ETIDIOH - NEW

{Excerpt} Diphtheria is a major public health problem in the WHO African Region despite substantial efforts on immunization activities over the past three decades .  Between 2000 and 2024, 75 789 suspected diphtheria cases were reported in the Region, with the majority reported from 2023 to 2024, when Algeria, Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger , and South Africa reported a resurgence of diphtheria outbreaks with approximately 57 000 suspected cases and 2 000 deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR) of 3.5%) recorded.  The countries most affected were Guinea, Nigeria and Niger .  Most cases reported were in children under fifteen years and female .  Over 50% of suspected cases were non-vaccinated or with unknown vaccination status.  In 2025, as of 19 October 2025, over 17 000 suspected diphtheria cases and about 900 deaths with an average CFR of 5.1% have been reported across eight Member States in the African Region; Algeria, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mau...

  {Excerpts} Situation at a glance On 12 November 2025, WHO noted a press release from the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MoH), and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), announcing suspected viral hemorrhagic viral fever (VHF) in Jinka town, South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopia.  On 14 November 2025 , the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia confirmed that the cases previously reported as suspected VHF were Marburg virus disease (MVD).  Molecular testing conducted by the National Reference Laboratory at EPHI identified Marburg virus (MARV) in patient samples.  As of 20 November 2025, 33 laboratory tests have been conducted, of which six confirmed cases , including three deaths , have been reported.  Of the six confirmed cases, three are currently alive and on treatment.  In addition to the lab-confirmed cases , a further three epidemiologically linked cases could not be tested; all three are deceased and recorded as probable cases.  A total of 206 ...

  • 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...

  {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...

  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...

  Highlights     • This Situation report will now be published monthly.  • All clades of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) continue to circulate. When mpox outbreaks are not rapidly contained and human-to-human transmission is not interrupted, there is a risk of sustained community transmission.   • In September 2025, 42 countries , across all WHO regions, reported a total of 3135 confirmed cases , including 12 deaths (case fatality ratio [CFR] 0.4%). More than 80% of these cases were reported in the African Region . Four regions (African Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, Region of the Americas, and the Western Pacific) observed a declining trend in confirmed cases reported per month, while the European and South-East Asian regions observed an increase in cases in September 2025. • Seventeen countries in Africa have experienced ongoing active transmission of mpox in the last six weeks (14 Sep – 19 Oct 2025), with 2862 confirmed cases, including 17 deaths (CFR ...

  {Excerpt} Risk statement This risk assessment is based on the current epidemiological and epizootic situation of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Senegal and Mauritania , from 20 September through 8 October 2025. The risk assessment was conducted separately for each country . However, the findings indicate that the level of risk is the same for both countries across all levels, for both human and animal health .   During this period , Senegal reported 119 confirmed human RVF cases , including 16 deaths , resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 13.4% . Cases were recorded across eight health districts in three regions of Senegal, with the majority in Saint-Louis Region with 110 cases (92%) followed by Louga (four cases) and Matam (one case).  The affected districts in Saint-Louis Region : Podor, Richard-Toll, Dagana, and Saint-Louis are located along the northern border with Mauritania along the Senegal River.   The most affected age groups were 15- 35 years ...

  Abstract Avian influenza A viruses pose ongoing threats to human and animal health, with H7 subtypes causing outbreaks globally . In Mexico , highly pathogenic H7N3 viruses have circulated in poultry since 2012, causing sporadic human infections . Here we analyzed genetic markers in hemagglutinin sequences from Mexican H7N3 isolates and conducted serological assays on human populations with poultry exposure . Our results show conserved avian-like receptor binding sites , thus limiting human adaptation , alongside antigenic drift and acquisition of glycosylation sites likely driven by vaccination. Serological testing of 1103 individuals revealed no detectable antibodies against H7N3, indicating a naïve population . Phylogenetic analyses revealed multiple virus clades circulating regionally. These findings suggest that while current H7N3 viruses have limited capacity for sustained human transmission, the lack of population immunity underscores the importance of continued surveillan...

  New human cases {1,2}:  -- From 26 August to 29 September 2025 , based on reporting date, the detection of influenza A(H5) in one human , influenza A(H5N1) in one human , influenza A(H9N2) in eight humans and an influenza A(H1N1) variant ((H1N1)v) virus in one human 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 from these events.  -- Based on information available at the time of this risk assessment update , the overall public health risk from currently known influenza A viruses d...