Every August and September, the city sees a predictable spike in travel-associated infectious diseases as New Yorkers return from summer vacations. The NYC Department of Health urges everyone to stay vigilant, especially when symptoms appear after international travel.

To reduce risk, travelers should seek pre-travel medical advice, stay up to date on vaccinations, and practice safe food, water, and insect precautions.

The most commonly reported travel-related illnesses in New York City include:

Mosquito-borne diseases

  • Dengue: Symptoms include fever, rash, and joint pain. Widespread in the Caribbean (including Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic), Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Dengue is the most frequently reported cause of acute febrile illness among returning U.S. travelers.

  • Chikungunya: Causes severe joint pain and fever. Outbreaks common in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands.

  • Malaria: Transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes; can be life-threatening without prompt treatment. Common in tropical or subtropical areas of Africa, Asia, Central and South America.

  • Zika: Known for birth defect risks; also causes fever, rash, and conjunctivitis. High-risk regions are the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.

  • Oropouche virus: Causes fever and headache. Emerging in parts of South America and the Caribbean (including Cuba and the Dominican Republic).

Enteric diseases

  • Hepatitis A: Spread through contaminated food or water; preventable by vaccine. Prevalent in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia.

  • Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever: Bacterial infections causing high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms. Common in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Middle East.

Respiratory and airborne diseases:

  • Tuberculosis (TB): A serious bacterial infection affecting the lungs; often contracted in high-prevalence regions including the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands, Eastern Europe. The number of TB cases in New York City increased 24 per cent between 2023 and 2024.

  • Measles: Highly contagious viral illness; outbreaks linked to low vaccination rates. Present globally.

  • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS): A coronavirus with severe respiratory symptoms; primarily reported in and near the Arabian peninsula (Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen).

Other global concerns

  • Mpox: Ongoing outbreaks in Africa and beyond; causes rash, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. High-risk areas are the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries in Central and Eastern Africa (for clade l mpox).

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