{Excerpt}
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Avian influenza A(H9N2):
{China}
° Guangdong Province:
§ A 44-year-old man with onset on June 26, 2026.
° Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region:
§ A four-year-old boy with onset on June 26, 2026.
° Jiangsu Province:
§ A four-year-old boy with onset on June 22, 2026.
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Source:
Link: https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/2026_avian_influenza_report_vol22_wk30.pdf
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Abstract
The panzootic highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus has now been detected on the Australian mainland, with incursions from the sub-Antarctic region posing an increasing threat to domestic wildlife and poultry populations. Our study aimed to predict the risk of HPAI H5N1 poultry outbreaks across Australia at the local government area (LGA) level using a range of influential risk factors. We first used a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to estimate the environmental suitability for HPAI H5N1 occurrence across Australia. The resulting suitability layer was then integrated with five additional predictor layers, including abundance data for two Southern Ocean wild birds, one of which has introduced HPAI H5N1 into Australia; abundance data for 28 native Australian wild birds; native bird flyways across Australia; Australian chicken density; and poultry farm density. The six layers were aggregated and averaged to generate an HPAI H5N1 risk map for poultry outbreaks across Australian LGAs. Although most incursions have occurred in Western Australia (WA) and South Australia (SA), we identified New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC) as having the highest predicted risk of HPAI H5N1 poultry outbreaks. Additional high-risk areas were identified in WA, SA, and Tasmania (TAS). In contrast, the Northern Territory (NT) and large parts of Queensland (QLD), WA, and SA were predicted to be at low risk. These findings provide a spatially explicit framework to support targeted surveillance, preparedness, and biosecurity measures aimed at mitigating the impact of future HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in Australian poultry.
Competing Interest Statement
CR MacIntyre is funded by NHMRC and Medical Research Futures Fund and is Founding Director of EPIWATCH Global Pty Ltd.
Funder Information Declared
NHMRC, CRM funded by NHMRC Investigator Grant 2016907
Source:
Link: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.27.740638v1
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
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{Click on Image to Enlarge}
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Event description
° The Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continued to intensify during the reporting period, with sustained transmission, increasing mortality, and ongoing geographic expansion within the country.
° The cumulative number of reported cases has exceeded the two previously documented Bundibugyo virus disease outbreaks, making this the largest outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus to date.
° Although no new cases have been reported outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, persistent transmission in areas connected by major national and cross-border mobility corridors continues to sustain a high risk of regional spread.
° These epidemiological trends underscore the need for strengthened surveillance, cross-border collaboration, and preparedness to rapidly detect and contain any international spread.
(...)
Situation interpretation
° The BVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to intensify despite the ongoing scale-up of response operations.
° The sustained increase in transmission and mortality indicates that the outbreak remains uncontrolled.
° Although transmission remains concentrated within a number of interconnected health zones, its continued expansion into adjacent areas suggests that current interventions have not yet been sufficient to reduce transmission intensity or halt the geographic spread of the outbreak.
° The persistently high proportion of community deaths, suboptimal contact follow-up, and critically weak IPC capacity indicate that many transmission chains continue to be detected too late to prevent onward spread.
° Although no international spread has been reported during the current reporting period, sustained transmission along major domestic and cross-border mobility corridors continues to pose a substantial risk of regional spread.
° Strengthening early case detection, community engagement, IPC, and coordinated cross-border preparedness remains critical to interrupt transmission and reduce the risk of further national and international spread.
Source:
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses are currently responsible for a multi-species outbreak affecting wild birds, poultry, numerous mammalian species, and humans. Influenza A viruses typically initiate infection through binding to sialic acid, although select bat and human influenza viruses can also exploit class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC–II) molecules for cell entry. Here we show that emerging H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses, but not historical H5 lineages, bind human MHC–II HLA-DR and mediate sialic acid-independent cell entry. Hemagglutinin binding to primary human immune cells varies with MHC–II expression and is further shaped by HLA–DR allelic variation, identifying host genetic determinants that may influence susceptibility to infection. Mammalian-adaptive substitutions within the hemagglutinin sialic acid receptor-binding domain reduce MHC–II binding, suggesting this interaction is remodeled during clade 2.3.4.4b H5 adaptation to a human host. Lastly, cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies isolated from clade 2.3.4.4b H5–naive humans can block the hemagglutinin–MHC–II interaction. These findings identify a previously unrecognized receptor pathway in contemporary H5N1 viruses and reveal that both human genetic variation and pre-existing humoral immunity can modulate this interaction, with implications for host range, cellular tropism, spillover risk, and therapeutic intervention.
Competing Interest Statement
S.D.B. has consulted for Regeneron, Sanofi, Novartis, Genentech, Pfizer, Visterra, and Otsuka on topics unrelated to the research presented here; owns stock in AbCellera Biologics; and is a scientific cofounder of Immunera, Inc.; S.E.H reports receiving consulting fees from Sanofi, Pfizer, Lumen, Novavax, and Merck.
Funder Information Declared
NIH/NIAID CEIRR contract, 75N93021C00015
NIH, 1U54CA260517
HIPC, U19AI057266
P01 grant, 5P01AI153559
David Crown Foundation endowment
Early Postdoc Mobility Fellowship Stipend from the Swiss
National Institutes of Health NRSA T32, T32OD011121
Source:
Link: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.22.739677v1
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated today (28th) that the domestic COVID-19 epidemic continues to rise and has entered the epidemic period.
In addition, it coincides with the summer vacation travel peak season, which increases the risk of disease transmission.
The CDC calls on the public to take precautions such as washing hands frequently, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated.
When entering and leaving medical care institutions, in crowded places where it is not possible to maintain an appropriate distance or in poorly ventilated places, or when in close contact with the elderly or people with weakened immune systems, it is recommended to wear masks.
If you have a fever or respiratory symptoms, it is recommended to stay at home as much as possible and avoid unnecessary outings.
People with severe risk factors should seek medical attention as soon as possible if they have suspected symptoms so that doctors can diagnose and treat them early and prescribe antiviral drugs to reduce the risk of complications or death after infection.
According to data from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the COVID-19 epidemic in Taiwan is on the rise.
In the 29th week (July 19-25), there were 10,605 outpatient and emergency room visits related to COVID-19, a 117.4% increase compared to the previous week (July 12-18).
Last week (July 21-27), there were 42 new locally transmitted severe cases and 2 new locally transmitted deaths.
Since October 2025, there have been a cumulative total of 203 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 complicated by severe illness, with 25 deaths.
The majority of severe cases are among those aged 65 and above (73.4%) and those with a history of chronic diseases (83.7%).
90.6% of these cases have not received the COVID-19 vaccine this season.
In the past four weeks, the most prevalent local variant strain has been NB.1.8.1.
Clinical manifestations are mainly upper respiratory symptoms, including sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, fever, fatigue, headache, and muscle aches.
The global positivity rate has recently risen, with all regions except Southeast Asia and Africa showing an upward trend; neighboring countries/regions such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States are also experiencing an increase in cases.
Currently, the predominant circulating variant globally is NB.1.8.1 (58.76%), followed by XFG (19.07%) and JN.1 (15.46%).
The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicated that as of July 26, 2026, approximately 1.742 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered this season, with vaccination rates for those aged 65 and above at 21.01% for the first dose and 0.56% for the second dose.
Data shows that severe cases in Taiwan are still predominantly among those aged 65 and above and those with a history of chronic diseases, and over 90% of these individuals have not received the COVID-19 vaccine this season.
Considering the escalating COVID-19 situation in Taiwan and the recent upward trend in the global positivity rate, the government has extended the expanded government-funded COVID-19 vaccination program until September 28, 2026.
Domestic COVID-19 vaccine stocks are sufficient, with 437,000 doses remaining (including approximately 435,000 doses of Moderna vaccine and approximately 2,000 doses of Novavax vaccine).
The Novavax vaccine expires on July 31st of this year. Those who have not yet received this season's COVID-19 vaccine are urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Furthermore, three high-risk groups—those aged 65 and above, indigenous people aged 55 and above, and those with compromised immune systems—are advised to receive their second dose as soon as possible if they have already received one dose and the interval is 6 months (180 days) to further enhance their protection and effectively reduce the risk of severe illness or death.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated that in response to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, it has comprehensively reviewed and consolidated domestic medical supplies. There are still 168,000 doses of the publicly funded oral antiviral drug Paxlovid and 17,000 doses of Xocova. There are also 153,000 doses of injectable Remdesivir in stock.
For information on COVID-19 vaccination sites, contracted hospitals for publicly funded oral antiviral drugs, and the latest epidemic prevention policies, please visit the CDC's website (https://www.cdc.gov.tw) under the "COVID-19 Prevention Zone" or call the toll-free epidemic prevention hotline 1922 (or 0800-001922).
In addition, approximately 630,000 home rapid COVID-19 test kits are available to meet the public's needs. Information can be found on the Food and Drug Administration's "Home COVID-19 Test Kit Supply Information Zone" (https://reurl.cc/XxWbbM), or by visiting pharmacies, convenience stores, or other sales channels.
Source:
Link: https://www.cdc.gov.tw/Bulletin/Detail/HqTIUKC58EK9fO9AVWU3Cg?typeid=9
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
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Event description
° Transmission of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) remained intense in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the reporting week, with continued detection of new confirmed cases and deaths across multiple affected areas, alongside further expansion of the outbreak's geographic footprint.
° The epidemiological situation outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo remained stable, with no new cases or evidence of secondary transmission reported in Uganda or France.
° However, the persistence and geographic expansion of transmission within the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to increase the risk of cross-border spread, highlighting the need for sustained regional surveillance, preparedness, and response efforts.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
° Since the last update of 12 July 2026 (Situation Report #9), the epidemiological situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has continued to deteriorate, with sustained transmission and ongoing geographic expansion.
° An additional 460 confirmed cases and 248 confirmed deaths have been reported, representing increases of 23.4% and 34.5% in cumulative confirmed cases and confirmed deaths, respectively.
° The crude case fatality ratio (CFR) among confirmed cases increased from 36.6% to 39.9%, likely reflecting delayed case detection, late presentation for care, and the persistently high proportion of deaths occurring outside designated treatment facilities, rather than increased disease severity.
° During the reporting period, the outbreak expanded to five additional health zones across Haut-Uélé and Ituri provinces, increasing the total number of affected health zones from 42 to 47.
° The newly affected health zones were Pawa, Boma Mangbetu, and Isiro in Haut-Uélé Province, and Mahagi and Adja in Ituri Province.
Figure 1. Weekly trend of confirmed cases of Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by epidemiological week of report, epidemiological weeks 18 – 29, 2026
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° Despite this continued geographic expansion, recent transmission remains concentrated in a subset of affected areas.
° Of the 47 affected health zones, 40 have reported at least one confirmed case during the past 21 days.
° During this period, 1,090 confirmed cases and 568 confirmed deaths were reported.
° Ituri Province continues to bear the overwhelming burden of the outbreak, accounting for 946 cases (86.8%) and 476 deaths (83.8%), while the remaining four affected provinces together accounted for 144 cases (13.2%) and 92 deaths (16.2%).
° In contrast, seven affected health zones have now gone more than 21 consecutive days without reporting a confirmed case, suggesting an absence of recent transmission, provided that surveillance remains sufficiently sensitive to detect ongoing transmission.
° These health zones include Miti-Murhesa (60 days) in South Kivu Province; Aungba (30 days) and Gety (59 days) in Ituri Province; and Goma (55 days), Kalunguta (56 days), Mabalako (36 days), and Vuhovi (38 days) in North Kivu Province.
° Recent transmission remained highly concentrated in a limited number of health zones.
° The largest increases over the 21-day period were recorded in Bunia (281 cases), Nizi (173), Rwampara (155), Mongbwalu (105), Katwa (59), Lita (49), Nia-Nia (40), Mangala (37), and Bambu and Butembo (24 each). Together, these ten health zones accounted for approximately 86.9% of all additional confirmed cases reported during the period.
° Bunia, Rwampara, Mongbwalu, and Nizi remained the principal transmission corridor.
° The rapid increase in cases in Nizi, a health zone hosting several internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, together with the emergence of cases in Adja Health Zone, indicates continued westward and northward expansion of transmission within Ituri Province.
° Mortality was similarly concentrated. The largest increases in confirmed deaths over the same 21-day period were reported in Bunia (129 deaths), Nizi (84), Mongbwalu (80), Rwampara (73), Katwa (45), Mangala (26), Lita (18), Butembo (16), Nyankunde (13), and Beni (11).
° Collectively, these ten health zones accounted for approximately 87.0% of all additional confirmed deaths reported during the period.
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° Overall, the distribution of confirmed deaths remained heavily skewed towards deaths occurring outside designated treatment centres, highlighting persistent delays in case detection, referral, and access to treatment.
° Between 24 June and 19 July 2026, 673 confirmed deaths were reported, of which 400 (59.4%) occurred outside designated treatment centres and 273 (40.6%) occurred within designated treatment centres.
° During the most recent reporting week (13 – 19 July 2026), mortality remained high, with community deaths (defined as deaths occurring outside designated treatment centres) accounting for 65.4% of all reported deaths, compared with 34.6% occurring within designated treatment centres.
° This persistent predominance of community deaths suggests that delays in case detection, referral, and timely access to treatment continue to contribute substantially to mortality and underscore the need to strengthen community surveillance, rapid referral, and early access to care.
° Since the beginning of the outbreak, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 2,423 confirmed cases, including 967 confirmed deaths, corresponding to a crude case fatality ratio (CFR) of 39.9%.
° Ituri Province remains the epicentre, accounting for 2,160 confirmed cases (89.1%) and 811 confirmed deaths (83.9%) reported nationally.
° The most affected health zones continue to be Bunia (639 cases, 211 deaths), Rwampara (450 cases, 133 deaths), Mongbwalu (363 cases, 203 deaths), Nizi (214 cases, 93 deaths), Nyankunde (99 cases, 28 deaths), Lita (78 cases, 27 deaths), and Mangala (61 cases, 38 deaths) in Ituri Province, together with Katwa (104 cases, 72 deaths), Butembo (58 cases, 30 deaths), and Beni (37 cases, 25 deaths) in North Kivu Province.
° Collectively, these ten health zones account for approximately 86.8% of all confirmed cases (2,103 of 2,423) and 88.9% of all confirmed deaths (860 of 967) reported nationally, demonstrating that, despite continued geographic expansion, the burden of the outbreak remains highly concentrated.
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° As of 19 July 2026, a total of 10,519 contacts were under follow-up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of whom 8,531 (81.1%) were successfully seen within the previous 24 hours.
° Ituri Province accounted for the majority of contacts under follow-up, with 7,537 contacts, including 6,123 (81.3%) successfully seen during the reporting period.
° In North Kivu Province, 1,801 of 2,149 contacts (83.8%) were successfully followed up, while Haut-Uélé Province, one of the newly affected provinces, reported 607 contacts, of whom only 317 (52.3%) were seen within the previous 24 hours.
° South Kivu Province had no contacts under active follow-up, reflecting the absence of recent transmission requiring contact monitoring, whereas contact follow-up data for Tshopo Province were not reported.
° The overall contact follow-up rate remains below the operational target for effective contact tracing. Although follow-up performance in Ituri Province improved slightly compared with previous weeks, more than 1,400 contacts were not reached during the reporting period. The markedly low follow-up rate in Haut-Uélé Province is of particular concern given the recent geographic expansion of the outbreak. These gaps increase the risk of undetected infections, missed chains of transmission, and sustained community transmission in both established and newly affected areas.
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Uganda
° No new confirmed cases have been reported in Uganda since the previous update.
° The most recent confirmed case, reported on 21 June 2026, was identified in a truck driver travelling along the Democratic Republic of the Congo Uganda international route.
° Since then, no additional imported or locally acquired cases have been detected, and there is no evidence of ongoing transmission.
° As of 19 July 2026, the outbreak remains limited to 21 cases (20 confirmed and one probable), including three deaths (two confirmed and one probable).
° All 18 recovered patients have now been discharged from care, with the last confirmed patient discharged on 16 July 2026.
° Since the beginning of the outbreak, 836 contacts have been identified, all of whom successfully completed the required 21-day follow-up period, during which six secondary cases were detected.
° No contacts are currently under follow-up, reflecting the absence of active transmission chains.
° Following the discharge of the last confirmed patient on 16 July 2026, Uganda entered the 42-day countdown required to declare the end of the outbreak. As of 19 July 2026, the country was on Day 5 of the countdown.
° Nevertheless, Uganda remains at high risk of reintroduction due to the ongoing outbreak in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
° Continued population movement across the shared border underscores the importance of maintaining cross-border coordination, surveillance, rapid case detection, and response readiness until transmission has been interrupted in both countries.
Figure 5. Weekly trends of confirmed cases of Bundibugyo virus disease in Uganda by epidemiological week of report, epidemiological weeks 18 – 29, 2026
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France
° No additional Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) cases have been reported in France since the previous update.
° No secondary transmission has been identified among the five flight contacts who were placed under precautionary quarantine following exposure to the imported case reported on 24 June 2026.
° All five flight contacts successfully completed the 21-day monitoring period.
Risk Assessment
° The overall public health risk in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains very high, driven by sustained transmission, increasing mortality, and continued geographic expansion from three to five affected provinces.
° Although transmission remains concentrated in Ituri Province, the emergence of newly affected health zones in HautUélé and Tshopo provinces highlights the continued potential for spread into previously unaffected areas.
° The rising CFR and the high proportion of community deaths continue to indicate delays in case detection, isolation, referral, and access to clinical care.
° Contact tracing performance remains below the operational target, particularly in Ituri Province, where follow-up coverage is substantially lower than in North Kivu despite Ituri accounting for the majority of ongoing transmission.
° Uganda remains at high risk of reintroduction because of the ongoing outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite reporting no new cases during the reporting period.
° The absence of secondary transmission following the imported case in France demonstrates the effectiveness of rapid public health measures, but also underscores the continued risk of international spread through travel.
(...)
Situation interpretation
° The BVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to intensify despite the ongoing scale-up of response operations.
° Although transmission remains highly concentrated in a limited number of health zones in Ituri Province, continued geographic expansion into Haut-Uélé and Tshopo provinces indicates that new transmission foci continue to emerge.
° Persistently high mortality, driven by the large proportion of deaths occurring outside designated treatment centres, together with a rising CFR, indicates that many patients are still being detected and referred too late to benefit from optimal clinical care.
° While surveillance, laboratory, case management, and operational capacities continue to expand, important gaps remain in contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and community engagement, particularly in newly affected areas.
° Strengthening early case detection, improving contact follow-up, expanding timely access to clinical care, reinforcing infection prevention and control measures in healthcare settings, and sustaining community trust and cross-border preparedness will be critical to interrupt transmission and reduce mortality
Source:
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
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By Reneman - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32904861
Source:
____
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
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Public Domain.
Source:
Link: https://www.wikiart.org/en/caspar-david-friedrich/by-the-townwall
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Abstract
Since emerging in late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has caused over 7 million deaths globally and remains a public health concern. Understanding SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is vital, especially as factors like environmental exposures are still poorly understood. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), like benzo[a]pyrene (BP), found in pollutants like cigarette smoke, diesel exhaust, and charcoal-broiled steaks, are known to injure the lungs. We aimed to evaluate if BP exacerbates SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in a mouse model of disease. One day following intranasal administration of BP (20 mg/kg) or vehicle control, we infected male and female K18-hACE2 mice with ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and assessed lung viral load, weight change, clinical scores, immune cell recruitment, and survival in the presence and absence of BP exposure. We found that BP-exposed mice had decreased survival compared to mock-exposed mice. Additionally, BP did not alter innate or adaptive immune cell populations in the lungs of SARS-CoV-2-infected mice. These findings suggest that PAH exposure exacerbates severe COVID-19 outcomes by unknown mechanisms, highlighting the need to further explore environmental impacts on SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Source:
Link: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/18/8/823
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
BMJ
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Ann Intern Med
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Abstract
Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), caused by Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, with previous outbreaks reporting case fatality rates of 30%–50%. The ongoing BDBV outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda highlights the urgent need for virus-specific research tools and medical countermeasures. Unlike Ebola virus disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus, no licensed vaccines or specific therapeutics are currently available for BVD. The lack of research tools has limited studies with BDBV. To facilitate antiviral testing and neutralization studies, we developed the first recombinant BDBV expressing the fluorescent reporter protein ZsGreen (rBDBV-ZsG). As a proof of concept, we tested a set of previously characterized antiviral compounds and demonstrated comparable inhibitory profiles between rBDBV-ZsG and the wild-type BDBV parental strain. Furthermore, the utility of rBDBV-ZsG was successfully evaluated in neutralization assays, demonstrating robust sensitivity and specificity using monoclonal antibodies and convalescent serum samples.
Source:
Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2026.2709847
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
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Risk statement
° This rapid risk assessment aims to assess the overall public health risk posed by the 2026 heatwaves in the WHO European Region.
° It considers the potential health impact, particularly among vulnerable population groups, the geographic scope and severity of the event, population vulnerabilities, available prevention and control capacities, and seasonal and environmental factors that may exacerbate heat-related morbidity and mortality.
° The 2026 European heatwave is assessed as presenting a moderate public health risk across the WHO European Region, with high confidence.
° Widespread and prolonged extreme temperatures across Europe, affecting large parts of Western, Central and Southern Europe, have resulted in substantial population exposure and are associated with increased heat-related morbidity and mortality, including reported excess deaths.
° Several countries have recorded temperatures exceeding 40°C and activated high-level heat-health warnings and emergency response measures.
° Preliminary European Mortality Monitoring network (EURO MOMO) data indicate substantial excess mortality associated with the 2026 heatwaves.
° Approximately 10,650 excess deaths were estimated during 22–28 June 2026, including more than 9,000 among adults aged 65 years and older.
° Across the two-week period of peak temperatures, European mortality surveillance estimates indicated more than 14,000 excess deaths, highlighting the substantial mortality impact of prolonged and extreme heat exposure.
° The public health impacts of the current heatwaves are expected to vary across and within countries.
° The greatest adverse health impacts are expected in severely affected countries and subnational areas, particularly in densely populated urban settings, where extreme daytime temperatures persist, night-time cooling is limited, population vulnerability is increased, and heat-health response measures are insufficient or not fully implemented.
° Existing healthsystem preparedness and response capacity, including early warning, public health measures, outreach to vulnerable groups and continuity arrangements, can reduce impacts; however, healthcare facility capacity alone is insufficient to mitigate heat-related health risks.
° The likelihood of significant health impacts is high wherever extreme temperatures persist, especially in the absence of comprehensive preparedness and response measures.
° Extreme heat may also interact with other environmental and meteorological hazards, creating compound and cascading risks.
° Heatwaves may contribute to atmospheric instability that can be followed by severe thunderstorms, intense rainfall, flash flooding, landslides and windstorms.
° Heat events may coincide with drought, water stress, high ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and air pollution, including vegetation fire smoke.
° These hazards can further increase morbidity and mortality, disrupt essential services, damage infrastructure, and complicate emergency response.
° Recent observations across Europe, including repeated episodes of vegetation fires and severe convective storms following heat events, underscore the need for integrated multi-hazard preparedness and response.
° As the event continues, heat-related morbidity, including emergency department visits and hospitalizations, and mortality are expected to increase further in affected areas, particularly among populations at increased risk.
° Heatwaves may place additional pressure on healthcare delivery through increased demand for emergency and medical services, overheating of healthcare and long-term care facilities, increased energy demand, potential disruption of cooling systems, impacts on medicine and vaccine storage, and heat stress among healthcare workers.
° Heat-related impacts extend beyond the health sector and may affect energy, water, transport, food systems, workplaces, schools and social services.
° Power disruptions may compromise cooling, medical equipment and healthcare operations, while water stress may affect hydration, hygiene and cooling access.
° Transport disruptions may limit access to healthcare, cooling centres and social support.
° Despite broad population exposure across Europe, the health impacts of heatwaves are not evenly distributed and are largely determined by individual vulnerability, living conditions, occupational exposure and access to protective measures.
° Populations at increased risk include:
§ older adults,
§ persons with underlying cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, diabetes-related or mental health conditions,
§ infants and young children,
§ pregnant women,
§ migrants, refugees and displaced populations,
§ homeless persons,
§ informal and outdoor workers,
§ people living in poor-quality or overcrowded housing and socially isolated individuals.
° Although heatwaves are typically acute events lasting days to weeks, their direct health impacts can be immediate and severe, with short-term increases in heat-related morbidity, emergency medical calls, emergency department visits, hospital admissions and mortality.
° Heat can also exacerbate chronic diseases, increase dehydration and heatstroke, worsen mental health and sleep disruption, and increase indirect risks such as drowning, occupational injuries, foodsafety problems and disruption to essential services.
° Longer-term public health consequences, such as changes in the transmission dynamics of vector-borne diseases, are less likely to arise from a single heatwave event but warrant continued surveillance, particularly when extreme heat is accompanied by environmental changes, water scarcity, altered human behavior, or shifts in vector distribution and activity.
° Importantly, the public health significance of heatwaves extends beyond their immediate effects, as these events are increasing in both frequency and intensity across Europe.
° Consequently, repeated and more severe heatwave episodes may contribute to cumulative health risks and broader environmental and ecological changes.
° Heatwaves are predictable hazards, and timely implementation of heat-health action plans can substantially reduce their impact.
° Weather forecasts and early warning systems should support targeted heat-health alerts, risk communication, outreach to vulnerable groups, workers' protection measures, continuity planning for health and social care services, access to cooling spaces and drinking water, and coordination across relevant sectors.
° Response planning should also consider co-occurring environmental factors, including high humidity, poor air quality, ozone, wildfire smoke, water stress, elevated night-time temperatures, and storms, which may further increase health risks and complicate public-health messaging.
° The public health risk associated with the 2026 heatwaves is heterogeneous across the WHO European Region, reflecting differences in climatic conditions, population vulnerability, exposure patterns, infrastructure, and public health preparedness:
• The highest risk is assessed in areas where prolonged extreme heat coincides with high vulnerability and limited adaptive capacity, particularly densely populated urban areas with persistent high daytime and night-time temperatures, poor housing conditions, limited access to cooling, high levels of social vulnerability, substantial occupational heat exposure, and insufficient heat-health response mechanisms.
• Moderate risk is assessed in areas experiencing less intense heat where preparedness and response measures are stronger. However, northern and traditionally cooler countries may still experience significant increases in heat-related morbidity and mortality during unusually high temperatures because populations, buildings and services are generally less adapted to extreme heat. (e.g., the 2018 Scandinavian heatwave saw notable mortality despite lower absolute temperatures).
• In Central Asia, the risk is moderate but expected to increase as the summer progresses, as extreme heat events typically intensify later in summer season. Early warning systems and timely implementation of heat-health response measures may help mitigate the expected health impact.
° Based on the current meteorological, epidemiological and public health information, the overall risk associated with the 2026 heatwave is assessed as “Moderate” in the WHO European Region, and as “Low” at the global level, with a high level of confidence in both assessments. The rapid risk assessment will be updated as additional information becomes available.
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{1} Confidence refers to the level of confidence in the data/information or the quality of the evidence available at the time the RRA is conducted. Poor quality information may increase the overall perceived risk due to the incertitude in the assessment.
Source:
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
