Please note that not all cases of disease or outbreaks are reported; some outbreaks may only be reported if they occur outside of the usual recognised risk area or season, or they have been reported in greater than usual numbers. See 'About Outbreaks' tab below for further detail.
For further information on red, amber and green alert categories, see this news item.
Influenza A (H1N2)v in the United Kingdom
On 25 November 2023, a human case of swine-origin influenza A(H1N2)v virus infection was confirmed. This is the first swine influenza A(H1N2)v case reported in the United Kingdom.
Dengue in Italy
As of 27 November 2023, 82 locally acquired dengue cases have been reported so far in 2023.
Respiratory infections in China
Health authorities have reported an increase in respiratory diseases in China. The World Health Organization provided an update on 23 November after discussion with Chinese health authorities. There has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens or unusual clinical illness, but only a general increase in respiratory illnesses due to multiple known infections. The situation is being closely monitored.
Cholera in Haiti
As of 1 November 2023, a total of 69,992 (4,080 confirmed) cholera cases, with 1,054 deaths and 65,738 hospital admissions, have been reported in Haiti since September 2022.
Cholera in Zimbabwe
As of 7 Novemeber 2023, 5,030 suspected cases of cholera and 139 (31 confirmed, 108 suspected) deaths have been reported in 2023. The provinces of Harare and Manicaland have reported most cases.
St Louis Encephalitis in USA
As of 9 November 2023, one case of St Louis Encephalitis (SLEV) has been reported. This is the first documented case of SLEV in Long Beach since 1984.
Anthrax in Zambia
As of 1 November 2023 the Zambian Ministry of Health have reported a cumulative 335 cases of anthrax with 4 deaths across the country.
Dengue in USA
As of 1 November 2023 a case of locally acquired dengue has been reported in Long Beach. This is the second case reported in California, the first was identified in October 2023 in Pasadena. The Health Department is taking steps to prevent further spread of the virus that causes dengue.
Zika in France (ex Comoros) - false positive
As of 1 November 2023, the case of Zika virus disease in a traveller returning to France from Comoros, has been confirmed to be a false positive result. Comoros remains a location without confirmed Zika virus.
cVDPV2 in Zimbabwe
As of 25 October 2023, four environmental samples of cVDPV2 have been reported in Harare.
Welcome to our outbreak surveillance section. This page contains information on disease outbreaks and other incidents that are considered to be of relevance to UK travellers.
You can search the information by disease or by country.
We regularly review and update information on overseas disease outbreaks and other health issues that may affect the UK traveller. The information comes from a wide variety of sources, and can be used along with the Country Information section of our website where you will find recommendations on vaccines, malaria and other risks for each country (where relevant). Please note that not all cases of disease or outbreaks are reported.
You can search our Outbreak Surveillance information by disease or by country.
In some countries, there may be limited surveillance and reporting processes in place so information can be difficult to obtain. Some diseases may only be reported if they occur outside of the usual recognised risk area or season, or they have been reported in greater than usual numbers. Outbreaks of those diseases included in the UK childhood vaccination programme are not usually reported unless the outbreak is unusual or unexpected.
If you wish to use the following content for official purposes, please refer to the original sources of information. The information presented in the disease surveillance reports is collated from a variety of sources, including government bodies, international organisations and the media. The verification status of each report is clearly indicated. Verified reports are confirmed by official sources. Some unverified reports are included to ensure timely dissemination of information and where possible we will try to substantiate these reports, although confirmation may not always be possible. Unverified reports may be subject to change, misreporting and may later prove to be unsubstantiated. They should not therefore be regarded as official.
Where available, a web link is provided to the original information source. We cannot accept responsibility for the sites to which it links, or for the information found on those sites. Linking to outside sites does not in any way imply endorsement of these sites.
Key to NaTHNaC alert level feature
LEVEL 1: GREEN |
Take usual precautions
|
Follow standard protective measures, as recommended for this destination, disease or situation. Be aware that advice may change and check for updates. |
|
LEVEL 2: AMBER |
Take extra precautions
|
Follow any additional precautions recommended. Be alert and check regularly for changes in advice about this ongoing situation. Advice may be relevant for all travellers or apply to a specific group of travellers. |
|
LEVEL 3: RED |
FCDO advise against travel
|
Follow Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice. This may mean avoiding non-essential travel, or all travel. Subscribe to the FCDO destination advice for security updates and travel warnings. |
|
Alert categories are based on the situation at the time of publication. They will not be routinely updated unless outbreak information or a news item is updated.
The categories do not replace Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice. Travellers should still check the FCDO travel advisories for any country specific security or safety alerts.
