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Rabies has been present in the wildlife population in New Jersey since 1989, affecting the entire state.
Rabies is a virus that can affect any mammal, including cats, dogs, raccoons, skunks, and bats, the unfortunate source of most rabies cases in the United States.
In NJ, groundhogs have been a significant source of rabies.
Recently, the Hillsborough Health Department tested a groundhog that bit two people outside of a business at The Landing business complex. This animal tested positive for rabies.
As of June 27, 2205, rabies vaccinations of all cats and dogs, with few exceptions, are required in Hillsborough Township.
The virus lives in the central nervous system fluid and saliva of the affected animal. This infectious fluid must enter the host’s body thost's an opening put there by a bite, or a scratch, or through exposure of an open cut, or rubbing the eyes after touching saliva.
'If any anima' bites you, wash the wound immediately with soap and water and seek medical attention,' says the NJ Hea'th Department.
Additionally, rabies vaccination is immediately recommended for people bitten by a rabid animal.
Since 1952, when the first Japanese Encephalitis (JE) case in India, this mosquito-transmitted disease has been a significant public health concern.
Local media reported in late June 2025 that an outbreak of JE is responsible for 32 people being admitted to a hospital, with four related fatalities, in Assam, a state in northeastern India.
Since April 2025, the Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) has primarily affected areas with pig-rearing and paddy field activity, both known risk zones for virus transmission by infected mosquitoes.
These mosquitoes acquired the JEV from pigs, birds, and sheep.
According to data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, about 925 JE cases were detected in Assam in 2024.
To help reduce the impact of this severe disease, JE vaccinations have been started in Assam's nine districts.
Assam is located south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys, just to the east of Nepal, where twenty-nine districts have reported JE cases.
To alert international travelers visiting Assam and Nepal, the U.S. CDC recommends vaccination for travelers who are moving to an area with an outbreak or spend extended periods in areas with Japanese encephalitis cases.
When departing from the United States, an approved JE vaccine (IXIARO®) is commercially offered at travel clinics and pharmacies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the 54th situation report for the multi-country outbreak of mpox, which began in May 2022.
The WHO Director-General recently confirmed that the ongoing upsurge of mpox cases continues to constitute a public health emergency of international concern.
On June 27, 2025, the WHO confirmed that during May 2025, a total of 6,823 confirmed mpox cases and 16 deaths (Case Fatality Ratio: 0.2%) were reported. The majority of mpox instances continue to be reported from the WHO African Region, with 18 countries currently experiencing active ongoing transmission.
Since the last WHO report, Ethiopia and Italy have reported their first cases of mpox, caused by the clade Ib monkeypox virus (MPXV).
In addition, North Macedonia, the Republic of the Congo, and Togo have reported their first cases of mpox clade IIb MPXV. Albania has reported its first mpox case.
According to a disease prevention update, the WHO reported that seven African countries have initiated mpox vaccination. More than 731,000 doses of the MVA-BN (JYNNEOS) vaccine have been administered to date.
In the United States, there have been four reported cases of clade I mpox in people who had recently traveled to affected areas in Central and Eastern Africa.
The U.S. CDC advises that when visiting countries in Africa, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, you should get your first mpox vaccine at least 6 weeks before traveling, if possible. After completing your first and second vaccine doses, which are given four weeks apart, it takes about two more weeks to achieve the best protection against mpox.
Whether or not you've been vaccinated, continue to reduce your risk of getting mpox, says the CDC.
Recently, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advised against all travel to several volcanoes in the Republic of Indonesia.
On June 18, 2025, the FCDO stated that ash plumes from volcanoes can have a significant impact on health, particularly for individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma.
Additionally, during the dry season from May to November, widespread wildfires cause a smoke haze that drifts across parts of Indonesia, particularly the Riau Islands, central Sumatra, and Kalimantan.
The haze can disrupt local and regional air travel, and air pollution has a significant impact on public health.
If you plan to visit Indonesia in 2025, the UK advises researching your destinations and obtaining suitable travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities, and expenses in the event of an emergency.
Seperately, the U.S. Department of State recently issued a level 4 advisory for international visitors to consider before visiting Indonesia.
From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC includes Indonesia in recent measles and polio travel advisories.
As of June 2025, Indonesia's dengue cases had risen to 52,410, with 210 deaths reported this year. And chikungunya cases reached 1,245, primarily in Java.
The CDC suggests speaking with a travel vaccine expert before visiting Indonesia this year.
With the continued confirmations of mpox infections in various countries, the U.S. FDA-approved vaccine is now being evaluated for at-risk, vulnerable populations.
Bavarian Nordic A/S announced that on June 26, 2025, the initiation of the first of two clinical trials designed to support approval and use of the MVA-BN® (JYNNEOS) mpox/smallpox vaccine in infants under 2 years of age, pregnant, and breastfeeding women.
Both studies are conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa, where infants and pregnant women remain highly vulnerable to the sexually transmitted mpox virus.
Paul Chaplin, President & CEO of Bavarian Nordic, commented in a press release, “These new studies will fill the gap by providing important data about the use of MVA-BN ... which could help support a label expansion for MVA-BN to include the most vulnerable populations.”
Furthermore, these studies are part of the PregInPoxVac research project, which includes a phase 2 trial of MVA-BN in children aged 2-11 years. Topline results from this trial (NCT06549530) are anticipated in the third quarter of 2025.
Currently, JYNNEOS is commercially offered in the United States at various clinics and pharmacies.
According to the U.S. CDC, the majority of clade II mpox cases in the U.S. continue to be in people who are not vaccinated or who have received only one dose of JYNNEOS.
As of June 1, 2025, approximately 35,000 mpox infections had been reported in the United States.
The mosquito-transmitted West Nile virus (WNV) has been actively spreading throughout 14 Louisiana parishes since 2002 and continues to do so in 2025.
On June 25, 2025, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) confirmed Louisiana’s first human case of WNV of the 2025 mosquito season. This case was confirmed in an individual from Livingston Parish, located east of Baton Rouge and north of New Orleans, who was hospitalized due to complications from the infection.
In 2024, there were 57 confirmed human cases of WNV in Louisiana, including three deaths.
In 2024, 1,466 WNV cases were confirmed in 49 states in the USA, led by Texas with 176 cases.
The LDH says WNV can cause mild to severe illnesses. While most people infected with West Nile virus develop no symptoms, about 20% of infected individuals develop West Nile fever, a flu-like illness characterized by symptoms that can include fever, headaches, body aches, nausea, and rashes. About 1 in 150 people who are infected with WNV develop a severe illness that can affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, which may even cause paralysis or death.
WNV is an international concern.
For example, according to a research program by the UK Health Security Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, WNV genetic material was detected in mosquitoes in Britain for the first time in 2025.
As of June 27, 2025, vaccine candidates to protect people against WNV have not been approved in the United States.
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health reported 10 confirmed fatal cases of yellow fever and eight related fatalities as of June 28, 2025.
These patients were primarily from the provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe.
Current U.S. CDC Travel Health Advisory recommendations include that yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travelers ≥9 months old going to areas below 7,550 ft elevation, east of the Andes Mountains, in the provinces of Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Sucumbíos, Tungurahua*, and Zamora-Chinchipe.
These areas are where virus-carrying mosquitoes are found.
Vaccine is generally not recommended for travel limited to areas below 7,550 ft elevation, west of the Andes Mountains, in the provinces of Esmeraldas,* Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and designated areas in the provinces of Azuay, Bolívar, Cañar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Imbabura, Loja, and Pichincha.
And for the cities of Guayaquil or Quito (the capital), or the Galápagos Islands.
