The world has seen massive disease outbreaks after the peak of the pandemic since 2020.
It is 2025, and ideally, the world should forget about infectious diseases with enhanced technology and many new-age medicines and preventive vaccines available at our doorstep. However, according to experts, the world has seen massive disease outbreaks after the peak of the pandemic since 2020.
As 2025 unfolds, several dangerous infectious diseases are spreading quietly across countries and communities. While some get due attention, many others are often not even reported. Here are a few diseases currently spreading at an alarming pace globally, which most scientists blame on climate change and public health policies in various countries.
Measles
The recent outbreak of measles across the United States and some parts of Canada is driving up case counts and raising alarm among public health experts, especially as vaccination rates among children are way below what they should be.
According to experts, the concern comes after the first reported death in the US since 2015, along with a significant increase in the number of cases. Earlier this week, at least eight more measles infections were confirmed in connection with the outbreak centred in West Texas, bringing the total number of cases to 717. Meanwhile, the US overall has surpassed 1,000 measles cases this year.
Experts say measles is not just a rash, as it can lead to dangerous complications like brain swelling, pneumonia, and even death. The resurgence isn’t just a public health failure but an increase in vaccine hesitancy and disrupted healthcare systems across the US.
Tick fevers
According to doctors, this year has reported a more than 200 per cent rise in tick-related infections and fevers. Experts are worried about Lyme disease and a flu-like illness known as anaplasmosis, both spread by tick bites.
Warmer winters and shifting deer populations are giving ticks more time and space to spread. As most people spend time outdoors - gardening, hiking, or even just walking pets—they are more likely to bring ticks home unknowingly.
Tick-borne illnesses, which have symptoms like the flu - fatigue, body aches, and fever—can become deadly.
The return of COVID-19
There has been a resurgence of COVID-19 across many places in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, with a 28 per cent rise in cases in just one week. According to data, Hong Kong’s positivity rate has jumped from 1.7 to 11.4 per cent.
Experts believe the virus, which has been constantly evolving, has become deadlier, and waning immunity can make most people vulnerable to coronavirus infection. Most people are now skipping booster shots, and new variants - LF.7 and NB.1.8 - are circulating rapidly.
Dengue and malaria
Even as temperatures across the world are rising, mosquito-borne diseases are on the rise, especially in parts of Asia, Africa, and even some areas in Europe. According to experts, rapid construction, neglecting standing water, and climate shifts are making mosquitoes breed incessantly.
Dengue cases have shown early spikes in countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Malaria is also expanding into regions once considered low-risk due to climate change. While both of these infections cause fever and body aches, if not treated well in time, they can also cause dangerous complications and can delay diagnosis, allowing complications to develop quickly.
