From Ebola to Dengue, a map of outbreaks for summer 2026

"Sharp increase in Cyclospora infections among travelers returning from Mexico." The latest alert came from the British National Health Security Agency (UKHSA) a few days ago. It signals a further front in addition to the widespread epidemic of intestinal infections caused by the parasite, recorded since the beginning of May in the US, with cases reported in a total of 45 states according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is just one of the infectious emergencies of the busy summer of 2026. The map highlighting the microorganisms in action is global and touches multiple continents: from the Americas to Africa – where one of the largest and fastest-growing Ebola epidemics is underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo – to Asia, which is witnessing the return of Covid in China and an intense season of dengue fever carried by mosquitoes, particularly in Sri Lanka, but even as far as the Himalayan slopes in Nepal. And then there is leprosy (in Florida) and scattered outbreaks of measles which are calling into question the status of disease-free zones in several countries.  

The warmer months are proving challenging, especially for the United States, which is grappling with several outbreaks. This includes an unusual spike in cyclosporiasis, an infection that causes explosive diarrhea. The outbreak—the largest yet reported involving this parasite—has also led to the first two deaths in Michigan, one of the hardest-hit states with over 11,000 reported cases and over 190 hospitalizations. These are rare occurrences because, as the CDC clarified, cyclosporiasis is generally "not a fatal disease." But the news of the two deaths (both patients had significant underlying health conditions) comes amid a delicate situation that, by the end of July, had already affected at least nine US states, including Michigan, whose outbreaks have been linked to lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants, supplied by Taylor Farms and sourced from central Mexico. The investigation is still ongoing and, according to the 'Washington Post', the problem could spread further, if it is true that now in another 6 states the cases have been traced back to chopped iceberg lettuce from central Mexico, bringing the total to 15 (after Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, now also Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina).  

Also in the United States, the spotlight has returned to one of the oldest documented infectious diseases in history: leprosy. Although it is now a rare infection, its numbers are rising in Florida. According to state health data, available through the Notifiable Disease Frequency Report, 17 cases were reported from the beginning of 2026 to July 8. However, the disease had already gained momentum in 2025, when it peaked at 36 cases (out of 174 reported in the entire United States), surpassing the previous peak of 29 observed in 2015. Of the 36 patients last year, local media reported, 27 are believed to have contracted the infection in Florida. The increase, Florida Today reports, is concentrated primarily in Central Florida counties, with Brevard, Lake, St. Johns, and Volusia accounting for over 50% of cases, a share described as disproportionate to their populations. This area, which runs along the Interstate 4 corridor, a major highway, is also known to be home to an animal that carries the disease, the nine-banded armadillo, which is once again in the spotlight.  

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This is yet another summer alert, adding to the cyclosporiasis scare and a long-standing problem the United States has been grappling with for several months now: the resurgent return of measles. Cases have already hit a record high in 2026, reaching the highest level in 35 years and surpassing the previous peak reached in 2025. According to data released recently by the CDC as of July 30, infections in the US have exceeded 2.370 in 2026, affecting 45 jurisdictions, with 37 new outbreaks. And 93% of those affected were unvaccinated. In 2025, there were a total of 2.289 confirmed cases. This represents a setback in controlling a disease that was declared eradicated in the US in 2000, a status that is now in jeopardy. And in this context, Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has repeatedly made headlines for his critical comments about vaccines, urged parents to vaccinate their children in a heated interview with CNN. Overall, more measles cases have been recorded in the United States in the last two years than in the entire 2st century combined. Before 2026, only 1991 had seen more infections in a single year. 

Traveling more than 10,000 kilometers to another continent, Asia, risks encountering an old acquaintance: Covid. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is resurfacing in China, the very country where the most serious pandemic in modern times began at the end of 2019. Much water has passed under the bridge since then, and today the virus is no longer as fearsome as it once was. Meanwhile, in July, the Asian giant recorded a spike in cases that, for the first time this year, brought Covid-19 back to the top of the list of flu-like illnesses, above influenza. Chinese media reported that in the week of July 13-19, the positive Covid test rate among patients with respiratory symptoms reached 16,3%, an increase of 4,3 percentage points from the previous seven days, and in the week of July 20, the figure rose another 4 percentage points, reaching 20,3%. The positivity rate was higher in the southern provinces than in the northern regions, and the most affected age group was 15 to 59. On the positive side, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention noted that most patients had mild symptoms. According to the latest update from the Chinese CDC, after the increase in recent weeks, viral activity is now at moderate levels. The circulating variant is NB.1.8.1.  

Also in the East, the dengue scare is concentrated in Asia, with Sri Lanka recording its highest monthly case count of the year in July: 29.980. Another 646 cases were reported in the first two days of August. And for the whole of 2026—as reported by the local newspaper 'The Morning'—the total number of infections stands at 86,000, according to the latest report published by the National Dengue Control Unit. The report also recorded 62 dengue-related deaths this year, and 137 high-risk areas are identified. In Nepal, too, as the seasonal peak of transmission approaches, dengue infections have already spread to 72 of the country's 77 districts and are recording significant numbers, with 2.025 confirmed cases and two confirmed deaths reported so far this year. Health authorities, The Himalayan Times reports, have warned that dengue transmission is expected to increase further during and after the monsoon season and have urged local governments to strengthen prevention and control measures. A three-month campaign to combat mosquito breeding is underway.  

But there's another red flag on this summer's global infectious disease crisis map, and it's the one most worrying international authorities. It's flying in Africa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been grappling with a serious Ebola epidemic since mid-May, fueled by the lesser-known Bundibugyo virus, which has also caused cases in neighboring Uganda. The World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. And the contagion has not yet stopped. According to the latest update with data as of August 3, the toll in the five affected provinces—Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North-Kivu, South-Kivu, and Tshopo—continues to rise (with Ituri remaining the main epicenter): a total of 3.874 confirmed cases have been recorded so far, with 1.751 deaths. Currently, 717 patients are in isolation or hospitalized, and 749 people have recovered since the beginning of the epidemic. The mortality rate is estimated at 45,1%, while the contact tracing rate has reached 78,4%, as reported by the DRC's Ministry of Communication and Media in a post on X. Efforts to contain the spread of the virus continue.  

(Adnkronos)