As the July 4th Independence Day holiday approaches, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently announced it is prepared for sustained higher summertime passenger volumes at airport security checkpoints nationwide.
TSA anticipates the busiest travel days from June 29 through July 5, 2023.
The peak travel day of the holiday weekend is expected to be Friday, with TSA screening an estimated 2.82 million individuals.
TSA Prepares for July 4th Air Travelers
Florida's Malaria Outbreak Primarily Arrived From Africa
As the state of Florida takes preventive actions to reduce the number of locally-acquired malaria (4) by eliminating mosquitoes, the Florida Health Department is also monitoring travel-related malaria cases.
Florida's Arbovirus Surveillance report published on June 24, 2023, confirmed 23 travel-associated malaria cases with onset in 2023.
Florida Issues Statewide Malaria Advisory
The Florida Department of Health today issued a statewide mosquito-borne illness advisory following four confirmed locally-acquired malaria cases in Sarasota County, which is located on Florida's west coast.
In Florida, malaria is transmitted through infected Anopheles mosquitoes.
The cause of malaria in these cases has been identified as the Plasmodium vivax species.
As of June 26, 2023, all locally-infected infected individuals have been treated and have recovered.
Twenty-three travel-related malaria cases have also been reported in Florida this year.
Which Central America Country is Malaria Free
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced Belize had been certified as malaria-free, joining over ten countries in the Region of the Americas.
This WHO certification is granted when a country has shown with rigorous, credible evidence that the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least the past three consecutive years.
Over the last three decades, Belize has dramatically reduced its malaria burden, from a peak of about 10,000 cases in 1994 to zero indigenous cases in 2019.
31 Children Deaths Confirmed During Peru's Dengue Outbreak
Save the Children published a press release on June 16, 2023, stating that at least 31 children have died, and 45,900 children have been infected with the dengue virus this year.
The death total for all people during Peru's dengue outbreak has risen to 252 nationwide.
Verónica Valdivieso, Save the Children Perú Director, commented, "Peru's children are particularly vulnerable to dengue fever, and the high rates of cases are notably concerning."
Which Country Needs a Chikungunya Vaccine
During the first months of 2023, significant chikungunya fever outbreaks were recorded in South America, Central America, and Asia.
On June 10, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) published an Epidemiological Update regarding chikungunya outbreaks in the Region of the Americas.
Early this year, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control published a worldwide overview of chikungunya outbreaks.
Both of these reports highlight an outbreak in Paraguay.
Should Florida Follow Costa Rica's Malaria Elimination Strategy
Malaria is one of the world's most significant public health problems, and it could become a concern in the State of Florida.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a sporadic, locally-acquired malaria case in Sarasota and Manatee Counties on June 2, 2023. This person is currently recovering from this malaria infection.
Florida's Department of Health (DOH) stated it is working closely with local partners to prevent further malaria transmission. It has conducted aerial and truck spraying where the recent malaria case lives.
Lyme Disease Vaccine Candidate Tested in Sweden
A Professor of applied health technology at Blekinge Institute of Technology recently confirmed a Lyme disease vaccine candidate is being tested in Sweden.
Johan Sanmartin Berglund leads the Swedish part of phase 3 clinical study evaluating VLA15, a multivalent recombinant protein vaccine candidate targeting the outer surface protein A of Borrelia.
This innovative vaccine is designed for prophylactic, active immunization to protect people against most human pathogenic Borrelia species.
Japan's Mpox Outbreak Was Connected with International Travel
The Lancet recently published a Correspondence that concluded the continuous reporting of new mpox cases in Japan suggests that ongoing local transmission of the sexually transmitted virus might be occurring.
The first imported mpox case in Japan was reported on July 25, 2022, and patients have been sporadically reported since then, mainly with a history of international travel or after having been in contact with travelers.
In Japan, 8 mpox cases were reported in 2022.
Flu Season Migrates South
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published Influenza Update N° 446, which reported influenza detections decreased further in 2023 due to a decline in detections in the northern hemisphere.
While some countries in the southern hemisphere reported an increase in influenza detections in recent weeks.
Furthermore, in the temperate zones of the southern hemisphere, influenza activity remained low. However, influenza activity increased in Australia, Chile, and Severe acute respiratory illness cases in New Zealand.