Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS
Note that some links may require registration or subscription.
Featured Headlines
- Marburg Virus Disease in Rwanda — Centering Both Evidence and EquityNEJM The final months of 2024 brought several developments that will have far-reaching implications for global health delivery efforts in the years to come. Closest to home for those of us in the United States, the results of our federal elections raise the possibility of reduced investment in shared defenses against epidemics and the weakening… Read more: Marburg Virus Disease in Rwanda — Centering Both Evidence and Equity
- Chapare haemorrhagic fever- the Plurinational State of BoliviaWHO On 7 January 2025, the International Health Regulations National Focal Point for the Plurinational State of Bolivia notified WHO of a laboratory-confirmed case of Chapare virus infection in an adult male from La Paz Department. Chapare haemorrhagic fever is an acute viral illness caused by Chapare virus. The virus was first identified in 2003… Read more: Chapare haemorrhagic fever- the Plurinational State of Bolivia
- Tanzania Confirms New Outbreak Of Marburg VirusNDTV One “confirmed case of Marburg virus marks the second outbreak” in Tanzania since 2023, the president told a press briefing broadcast. Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan confirmed on Monday that there was a new outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in the East African country. One “confirmed case of Marburg virus marks the second… Read more: Tanzania Confirms New Outbreak Of Marburg Virus
- Respiratory virus activity remains ‘high’ in US and will ‘continue for several more weeks’: CDCABC News Respiratory viruses are continuing to spread across the United States, sickening millions of Americans. Overall respiratory illness activity — including flu, COVID-19 and RSV — continues to be listed as “high” nationwide and is causing people to seek health care “at a high level,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of… Read more: Respiratory virus activity remains ‘high’ in US and will ‘continue for several more weeks’: CDC
- Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak: Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate ResponseAfrica CDC ADDIS ABABA, January 20, 2025 – Tanzania has declared a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak after confirming one case and identifying 25 suspected cases in the Kagera Region of Northwestern Tanzania. The Marburg virus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease, is similar to Ebola and is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and… Read more: Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak: Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate Response
- New suspected Marburg outbreak in Tanzania kills eight – WHOBBC The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of a suspected new outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in north-west Tanzania, saying that at least eight people have already been killed by the disease. On Tuesday, the WHO said that nine suspected cases of Marburg were reported in the region of Kagera over the last… Read more: New suspected Marburg outbreak in Tanzania kills eight – WHO
- Bird Flu Is Raising Red Flags Among Health OfficialsJohns Hopkins H5N1 is a dynamic virus that poses an increasing threat in terms of spillover and pandemic potential. On January 6, the Louisiana Department of Health announced that a patient hospitalized last month for H5N1 avian influenza had died, becoming the first U.S. death from the virus. To make matters worse, samples taken from the… Read more: Bird Flu Is Raising Red Flags Among Health Officials
- Avian influenza confirmed in Puerto RicoWatt Poultry The virus was detected in a backyard flock in the U.S. territory, as well as in commercial poultry in Maryland and two Canadian provinces. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has made its way to Puerto Rico. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of HPAI… Read more: Avian influenza confirmed in Puerto Rico
Updates on ongoing disease outbreaks
- First U.S. H5N1 Death Sparks Urgency: Scientists Warn That Bird Flu Is Mutating Faster Than ExpectedScience Daily Researchers at Texas Biomed have identified nine mutations in a strain of bird flu found in a person in Texas. Bad news: This strain shows an increased ability to cause disease and is more effective at replicating in the brain. Good news: Current approved antiviral treatments remain effective against this strain. Researchers at… Read more: First U.S. H5N1 Death Sparks Urgency: Scientists Warn That Bird Flu Is Mutating Faster Than Expected
- Bird flu found in a second commercial flock, Georgia agriculture officials sayAtlanta News A second commercial case of avian influenza, or the “bird flu,” has been confirmed in northeast Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The disease was found in a commercial flock in Elbert County on Wednesday, the department said. That’s the same county the first case was found in last Friday. “This… Read more: Bird flu found in a second commercial flock, Georgia agriculture officials say
- Over 100,000 birds euthanized at Long Island farm to contain bird flu outbreakFox NY Continue reading
- COVID-19: It has been five years since the first case in America. What’s it like today?USA Today Five years ago Monday, someone was identified with COVID-19 for the first time on American soil. In the years since, 1.2 million Americans have died from the virus, and more than 7 million worldwide. On Jan. 20, 2020, laboratory tests confirmed that man in his 30s… Read more: COVID-19: It has been five years since the first case in America. What’s it like today?
- The mystery of why Covid-19 seems to be becoming milderBBC Covid-19 is now ubiquitous – but hospitalisations seem to be on a downward trajectory. No one knows why. When virologists took their first peek at XEC, the Covid-19 variant which started to become dominant in the autumn of 2024, the early signs were ominous. The latest… Read more: The mystery of why Covid-19 seems to be becoming milder
- Long COVID indeed: Symptoms linger after illness for four in 10 MinnesotansStar Tribune State surveyors struggled to get Minnesotans to talk about their post-COVID health, but found a high rate of symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog. Four in 10 Minnesotans who contracted COVID-19 reported in a new state survey that they struggled with lingering health… Read more: Long COVID indeed: Symptoms linger after illness for four in 10 Minnesotans
- New case of more spreadable mpox detectedBBC A new case of Clade Ib mpox has been detected in East Sussex, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed. First detected in central Africa, this variant of the virus appears to transmit more… Read more: New case of more spreadable mpox detected
- Texas A&M, University of Minnesota receive $3.8M for Mpox treatment researchKRHD TX Researchers from Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the University of Minnesota have received a $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop antiviral… Read more: Texas A&M, University of Minnesota receive $3.8M for Mpox treatment research
- Covering an Mpox Outbreak in Congo: Mile After Mile of MuckNYT A reporter made a long journey, much of it spent fighting through mud on a motorbike, to reach the epicenter of a viral outbreak in Africa. Last July, I read an article in… Read more: Covering an Mpox Outbreak in Congo: Mile After Mile of Muck
- Mpox Clade I in the U.S. Should Be a Wake-Up CallMedPageToday The detection of the first clade I mpox case in the U.S. this November, followed by a subsequent case in Canadao , is far more than a fleeting headline. It is a stark reminder of… Read more: Mpox Clade I in the U.S. Should Be a Wake-Up Call
- Sierra Leone declares public health emergency over mpoxDawn Sierra Leone declared a public health emergency on Monday to combat mpox, announcing it was stepping up surveillance at its borders after confirming two cases of the deadly viral disease. “The confirmation of… Read more: Sierra Leone declares public health emergency over mpox
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
- How Lagging Vaccination Could Lead to a Polio ResurgenceNYT In its original form, the virus survives in just two countries. But a type linked to an oral vaccine used in other nations has already turned up in the… Read more: How Lagging Vaccination Could Lead to a Polio Resurgence
- What We Know About HMPV, the Common Virus Spreading in ChinaNYT While cases are climbing in China, the situation is very different from what it was when Covid-19 emerged five years ago, medical experts say. HMPV has circulated in humans… Read more: What We Know About HMPV, the Common Virus Spreading in China
- It feels like everyone has a stomach bug. A new norovirus strain might be to blame, CDC data suggestsCBS News A new strain of norovirus now makes up a majority of outbreaks nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new strain’s emergence,… Read more: It feels like everyone has a stomach bug. A new norovirus strain might be to blame, CDC data suggests
- It feels like everyone has a stomach bug. A new norovirus strain might be to blame, CDC data suggestsCBS A new strain of norovirus now makes up a majority of outbreaks nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new strain’s emergence, found… Read more: It feels like everyone has a stomach bug. A new norovirus strain might be to blame, CDC data suggests
- What We Know About HMPV, the Virus Spreading in ChinaNYT While cases are climbing in China, the situation is very different from what it was when Covid-19 emerged five years ago, medical experts say. HMPV is common and decades… Read more: What We Know About HMPV, the Virus Spreading in China
- Sick Season Is in Full Force. Here’s What’s Going AroundTime The holidays came with a side of flu for many Americans, with 40 states reporting high or very high levels of illness last week, according to the latest government health… Read more: Sick Season Is in Full Force. Here’s What’s Going Around
Read more Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Extended Paxlovid May Relieve Long Covid SymptomsNeuroscience News Extended courses of Paxlovid may alleviate symptoms in some patients with long Covid, though its effectiveness varies widely. Of 13 patients studied, five experienced sustained improvements, while others reported temporary or no benefits.… Read more: Extended Paxlovid May Relieve Long Covid Symptoms
- Study retracted years after it set off an infamous COVID-19 treatment scandalUSA Today A discredited study that set off a flurry of interest in using an antimalarial drug to treat COVID-19 has now been formally withdrawn. A scientific journal on Tuesday retracted the March 2020 study that introduced… Read more: Study retracted years after it set off an infamous COVID-19 treatment scandal
- Stanford study reveals flu virus remains infectious in refrigerated raw milkStanford University Raw milk, hailed by some as a natural and nutritious alternative to pasteurized dairy, may come with hidden dangers, according to a new Stanford University study. The research, published Dec. 12 in Environmental Science & Technology… Read more: Stanford study reveals flu virus remains infectious in refrigerated raw milk
- The H5N1 Outbreak: Clinical Case UpdatesNEJM While most human disease in the current influenza A(H5N1) outbreak has been mild, severe cases have been reported; thus, vigilance is required. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses have spread across continents since 2021,… Read more: The H5N1 Outbreak: Clinical Case Updates
- Are Women More Prone To Long Covid Than Men?Forbes Women are at a higher risk of developing long Covid than men. However, men are more likely to suffer from severe Covid-19 infections and have higher mortality rates, according to a new JAMA study. More specifically,… Read more: Are Women More Prone To Long Covid Than Men?
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Has Surged Since The Pandemic, Study RevealsScience Alert Scientists are growing concerned that infections of the SARS-CoV-2 virus may be triggering more cases of chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS). A new study has found that six months or longer after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, participants were 7.5… Read more: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Has Surged Since The Pandemic, Study Reveals
- The US Has Bird Flu Vaccines. Here’s Why You Can’t Get OneWired H5N1 vaccines have been previously licensed, and millions are in the national stockpile. But even with the news of the country’s first human death due to bird flu, vaccination isn’t yet recommended. As… Read more: The US Has Bird Flu Vaccines. Here’s Why You Can’t Get One
- HHS gives Moderna $590M to ‘accelerate’ bird flu vaccine trialsFierce Biotech The U.S. government has handed Moderna almost $600 million to accelerate its work on various bird flu vaccines as well as work on mRNA vaccines for other influenza strains with pandemic potential.… Read more: HHS gives Moderna $590M to ‘accelerate’ bird flu vaccine trials
- How Lagging Vaccination Could Lead to a Polio ResurgenceNYT In its original form, the virus survives in just two countries. But a type linked to an oral vaccine used in other nations has already turned up in the West. Most American parents… Read more: How Lagging Vaccination Could Lead to a Polio Resurgence
- Vaccine misinformation: a lasting side effect from CovidAFP A fringe anti-vaccine movement took advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to bring conspiracy theories to a much wider audience, propelling dangerous misinformation about life-saving jabs that still endures five years later, experts warn. Vaccine scepticism was around long before… Read more: Vaccine misinformation: a lasting side effect from Covid
- Why do false claims that vaccines cause autism refuse to die? Here are nine reasonsThe Conversation The idea that autism is caused by vaccines has recently been revived by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the presumptive nominee for US Secretary of Health and Human Services, as well as by president-elect Donald Trump. When asked about… Read more: Why do false claims that vaccines cause autism refuse to die? Here are nine reasons
- Painting Through the Pandemic: A Lifeline in Linseed OilMedPageToday Working on the frontlines during the pandemic was akin to emotional whiplash. The days on service in the ICU were chaotic and relentless, and I barely had time to meet my most basic physiologic needs, let alone emotionally process… Read more: Painting Through the Pandemic: A Lifeline in Linseed Oil
- What Covid tried to teach us — and why it will matter in the next pandemicStat Five years ago this week, STAT was interviewing nervous infectious disease scientists about a mysterious disease spreading in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, located roughly 500 miles west of Shanghai. On Jan. 4, 2020, we published the first of… Read more: What Covid tried to teach us — and why it will matter in the next pandemic
Interesting and Sometimes Funny
- Farmers and DoctorsView this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr. Glaucomflecken (@docglauc)