ETIDIOH - NEW

  • New human cases {1,2}:  -- From 30 September to 5 November 2025 , based on reporting date, the detection of influenza A(H5N1) in one human , A( H5N2 ) in one human and A( H9N2 ) in two humans were reported officially.   • Circulation of influenza viruses with zoonotic potential in animals :  -- High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) events in poultry and non-poultry animal species continue to be reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).{3}  -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) also provides a global update on avian influenza viruses with pandemic potential.{4}  • Risk assessment {5}:  -- Sustained human to human transmission has not been reported in the above human infection events.  -- Based on information available at the time of this risk assessment update , the overall public health risk from currently known influenza A viruses detected at the human-animal interface has not changed...

  14 November 2025 Addis Ababa—Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health has confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the South Ethiopia Region, the first of its kind in the country , following laboratory testing of samples from a cluster of suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fever. Genetic analysis by the Ethiopia Public Health Institute revealed that the virus is of the same strain as the one that has been reported in previous outbreaks in other countries in East Africa .  A total of nine cases have been reported in the outbreak that has affected Jinka town in the South Ethiopia Region. The national authorities are scaling up response including community-wide screening, isolation of cases, treatment, contact tracing and public awareness campaigns to curb the spread of the Marburg virus, which is in the same family of viruses that cause Ebola virus disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners are supporting the government as it intensifies response to halt the sp...

  For immediate release: November 14, 2025   (25-138) First detection of this strain in a human, risk to the public remains low Contact: DOH Communications A Grays Harbor resident who was hospitalized with influenza symptoms in early November has been confirmed to have influenza A H5 , a type of avian influenza.  Additional testing shows the virus to be H5N5, an avian influenza virus that has previously been reported in animals but never before in humans .  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DOH currently consider the risk to the public from avian influenza to be low. The person is an older adult with underlying health conditions and remains hospitalized.  The affected person has a mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry at home that had exposure to wild birds .  The domestic poultry or wild birds are the most likely source of virus exposure; however, public health investigation is ongoing .  The Washington State Department ...

  {Excerpt} National situation summary Person-to-person spread :  None -- There is no known person-to-person spread at this time. Current public health risk :  Low -- The current public health risk is Low. Cases in the U.S. :  71 cases Deaths in U.S. :  1 death (...) Situation summary of confirmed and probable human cases since 2024 {Confirmed Cases}:  -- National: Total Cases: 71 {+1} [Cases - Exposure Source] -- 41 - Dairy Herds (Cattle){*} -- 24 - Poultry Farms and Culling Operations{*} -- 3 - Other Animal Exposure{†} -- 3 - Exposure Source Unknown{‡} {Probable Cases}:  -- National: Total Cases: 7 [Cases - Exposure Source] -- 1 - Dairy Herds (Cattle){*} -- 5 - Poultry Farms and Culling Operations{*} -- 0 - Other Animal Exposure{†} -- 1 - Exposure Source Unknown{‡} NOTE : One additional case was previously detected in a poultry worker in Colorado in 2022. Louisiana reported the first H5 bird flu death in the U.S. {*} Exposure Associated with Comm...

  13 November 2025, Addis Ababa – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is closely monitoring reports of a suspected viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) in Jinka, Southern Region, Ethiopia . On 12 November 2025 , the Ethiopia Public Health Institute (EPHI) notified Africa CDC of eight suspected cases, with clinical samples collected and submitted to the National Reference Laboratory for further testing. As investigations continue, no confirmed aetiology has yet been established. From London where he was on official mission, the Director General of Africa CDC, H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya had a call the same day with the Ethiopian Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Mekdes Daba to congratulate her for early detection and the transparency that characterized Ethiopia when there is a public health event, and to extend the support from Africa CDC and the entire continent to quickly contain that. During the Africa CDC Weekly Press Briefing on Health Emergencies held on 13 Novembe...

Human Avian Influenza Cases in Washington State Residents {*} [Exposure - Probable - Confirmed - Total human cases (H5)] -- Poultry - 3 - 11 - 14 -- Unknown - 1{^} - 0 - 1 -- Total - 15 {*} Washington residency could not be confirmed for one case with exposure to poultry in Washington. {^} Currently under investigation; case classification and source of infection may be updated. Note : Updates to national public health reporting and notification of novel influenza A infections were approved by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) in June 2024 and enacted in September 2024. Whether a case is counted as confirmed or probable is determined after completion of a public health case investigation and takes into account a person's exposure to avian influenza virus, whether confirmatory testing at the CDC was negative or positive, and whether a person experienced symptoms of illness. The specific criteria used to determine if a case is confirmed, or probable is based...

For immediate release: November 13, 2025   (25-136) Contact: DOH Communications If confirmed, this would be the first human case of avian influenza reported in Washington in 2025 OLYMPIA – A Grays Harbor County resident has tested preliminarily positive for avian influenza, also known as bird flu . Confirmatory testing through the Washington State Public Health Laboratories is pending. Health officials are working to determine the potential sources of the infection , including contact with wild or domestic birds .  The person, who is an older adult with underlying health conditions, developed a high fever, confusion, and respiratory distress and was hospitalized in early November.  They are currently receiving treatment in King County after previously being treated in Thurston and Grays Harbor counties. Public health disease experts have not identified any risk to the public . The Washington State Department of Health is working with the local health departments and ...

  SUMMARY OF CRISIS AND KEY FINDINGS   The fragile Gaza ceasefire announced on 9 October 2025 marked a momentous but precarious juncture in the ongoing conflict.{3}  The ceasefire remains in place but is fragile, and violations from both sides continue.{4}  When the ceasefire was agreed in mid-October , the UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher outlined a 60-day plan to deliver vital aid to people in Gaza, stressing that full implementation requires more crossings, rapid and unimpeded access , sustained fuel entry, restored infrastructure , protection of aid workers , and adequate funding.{5}   While humanitarian aid has begun to flow into Gaza offering a measure of relief, uncertainty persists. Meanwhile, the Rafah Crossing as well as other crossings in the north remain closed , limiting efforts to alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.{6}  According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, the casualty toll among Palestinians since 7 October 2023 , as reported...

  Summary -- What is already known about this topic? - A total of 117 H9N2 cases of human infection of Chinese origin had been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by May 9, 2025, with 22 of them originating in Hunan Province. -- What is added by this report? - This article reported on the investigation of three new H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) infections detected in Changsha, Hunan Province , in April 2025. No epidemiological link was found among them. Exposure to live poultry was identified as the primary risk factor for infection. Sequence analysis of the three H9N2 AIVs showed a similarity of 99.71%–99.82% between hemagglutinin (HA), and the homology of the neuraminidase (NA) genes was 98.41%–99.83%. Although the tests showed that the HA had enhanced binding ability to upper respiratory tract cells’ receptors , no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission has been found so far. -- What are the implications for public health practice? - This study indicate...

  Authors: Freja CM Kirsebom{1}, Catherine Thompson{2}, Tiina Talts{2}, Beatrix Kele{2}, Heather J Whitaker{3}, Nurin Abdul Aziz{1}, Christopher Rawlinson{1}, Rebecca E Green{1}, Catherine Quinot{1}, Nicholas Gardner{1}, Elizabeth Waller{1}, Alex Allen{1}, Conall H Watson{1,4}, Suzanna LR McDonald{1}, Maria Zambon{2}, Richard Pebody{4,5}, Mary Ramsay{6,7}, Katja Hoschler{2}, Anika Singanayagam{*2,4}, Jamie Lopez Bernal{*1,4}  {*} Joint last authors  {1} Immunisation and Vaccine-preventable Diseases Division, UK Health Security Agency, Colindale, London  {2} Respiratory Virus Unit (RVU), UK Health Security Agency, Colindale, London  {3} Modelling Division, UK Health Security Agency, Colindale, London  {4} NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Respiratory Infections, Imperial College London, United Kingdom  {5} Epidemic and Emerging Infections Directorate, UK Health Security Agency, Colindale, London  {6} Public Health Programmes Directorate, UK H...

  {Excerpt} On Sept 4, 2025, the DR Congo Government and Ministry of Health announced a new Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Bulape health zone (Kasai province), marking the end of over 15 years without any reported cases of Ebola virus disease in this region . As of Sept 14, 2025, there were 35 confirmed Ebola virus disease cases and 16 deaths , representing a case fatality rate of 45·7%.1,2 This unexpected resurgence in a region with insufficient preparedness capacity raises serious concerns about potential regional spread, including towards neighbouring Angola. At the same time, DR Congo is experiencing one of the most severe cholera outbreaks of the past decade , with a total of 48 139 cases and 1443 deaths reported between Jan 1 and Aug 24, 2025, resulting in a case fatality rate of 3%.3 By epidemiological week 33, high case fatality rates were reported in the provinces of Kwilu (76 cases, 26 deaths; 44%), Sankuru (42 cases, 6 deaths; 14%), and Equateur (224 cases, 19 death...

  Situation at a glance Between 20 September and 30 October 2025, a total of 404 confirmed human cases of Rift Valley fever (RVF), including 42 deaths , were reported by national health authorities in two West African countries : Mauritania and Senegal .  RVF is a zoonotic disease , which mainly affects animals, but can also infect humans.  The majority of human infections result from contact with the blood or organs of infected animals, but human infections have also resulted from the bites of infected mosquitoes .  To date, no human-to-human transmission of RVF has been documented.  While RVF often leads to severe illness in animals, its impact in humans varies, ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to severe hemorrhagic fever that can be fatal .  RVF is endemic in both countries, where recurrent outbreaks have been previously reported in both livestock and humans.  The risk of further spread remains high , especially with environmental conditions favo...

  {Summary} -- During current epidemiological week (from  23 to 29 Oct. 2025) , two new human cases of infection with West Nile Virus have been reported.  -- The cumulative number of confirmed cases this season so far rose to 773 (they were 771 last week), of these:  - 367 were West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND): 17 in Piedmont, 56 Lombardy, 35 Veneto, 4 Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 1 Liguria, 30 Emilia-Romagna, 11 Tuscany, 1 Marche, 87 Latium, 2 Molise, 83 Campania, 2 Apulia, 2 Basilicata, 5 Calabria, 3 Sicily, 28 Sardinia,  - 56 were asymptomatic cases detected in blood donors ,  - 339 were West Nile Fever cases (of which: 1 imported from Kenya , 1  from Egypt and 1 from Maldives),  - 3 asymptomatic cases ,  - 8 unspecified cases.  -- Among confirmed cases, 72 fatalities have been recorded: 7 in Piedmont, 9 Lombardy, 1 Veneto, 2 Emilia-Romagna, 1 Marche, 19 Latium, 29 Campania, 2 Calabria, 1 Sicily, 1 Sardinia.  - The Case-Fatality ...

  September 2025   The development of influenza candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs), coordinated by WHO, remains an essential component of the overall global strategy for influenza pandemic preparedness . Selection and development of CVVs are the first steps towards timely vaccine production and do not imply a recommendation for initiating manufacture . National authorities may consider the use of one or more of these CVVs for pilot lot vaccine production , clinical trials and other pandemic preparedness purposes based on their assessment of public health risk and need.  Zoonotic influenza viruses continue to be identified and evolve both antigenically and genetically, leading to the need for additional CVVs for pandemic preparedness purposes.  Changes in the antigenic and genetic characteristics of these viruses relative to existing CVVs and their potential risks to public health justify the need to develop new CVVs. This document summarizes the antigenic and genetic c...