Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS
Note that some links may require registration or subscription.
Featured Headlines
- AMA joins effort to launch vaccine science review amid CDC turmoilWashington Post The American Medical Association and a partner group are taking on a new role in reviewing vaccine safety and effectiveness as the CDC’s review process faces criticism. The American Medical Association and a leading public health research group focused on vaccines are teaming up to create a system to review vaccine safety and… Read more: AMA joins effort to launch vaccine science review amid CDC turmoil
- US participating in influenza vaccine meeting: WHOThe Hill The U.S. will participate in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) upcoming meeting on the composition of the influenza vaccine despite officially withdrawing from the global group last month. The WHO will meet on Feb. 26 in Turkey to discuss the composition of the 2026-2027 flu vaccine for the northern hemisphere. “The vaccine composition… Read more: US participating in influenza vaccine meeting: WHO
- F.D.A. Refuses to Review Moderna Flu VaccineNYT The vaccine maker’s shots involve the successful Covid vaccines’ RNA technology. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has broadly rejected it, canceling millions of dollars in research projects. The vaccine maker Moderna said on Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration had notified the company that the agency would not review its mRNA flu vaccine, the… Read more: F.D.A. Refuses to Review Moderna Flu Vaccine
- South Carolina Measles Outbreak Becomes Largest In U.S. History Since First EliminationForbes South Carolina’s growing measles outbreak is now the largest in United States history since the contagious viral disease was declared eliminated more than two decades ago in the wake of widespread vaccinations, according to a report from CNN. Big Number 88%. That’s the proportion of measles cases in South Carolina that have appeared in unvaccinated individuals, according… Read more: South Carolina Measles Outbreak Becomes Largest In U.S. History Since First Elimination
Updates on ongoing disease outbreaks
- ‘Concerning’ bird flu study findings prompt ‘essential’ surveillance callVet Times A study examined the B3.13 genotype of H5N1, which has been circulating in US dairy herds since 2024. One study, published in Nature Communications, examined the B3.13 genotype of H5N1, which has been circulating in US dairy herds since 2024. Researchers discovered several mammalian adaptations in cattle, enhancing replication in bovine and human cells.… Read more: ‘Concerning’ bird flu study findings prompt ‘essential’ surveillance call
- Pennsylvania: More than 60,000 Lancaster County birds affected by Avian FluABC News Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has affected more than 60,000 birds raised for commercial meat production in Lancaster County, according to the USDA. The USDA reported on February 10, 2026, that HPAI has been detected in flocks of 36,000 Commercial Turkey Meat Birds and 25,100 World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Poultry in Lancaster County.… Read more: Pennsylvania: More than 60,000 Lancaster County birds affected by Avian Flu
- South Africa: Endangered African penguins threatened by bird fluXinhua An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly called bird flu, is threatening the survival of the critically endangered African penguins living off the coast of South Africa, local media reported. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) said 23 African penguins had tested positive for the disease since… Read more: South Africa: Endangered African penguins threatened by bird flu
- Kansas experiences worst bird flu outbreak in the nationK State Over 400,000 birds reportedly affected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), with the number currently rising. Kansas is experiencing the worst bird flu outbreak since 2023, affecting more than 10 counties, with three being forced to quarantine commercial and non-commercial backyards. Counties like Pottawatomie County, Greenwood County, Nemaha County and more have relied on… Read more: Kansas experiences worst bird flu outbreak in the nation
- Bird flu antibodies detected at Dutch dairy farm, a first in EuropePoultry World Avian influenza antibodies have been detected in a dairy cow at a dairy farm in Friesland, the Netherlands, marking the first such finding in European cattle. No evidence of active viral circulation of avian influenza among the dairy cows on the farm has been found. According to ‘Rijksoverheid’ the Dutch Ministry of Affairs,… Read more: Bird flu antibodies detected at Dutch dairy farm, a first in Europe
- What’s the prognosis for bird flu in 2026?LA Times As 2024 came to an end, bird flu dominated headlines. The virus, technically known as avian influenza, was being detected in raw milk, dairy farms and even children, my colleagues Susanne Rust and Melissa Gomez reported. After federal officials confirmed the severe case of a Louisiana patient, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California and pushed… Read more: What’s the prognosis for bird flu in 2026?
- Metformin’s Prospective Role in Preventing Long COVIDContagionLive Findings from a growing body of randomized trials and real-world analyses show that starting metformin during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection is safe and significantly reduces the risk of developing long COVID. As the global health community continues to grapple with the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection,… Read more: Metformin’s Prospective Role in Preventing Long COVID
- Scientists stunned after virus jumps between humans and animals: ‘It was a very unusual situation’Yahoo News Researchers in Colorado were stunned while analyzing how the COVID-19 virus spread from humans to animals at the Denver Zoo in 2021. What’s happening? A study published in the journal Nature Communications in December looked at an instance of the COVID-19 virus spreading from humans to… Read more: Scientists stunned after virus jumps between humans and animals: ‘It was a very unusual situation’
INFLUENZA
- 7 states back in CDC’s worst tier for flu as influenza B spreadsThe Hill As one variant of the flu virus starts to decline, another is rising to take its place. At the end of last year, when flu activity spiked amid the holidays, influenza A – specifically the subclade K variant of H3N2 – was dominant. It was making so many people sick, the variant was nicknamed “super flu.” Influenza A… Read more: 7 states back in CDC’s worst tier for flu as influenza B spreads
- Influenza epidemic declared in Puerto RicoSan Juan Star Island Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero announced on Tuesday the declaration of an influenza epidemic in Puerto Rico, after the established criteria for incidence and growth rate of cases were met during the 2025-2026 season. “An influenza epidemic has been declared,” Ramos Otero said at a press conference. “The region with the… Read more: Influenza epidemic declared in Puerto Rico
- How A Mutation Made This Year’s Flu Season So BadScience Friday A rogue strain of flu, subclade K, has sickened more than 19 million people in the US so far this season. And the flu shot hasn’t offered that much protection. What’s going on with this superflustorm? Joining Host Flora Lichtman with some answers is Jennifer Duchon, a pediatric infectious disease specialist. Audio File
- Fire-footed rope squirrels identified as a natural reservoir for monkeypox virusPhys.org Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), together with an interdisciplinary team of partners, have identified the fire-footed rope squirrel (Funisciurus… Read more: Fire-footed rope squirrels identified as a natural reservoir for monkeypox virus
- Liberia mpox outbreak prompts CDC travel noticeOutbreak News Today The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Level 2 – Practice Enhanced Precautions travel notice due to an outbreak of clade II monkeypox in Liberia. According to the… Read more: Liberia mpox outbreak prompts CDC travel notice
- California reports largest measles outbreak in 5 yearsSF Gate Seventeen cases of measles have been reported across California since the start of 2026, including the state’s first outbreak of the highly contagious virus since 2020. The California Department of Public Health issued a health alert on Monday, warning residents of the ongoing transmission as cases emerge across multiple counties. Eight of those cases are part of… Read more: California reports largest measles outbreak in 5 years
- In Mexico, at least 28 have died from measles outbreak that started 2025Reuters Mexican Health Minister David Kershenobich said on Wednesday that at least 28 people in the country have died from the measles outbreak that began in 2025. Authorities have registered 9,074 cases so far, official data given during the president’s morning press conference showed. Mexico has 28 million measles vaccines to distribute, which President Claudia… Read more: In Mexico, at least 28 have died from measles outbreak that started 2025
- DC health officials warn of measles exposures across city, including March for Life rallyABC News Health officials in Washington, D.C., are warning that people may have been exposed to measles in locations across the city. DC Health said in a statement that it “was notified of multiple confirmed cases of measles whose carriers visited multiple locations in the District while contagious.” Among those locations is the annual National March for… Read more: DC health officials warn of measles exposures across city, including March for Life rally
- 4 times as many measles cases in a few weeks than US typically averages in a whole yearABC News There have been at least 733 confirmed measles cases reported across the nation, the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed Friday. In just a few weeks, the United States reported four times as many cases than typically seen throughout an entire calendar year, the CDC said. Before last year, which had… Read more: 4 times as many measles cases in a few weeks than US typically averages in a whole year
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
- A parasitic fly is inching closer to the US border. Colorado livestock leaders are already preparingColorado Public Radio Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, headquartered out of Johnstown, touts itself as the largest feedlot company in the U.S., and one of the biggest in the world. Its… Read more: A parasitic fly is inching closer to the US border. Colorado livestock leaders are already preparing
- Infectious Disease Expert on Latest Nipah Virus Case: “Be Alert, But Not Alarmed”Pharmacy Times Bangladesh reports fatal Nipah case linked to raw date palm sap; experts say spread stays limited as vaccines and rapid tests advance. On February 3, 2026, Bangladesh’s International… Read more: Infectious Disease Expert on Latest Nipah Virus Case: “Be Alert, But Not Alarmed”
- How a Bacterial Infection in Mosquitoes Could Cut Dengue Infections in PeopleMedPageToday People living in areas with infected male mosquitoes saw their dengue risk drop 71%. Releasing male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into the wild that were infected with the sterility-inducing bacteria Wolbachia pipientis cut dengue… Read more: How a Bacterial Infection in Mosquitoes Could Cut Dengue Infections in People
- 7 states back in CDC’s worst tier for flu as influenza B spreadsThe Hill As one variant of the flu virus starts to decline, another is rising to take its place. At the end of last year, when flu activity spiked amid the… Read more: 7 states back in CDC’s worst tier for flu as influenza B spreads
- Uganda confirms Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever case in central regionXinhua Uganda’s Ministry of Health on Wednesday confirmed a case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Kyankwanzi District in central Uganda. In a statement issued here, the ministry said laboratory… Read more: Uganda confirms Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever case in central region
- Pediatricians Should Be Alert for This Deadly Infection in KidsMedical Page Today Two U.S. cases of Paenibacillus dendritiformis infection in infants that led to severe meningitis should raise clinicians’ awareness of the rare but potentially lethal emerging threat, researchers said. The… Read more: Pediatricians Should Be Alert for This Deadly Infection in Kids
Read more Emerging Infectious Diseases
- National Cancer Institute studying ivermectin’s ‘ability to kill cancer cells,’ alarming career scientistsSTAT The NCI director didn’t cite new evidence that prompted the agency to look into it. The National Cancer Institute, the federal research agency charged with leading the war against the nation’s second-largest killer, is… Read more: National Cancer Institute studying ivermectin’s ‘ability to kill cancer cells,’ alarming career scientists
- Scientists are building viruses from scratch to fight superbugsScience Daily Researchers from New England Biolabs (NEB®) and Yale University describe the first fully synthetic bacteriophage engineering system for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium of global concern, in a new PNAS study. The system… Read more: Scientists are building viruses from scratch to fight superbugs
- 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
- AMA joins effort to launch vaccine science review amid CDC turmoilWashington Post The American Medical Association and a partner group are taking on a new role in reviewing vaccine safety and effectiveness as the CDC’s review process faces criticism. The American Medical Association and… Read more: AMA joins effort to launch vaccine science review amid CDC turmoil
- US participating in influenza vaccine meeting: WHOThe Hill The U.S. will participate in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) upcoming meeting on the composition of the influenza vaccine despite officially withdrawing from the global group last month. The WHO will meet… Read more: US participating in influenza vaccine meeting: WHO
- Vaccine myths that won’t die and how to counter them—part 2CIDRAP We explored four key myths and why they don’t stand up to scrutiny: Today we’ll delve into five more that you also have likely encountered. The nine myths reflect those most frequently seen in my clinical practice and in… Read more: Vaccine myths that won’t die and how to counter them—part 2
- Teaching People to Counter Misinformation, Not Just Spot ItCarnegie Mellon Univ Can we train people to speak up when they see misinformation on social media? Most media literacy research efforts focus on training people to identify true from false information. However, learning to recognize accurate information doesn’t automatically… Read more: Teaching People to Counter Misinformation, Not Just Spot It
- The United States Leaves the WHO. Three Reforms Could Motivate Its ReturnThink Global Health A former special advisor to the WHO director general outlines arenas that could strengthen global health regardless of a U.S. withdrawal. On Thursday, the required one-year notice period will pass since the United States declared its intention to leave the World… Read more: The United States Leaves the WHO. Three Reforms Could Motivate Its Return
- COVID-19 lockdowns in Nordic countries saved working-age men but not womenUC Berkeley Working-age men (15–64 years old) die more frequently than working-age women in nearly all societies that measure vital statistics. One reason for this disparity may be that men tend to behave in ways that are riskier. But during… Read more: COVID-19 lockdowns in Nordic countries saved working-age men but not women
Interesting and Sometimes Funny
- Encephalitis Lethargica: The Strange Disease That Killed 500,000 People, And Then Abruptly Disappeared
IFL Science The disease affected millions, but to this day has not been satisfactorily explained. The symptoms were pretty distressing. Around a century ago, and around the same time the 1918 influenza pandemic killed between 50 and 100 million people worldwide, humanity was met with a new and unusual disease. The disease, known as encephalitis lethargica… Read more: Encephalitis Lethargica: The Strange Disease That Killed 500,000 People, And Then Abruptly Disappeared