Latest Prevention News

An outbreak of hantavirus infection has been identified among passengers on the cruise ship MV Hondius, with international coordination initiated following notification to the WHO on May 2, 2026.

This South American strain is unique among hantaviruses because it can be transmitted from person to person through close and prolonged contact; the risk is considered low for the general population.

In France, authorities strengthened monitoring, quarantine, and isolation measures following the return of French nationals, with one confirmed case and 22 contacts initially identified. The WHO considers this alert to be in the process of being resolved.

Classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO in 2022, monkeypox was recently reclassified as a regional concern.

This containment was made possible by an international vaccination campaign, distributing 5 million doses of MVA-BN and CL16m8 across 16 African countries.

However, local outbreaks are causing concern among European health authorities: primarily Réunion and Mayotte, which have regular links with Madagascar and the Comoros.

A little-known zoonosis, the Nipah virus was discovered in 1998 and is currently experiencing a resurgence in Asia. It was reported during passenger screening at Kathmandu airport.

There is no vaccine for this virus, which causes death in 40 to 70% of cases. Its incubation period (up to 45 days) is a cause for concern among specialists.

In the absence of a vaccine or cure, local authorities recommend avoiding contact with carrier animals (bats, pigs), ensuring that drinking water is clean, and checking the origin of meat.

Fifty million children were offered the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) in Bangladesh in late 2025.

With antimicrobial resistance on the rise, vaccination is becoming a key lever to reduce morbidity and prevent severe disease.

The TCV used in Bangladesh has an estimated effectiveness of 84% in children, and modelling associated with the campaign suggests it could avert up to 8,000 deaths.

Between January 1 and November 2, 2025, 20,412 suspected cases of diphtheria were reported in eight countries in the African Region, including 1,252 deaths (CFR ~6%).

Of these cases, 9,864 (approximately 48.3%) were confirmed; however, confirmation remains low in many countries due to shortages of diagnostic supplies and limited laboratory capacity.

At the IDWeek 2025 conference (Atlanta, October 19-22), experts warned about the resurgence of travel-related infectious diseases, particularly dengue, chikungunya and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Europe. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, vaccination coverage remains insufficient.

On 4 September 2025, the DRC declared a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai province, the 16th since 1976. As of 21 September, 57 cases (47 confirmed, 10 probable) and 35 deaths had been reported, including several healthcare workers.

The U.S. Embassy in Havana has issued a health alert regarding a sharp increase in cases of dengue, chikungunya and Oropouche virus across Cuba, particularly in Matanzas province, with additional reports from Ciego de Avila.

The U.S. CDC has issued a Level 2 travel health notice for Guangdong Province in China (including Foshan) due to a chikungunya outbreak. Travelers are advised to use repellent, wear long sleeves, and stay in air-conditioned accommodations.

In its Yellow Book, a reference guide for travel medicine, the CDC provides detailed information on typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever, two infections grouped under the term enteric fever. They are caused by Salmonella enterica bacteria.

Between May 1 and June 24, 2025, Sante publique France reported an early circulation of chikungunya in mainland France, with six autochthonous clusters and eight confirmed cases across four regions. Enhanced surveillance also identified 454 imported cases of dengue, 645 of chikungunya and one case of Zika.

In Sweden, researchers at the Karolinska Institute involved in the development of the live-attenuated chikungunya vaccine IXCHIQ have vaccinated themselves with the investigational product.

Reunion Island is launching its chikungunya vaccination campaign with the IXCHIQ vaccine from Valneva.

Bavarian Nordic has received a positive opinion from the CHMP for its chikungunya vaccine for individuals aged 12 years and older.

Valneva has received marketing authorization in the United Kingdom for IXCHIQ, the world's first chikungunya vaccine.