Infectious Disease

Latest

A caged mink looks on at a mink farm, in Hjoerring, in North Jutland, Denmark, on October 8, 2020.

Bird Flu on Utah Mink Farm Raises Biosecurity Questions

by

An outbreak of H5N1 on a Utah mink farm puts the public at risk, and a bill in Congress could expand fur farming

A satellite image shows the Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East, in Irkutsk, Russia, on May 8, 2025.

Russia's Suspected Plague Incident and the Limits of Disease Reporting

by

The Irkutsk incident highlights the shortcomings of international law around potentially harmful disease events, according to an expert in the region

Could Economic Incentives Encourage Faster Outbreak Reporting?

by , , , , , , , , ,

A new funding mechanism could speed up early disease reporting, which could prevent outbreaks like Ebola from spiraling out of control

John Macki, a public health expert, controls motorcycle taxis before a health check point screening along the street, in Mongbwalu, Djugu Territory of Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on May 23, 2026.

Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine: Tracking Outbreaks Amid Conflict

by , , , , , , , ,

War recovery plans should include detailed monitoring to prevent diseases like polio and cholera from spreading

A displaced Palestinian mother, Wafaa Abdelhadi, walks past the rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike as she returns to her shelter with her daughters Lynn and Roueida, after they got vaccinated against polio, in Deir Al-Balah, in the Gaza Strip, on September 1, 2024.

Trauma, Destruction, Disruption: Nepal's Health Workers Struggle in Aftermath of Floods

by ,

Funding to rebuild remains scarce as Nepal's overburdened health system works to address postdisaster public health threats

Aerial view of flood-ravaged Betrawati in Rasuwa; many houses are buried beneath the mud, on August 29, 2026.

As Malaria Spreads, Africa Needs Data on Gene-Edited Mosquitos

by

Gene drives could be transformational for the malaria response, but countries need evidence to weigh the benefits over the risks

Mosquito Biologist Dr. Bart Knols, points to an Anopheles mosquito larvae as he speaks on the use of drone technology in the fight against malaria, in a rice field near Zanzibar City, on the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania, October 30, 2019. Picture taken October 30, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Visualizing Bangladesh's Massive Measles Outbreak

by

Policy failures in Bangladesh dismantled decades of progress toward eliminating measles, creating the conditions for the explosive 2026 outbreak

A mother waits to admit her measles‑affected child at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 23, 2026.

How Industry Can Help Prevent the Next Cruise Ship Outbreak

by

Critical disease-outbreak intelligence sits inside private firms, and an outbreak escrow system could securely hold that data to be shared in an emergency

A passenger of the cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, looks on from inside a bus as it leaves the port of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife, Spain, on May 11, 2026.

Charting Ebola Responses: How 2026 Stacks Up After Aid Cuts

by , ,

An Ebola outbreak circulating undetected for weeks or months is a collective failure of global health security, regardless of cause

A map titled "Where the 2026 Ebola Outbreak is Spreading" shows confirmed and suspected cases of Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda as of June 1, 2026. Affected regions are shaded in salmon/orange-red, and affected cities are marked with black dots. Ituri Province in northeastern DRC is labeled as having seen the most cases and is the largest highlighted region. Additional affected areas in DRC include militia-controlled Goma in North Kivu and areas near Bukavu in South Kivu. In Uganda, Kampala is marked as having confirmed nine cases. A small inset map shows the location of the outbreak region within the broader African continent. Source: Ministry of Health, Democratic Republic of Congo.

How NYC Practices for Ebola and Special Pathogen Outbreaks

by ,

NYC Health + Hospitals has added virtual reality training to reinforce its readiness for high-consequence infectious diseases

A volunteer is guided through the full donning sequence for special pathogen personal protective equipment during a training seminar led by Syra Madad, chief biopreparedness officer for NYC Health + Hospitals, on February 2, 2026.

The World Health Assembly Reacts to the Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak

by

A Chatham House fellow reports from WHA79 about how the new Ebola emergency has advanced conversations about actionable health reform

The regional supply chain lead for emergencies at the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Africa pastes stickers on shipment pallets that are being sent in response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 18, 2026.

Hantavirus Outbreak Tests Global Health Law Amid WHO Crisis

by

As international negotiations stall around pathogen access and benefit sharing, the Andes virus outbreak exemplifies why the system is needed

Civil guard members approach the cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, on a motorboat, at the port of Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, Spain, on May 11, 2026.