The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is considering a travel advisory for China, following a sharp and unexpected outbreak of chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne illness known for causing severe joint pain and long-term complications. With nearly 5,000 confirmed cases in China—most centered in the densely populated Guangdong Province the outbreak is drawing concern not only for its scope but also for its potential to spread far beyond Chinese borders.

For global travelers and health officials alike, the news echoes the early days of COVID-19, when regional outbreaks quickly became international crises. Now, as the WHO calls for urgent action, the spotlight returns to international coordination, vector control, and public health preparedness.

The current outbreak began on July 8, with a single imported case reported in Foshan’s Shunde district. Since then, cases have exploded Foshan alone now reports over 5,155 infections, prompting the city to elevate its public health emergency response to Level III, denoting a “relatively major” event in China’s four-tier alert system.

The spread has not been confined to Guangdong. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reports that over 240,000 chikungunya cases have emerged across at least 16 countries this year, with 90 related deaths globally.

According to Diana Rojas Alvarez, medical officer at the WHO, one key factor is viral adaptation. Since 2004, chikungunya has evolved to spread more efficiently, particularly through urban-adapted mosquitoes that thrive in warm, humid cities with poor water management.

Alvarez warns that 5.6 billion people in 119 countries now live in regions at risk of chikungunya outbreaks.

That’s not just a developing-world problem. The Aedes mosquito has already been spotted in parts of the southern United States, including Florida, Texas, and Louisiana making travel-related cases a direct risk to US public health.

What Is China Doing To Curb The Outbreak?

In a blend of traditional vector control and innovative science, China has deployed extraordinary measures to curb the outbreak:

• Mass mosquito eradication programs, including spraying and habitat destruction
• Drones to detect standing water on rooftops
• Larva-eating fish released into lakes and ponds
• Public advisories encouraging residents to eliminate breeding grounds

But the most headline-grabbing strategy? Elephant mosquitoes.

First identified in Tanzania in 1952, chikungunya is not new—but its aggressive resurgence in recent years has alarmed epidemiologists. The virus is transmitted primarily through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue, Zika, and yellow fever. Infected individuals can experience:

• Sudden onset of fever
• Severe joint pain (often debilitating and long-lasting)
• Muscle aches, headaches, joint swelling
• In some cases, vomiting or rash

Though rarely fatal, chikungunya can cause long-term disability, particularly in older adults or those with preexisting conditions. There is no antiviral treatment or vaccine, making prevention and early containment vital.

These oversized insects, known scientifically as Toxorhynchites splendens, are natural predators of Aedes mosquitoes. Released by a research team at Sun Yat-sen University’s Zhongshan School of Medicine, these giant mosquitoes do not bite humans, but their larvae feast on the mosquito species responsible for spreading chikungunya.

This approach, while unconventional, highlights the urgency and scale of the threat China is facing.

Prevention Measures to Pick From COVID-19 Playbook

The outbreak has prompted Chinese authorities to revive some of the pandemic-era containment strategies that became familiar worldwide:

• Mass PCR testing
• Isolation protocols for infected individuals
• Disinfection campaigns across neighborhoods

Designated hospitals with isolation beds have been set up in affected regions, and border control checks have been reinforced in Hong Kong to prevent imported cases.

The CDC has stated that it is closely monitoring the outbreak and may issue a Level 1 or Level 2 travel health notice. These advisories typically urge travelers to take extra precautions, such as using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and avoiding peak mosquito hours, especially in tropical or subtropical zones.

The US currently has no reported local transmission of chikungunya, but imported cases have occurred before, particularly in travelers returning from South Asia or the Caribbean. Public health experts warn that now is the time for vigilance, not complacency.

What Travelers Need to Know?

If you're planning a trip to China or anywhere with ongoing mosquito-borne virus activity—consider these guidelines:

• Use EPA-registered insect repellent with DEET or Picaridin.
• Sleep under mosquito nets, especially in areas with poor indoor mosquito control.
• Wear long sleeves and pants to reduce skin exposure.
• Monitor local health advisories and avoid travel to outbreak hotspots, especially if pregnant or immunocompromised.

The chikungunya outbreak in China is not just a national issue, it’s a global health stress test. With memories of COVID-19 still fresh, this sudden surge is a reminder that climate change, globalization, and urbanization are combining to amplify infectious disease risks.

If the US does issue a formal travel advisory, it will mark another chapter in the growing tension between health security and international mobility.

Not forever, but what if you could press pause on Alzheimer’s just long enough to enjoy a few more good years? That is the tantalising promise behind a new drug called lecanemab, hailed as a game-changer in the fight against dementia.

The drug has already been licensed for use in the UK after trials showed it could slow the pace of decline in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s. But new long-term findings are turning cautious hope into something stronger: patients who stayed on lecanemab for four years experienced a noticeable delay in the disease's progression. Some even showed no decline at all.

How It Works

In the initial 18-month trial, the drug delayed Alzheimer’s progression by just under six months. That might not sound like much, but it’s the long game that matters here. Among 478 patients who remained on the drug for four years, the average delay before their disease advanced to the next stage stretched to almost 11 months.

Even more striking: 69 per cent of those with low levels of tau saw no decline at all over the four years. And over half in that same group actually improved their cognitive scores.

A Slow Slide Instead of a Steep Drop

Typically, people with mild Alzheimer’s see their scores on memory and function tests worsen by one or two points each year. But for those taking lecanemab, the total decline across four years was just 1.75 points. That’s a major shift in the rhythm of the disease, changing it from a downhill tumble to a slow shuffle.

Professor Christopher Van Dyck, who led the study at Yale School of Medicine, puts it simply: “You will get worse over time, but it will take longer to get there.” That extra time could mean more independence, more connection with loved ones, and more living.

Why Early Treatment is Key

This makes a strong case for early diagnosis and intervention, which could shift the way we approach Alzheimer’s care. No longer is it just about managing symptoms; it’s about changing the trajectory of the disease.

Not a Cure, But a Clear Step Forward

Lecanemab isn’t a miracle cure. It doesn’t reverse Alzheimer’s, and it’s not suitable for all patients. But experts say it’s a major milestone. Reportedly, this is the first wave of disease-modifying treatments and there’s still plenty to understand.

Other Contenders in the Ring

Lecanemab isn’t the only drug showing promise. A similar treatment called donanemab was tested over a three-year period, though it was only administered for 18 months. Still, the results were encouraging: patients on the drug gained an extra six to 12 months before their disease progressed.

That might not sound earth-shattering, but in a condition where time is everything, even a few more months of clarity and connection can be priceless.

The research is still evolving, but the signs are encouraging. With continued trials, this could be the start of a new chapter in dementia treatment, one where patients and families have more time to prepare, more time to enjoy life, and more hope than ever before.

When 63-year-old John Starns slumped on a train station bench in Sevenoaks, drenched in sweat and struggling to stay upright, most passers-by assumed he was drunk. He looked wobbly, pale, and visibly disoriented. But what looked like an awkward case of public intoxication turned out to be something far more sinister: a brain tumour hiding behind symptoms commonly mistaken for vertigo.

From “It’s Just Vertigo” to “You Have a Brain Tumour”

Three months and one MRI scan later, John finally got the truth. He reportedly had a vestibular schwannoma, a rare, benign brain tumour sitting on the nerve that connects the brain to the inner ear. It was affecting his balance, hearing, and overall coordination, symptoms that, in hindsight, were never typical of garden-variety vertigo.

What is Vestibular Schwannoma?

That is why the symptoms can masquerade as something much less serious.

• Dizziness or vertigo
• Hearing loss in one ear
• Ringing or buzzing sounds (tinnitus)
• Poor sound localisation
• In more advanced cases, numbness on one side of the face

Because these tumours grow at a glacial pace, symptoms tend to hide for months or even years. According to Cancer Research UK, they account for around 8 per cent of all brain tumours, with risk increasing significantly after the age of 65. In rare cases, they are linked to a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis, which often causes tumours on both sides of the brain.

Why Dizziness Deserves a Second Look

For John, it was not just one woozy episode. It was a string of unsettling, spin-the-room moments that left him lying flat on his back, eyes squeezed shut, praying for the world to stop pirouetting. And while vertigo was the first suspect, his brain had other plans, like growing a tumour on his vestibulocochlear nerve.

That is the thing with dizziness: it is vague, common, and often misunderstood. It can signal anything from low blood pressure and ear infections to neurological conditions that need serious medical attention. But because it is so easy to dismiss and hard to describe without wildly gesturing, it often gets brushed under the rug until it insists on being noticed.

If you face dizziness, do not ignore it. Especially if the dizziness is intense, recurrent, or comes with sidekicks like hearing loss, balance issues, or ringing in your ears.

In a controversial move that has rattled the U.S. medical community, federal health officials have severed ties with more than half a dozen major medical organizations from participating in government vaccine advisory workgroups.

The decision, communicated via email on Thursday, disinvites top experts from these groups from contributing to the workgroups that support the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a key body that guides the nation’s vaccination policies.

Organizations affected include the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and several others, many of whom have historically played a critical role in shaping vaccine guidelines.

“This is deeply concerning and distressing,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a renowned vaccine expert from Vanderbilt University who has been involved with ACIP workgroups for decades. “Removing these organizations will likely create conflicting messages about vaccine guidance. Patients might hear one thing from the government and another from their personal doctors.”

Longstanding Collaboration Ends Abruptly

For years, the ACIP has relied on a structured system where experts from various medical and scientific fields evaluate vaccine data and help draft recommendations. These recommendations, once approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), often inform clinical practice and determine insurance coverage.

But according to an email obtained by Bloomberg and confirmed by federal officials on Friday, the medical organizations are now being sidelined on the grounds that they are “special interest groups” and are assumed to carry a “bias” due to the populations they serve.

Dr. Schaffner defended the former system, highlighting how professional organizations offered practical insights on how recommendations could be realistically implemented in clinical settings. Importantly, all members were subject to conflict-of-interest vetting, ensuring objective guidance, he added.

Health Secretary Kennedy’s Sweeping Changes

This latest shake-up follows an earlier, unprecedented move in June when U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly dismissed the entire ACIP panel, accusing it of being too closely aligned with vaccine manufacturers. Kennedy, a former leader in the anti-vaccine movement, has since appointed several known vaccine skeptics to the new committee.

Among the organizations removed from the workgroup process are the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, American Osteopathic Association, National Medical Association, and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

In a joint statement released Friday, the AMA and several of the disinvited organizations denounced the decision, calling it “irresponsible” and “dangerous to our nation’s health.” The statement warned that excluding their medical expertise “will further undermine public and clinician trust in vaccines.”

The groups urged the administration to reverse the decision, emphasizing the importance of transparency and collaboration in public health decision-making.

Lawsuit and Fallout

Several of the ousted organizations had previously criticized Kennedy’s overhaul of the ACIP. Last month, three of them joined a lawsuit challenging the government’s decision to halt COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for most children and pregnant women, a policy shift that has been widely criticized by public health experts.

Meanwhile, newly appointed ACIP member Retsef Levi, a professor of business management with no formal medical background, defended the administration's direction on social media. Levi wrote that future workgroups would “engage experts from an even broader set of disciplines,” and claimed that membership would be based on “merit & expertise, not organizational affiliations with conflicts of interest.”

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not yet disclosed which experts will replace the disinvited members or when the new workgroups will begin operating.