Post Archive by Year

Following the unexpected dengue virus surge in 2024, the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) issued an Epidemiological Alert today focusing on the risk of dengue outbreaks this year.
These health agencies stated on February 7, 2025, that the magnitude of dengue outbreaks is usually associated with the introduction or increase in circulation of one of dengue's four serotypes other than the one that previously predominated in an affected region.

Arriving at the Republic of Costa Rica's Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) may include a few arrival requirements for Spring Break 2025. Last year, over 2 million people visited Costa Rica's beaches and mountains, many traveling from the United States.
As of February 8, 2025, the Costa Rican Ministry of Health and the U.S. Embassy in San Jose recently issued travel advisories to inform visitors of some changes.

While the world awaits the approval of a Lyme disease vaccine, many patients have sought out treatment that may lack measurable value. Lyme disease has been nationally notifiable in the United States since 1991, significantly impacting thousands of hikers and nature lovers annually.
The Open Forum Infectious Diseases published a report on January 15, 2025, that many non-traditional clinics for chronic Lyme disease exist in states where the disease is endemic, and the treatments offered at such clinics are often unproven and costly and raise safety concerns. 

Over the past decades, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have been approved in numerous countries, producing two very positive trends.
According to Merck's financial results for 2024, its market-leading HPV vaccines, GARDASIL and GARDASIL 9, produced $8.6 billion in sales, with higher demand in most international regions, particularly Japan.

With the unexpected increase in human cases of yellow fever in the Americas region between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) issued an Epidemiological Alert.
Today, these health agencies stated, 'The risk of (continued) yellow fever outbreaks is high in the Americas Region.'

Over the past decade, the World Health Organization has confirmed that Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreaks have occurred frequently in about 110 countries. In 2024, outbreaks significantly exceeded previous years, severely impacting both adults and children.
One reason for this uptick in cases may be a CHIKV mutation.

The Ministry of Health of the Federative Republic of Brazil recently warned international travelers about an increase in the transmission of the yellow fever virus, which is expected to continue until May 2025.
As of February 2, 2025, this yellow fever (YF) warning is particularly relevant for the Brazilian states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Roraima, and Tocantins.
This travel alert is essential for São Paulo, which welcomed over 2.2 million tourists last year and may account for most of Brazil's yellow fever cases in 2025.

India's western state of Maharashtra is responding to a significant and unexpected number of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases in the city of Pune. 
ANI reported on February 1, 2025, the Maharashtra Health Department announced, "As of now, 149 suspected cases of GBS have been identified, with five suspected deaths. Among the affected individuals, 28 are currently on ventilator support."