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Situation at a glance In many countries of the Northern Hemisphere , trends in acute respiratory infections increase at this time of year.  These increases are typically caused by seasonal epidemics of respiratory pathogens such as seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other common respiratory viruses , including human metapneumovirus (hMPV), as well as mycoplasma pneumoniae .  Many countries conduct routine surveillance for acute respiratory infections and common respiratory pathogens.  Currently, in some countries in the temperate Northern hemisphere, influenza-like illness (ILI) and/or acute respiratory infection (ARI) rates have increased in recent weeks and are above baseline levels, following usual seasonal trends.  Seasonal influenza activity is elevated in many countries in the Northern hemisphere.  Where surveillance data is available , trends in RSV detections currently vary by region with decreases reported in most regions except ...

7 January 2025  A day after the United States reported its first human death from avian flu, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) insisted on Tuesday that the risk to the wider population remains “low”.  WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva that the H5N1 virus causing the disease is “ not circulating in humans but jumping into humans ” who are exposed to poultry or dairy cattle. “ We’re not seeing sustained circulation ,” she insisted. Underlying conditions The man who died of the disease in Louisiana was over 65 and reportedly had underlying medical conditions, Dr. Harris said.  According to the health authorities , he had been exposed to chickens and wild birds . Several dozen people in the US have contracted avian influenza – commonly referred to as bird flu – during the current outbreak, mainly farmworkers in close contact with poultry flocks and cattle herds. Dr. Harris stressed that WHO’s assessment of the risk to the general population “i...

{Excerpts} 27 December 2024 Situation at a glance This is an update to the Disease Outbreak News on Undiagnosed disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo published on 8 December 2024 (now named acute respiratory infections complicated by malaria).  It includes updated epidemiological investigation information and preliminary laboratory results.  On 29 November, an alert was raised by local health zone authorities of Panzi health zone in Kwango province after an increase in deaths , particularly among children under five years of age , following febrile illness .  Enhanced epidemiological surveillance was rapidly implemented, which in the absence of a clear diagnosis was based on the detection of syndromic cases of febrile illnesses with cough, body weakness, with one of a number of other symptoms compatible with acute respiratory and febrile illnesses.  This resulted in a rapid increase in the number of cases meeting the definition, with a total of 891 cases re...

23 December 2024 - Statement  Key points: -- Vaccination remains an important public health countermeasure against COVID-19 . As per the WHO Director General’s standing recommendations for COVID-19, Member States are recommended to continue to offer COVID-19 vaccination based on the recommendations of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). -- SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate and evolve with important genetic and antigenic evolution of the spike protein since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. -- The objective of an update to COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition is to enhance vaccine-induced immune responses to circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. -- The WHO TAG-CO-VAC advises retaining the use of a monovalent JN.1 lineage variant as the antigen in future formulations of COVID-19 vaccines. -- In accordance with WHO SAGE policy, vaccination should not be delayed in anticipation of access to vaccines with an updated composition; vaccination programmes ca...

 {Summary} Situation at a glance On 20 December 2024, after two consecutive incubation periods (total of 42 days) since the second negative PCR test was conducted on 7 November for the last confirmed Marburg case, and without a new confirmed case reported , the Ministry of Health of Rwanda declared the end of the Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak , as per the WHO recommendations.  The outbreak had been declared on 27 September 2024 .  As of 19 December 2024, 66 confirmed cases,15 deaths with a case fatality ratio ( CFR) of 23%, and 51 recovered cases have been reported.  The last confirmed case was reported on 30 October 2024 .  WHO through its country office and development partners provided technical and financial support to the government to contain this outbreak.  The risk of re-emergence of MVD still remains even after the official declaration of the end of the outbreak, linked to viral persistence in body fluids (mostly semen) of recovered patients...

 {Excerpt} Influenza at the human-animal interface   Summary and risk assessment, from 2 November to 12 December 2024   • New human cases : From 2 November to 12 December 2024, the detection of influenza A(H5) virus in 16 humans and influenza A( H9N2 ) virus in nine humans were reported officially.   • Circulation of influenza viruses with zoonotic potential in animals: High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) events in poultry and non-poultry continue to be reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) also provides a global update on avian influenza viruses with pandemic potential.   • Risk assessment : Based on information available at the time of the risk assessment, the overall public health risk from currently known influenza viruses at the human-animal interface has not changed remains low . Sustained human to human transmission has not been reported from these eve...

Assessment based on data as of 18 November 2024   12 December 2024  Key points   At the present time , based on available information , FAO-WHO-WOAH assess the global public health risk of influenza A(H5N1) viruses to be low , while the risk of infection for occupationally exposed persons is low to moderate depending on the risk mitigation measures in place and the local avian influenza epidemiological situation.  Transmission between animals continues to occur and, to date, a growing yet still limited number of human infections are being reported.  Although additional human infections associated with exposure to infected animals or contaminated environments are expected to occur, the overall public health impact of such infections at a global level, at the present time, is minor .  This risk assessment from FAO, WHO, and WOAH updates the assessment of the risk of zoonotic transmission (for example, animal to human) considering additional information made a...