Since January 2025, Cape Verde has reported 56 malaria cases, with most occurring in September and October. Of these, 23 cases (41%) are classified as imported, while investigations continue to determine potential locally transmitted cases. No details on malaria species were provided. The rainy season (July–October) coincides with increased mosquito breeding, elevating the risk of transmission.

In addition, in October 2024, a resident of Praia, Cape Verde was diagnosed with malaria in Portugal.

Although Cape Verde was certified malaria-free in January 2024, the recent cases raise concerns about the potential re-establishment of local transmission.

Rabies has been confirmed in Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) along the Western and Northern Cape coasts of South Africa since May 2024 (Figure 1).

As of January 2025, there have been a total of 55 laboratory-confirmed rabies cases in South African seals, with 39 from the Western Cape and 16 from the Northern Cape.

In June 2025, the first case of rabies was confirmed at the Walvis Bay lagoon in Namibia, see EpiNews 23 June 2025.

This marks the first reported outbreak of rabies with ongoing seal-to-seal transmission in marine mammals. Retrospective testing suggests rabies has been present in seals since at least August 2022.

According to media citing the Ministry of Health, Costa Rica reported its first yellow fever case since 1956 on 12 October 2025. The patient is a 29-year-old American woman who had recently traveled to the Amazon region of Peru. She developed symptoms on 07 Oct and entered Costa Rica on 08 Oct without proof of yellow fever vaccination. Diagnostic confirmation was performed by the Costa Rican Institute for Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health (INCIENSA).

Hong Kong: In October 2025, Hong Kong reported its first locally acquired chikungunya case and first death from the virus in a 77 year old male patient with chronic illnesses.

By 26 October, 46 cases had been confirmed—45 imported and one local fatal case—significantly higher than the usual 1–11 annual cases seen from 2016 to 2019.

Macao: As of 12 October 2025, a total of eight locally acquired chikungunya cases have now been reported in Macao for 2025.

This surge in reported chikungunya coincides with a major outbreak in 2025 in Guangdong Province, China, where 16’452 local cases were reported across 21 cities, including 10’032 cases in Foshan and 5’209 in Jiangmen—the largest chikungunya outbreak ever recorded in China.

Japan: According to media, Japan is experiencing an unusually early and intense influenza epidemic, with over 4’000 hospitalizations reported by early October 2025. The outbreak has caused widespread school closures and put significant pressure on healthcare facilities, especially in urban hotspots like Tokyo and Okinawa.

According to Japanese health authorities, increasing international travel, climate change and a lack of exposure to the circulating virus, particularly for elderly people and young children.

Also China reports Influenza A(H3N2) outbreaks across southern China, with hospitals in several provinces operating beyond capacity.

Czechia reported 7’994 cases of Lyme disease and nearly 600 tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) infections by September 2025, marking the highest incidence of Lyme disease since national surveillance began in 1986. Health experts expect further increases in autumn as ticks stay active in mild temperatures.

Locally acquired mpox cases have now been confirmed in four countries. Spain reported its first such case on 10 October 2025, and the Netherlands on 17 October 2025. These have been followed by additional cases reported in Italy (2) and Portugal (1).

These new cases have been reported among men, some of whom identify themselves as men who have sex with men, with no recent travel history to mpox-endemic areas. 

This development is distinct from the previously reported travel-associated clade Ib cases between August 2024 and October 2025, mostly among returning travellers from mpox-endemic areas outside of the EU.

In November 2025, a National Vaccination Week will be held for the first time, offering easy access to vaccinations against influenza, COVID-19, and RSV in medical practices and pharmacies. The Vaccination Week will take place from Monday, 10 November to Saturday, 15 November 2025.

Costa Rica bestätigt einen Gelbfieberfall bei einer 29-jährigen US-Amerikanerin, die kürzlich in die Amazonasregion Perus gereist war. Die ersten Symptome traten am 7. Oktober 2025 auf, und sie wird derzeit fachärztlich behandelt. Ihr mitreisender, gegen Gelbfieber geimpfter Partner wurde getestet und ist negativ.