infected midges and mosquitoes.
The CDC's updated Travel Health Advisory says travelers visiting affected areas should take steps to prevent bug bites and consider using condoms or not having sex during travel and for six weeks after returning from travel.
As of July 14, 2025, the CDC stated the Oropouche virus has been found in semen, but it is unknown if it can be spread through sex.
Currently, there is no preventive vaccine available.
As the summer vacation season peaks in late July, international travelers should be aware of where the measles virus is spreading.
According to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), 529 laboratory-confirmed cases of measles were reported in England in 2025.
The unfortunate leader is London, with 44% (233 of 529) of these cases.
Other measles outbreaks have been reported in the East of England, the North West, Bristol, Hackney, and Leeds.
To alert all travelers, the U.S. CDC updated its Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions, Global Measles alert at the end of May 2025.
The UK's NHS says Measles is an infection that spreads very easily in areas such as airplanes, trains, and closed spaces like conference centers.
However, obtaining the MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent infection.
In the United States, MMR vaccines are available at clinics and pharmacies. The CDC recommends vaccination weeks ahead to visiting measles-risk areas in 2025.
Coconino County Health and Human Services officials recently confirmed a resident died from pneumonic plague, a severe lung infection caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium.
As of July 11, 2025, this is the first recorded death from Pneumonic plague in Coconino County since 2007, when an individual had an interaction with a dead animal infected with the disease.
The new death is not related to a recent report of a prairie dog die-off in the Townsend Winona area, northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the deceased,” said Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman in a press release.
“Out of respect for the family, no additional information about the death will be released.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of seven human plague cases are reported each year in the United States. The last urban plague epidemic in the United States occurred in Los Angeles from 1924 through 1925.
The CDC states that the risk to the local public from exposure to plague remains low.
More recent plague epidemics have occurred in Africa, Asia, and South America.
The bacterium that causes plague, Yersinia pestis, can be transmitted to humans from the bite of an infected flea or through contact with an infected animal. According to health officials, the risk of human-to-human transmission is very low. The last reported occurrence of human-to-human transmission in the U.S. was reported in 1924.
Without a vaccine to prevent plauge epidemics, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) continues to fund development efforts.
Dynavax Technologies Corporation confirmed in February 2025 that it continues developing a plague vaccine candidate (rF1V) with the CpG 1018® adjuvant in collaboration with, and fully funded by, the DoD.
Dynavax and the DoD executed a new agreement for approximately $30 million through the first half of 2027 to support additional clinical and manufacturing activities, including a Phase 2 clinical trial expected to initiate in the third quarter of 2025.
The World Health Organization (WHO) published the 55th situation report for the multi-country outbreak of mpox virus (MPXV), which provides details on the global epidemiological situation for mpox, including an update in Africa.
All clades of MPXV continue to circulate in several countries.
On July 11, 2025, the WHO stated that only Türkiye has reported the detection of a new MPXV sub-clade since report #54, in a traveler from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In Africa, community transmission of clade Ib MPXV remains limited to 19 countries. Most countries with previous sporadic importations are currently not reporting active transmission of clade Ib MPXV.
As of July 8, 2025, the countries of Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia are experiencing sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus.
Clade IIb MPXV continues to be reported in West Africa, while Central African countries report both clade Ia and clade Ib MPXV, and East African countries report clade Ib MPXV.
The WHO noted that, despite progress in response activities implemented through collaboration among governments, international partners, and communities, significant funding gaps are threatening the deployment of vaccines.
Approximately 724,000 MVA-BN (JYNNEOS) vaccine doses had been administered in 7 countries, out of the 1.9 million vaccine doses allocated to 13 countries, partly due to funding requirements for shipping to the countries.
Additionally, the DRC had received 1.55 million doses of the LC16m8 vaccine from a bilateral agreement.
In the United States, the JYNNEOS vaccine has become readily available at travel clinics and pharmacies and is recommended for specific international travelers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently confirmed that the spread of the poliovirus remained a global Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
To address the under-vaccinated population, two announcements indicate a path to reduce the detections of poliovirus and minimize the number of polio outbreaks.
On July 10, 2025, PharmaJet® announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the integration of needle-free delivery of inactivated polio vaccine into Egypt’s routine immunization program. The agreement includes provisions for distribution, technology transfer, manufacturing, and the development of new pharmaceutical products, as well as collaboration to increase needle-free access within Egypt and the region.
Seperately, the Government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, has provided UNICEF with $5 million for a renewed partnership to eradicate polio and strengthen routine immunization across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. This 12-month initiative aims to reach over 13 million children with lifesaving polio vaccines, supporting both routine vaccination and national polio campaigns.
Previously, to alert international travelers of the expanded health risk in 41 countries, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reissued a Global Polio Alert—Level 2, Travel Health Notice on June 16, 2025, regarding polio outbreaks and poliovirus detections.
As of July 12, 2025, the CDC recommends that travelers complete their routine polio vaccination series. Some people may also need a booster dose before visiting areas with outbreaks, such as Afghanistan and Germany.
In the United States, polio vaccines are available at travel clinics and pharmacies.
The southernmost territory of the United States, situated southwest of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, has declared a health emergency related to a surge of dengue fever cases.
As of July 7, 2025, the American Samoa Department of Health issued a travel alert following the confirmation of four imported cases of dengue fever and two locally-acquired cases. The local population is urged to protect themselves from mosquito bites, which are the source of this serious disease.
The government stated that these dengue cases are related to travelers to and from Samoa, a neighboring island.
According to the Samoa Bureau of Statistics, American Samoa welcomed over 200,000 visitors in 2024.
Over the last two years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an increasing number of dengue cases in territories.
The CDC says the dengue virus is endemic and has caused outbreaks in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
Except for Puerto Rico, dengue vaccines are not available in the continental U.S. or its territories as of 2025.
Within the U.S., the state of Florida reports the majority of dengue cases.
