Alerts
Kerala is experiencing a significant increase in hepatitis A infections, particularly in districts such as Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Thrissur. This trend is raising growing concern in the field of public health, especially with the arrival of the monsoon season. As of April 16, 2025, a total of 3,227 confirmed cases and 16 deaths have been reported across the state. Given that the incubation period of the hepatitis A virus ranges from 2 to 6 weeks, health authorities anticipate a further rise in cases, especially following reports of events where contaminated food and water were consumed.
Since mid-February 2025, an increase in test positivity rates reaching 11% has been observed from sentinel sites in Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific regions, but the finding is broadly consistent with last year´s observations in the same period; however, seasonality is not yet clear. Countries in the African Region, European Region, and the Region of the Americas are currently reporting low levels of SARS-CoV-2 activity. The global public health risk associated with COVID remains high, but with evidence of a decreasing impact on human health. SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. Current approved COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect against the current dominant variants, particularly for severe disease and death. Guidelines for vaccination and other recommendations continue to be as per those provided by WHO SAGE in November 2023.
So far this year, 72 cases of measles have been reported in Andalusia, five of them in the last nine days. To date, a total of 13 outbreaks have been identified, seven of which remain active. Of the reported cases, 26% have been imported, originating from Morocco (17 cases), Belgium (1), and Denmark (1). Among the autochthonous cases, 14 are isolated with no known source of infection, suggesting community transmission of the virus.
Visitors to Colombia´s National Parks must present their yellow fever vaccination card due to the health emergency facing the country. The measure went into effect on May 1, 2025. This requirement applies to both domestic and international visitors. The vaccine must have been administered at least 10 days prior to entering the park.