Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS
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Featured Headlines
- Measles Cases Have Hit a Record High. What Went Wrong?NYT Video There have now been more measles cases in 2025 than in any other year since the contagious virus was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts fear that with no clear end to the current outbreak, the U.S. may… Read more: Measles Cases Have Hit a Record High. What Went Wrong?
- Cambodia Reports Surge in Human Infections with Avian Influenza A(H5N1)Global Biodefense Unusual spike in human infections highlights ongoing risks at the human-animal interface and the need for cross-sectoral public health action. Between January and July 2025, Cambodian health authorities reported 11 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1), including six fatalities. Notably, seven of these cases occurred in June alone—an unusual monthly spike. These… Read more: Cambodia Reports Surge in Human Infections with Avian Influenza A(H5N1)
- Insurers Aren’t Saying Whether They’ll Cover Vaccines for Kids if Government Stops Recommending ThemWired RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisory board could stop recommending some routine childhood immunizations, leaving insurers to decide whether to still cover them. For now, most are remaining tight-lipped. In the wake of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) announcing plans to revisit its recommended schedule for childhood vaccinations—a move that has drawn widespread criticism from… Read more: Insurers Aren’t Saying Whether They’ll Cover Vaccines for Kids if Government Stops Recommending Them
- Cambodia reports 3 new human cases of H5N1 bird fluBNO News Cambodia has confirmed three new human cases of H5N1 bird flu, all linked to the same area where a case was reported last week, according to health officials. The new cases include a 46-year-old woman and her 16-year-old son from Lek village in Daun Keo commune. Both are currently in stable condition. Their… Read more: Cambodia reports 3 new human cases of H5N1 bird flu
Updates on ongoing disease outbreaks
- Pennsylvania commercial gamebirds struck by avian fluWatt Poultry Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in a flock of commercial upland gamebirds in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. According to information from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the presence of HPAI was confirmed on July 2. The gamebirds were being raised for release, and the flock… Read more: Pennsylvania commercial gamebirds struck by avian flu
- Cambodia Reports Surge in Human Infections with Avian Influenza A(H5N1)Global Biodefense Unusual spike in human infections highlights ongoing risks at the human-animal interface and the need for cross-sectoral public health action. Between January and July 2025, Cambodian health authorities reported 11 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1), including six fatalities. Notably, seven of these cases occurred in June alone—an unusual monthly spike. These… Read more: Cambodia Reports Surge in Human Infections with Avian Influenza A(H5N1)
- Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in the United States: recent incursions and spillover to cattleNature Since Spring 2024, new genotypes of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b have been identified in the United States (US). These HPAI H5N1 genotypes have caused unprecedented multi-state outbreaks in poultry and dairy farms, and human infections. Here, we discuss the current situation of this outbreak and emphasizes the need for pre-pandemic… Read more: Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in the United States: recent incursions and spillover to cattle
- CDC ends bird flu emergencyThe HIll The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ended its emergency response to the H5N1 avian flu. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that the emergency bird flu response was “deactivated to transition back to regular program activity” last Wednesday due to reports of animal infections declining and no… Read more: CDC ends bird flu emergency
- How Bird Flu Became a Human Pandemic ThreatScientific American The first hints that a new strain of avian illness is emerging could be found on this beach on Delaware Bay, where migrating birds flock. Here’s what virus detectives who return there every year know right now. H5N1 bird flu has been making a lot of headlines since last year, and for good… Read more: How Bird Flu Became a Human Pandemic Threat
- What long covid can teach us about future pandemicsWashington Post Experts are worried that despite the hard-won lessons of covid, we are not fully prepared for the next pandemic. Outbreaks of new types of infections and, yes, even pandemics are becoming increasingly likely, and we need to prepare for not only the next one… Read more: What long covid can teach us about future pandemics
- Lasting COVID-19 vulnerability in childhood cancer survivorsNews Medical.net Childhood cancer survivors have a substantially higher risk of developing severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) even many years after their cancer diagnosis, as reported by the first European and nationwide population-based study published in The Lancet Regional Health. Background The prevalence of childhood cancer is… Read more: Lasting COVID-19 vulnerability in childhood cancer survivors
- Measles Cases Have Hit a Record High. What Went Wrong?NYT Video There have now been more measles cases in 2025 than in any other year since the contagious virus was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts fear that with no clear end to the current outbreak, the U.S. may… Read more: Measles Cases Have Hit a Record High. What Went Wrong?
- Measles cases reach highest point since the disease was eliminated in U.S. in 2000NBC News An outbreak in West Texas that spread to several other states drove the case counts up substantially. Measles cases in the United States are the highest they’ve been since the country eliminated the disease in 2000. The U.S. has reported 1,277 cases since the start of the year, according to NBC News’ tally… Read more: Measles cases reach highest point since the disease was eliminated in U.S. in 2000
- Measles tracker: Follow cases, outbreaks and vaccination rates across the U.SNBC News More than 1,200 cases have been confirmed in the U.S. so far this year. NBC News is updating case totals every week. Measles is among the most contagious diseases in the world, and case counts in the United States are ticking up. NBC News is tracking confirmed measles cases across the country with data… Read more: Measles tracker: Follow cases, outbreaks and vaccination rates across the U.S
- Increased testing is needed for Mpox in DR Congo to urgently curb disease spreadNature The low testing rates of Mpox suspected cases remain a key factor in the continued spread of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries. Here, we highlight the… Read more: Increased testing is needed for Mpox in DR Congo to urgently curb disease spread
- Mpox virus spreads from cell-to-cell and leads to neuronal death in human neural organoidsNature In 2022-23, the world witnessed the largest recorded outbreak of monkeypox virus (MPXV). Neurological manifestations were reported alongside the detection of MPXV DNA and MPXV-specific antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients. Here,… Read more: Mpox virus spreads from cell-to-cell and leads to neuronal death in human neural organoids
- ER visits for tick bites near record levels this summer across USABC News Emergency rooms across the country are seeing a spike in tick bite cases, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July has already seen the highest number of tick-related ER visits since 2017, with the Northeast region reporting the most cases, the CDC said. Young children and elderly… Read more: ER visits for tick bites near record levels this summer across US
- ‘Explosive increase’ of ticks that cause meat allergy in US due to climate crisisThe Guardian Unusually aggressive lone star ticks, common in the south-east, are spreading to areas previously too cold for them. Blood-sucking ticks that trigger a bizarre allergy to meat in the people they bite are exploding in number and spreading across the US, to the extent that they could cover the entire eastern half of… Read more: ‘Explosive increase’ of ticks that cause meat allergy in US due to climate crisis
- Rare tick-borne virus kills 1, hospitalizes 2 in WisconsinMichigan Live Powassan virus is rare, but incidents of it are on an upswing, health officials said. That could be due to more people being infected, better testing, or a combination of the two. Black-legged (deer) ticks contract the disease from infected animals and then can pass it to humans when they latch on, the… Read more: Rare tick-borne virus kills 1, hospitalizes 2 in Wisconsin
- Veterinarian dies from tick-borne disease after treating infected cats in west JapanMainichi A veterinarian in Mie Prefecture who treated cats infected with an ixodid tick-borne disease has died from the same illness, the local veterinarians’ association told the Mainichi Shimbun on June 13. The veterinarian is believed to have contracted “severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS)” from one of the cats, prompting the Japan Veterinary Medical… Read more: Veterinarian dies from tick-borne disease after treating infected cats in west Japan
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
- AI is joining the fight against mosquito-borne diseasesWorld Economic Forum This is a new kind of mosquito trap. It was developed by scientists at the University of South Florida who say it can track the spread of… Read more: AI is joining the fight against mosquito-borne diseases
- Hantavirus, rabies exposures confirmed at Grand Canyon National ParkThe HIll An employee at Grand Canyon National Park was exposed to hantavirus, and a separate case of exposure to rabies in the park has also been confirmed. A Coconino… Read more: Hantavirus, rabies exposures confirmed at Grand Canyon National Park
- ER visits for tick bites near record levels this summer across USABC News Emergency rooms across the country are seeing a spike in tick bite cases, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July has already… Read more: ER visits for tick bites near record levels this summer across US
- First malaria treatment for newborn babies approved for useWashington Post Malaria caused 597,000 deaths worldwide in 2023, with children under 5 accounting for 76 percent of all malaria deaths in the World Health Organization’s Africa region. The first… Read more: First malaria treatment for newborn babies approved for use
- ‘Explosive increase’ of ticks that cause meat allergy in US due to climate crisisThe Guardian Unusually aggressive lone star ticks, common in the south-east, are spreading to areas previously too cold for them. Blood-sucking ticks that trigger a bizarre allergy to meat in… Read more: ‘Explosive increase’ of ticks that cause meat allergy in US due to climate crisis
- Rare tick-borne virus kills 1, hospitalizes 2 in WisconsinMichigan Live Powassan virus is rare, but incidents of it are on an upswing, health officials said. That could be due to more people being infected, better testing, or a… Read more: Rare tick-borne virus kills 1, hospitalizes 2 in Wisconsin
Read more Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Confronting the AI-Accelerated Threat of BioterrorismGlobal Biodefense How artificial intelligence is changing the risk landscape for bioterrorism—and what global health security stakeholders must do next. As artificial intelligence (AI) systems rapidly integrate into everyday life and scientific enterprise, a new… Read more: Confronting the AI-Accelerated Threat of Bioterrorism
- Mapping global risk of bat and rodent borne disease outbreaks to anticipate emerging threatsNature Future epidemics and/or pandemics may likely arise from zoonotic viruses with bat- and rodent-borne pathogens being among the prime candidates. To improve preparedness and prevention strategies, we predicted the global distribution of bat- and… Read more: Mapping global risk of bat and rodent borne disease outbreaks to anticipate emerging threats
- Red blood cell rupture, not clotting, drives vessel blockage in COVID-19, study findsMedical Express A team led by the University of Sydney has identified red blood cell rupture at dying endothelial sites as a primary driver of microvascular obstruction in COVID-19, bypassing the expected role of fibrin… Read more: Red blood cell rupture, not clotting, drives vessel blockage in COVID-19, study finds
- COVID-19 vaccine technology adapted to develop first mRNA defense against antibiotic-resistant bacteriaMedExpress In this study, the researchers tested the vaccine’s resistance to the virulent pathogen that causes the disease and were able to demonstrate 100% protection against infection in animal models. The researchers now hope… Read more: COVID-19 vaccine technology adapted to develop first mRNA defense against antibiotic-resistant bacteria
- Insurers Aren’t Saying Whether They’ll Cover Vaccines for Kids if Government Stops Recommending ThemWired RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisory board could stop recommending some routine childhood immunizations, leaving insurers to decide whether to still cover them. For now, most are remaining tight-lipped. In the wake of the Advisory Committee… Read more: Insurers Aren’t Saying Whether They’ll Cover Vaccines for Kids if Government Stops Recommending Them
- The Rise of Misinformation and Distrust in ScienceHarvard Global Health As part of our ongoing event series, this session is dedicated to navigating the complexities of health information, misinformation, and trust. We’ll explore how to distinguish between misinformation, disinformation, and legitimate differences in opinion. Participants will gain… Read more: The Rise of Misinformation and Distrust in Science
- RFK Jr. sent Congress ‘medical disinformation’ to defend COVID vaccine schedule changeNPR A document the Department of Health and Human Services sent to lawmakers to support Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to change U.S. policy on COVID vaccines cites scientific studies that are unpublished or under dispute and mischaracterizes others.… Read more: RFK Jr. sent Congress ‘medical disinformation’ to defend COVID vaccine schedule change
- The pandemic generation: How Covid-19 lockdowns is having a long-lasting effect on childrenBBC The stress and isolation of the pandemic have left social and emotional scars that are already being seen in children, but scientists also predict there could be huge economic costs due to disrupted education. For US pre-school teacher Rebekah… Read more: The pandemic generation: How Covid-19 lockdowns is having a long-lasting effect on children
- The pandemic generation: How Covid-19 lockdowns is having a long-lasting effect on childrenBBC The stress and isolation of the pandemic have left social and emotional scars that are already being seen in children, but scientists also predict there could be huge economic costs due to disrupted education. For US pre-school teacher Rebekah… Read more: The pandemic generation: How Covid-19 lockdowns is having a long-lasting effect on children
Interesting and Sometimes Funny
- Stunning amber fossil reveals ‘Last of Us’-type fungus likely lived alongside dinosaurs
CNN A glob of 99 million-year-old amber has preserved an ancient fly in horror show fashion: with the mushroom-like fruiting body of zombie fungus bursting forth from its head. The insect, along with a second specimen of a young ant infected with a similar fungus, are two of the oldest examples of a bizarre natural… Read more: Stunning amber fossil reveals ‘Last of Us’-type fungus likely lived alongside dinosaurs