Diphtheria Outbreak 2026: CDC Issues New Sub-Saharan Africa Travel Alert Covering 7 Countries with Over 20,000 Cases and 1,252 Deaths in 2025

The CDC issued a new diphtheria travel alert for Chad, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania, and Somalia on June 2, 2026. WHO documented 20,412 suspected cases and 1,252 deaths in Africa in 2025. Here is what travelers and unvaccinated Americans need to know.