Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS
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Featured Headlines
- First human bird-flu death from H5N5 – what you need to knowThe Conversation H5N1 bird flu has infected growing numbers of people worldwide in recent years, but this week saw something new: the first recorded human case of an H5N5 avian influenza virus. What is this virus and how concerned about it should we be? What happened? In early November, a resident of Grays Harbor, a… Read more: First human bird-flu death from H5N5 – what you need to know
- Marburg outbreak worsens in Ethiopia as death toll risesThe Telegraph Experts warn that the outbreak’s proximity to borders with Kenya and South Sudan means that – if not contained – it could spread rapidly. The death toll in Ethiopia’s first outbreak of the deadly Marburg haemorrhagic fever has risen to five, with 10 cases confirmed. Another three dead patients are also suspected to… Read more: Marburg outbreak worsens in Ethiopia as death toll rises
- Global Virus Network Statement on the Marburg Virus Outbreak in EthiopiaGVN The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition of leading human and animal virologists in more than 40 countries dedicated to advancing pandemic preparedness through research, education and training, and global health solutions, today issued a statement on the newly confirmed outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in southern Ethiopia. This represents the country’s first… Read more: Global Virus Network Statement on the Marburg Virus Outbreak in Ethiopia
Health Policy Headlines
- Lawmakers urge USDA to restore full avian flu surveillanceAg Daily As U.S. poultry producers face a sharp resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a bipartisan coalition in Congress is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately restore full surveillance, reporting, and coordination efforts. The push comes amid more than 90 new detections in the last 30 days and over 1.6 million birds… Read more: Lawmakers urge USDA to restore full avian flu surveillance
- What to know about the new CDC deputy director who has been critical of COVID vaccinesABC News A top Louisiana health official has been appointed principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With no permanent director of the CDC, Dr. Ralph Abraham, Louisiana’s surgeon general, will be the highest ranked official at the agency with a medical degree. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.… Read more: What to know about the new CDC deputy director who has been critical of COVID vaccines
Updates on ongoing disease outbreaks
- UTMB Study Finds Evidence of Avian Influenza Virus Infections in Farm WorkersUTMB When highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) was first confirmed in U.S. dairy cattle in early 2024, it challenged assumptions about which species are at risk from “bird flu”. Follow-up investigations show that this virus can spread efficiently within and between dairy herds and occasionally infect other mammals, including cats and humans [1]. Few… Read more: UTMB Study Finds Evidence of Avian Influenza Virus Infections in Farm Workers
- Bird flu mystery in Michigan: What happened to infections among dairy herds?Fox/Detroit Michigan is managing eight different outbreaks of bird flu among its commercial poultry farms and several others among backyard flocks as transmission rates pick up. According to the state’s agriculture director, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is trending at a similar pace as they’ve seen in previous years. That’s good news after last year’s outbreak… Read more: Bird flu mystery in Michigan: What happened to infections among dairy herds?
- First Human Dies of Rare H5N5 Bird Flu Strain. Here’s What You Need to KnowAmerican Scientific A person in the Washington State has died of avian influenza. It’s the first human death from bird flu in the U.S. since January—but the infection was of a different strain than the one that has been devastating poultry farms and wild animals for the past several years. The Washington State Department of Health announced the death on Friday, noting… Read more: First Human Dies of Rare H5N5 Bird Flu Strain. Here’s What You Need to Know
- First human bird-flu death from H5N5 – what you need to knowThe Conversation H5N1 bird flu has infected growing numbers of people worldwide in recent years, but this week saw something new: the first recorded human case of an H5N5 avian influenza virus. What is this virus and how concerned about it should we be? What happened? In early November, a resident of Grays Harbor, a… Read more: First human bird-flu death from H5N5 – what you need to know
- H5N1 bird flu cases spike in Europe. How worried should we be?The Conversation On November 13, Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food imposed the confinement of all free-range poultry farms to curb the spread of avian influenza – more commonly known as “bird flu” – caused by the H5N1 virus. This drastic, though not unprecedented, measure was justified by climbing numbers of outbreaks in Europe, as well… Read more: H5N1 bird flu cases spike in Europe. How worried should we be?
- Bird Flu Wiped Out Nearly Half of the Females in the World’s Largest Elephant Seal Population, Drone Images SuggestSmithsonian Magazine Scientists recorded a 47 percent drop in breeding females in South Georgia’s three largest elephant seal colonies after bird flu hit. Scaled to the whole island, that’s a potential loss of more than 50,000 of the animals. In 2023, bird flu reached a remote island in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Now, South Georgia—home to… Read more: Bird Flu Wiped Out Nearly Half of the Females in the World’s Largest Elephant Seal Population, Drone Images Suggest
- There are 8 patterns for long COVID symptoms. Here’s what they areAxios There are eight different ways people experience long COVID symptoms, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health’s research initiative. The big picture: The new study represents one of the most substantive findings on long COVID from the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) project,… Read more: There are 8 patterns for long COVID symptoms. Here’s what they are
- Is It Cold, Flu or Covid? What to Know About Symptoms and Testing.NYT With similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell which illness is which. Here’s what to know. Early clues suggest that this flu season could be particularly brutal. And while national Covid rates currently appear to be low, researchers expect the virus to circulate more widely in the… Read more: Is It Cold, Flu or Covid? What to Know About Symptoms and Testing.
- Long COVID trajectories in the prospectively followed RECOVER-Adult US cohortNature Longitudinal trajectories of Long COVID remain ill-defined, yet are critically needed to advance clinical trials, patient care, and public health initiatives for millions of individuals with this condition. Long COVID trajectories were determined prospectively among 3,659 participants (69% female; 99.6% Omicron era) in the National… Read more: Long COVID trajectories in the prospectively followed RECOVER-Adult US cohort
- 8 Trajectories for Long COVIDThe Harvard Gazette Study captures variability of a condition that affects millions. Millions of patients have developed long COVID, a chronic condition that involves a range of symptoms, including fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, and palpitations, that persist for at least three months after infection. In a new analysis of adult participants in an initiative called Researching COVID to… Read more: 8 Trajectories for Long COVID
- Long COVID can take eight different trajectories, study findsMedical Express New research led by Mass General Brigham followed more than 3,500 patients, finding that 10.3% had symptoms consistent with long COVID three months after infection, 81% of whom continued to experience persistent or intermittent symptoms a year later. Millions of patients have developed long… Read more: Long COVID can take eight different trajectories, study finds
- Strange Structures Found Lurking in The Blood of People With Long COVIDScience Alert A hidden physical change in the body may be helping to drive the prolonged malaise some people experience after contracting COVID-19. Analyzing blood samples from patients with long COVID, a team of medical researchers has identified unusual microscopic structures that may contribute to symptoms such as brain fog and… Read more: Strange Structures Found Lurking in The Blood of People With Long COVID
- Social, mental, and behavioral considerations in Mpox countermeasures: call for people-centric approaches for shared successNature The unprecedented dual declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in 2022 and 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the persistent threat of infectious diseases in… Read more: Social, mental, and behavioral considerations in Mpox countermeasures: call for people-centric approaches for shared success
- First imported cases of MPXV Clade Ib from Goma, Democratic Republic of the CongoNature The ongoing mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) resulted in >71,000 suspected cases from 01 January 2024 to 02 February 2025. Clade Ib mpox virus (MPXV) emergence has heightened… Read more: First imported cases of MPXV Clade Ib from Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- South Carolina measles outbreak increases to 55 casesOutbreak News Today The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) reported an additional three measles cases bringing the total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak to 55, centered around Spartanburg County and 58 total for the state since the beginning of the year. Two of the cases are household… Read more: South Carolina measles outbreak increases to 55 cases
- South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect of Vaccine MisinformationKaiser Health News Near the back corner of the local library’s parking lot, largely out of view from the main road, the South Carolina Department of Public Health opened a pop-up clinic in early November, offering free measles vaccines to adults and children. Spartanburg County, in South Carolina’s Upstate region, has been fighting a measles… Read more: South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect of Vaccine Misinformation
- Measles confirmed in 8 students at Wasatch High; Utah’s total eclipses 100 infectionsKSL.com Eight cases of measles have been reported among Wasatch High School students, health officials confirmed on Tuesday. The Wasatch County Health Department initially announced on Monday there were five people with measles in the county — all of whom are Wasatch High School students — but they suspected two others may also be infected… Read more: Measles confirmed in 8 students at Wasatch High; Utah’s total eclipses 100 infections
- Texas Measles Strain Continues to Spread, Officials SayNYT If the outbreaks cannot be extinguished soon, the United States will lose its “elimination status,” as determined by the World Health Organization. The measles strain that triggered a huge outbreak in the Southwest continues to spread, threatening to end America’s status as a nation that by and large has eliminated the illness, a federal… Read more: Texas Measles Strain Continues to Spread, Officials Say
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
- Climate, Vectors and Virus Keep Chikungunya a Global FocusASM The activity of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a mosquito-borne RNA virus that causes fever and joint pain (among other symptoms), increased worldwide in 2025, with cases reported from 40 countries in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. The majority of the cases have been… Read more: Climate, Vectors and Virus Keep Chikungunya a Global Focus
- Is the U.S. in Store for Another Brutal Flu Season?Scientific American U.S. flu rates remain low, but experts are keeping an eye on a new strain that’s been linked to unexpectedly early and severe seasons in several other countries.… Read more: Is the U.S. in Store for Another Brutal Flu Season?
- Flu season is just beginning, but doctors are already on high alertNBC News While flu levels are still low, a strain that has wreaked havoc in the U.K. and Canada is behind most cases so far in the U.S., mostly affecting… Read more: Flu season is just beginning, but doctors are already on high alert
- US cases of norovirus on the rise with double the rate of positive tests since AugustABC News Cases of norovirus are rising across the United States, doubling over the last few months, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly 14%… Read more: US cases of norovirus on the rise with double the rate of positive tests since August
- New Antibiotic Stokes Hope for Still Lethal TB in StudyBloomberg Thuto Pulane had just wrapped up a promising internship in marketing when she lost 13 kilos over two months and started coughing up green phlegm. She grew weaker and… Read more: New Antibiotic Stokes Hope for Still Lethal TB in Study
- Influenza A(H1N1) Has More High-Risk Features Than Other SubtypesInfectious Disease Advisor Among hospitalized adults with severe influenza, A(H1N1) subtype was linked to an increased risk for severe clinical markers, including respiratory distress and intensive care unit admission, when… Read more: Influenza A(H1N1) Has More High-Risk Features Than Other Subtypes
Read more Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Empathetic, Available, Cheap: When A.I. Offers What Doctors Don’tNYT Frustrated by the medical system, some patients are turning to chatbots for help. At what cost? Wendy Goldberg thought her question was straightforward enough. A 79-year-old retired lawyer in Los Angeles, Ms. Goldberg wanted… Read more: Empathetic, Available, Cheap: When A.I. Offers What Doctors Don’t
- First scientific evidence of Black Death in Edinburgh found on skeletonBBC The first scientific evidence of the Black Death in Edinburgh has been discovered on the remains of a teenage boy who died in the 14th Century. Plaque on the child’s teeth has been found… Read more: First scientific evidence of Black Death in Edinburgh found on skeleton
- Long COVID Linked to Development of Cardiovascular DiseaseInfectious Disease Advisor The presence of long COVID symptoms after infection with SARS-CoV-2 is strongly associated with the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in United States adults, according to study results presented at IDWeek 2025, held from… Read more: Long COVID Linked to Development of Cardiovascular Disease
- What doctors say about one of the biggest flu shot mythsWashington Post The idea that you can get the flu from the flu vaccine is a long-standing fallacy. Here’s what to tell someone who thinks it’s true. The question Can the flu shot cause… Read more: What doctors say about one of the biggest flu shot myths
- I’m a physician who went to the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest gathering. More of my colleagues should tooSTAT As I stepped into line to pick up my badge for the Children’s Health Defense (CHD) conference last weekend in Austin, Texas, a gregarious man approached holding two tall plastic tubes he said… Read more: I’m a physician who went to the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest gathering. More of my colleagues should too
- South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect of Vaccine MisinformationKaiser Health News Near the back corner of the local library’s parking lot, largely out of view from the main road, the South Carolina Department of Public Health opened a pop-up clinic in early November, offering free measles vaccines to… Read more: South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect of Vaccine Misinformation
- Navigating vaccine misinformation with a pediatricianNPR The CDC recently rewrote its vaccine guidance to suggest shots might cause autism, renewing false claims about vaccines and causing anxiety among parents. Physicians often deal with misinformation, but the difference is that it’s now coming from the federal… Read more: Navigating vaccine misinformation with a pediatrician
- Covid lockdown linked to rise in child developmental issuesBBC The number of toddlers in Scotland showing developmental issues increased during the Covid lockdown, according to a new report. The University of Edinburgh-led study examined health visitor reports on 258,000 children between March 2020 and August 2021. And it… Read more: Covid lockdown linked to rise in child developmental issues
- How Do Americans View Childhood Vaccines, Vaccine Research and Policy?Pew Research Center Nearly two-thirds have high confidence in vaccine effectiveness, and about half trust their safety testing and schedule; Republican support for school vaccine requirements continues to slide. A majority of Americans (63%) are highly confident that childhood vaccines… Read more: How Do Americans View Childhood Vaccines, Vaccine Research and Policy?
Interesting and Sometimes Funny
- Burnt Marie Callender’s Pie Became a Thanksgiving Meme: Here’s What Really Happened
C|Net As Thanksgiving approaches, let’s look back at our interview with the viral grandma who torched a pie and became a meme that starts circulating again every November. Memes come out of nowhere, and they don’t take holidays off. On Thanksgiving 2021, a Georgia grandmother named Sharon Weiss burned a Marie Callender’s pumpkin pie, and… Read more: Burnt Marie Callender’s Pie Became a Thanksgiving Meme: Here’s What Really Happened