Measles, global updates from Canada, USA, Mexico, United Kingdom: In addition, imported cases in South Korea from Vietnam point to sustained transmission in Vietnam, which poses a significant risk to unvaccinated travelers.
Local spread of arthropod-borne viruses, Europe: Local transmission has now been reported of chikungunya (n= 31: southern France and Emilia-Romagna province in Italy), dengue (n=4: Maderia Portugal, France and Italy), West Nile virus (n=9: Greece, Romania and Italy, with a fatal case in Lazio province), and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (n=4: Spain and Greece). Continuing local transmission by suitable vectors (mosquitoes and ticks) is likely, and case numbers are expected to increase.
Yellow fever, Colombia (Tolima): A total of 100 cases have been reported in 2025 so far, with a fatality rate of 35%. Yellow fever is a vaccine preventable disease, and travelers should be made aware of the severe health risks caused by this viral disease.
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), Japan: SFTS is a viral disease causing hemorrhagic fever with the potential of human-to-human transmission. This necessitates personal protective equipment when caring for patients. Primary infection occurs via tick bites and disease is characterized by fever, thrombocytopenia, spontaneous bleeding, multi-organ failure and death in 10-30% of cases. In 2025 a record of 91 cases and 9 deaths, mainly from Western Japan, have been reported.
Mpox: Updates on the evolving situation of clade II infections in Sierra Leone and Guinea, including a CDC travel notice for travelers to Sierra Leone. In addition, 2 travel-related cases of clade I Mpox have been reported in Queensland, Australia. Clade I has been associated with higher transmission potential and more severe disease.
The ESCMID-AUMC Epi Alert, a strategic collaboration between the ESCMID Emerging Infections Subcommittee and the Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine of Amsterdam University Medical Center (AUMC) that integrates expertise and resources to advance emerging infectious diseases surveillance and intelligence sharing. This collaboration integrates ESCMID's extensive international network and emerging infections expertise with AUMC's proven surveillance capabilities, led by Dr. Abraham Goorhuis and the AUMC team.
The Epi Alert aims for weekly publication, with frequency adapted to emerging threats. The briefings are curated by infectious disease specialists prioritising data from trusted sources (WHO, ECDC, CDC, ProMED) based on potential impact, geographic region and urgency/relevancy to clinical practice. It aims to provide concise summaries for busy healthcare professionals with direct links for further investigation and transparency.
This integrated collaboration represents a significant milestone in ESCMID's commitment to emerging infections preparedness, strengthening our collective capacity to detect, analyse, and respond to infectious disease threats through international cooperation.
Disclaimer: The information in this epi-alert is a weekly summary of the information that is available on the internet, mainly the websites of WHO, ECDC, CDC, and others. For this summary, we consider issues that are most relevant to the ESCMID members involved in clinical patient care. Therefore, this report is not comprehensive, but we strive to include all major global issues in this report on a weekly basis.
The recent re-emergence of avian influenza (H5N1) in parts of Asia, including isolated human cases in Cambodia and India, highlights the need for continued vigilance. While sustained human-to-human transmission has not been observed, the current situation warrants close monitoring. Strengthening surveillance, improving poultry vaccination strategies, and promoting regional One Health collaborations can support risk assessment and management, including early containment efforts.
Since the previous update on 5 May 2025, and as of 12 May 2025, nine new MERS-CoV cases—including two deaths—have been reported by health authorities in Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number of cases this year to ten.
Seven of the recent cases were part of the same cluster in Riyadh, including one patient with no history of contact with camels and six healthcare workers who acquired nosocomial infections from that patient in early May.
The risk of sustained human-to-human transmission in Europe remains very low. However, the current MERS-CoV situation is concerning, as this rise in cases comes just two weeks ahead of the Mecca pilgrimage—a period typically associated with high international travel.
Since April 2012, and as of 12 May 2025, a total of 2,638 confirmed MERS cases—including 957 deaths—have been reported globally.
A Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak is evolving in Rwanda, East Africa. As of 7 October 2024, over 40 confirmed MVD cases have been reported, mainly in healthcare facilities in Kigali, with many healthcare workers affected. This outbreak represents a spread from known endemic areas to urban settings, including nosocomial transmission in Kigali hospitals. While outbreaks are typically limited to remote areas, this one spans across Rwanda, with potential for satellite cases and further spread. No vaccines or treatments are currently available.
This compilation includes the latest news, publications, and resources, covering recent developments such as vaccine distribution in Africa and WHO policy updates. It provides links to '2022-2024 Mpox Outbreak: Global Trends,' which features interactive dashboards and epidemiological data. This update offers a brief overview of the developments of the mpox situation for healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers.
As of August 2024, the world is facing a significant mpox outbreak, primarily affecting countries in Central and East Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries, with cases reported across several regions. The outbreak is characterised by the sustained human-to-human transmission of the clade I monkeypox virus (MPXV).
This ESCMID EIS mpox commentary provides up-to-date, evidence-based information on mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) for healthcare professionals, researchers, and public health officials.