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France's Chikungunya outbreak, centered in the Indian Ocean, may be connected to the recent reporting of locally acquired cases adjacent to the Mediterranean coast.
A press release from the Occitanie Regional Health Agency, issued on June 16, 2025, confirmed a locally transmitted Chikungunya case in the Hérault Department.
Since the beginning of May 2025, the Agency has reported 59 travel-related cases in Occitanie.
This Department includes the city of Montpellier, home to about 800,000 people.
The Agency wrote that anyone 'who have visited this town and who have shown signs suggestive of chikungunya since the beginning of May are invited by the ARS to consult their doctor.'
Recently, an indigenous (locally) Chikungunya case was reported in La Crau (Var) on June 11, 2025.
During 2024, over 20 travel-related cases were reported in France, and one local case in Île-de-France (Paris).
If your plans include visiting areas affected by the Chikungunya outbreak in 2025, the French and US health agencies recommend discussing vaccination options with a travel vaccination expert.
Currently, Chikungunya vaccines are approved by various countries and offer a high degree of protection from this mosquito-transmitted disease.
The Holy Father today urged all young people to participate in the great Jubilee event, dedicated specially to them, as it will be a unique and unforgettable week of celebration, spirituality, reconciliation, and sharing.
On June 15, 2025, Pope Leo XIV addressed a large gathering of children, young people, and adults who had come to Rome for the Jubilee of Sport.
This year's Jubilee will take place from July 28 to August 3, 2025, in Rome, Italy.
Following the first Jubilee of 1300, Pope Boniface VIII established the frequency of Jubilee celebrations as every 100 years. Following a plea from the people of Rome to Pope Clement VI, the frequency was reduced to every 50 years.
After the annexation of Rome to the Kingdom of Italy, the Jubilees were resumed in 1875.
According to the European CDC, no infectious disease events of relevance to the EU/EEA were detected during the Jubilee from June 9 to June 13, 2025.
The ECDC states that the probability of EU/EEA citizens contracting communicable diseases during the Jubilee 2025 is low if general preventive measures are implemented.
While Rabies is a rare disease, it remains a severe viral infection once symptoms appear. Thousands of people die each year from Rabies, mainly in Asia and Africa, with 40% of the cases being children.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), travellers visiting rabies-endemic areas must be aware of the risk and know what to do if they are bitten or scratched.
WHO estimates that dogs are the primary source of human rabies deaths, causing up to 99% of all transmissions.
European travellers have been amongst those affected, including in June 2025, Spain confirmed a rabies case in a traveller who a dog in Ethiopia had bitten.
However, in the United States, bat bites are responsible for the majority of rabies cases in humans.
In March 2025, a bat found in northern Person County, North Carolina, tested positive for Rabies, marking the second confirmed case in Person County this year.
To reduce the risk of Rabies in Texas, the Department of State Health Services conducts the annual Oral Rabies Vaccination Program bait drop for animals. In its 31st year, this program has proven to be an effective defense against the spread of domestic dog and coyote rabies, as well as the Texas gray fox variant.
From a prevention perspective, two types of vaccines protect people against Rabies: nerve tissue and cell culture vaccines.
As of June 17, 2025, rabies vaccination services are offered at travel clinics and pharmacies, but are only recommended for specific travelers.
According to today's Travel Health Advisory issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), circulating poliovirus is a risk in 41 countries.
On June 16, 2025, the CDC reissued its Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions alert for countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the western Pacific.
Last week, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative confirmed six countries had reported cases of wild poliovirus type 1.
The CDC stated that before traveling to any destination listed, including Indonesia, the UK, and Spain, adults who have previously completed the routine polio vaccine series may receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.
Furthermore, children should be fully protected against this severe disease before traveling abroad.
In the United States, the IPV polio vaccine is offered at health clinics and pharmacies.
To help control Chikungunya and Dengue infections reported among school-age children, the Ministry of Education in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka recently launched an innovative mosquito reduction program.
On June 12, 2025, Minister of Education Dr. Susil Premajayantha announced that a special mosquito alleviation program would be implemented before the new school term begins
According to the instructions, school principals could face legal action if mosquito breeding sites are found on school premises during inspections.
Each school must develop and implement its programme to eliminate mosquito breeding sites while continuing educational activities without disruption.
The ministry has sent notices to principals of all public and government-approved private schools, heads of religious schools, deans of national colleges of education, and heads of other educational institutions and provincial offices to inform them about the new measures.
The minister shared these insights during a sensitization program held at the Narahenpita District Secretariat, which was attended by all the principals of schools in the Colombo zone, police station officers, and representatives from the Colombo Municipal Council.
Like countries in the western Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is also experiencing Chikungunya outbreaks in 2025.
Since late 2005, Chikungunya has caused major outbreaks in Southeast Asian countries.
In 2004, the Chikungunya virus East/Central/South Africa genotype spread from Africa to the Indian Ocean islands, resulting in a large epidemic in Southeast Asia. A retrospective review of cases in Southeast Asia found neurological manifestations or shock in 20% of hospitalized children.
As of June 15, 2025, Chikungunya can be prevented with either a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine, which is recommended for international travelers visiting endemic areas.
The latest data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows an increase in travel-associated enteric fever cases, specifically typhoid and paratyphoid fever, serious but preventable illnesses caused by Salmonella bacteria.
In 2024, there were 702 reported cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, representing an 8% rise from the 645 cases recorded in 2023.
This number marks the highest annual total of cases ever.
In the UK, most cases of enteric fever are contracted abroad, particularly in regions with poor hygiene and sanitation. Previous surveillance has indicated a troubling increase in antibiotic-resistant typhoid strains in Pakistan, which diminishes the effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics and complicates treatment.
As of June 14, 2025, a free typhoid vaccination is available in the UK for some travelers; however, there is currently no vaccine for paratyphoid fever.
The UK's Travel Health Pro website says, 'Ideally, travellers should consult their GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, or travel clinic at least 4 to 6 weeks before their trip for individual advice, travel vaccines, if relevant for their destination.
In the United States, the CDC estimates that 5,700 of cases of typhoid fever occur in the United States each year. Almost all cases occur among international travelers returning from South Asia, primarily Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
The CDC says vaccination can help prevent typhoid fever. Two typhoid vaccines are available in the United States: an oral vaccine and an injectable vaccine.
Bavarian Nordic's Vivotif® (Ty21a) is the only oral typhoid vaccine licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Find out if you need a typhoid vaccine at www.cdc.gov/travel. Or visit a local travel vaccine clinic or pharmacy.
With all eyes focused on the ongoing Chikungunya outbreak in the Indian Ocean, particularly in France's Departments of Mayotte and Réunion, attention has turned to the first indigenous case in metropolitan France in 2025.
According to a press release from Public Health France, this case was reported on June 11, 2025, in the commune of La Crau (Var), located in southern France.
In 2017, two local cases of Chikungunya were confirmed in the Var Department.
During 2024, one local case was reported in Île-de-France (Paris).
An indigenous (local) case is when a person contracted the disease on national territory and did not travel to a contaminated area in the 15 days preceding the onset of symptoms.
As a reminder, the Chikungunya virus, similar to Dengue and Zika viruses, is transmitted from person to person through the bite of a mosquito (tiger mosquito). Dengue and Zika cases have also been confirmed in France.
As of June 14, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory for the Indian Ocean region, which includes Réunion, Mayotte, Mauritius, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives to the northeast.
Two approved Chikungunya vaccines are commercially available at travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States for the prevention of the disease. The CDC recommends vaccination for international travelers visiting areas with an outbreak.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has recently published its monthly update on measles cases in England, which shows that outbreaks are continuing, with 109 cases confirmed in April and 86 so far in May 2025.
Since January 2025, the UKHSA has reported 420 laboratory-confirmed cases of measles in England.
As of June 6, 2025, 39% (162 of 420) of these cases have been in London, 14% in the South West, and 14% in the East of England.
Last year, there were 2,911 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England, the highest number of cases recorded annually since 2012. The 2024 outbreak was initially reported in Birmingham but was soon overtaken by a large outbreak in London.
Dr. Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, stated in a media release, "Too many babies and young children are still not protected against the diseases, which are contagious infections that spread very easily and can cause serious health problems."
"MMR jabs are provided free as part of the NHS routine immunisation programme – and I would encourage all parents to act on invites or check vaccination records if they think they may have missed their child's vaccination."
In England, the decline of the uptake of childhood vaccinations, including MMR, in the past decade (below the WHO 95% vaccination target) means thousands of children are left unprotected.
London has the lowest MMR uptake rates compared with other English regions (MMR2 uptake at 5 years is just 73.3% in London compared to the English average of 83.9%).
To warn visitors to England of this health risk, the U.S. CDC included numerous areas of the United Kingdom in its May 28, 2025, Level 1, Global Travel Advisory.
The CDC recommends prospective visitors to England speak with a travel vaccine expert one month before departure to ensure maximum protection can be achieved.
