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 About Outbreaks tab.
To view all outbreak updates for a thread, press on the blue circled number below an outbreak post.
VDPV2 in United Kingdom
As of 10 January 2025, a further vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) has been detected in an environmental sewage sample from London collected in December 2024. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on polio.
Mpox in Belgium
As of 10 January 2025, Belgium has reported a second confirmed mpox case (clade Ib). Health authorities are closely monitoring the situation and state risk of infection for the general population in Belgium is extremely low. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on mpox.
Mpox in China ex DRC
On 9 January 2025, China reported five confirmed cases of mpox clade Ib. The first case had been living in DRC where clade Ib has been reported. The other cases were close contacts of the first case. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on mpox.
Mpox in France
On 7 January 2025, France's Ministry of Labor, Health, Solidarity and Families reported it's first case of clade Ib mpox in the Brittany region. The case did not have a travel history to Central Africa, but had been in contact with two individuals who had returned from a country in Central Africa. Investigations into the source of the infection are ongoing. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on mpox.
Cholera in South Sudan
As of 21 December 2024, 4,793 suspected and confirmed cases of cholera, including 47 deaths, have been reported. There has been a 147% increase in case numbers over the previous four week period. Six out of ten states have been affected. Severe flooding and mass displacement of people have worsened the situation. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on cholera.
Mpox in Zambia
On 30 December 2024, a third mpox case was confirmed by the Zambia Ministry of Health. Clade type was not reported. Zambia's first mpox case during November 2024 was clade typed to be clade Ib. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on mpox.
Victoria
Japanese encephalitis in Australia
As of 30 December 2024, a probable Japanese encephalitis case has been identified in a resident of northern Victoria. The virus has also been detected by environmental surveillance along the Murray River, and in mosquitoes and wild pigs in New South Wales. This indicates Japanese encephalitis is likely to be circulating in northern Victoria. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on Japanese encephalitis.
Mpox in Oman ex UAE
As of 15 December 2024, the Sultanate of Oman had reported its first recorded case of mpox due to clade I. The case is an adult male residing in Oman who reported travelling from the United Arab Emirates. Information on subclade is not yet available. No case of mpox due to clade Ib has been reported by United Arab Emirates so far. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on mpox.
Mpox in Pakistan ex UAE
The first case of clade Ib mpox previously reported to the WHO on 2 December 2024 is an adult male who had been residing in the United Arab Emirates. No case of mpox due to clade Ib has been reported by the United Arab Emirates so far. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on mpox.
Polio in Israel
As of 25 December 2024, a case of polio has been reported in an unvaccinated 17 year old in Jerusalem. No further details are available of the strain involved. Please see our Topics in Brief article for further details on polio.
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
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Follow standard protective measures, as recommended for this destination, disease or situation. Be aware that advice may change and check for updates. |
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LEVEL 2: AMBER |
Take extra precautions
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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. |
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LEVEL 3: RED |
FCDO advise against travel
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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. |
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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.
