Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS.
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Ebola Virus
NBC News: Ebola epidemic outpaces containment despite influx of money and supplies
Although the U.S. has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars and vaccine trials are underway, Ebola deaths continue to climb in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Tuesday, September 8
Reuters: WHO says staff shortage, funding challenges hamper Congo Ebola response
Shortages of trained staff, operational partners and funding are causing a bottleneck in efforts to expand the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the outbreak spreads geographically, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.
Tuesday, September 8
Reuters: Ebola Congo cases surpass 5,000 as record-setting pace of spread continues
The number of deaths in Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has surpassed 3,000, government data showed on Wednesday, as the country's worst-ever epidemic continues to spread across its northeast.
Thursday, September 3
PBS: Congo to receive 70,000 doses of Ervebo Ebola vaccine, which was effective in past outbreaks
Congo will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which has been effective in past Ebola outbreaks, the World Health Organization and partners said Thursday, announcing a step seen as a major boost to efforts to contain what officials have described as the fastest Ebola outbreak in history.
Wednesday, August 26
Measles
Fox Atlanta: Officials confirm 3 new measles cases linked to metro Atlanta daycare
State health officials have confirmed three additional measles cases linked to an ongoing outbreak at a metro Atlanta daycare, bringing the total number of cases to eight.
Tuesday, September 8
Washington Post: Infant died of measles in Pennsylvania, coroner says
The 6-week-old died Aug. 18 at home, after being in palliative care at home soon after birth, Lancaster County coroner Stephen Diamantoni said.
Tuesday, September 8
Dallas Morning News: Measles case confirmed in Dallas County after exposures in Allen, Fairview and Frisco
Dallas County confirmed a measles case after an infectious resident visited locations in Allen, Fairview, and Frisco.
Wednesday, August 26
Reuters: Pennsylvania reports first US measles deaths this year as outbreak grows
Two Pennsylvania residents died after contracting measles, health officials said on Tuesday, the first such deaths this year in the United States, which is contending with the highest number of cases of the highly infectious disease in more than three decades as vaccination rates drop.
Wednesday, August 26
Cyclosporiasis
Today: Cyclospora Cases Are Starting to Trend Down: See States Still Impacted, Foods to Avoid and More
Infections with cyclospora, the “diarrhea parasite,” are on the decline nationally, recent data suggest. Where are cases still rising, and is lettuce safe to eat?
Wednesday, August 26
Scientific American: Is lettuce back on the menu? New data suggest cyclosporiasis cases are slowing
This summer the U.S. has been gripped by a parasite-borne illness that causes explosive diarrhea and has basically taken iceberg lettuce off the menu. But new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers, as well as state data, suggest new infections may be tapering off.
Wednesday, August 26
Reuters: Cyclosporiasis cases in US climb to 17,180, CDC says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday reported 17,180 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in the United States, an increase of 1,464 cases from a week ago.
Wednesday, August 26
USA Today: Is lettuce safe to eat now? What to know amid cyclospora outbreak
An unprecedented outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a lettuce-linked parasitic infection known to cause debilitating diarrhea, has sickened more Americans than ever before, causing many consumers to avoid the produce aisle.
Monday, August 10
H5N1
PhysOrg: First DDT, now the flu: Peregrine falcons in San Francisco Bay Area hit hard by H5N1 variant
A new study published in the Journal of Raptor Research, titled "Rapid Decline of Nesting Peregrine Falcons in the San Francisco Bay Region of California Synchronous with an Outbreak of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza," reports an alarming decrease in the number of occupied territories for a population of peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) that has maintained a long-standing presence in coastal California.
Thursday, September 3
NYT: What We Know About Australia's Bird Flu, Which Has Crossed Over to Mammals
Australia confirmed its first case of H5N1 in June in migratory seabirds. Since then, the virus has spread rapidly, straining government responses.
Wednesday, August 26
Reuters: Australia confirms first H5N1 bird flu case in local mammal
Australia on Sunday confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal, with the deadly virus found in a long-nosed fur seal in South Australia state.
Wednesday, August 26
NYT: New Zealand Is Racing to Vaccinate Its Endangered Birds Against Avian Flu
Conservation experts are trying to slow the march of the viral disease in a country that is home to rare and endangered bird species.
Thursday, August 6
Tick-Borne Diseases
Fox Dallas: Scientists discover new tick-borne virus after testing thousands of patients with mysterious illnesses
Scientists in China have identified a previously unknown tick-borne virus that can cause flu-like illness, fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms, according to a new study.
Tuesday, September 8
CIDRAP: While rare, the tick-borne Bourbon virus may be more common in US than thought
A study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases based on plasma antibody testing suggests that a rare tick-borne virus is circulating more widely in the United States than previously thought.
Wednesday, August 26
CBS News: The explosion of ticks and Alpha-gal syndrome
Emergency room visits for tick bites are the highest they've been in nearly a decade, as ticks spread into new parts of the country — and to top it off, a new horror has hit the headlines: Alpha-gal syndrome.
Wednesday, August 26
Hartford Courant: CT officials say tick testing submissions set new record with ‘concerning’ trend discovered
Officials with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station said they have received nearly 5,200 tick submissions this year, setting a new record for the agency’s tick testing program.
Thursday, August 6
Dengue Fever
Fox Tampa Bay: Locally acquired cases surge to 65 across Bay Area
Locally acquired dengue fever cases have surged across the Bay Area, with 65 cases now reported in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, according to the latest Florida Department of Health surveillance report.
Tuesday, September 8
Outbreak News Today: Dengue in the Philippines: Increasing trend reported in more than 100 cities
From the beginning of the year to August 29, 2026, 128,634 dengue cases were reported, a 39% decrease from 209,631 cases reported in the same period last year. Among the reported cases, 48,132 (37%) were confirmed, 16,874 (13%) were probable, and 63,628 (49%) were suspected.
Tuesday, September 8
Tampa Bay Times: Did you know there’s a dengue virus outbreak in the Tampa Bay area?
Floridians are accustomed to living with mosquitoes. What we are not accustomed to is seeing dengue fever in our own neighborhoods. Yet recent surveillance data suggest that’s exactly what’s happening.
Wednesday, August 26
USA Today: Dengue alerts issued in these Florida locations. How to protect against mosquitoes
The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County issued an alert for mosquito-borne illness on Aug. 3 in response to a recently confirmed case of "locally-acquired" dengue.
Thursday, August 6
West Nile Virus
10/11 NOW: Four West Nile virus cases confirmed in Lancaster County
Four people in Lancaster County have tested positive for West Nile virus, the health department said Tuesday. According to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, two of the four people were hospitalized.
Wednesday, August 26
LA Times: Dead of a mosquito bite: L.A. records West Nile fatality as California cases hit 5-year high
After an abnormally warm winter and a blistering March heat wave, California has seen a surge in mosquito activity that has driven West Nile virus cases to a five-year high. As of last week, there had been 30 human cases of the virus and three fatalities across the state, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Wednesday, August 26
CBS News: Orange County confirms first human West Nile virus case of 2026
Orange County Health Care Agency officials have confirmed the county's first human West Nile case of 2026, which some medical experts believe could be one of the worst mosquito seasons on record.
Thursday, August 6
WBOC: West Nile virus detected in Delaware for first time this year
Delaware has detected West Nile virus for the first time in 2026 after a sentinel chicken in eastern Kent County tested positive, state officials announced Wednesday.
Thursday, August 6
Salmonella
US News & World Report: Alfalfa Sprouts Linked To E. Coli And Salmonella Outbreak
Alfalfa sprouts sold in grocery stores have sickened 55 people in 15 states, federal health officials say. Two of those people were infected with both E. coli and Salmonella, an unusual combination in a single outbreak.
Wednesday, August 26
The Independent: Salmonella outbreak: How can I check if my eggs are safe to eat?
One person has died and hundreds have been taken ill following an outbreak of food poisoning across the country.
Wednesday, August 26
Reuters: Record salmonella outbreak in Belgium infects at least 306
A record salmonella outbreak in a Belgian chicken farm has infected at least 306 people after they ate eggs, the food safety agency said on Tuesday.
Wednesday, August 26
BBC: Taylor Farms recalls jalapeno products after salmonella outbreak
Food producer Taylor Farms is recalling a swathe of its fresh products containing jalapeno peppers after a salmonella outbreak.
Monday, August 10
Mpox
The Telegraph: The world has a new weapon to fight mpox
Two years ago, in the same region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that is currently the epicentre of the Bundibugyo Ebola disease outbreak, an outbreak of a different kind was causing global concern.
Tuesday, September 8
ABC Denver7: Colorado sees summer surge in Mpox infections
Colorado is nearing last year's total number of Mpox cases after health officials reported a recent uptick in infections, including seven cases since late July. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recorded 18 cases this year, compared with 21 reported statewide in all of 2025.
Wednesday, August 26
Global Defense: Mpox Cases Doubled Last Fall as CDC Data Point to a Virus Settling Into Endemic Circulation
Mpox has not gone away in the United States. A new CDC report published Aug. 20 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) finds that clade IIb monkeypox virus, the strain responsible for the 2022 global outbreak, has continued circulating at low but persistent levels through 2024 and 2025, with a notable surge last fall that briefly doubled case counts compared to the year before
Wednesday, August 26
COVID-19
Salt Lake City Tribune: The updated COVID-19 vaccines have just been approved. Here’s what you can expect.
Updated COVID-19 vaccines are being shipped to pharmacies and medical offices around the country after the Food and Drug Administration’s approval last week.
Tuesday, September 8
Denver Post: Colorado is seeing a COVID bump. Should you get the booster now?
Colorado is seeing either a later-than-usual COVID-19 bump or an earlier-than-expected start to the fall and winter respiratory-illness season, complicating decisions for people trying to time their vaccinations.
Tuesday, September 8
Region 7 Infectious Disease Briefing
The GCHS in collaboration with the Region VII Disaster Health Response Ecosystem (R7DHRE) conducts biweekly meetings with local and state public health and healthcare representatives. These meetings focus on reviewing and discussing recent developments related to current infectious disease challenges. James V. Lawler, MD, MPH, FIDSA, presents comprehensive updates on data and advancements at local, state, national, and international levels. Additionally, regional experts offer insights into current outbreaks and clinical situations within Region 7.
To learn more and register for the briefings, visit our Health Emergencies page.