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Health Emergencies

Outbreaks to Watch
COVID-19
HPAI H5N1 (Avian Influenza)
Mpox
Marburg Virus Disease (MVD)
Dengue Fever

The Global Center for Health Security is the premier U.S. institution for management of high-consequence infections.

Our Health Emergencies page features biweekly infectious disease briefings by James Lawler, MD, PhD, FIDSA, provides insights into current health emergencies, highlights outbreaks to watch, and reviews past health emergencies.

Region 7 Infectious Disease Briefings 

 

Dr. Lawler's Infectious Disease Briefing

UNMC’s Global Center for Health Security (GCHS), in collaboration with the Region VII Disaster Health Response Ecosystem (R7DHRE) conducts biweekly meetings with local and state public health and healthcare representatives. These meetings focus on reviewing and discussing recent developments related to current infectious disease challenges. Dr. James V. Lawler, MD, MPH, FIDSA, presents comprehensive updates on data and advancements at local, state, national, and international levels. Recorded updates are accessible for further information. Watch the recordings below.

 
Register for the Region 7 Infectious Disease Briefings 

 

2024-2025 Statewide Briefings

Date Subject
1/7/25 First H5N1 Human Death in U.S. | DRC Respiratory Outbreak | COVID-19 Updates
12/10/24 Disease X in the DRC | H5N1 Developments | COVID-19 Data & Updates 
11/26/24 VPDs and the vaccines that prevent them (Presented by Alice Sato, MD, PhD)
11/12/24 Concerning H5N1 Developments | COVID-19 Data & Vaccination Updates 
10/29/24 Case of Lassa Fever in Iowa | H5N1 Study | COVID-19 & Vaccines 
10/15/24 XEC Covid Variant | H5N1: States with human cases | Marburg Virus Outbreak 
10/1/24 COVID-19 Vaccination Data | Recent H5N1 Human Cases | Mpox Clade1B | Marburg Virus in Rwanda 
9/17/24 Current hat trick of diseases (COVID-19, Mpox, H5N1)
9/3/24 Three Major Pandemics / Epidemics 
8/20/24 Mpox, H5N1 & COVID-19 Updates 
8/6/24 H5N1 Update & Vaccination Updates in Children (Presented by Shelly Schwedhelm, MSN, RN, NEA-BC and Alice Sato, MD, PhD)
7/23/24 First cluster of human H5N1 cases in poultry workers | COVID-19 Summer Surge 
7/9/24 Updates on COVID-19 & H5N1 
6/25/24 Current COVID-19 Epidemic Wave | Recent Studies | H5N1 Updates
6/11/24 COVID-19 (KP Variants) | Recent Studies | H5N1 Updates 
5/28/24 COVID-19 (FLiRT variant, CDC data, long COVID) | H5N1 (2nd dairy worked infected, domestic livestock cases, beef studies) 
5/14/24 COVID-19 Variant KP.2 & HPAI H5N1 testing in domestic livestock 
4/30/24 HPAI H5N1 (FDA Testing, Dairy Cows, Prevalence in Milk) &  COVID-19 Check-In
4/16/24 Influenza A Virus 101 | HPAI H5N1 
4/2/24 H5N1 (Avian Flu) in Dairy Cows 
3/19/24 Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 
3/5/24 New CDC Booster Guidance | Measles 
2/20/24 CDC plans to loosen COVID guidance 
2/6/24 TJC IPC Standards (Presented by Angie Vasa)
1/23/24 Study: "New dose-response model and SARS-CoV-2 quanta emission rates for calculating the long-range airborne infection risk"
1/9/24  Studies: "Real-World Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Against Infection and Severe Diseases in Children" | "Adolescents and Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study: estimates of epidemiological characteristics, 21 December 2023"
1/2/24 Study: "Developmental impairment in children exposed during pregnancy to maternal SARS-COV2: A Brazilian cohort study", plus COVID-19 hospital admissions and wasterwater update 

To view our infectious disease briefings from 2020-2023, visit our Archive page.