The Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine has updated the list of countries with chikungunya transmission risk based on CDC country list and epidemiological news (red = changes since the previous update of 19 August 2026).

 

On 26 August 2026, eight people - six tourists and two residents - were treated for suspected ciguatera fish poisoning on Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. Seven cases were linked to one restaurant and the eighth to another; all patients recovered.

 

Between 2022 and 2026, 255 suspected ciguatera cases were recorded on the island, with no deaths. Cases occur most frequently in August and September and have mainly been associated with eating barracuda, jacks and groupers.

 

Ciguatera Poisoning: Ciguatera is a non-contagious foodborne illness caused by eating fish containing ciguatoxins, usually due to improper preparation. Symptoms appear 3–6 hours after ingestion (up to 30 hours) and typically start with gastrointestinal issues—diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain—followed by neurological and neuropsychiatric signs such as paresthesia, weakness, burning or metallic taste, memory issues, fatigue, and mood changes. Cold allodynia and temperature reversal are distinctive but not always present. Neurologic symptoms may last days to months, while cardiovascular effects can include bradycardia, heart block, or hypotension.

As of 7 September 2026, Kerala had reported 171 confirmed cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis (AME), including 44 deaths. The persistently high case numbers follow the elevated case numbers observed in 2025, when 201 cases were reported.

Since the beginning of the 2026 transmission season, and as at 3 September, 144 areas affected by West Nile virus (WNV) have been identified in 15 countries across Europe, with 1’086 locally acquired human cases. Key findings:

• The 2026 WNV season is currently seeing an intense level of circulation in both humans and animals in several European countries.
  
• There is currently no indication of increased disease severity in humans in Europe.
  
• Italy remains the most affected country in 2026, reporting the most human cases and avian outbreaks. Greece has reported a record number of human WNV cases for this time of the year.
  
• The Netherlands reported its first human WNV infections since 2020, alongside outbreaks in birds and equids, across a broad geographic area.
  
• Although no human WNV cases have ever been notified in Belgium, ongoing circulation in birds and equids across eight regions suggests a risk for human infections.
  
• North Macedonia is experiencing an unprecedented WNV outbreak in the capital region, with human cases and detections in birds.
  
• Further human cases and animal outbreaks may be expected in the coming weeks in Europe.
• For details by country, see LINK.

 

Am 18. August 2026 trat der Notfallausschuss für die Ebola-Bundibugyo-Virus-Krankheit (BVD) Epidemie in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo zum zweiten Mal zusammen, um die Lage gemäss den Internationalen Gesundheitsvorschriften (2005) neu zu bewerten. Das Risiko wurde wie folgt eingestuft:

Sehr hoch für Länder mit einer Übertragung der BVD innerhalb der Bevölkerung: D.R. Kongo
Hoch für Länder, deren Landgrenzen an Länder mit einer Übertragung der BVD innerhalb der Bevölkerung angrenzen: Angola, Burundi, die Zentralafrikanische Republik, die Republik Kongo, Ruanda, der Südsudan, Tansania, Uganda und Sambia.
Gering für den Rest der afrikanischen Region sowie alle anderen Länder ausserhalb Afrikas.

Für Reisende aus Europa stufte das ECDC das Risiko als sehr gering ein, sofern die Vorsichtsmassnahmen (siehe unten unter „Auswirkungen für Reisende“) befolgt werden. Aktuelle epidemiologische Informationen finden Sie im WHO-Dashboard und beim ECDC.

   

In 2025, Chile reported 11’155 syphilis cases (55.2 per 100’000 population), the highest notification rate recorded between 2016 and 2025 and 2.4 times the 2016 rate. Between 2021 and 2025, men accounted for approximately 65% of cases, and adults aged 20–39 years for 58%. A marked increase was observed among men aged ≥60 years: reported cases more than doubled from 419 in 2021 to 909 in 2025 (50.8 per 100’000).