Of these 44 cases, 18 (41%) were hospitalized (including 2 in intensive care), and 11 cases (25%) experienced complications (including 5 cases of pneumonia and 1 case of encephalitis). No deaths were reported.

The median age of cases is 20.9 years. The 3 most affected age groups are infants under one year old (20%), adults aged 20-24 years (18%) and adults aged 40 years and over (18%).

Among the subjects targeted by vaccination (aged over one year and born since 1980) for whom vaccination status was known (n=25), 16 (64%) did not have up-to-date vaccination status while 9 (36%) were vaccinated with two doses.

22 departments (22%) reported at least one case during the period. The five departments with the highest number of reported cases are: Paris (14% of cases), Hauts-de-Seine (14%), Essonne (11%), Bouches-du-Rhône (7%), and Savoie (7%). No cases were reported in the French overseas territories.

During the period under review, 8 clusters (groups of epidemiologically linked cases) were reported to the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) for a total of 22 cases (provisional, unconsolidated data). Of these clusters, only one with 5 or more cases occurred in a daycare center and remains active.

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The infection is believed to have occurred through sexual contact abroad.

"In line with international spread, it is expected that we will also see cases of clade 1b in Denmark. This does not change the fact that the overall risk of infection in Denmark remains very low, and that we have a preparedness that can quickly handle and limit infection," says Uffe Vest Schneider.

Since 2022, slightly more than 200 cases of mpox of clade 2 have been detected in Denmark. Infection with mpox clade 2 has predominantly been among men who have sex with men.

The overall risk of infection in the Danish population with mpox of both clades 1b and 2 is assessed as very low. However, there may still be an increased risk of infection with both clades among men who have sex with men. It is therefore important to protect yourself when having sex with new partners. For example, by using a condom and getting vaccinated if you are at particular risk of being exposed to infection.

The typical symptoms are a rash with small blisters on the skin and flu-like symptoms. The course of mpox clade 1b, like mpox clade 2, is generally expected to be mild and self-limiting.

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Nine of the animals have died and the rest will be vaccinated. There is no evidence of human infection to date.

Disinfection was carried out in and around the farm. The movement of animals to and from the holding, as well as within the village, was banned. The owner had been producing sazdarma, pastirma, canned goods and meat products at two illegal facilities, which were sealed. The products were seized and will be destroyed.

Vaccination was expanded to cover all susceptible animals in the village in order to limit any possible spread of the disease.

Floron (Buddy) C. Faries, DVM- Anthrax (2013 interview)

Anthrax is an acute infectious disease affecting animals and humans. Under natural conditions, all herbivores, omnivores and carnivores can contract it. Goats, sheep and deer are the most susceptible, followed by cattle, buffaloes, camels and horses.

The BFSA reminded livestock farmers and the Bulgarian Veterinary Union (BVU) that any suspicion of the disease must be reported immediately to the official veterinarians at the regional food safety directorates.

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Rabies

As the weather warms, it increases the chance of contact with animals, both stray and wildlife, as they are looking for food and are more likely to get closer to where humans live.

In addition, the ongoing war with Russia has created more abandoned animals and a decrease in animal vaccination throughout the country increases the risk of rabies.

Public Health Ukraine reports an increase in animal bites that may be infected with rabies in recent years: From 1845 reports in 2023 to 2531 reports last year.

Cases of rabies among humans are also being recorded: in 2023, one case of rabies was recorded, in 2024 and 2025 - two cases each, and in 2026 - one more as of March 1. All cases, unfortunately, ended in the death of the patients.

Rabies is an acute viral disease that affects the central nervous system of humans and animals. Once symptoms appear, it is always fatal.

At the same time, the development of the disease can be prevented by seeking medical attention in a timely manner after contact with a potentially infected animal.

How does infection occur?

The virus is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal:

• during a bite;

• through scratches;

• when saliva gets on mucous membranes or damaged skin.

Even if the bite seems minor: only a doctor can assess the risk ! 

Signs of rabies in animals

Among the most characteristic manifestations:

• aggressive or atypical behavior;

• loss of fear of people;

• excessive salivation;

• difficulty swallowing;

• weakness or paralysis.

In case of suspicious behavior of the animal, contact should be avoided and the appropriate services should be notified.

How to protect yourself

To reduce the risk of infection:

• do not contact wild and stray animals;

• do not feed them or try to tame them;

• avoid contact between pets and wild animals;

• Regularly vaccinate pets against rabies.

What to do if you are bitten or scratched by an animal

1. Wash the wound thoroughly with running water and soap for 15 minutes or longer. 

2. Treat the edges of the wound with an antiseptic (for example, 5% iodine solution or 70% alcohol). 

3. See a doctor as soon as possible. 

4. If a course of anti-rabies vaccination is prescribed - five doses over 28 days - it must be completed in full.

Lyme disease

In the spring, ticks are most active and health officials advise the public to be careful in forests, parks, yards, and other places where they live.

The primary tick-borne disease of concern in Ukraine is Lyme disease. Lyme disease can start with a red, target-like rash (red circles) at the site of the tick bite, headache, lethargy, and body aches. If left untreated early, it can lead to damage to the skin, joints, heart, nervous system, and even disability.

Lyme disease continues to increase in Ukraine- 6,748 cases of Lyme disease were registered in Ukraine in 2025 (1,317 more than in 2024).

The largest number of cases was in Kyiv (770), Lviv (623 cases), and Poltava (598 cases) regions, as well as in Kyiv (649 cases).

Great infectious disease gifts at Giant Microbes

Public Health Ukraine offers the following preventive advice and precautions concerning Lyme and other tick-borne diseases:

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1. Before going for a walk, apply repellent to your skin or clothing - a product that repels mosquitoes and ticks.

2. Dress properly: tuck your pants into your socks, wear closed shoes. It is better to wear light-colored clothing - ticks are more visible on it.

3. Stay in the middle of the trail, don’t go into the grass or bushes - that’s where the most ticks are.

4. Periodically carefully examine yourself and your companions, especially children and dogs .

5. At home, repeat the examination , paying special attention to skin folds and hairy areas of the head.

Lyme Wars with Dr Judy Stone

Sexually transmitted Shigella predominantly affects gay and bisexual (men who have sex with men). Symptoms usually appear within 1 to 4 days and include diarrhea (sometimes with blood), stomach cramps and fever. It is often mistaken for food poisoning.

Diagnoses of S. flexneri and S. sonnei that were potentially acquired during sexual contact have increased in recent years- a rise from 2,052 in 2023 and 2,318 in 2024 to 2,560 last year.

More than half the cases were reported in London last year (1381)- London (54%), followed by Thames Valley (6%) and Surrey and Sussex (6%).

In addition, many of the cases involved Shigella strains that were antibiotic resistance- 86% of Shigella sonnei samples and 94% of Shigella flexneri samples tested showed resistance to antibiotics.

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Over half of S. sonnei isolates were extensively drug resistant with markers of resistance to all 3 first line choices for treatment. While most cases of shigella will resolve without treatment, more severe cases do require treatment and the options available are becoming limited.

Shigellosis is a bowel infection characterized by an acute onset of diarrhea (which may be watery or contain traces of pus, mucous or blood), fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. It is usually a self-limiting infection, however severe illness and complications can occur in certain at-risk individuals, such as young children, older people and those who are immunocompromised.

Shigella gastroenteritis is highly contagious and is mainly transmitted through the fecal-oral route, or contaminated food. It may also be transmitted during sexual contact, especially oral sex and oro-anal sex. Symptoms usually develop one to three days following exposure but can occur as early as 12 hours to as late as one week afterwards in some cases.

People are infectious while the Shigella bacteria continue to be shed in feces. This can last for up to four weeks after symptoms resolve.

Dr Katy Sinka, Head of STI section at UKSHA said:

The rise in sexually transmitted Shigella cases is concerning, but the risks of catching it can be reduced by good hygiene during and after sex and condom use – helping to protect yourself and your partners

It is important that gay and bisexual men do not dismiss their symptoms and advice on self-care and preventing dehydration can be found on the NHS website by searching Dysentery.

Those diagnosed with Shigella may also have been exposed to other sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, so a sexual health screen - at a clinic or by ordering tests online - is recommended.

This is the first human case of H9N2 avian influenza detected in Europe. Based on the scientific information available to date, infection occurs through direct exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments or materials. Human cases are characterized by mild illness, and human-to-human transmission has never been reported.

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All the required checks were promptly carried out and the relevant contacts were identified, as part of the ordinary prevention and surveillance activities.

The Ministry of Health immediately activated coordination with the Lombardy Region, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, and the national reference laboratory expert group, and ensured the coordination and updating of the relevant international bodies.

Currently, no critical issues have been identified and the situation is being constantly monitored.

The first measles case was registered last weekend. All registered measles cases are epidemiologically linked. Two children and one adult have been laboratory-confirmed to have measles, while two more children are awaiting test results. One of them is currently being treated at the Children’s Hospital.

Pediatric infectious disease specialist Gunta Laizāne said that clinically it looks like measles, “there are classic measles symptoms, but we can [count] him in the group of ‘measles cases’ only when we get confirmation from the laboratory. Clinically examining the patient, taking the history, everything else, yes, this is a suspected [case] of measles.”

The child has not been vaccinated against measles. The doctor assessed the patient’s health condition as at least moderately severe.

“This is the beginning of the disease. How the disease will develop - it is difficult to say. There is a higher risk of complications in children. So young children up to five years of age are at a very high risk [group] for a severe course of the disease and the development of complications. The general condition of this particular patient also corresponds to a hospital,” Laizāne said.

According to the SPKC, the other four patients – an adult and a child with laboratory-confirmed measles, as well as a child who is still awaiting test results – have visited a family doctor and are receiving outpatient treatment. However, it is not possible to predict how the further course of the disease will develop. It is also known that two of these patients are not in Latvia.

The information available to the center also indicates that the person with measles flew from Riga to Turkey on March 5.

“We can identify close contacts, but we cannot identify casual contacts. If this person has been in some public places, especially considering that a person is infectious for two, three, even four days before falling ill, and sometimes people already feel unwell, but still continue to do some daily activities for some time, even attend school or some other events. If there are signs of an infectious disease, you should think about both your health and the health of other people. In order not to infect others, the best option is to stay at home,” said Jurijs Perevoščikovs, Director of the Infectious Disease Risk Analysis Department of the SPKC.

The number of identified contacts is very large - at least 800 people.

SPKC calls on passengers of the Riga–Gulbene–Riga bus to report

In the epidemiological investigation, the SPKC has established that one of the infectious persons traveled to Gulbene on the Riga–Gulbene bus route on March 13 at 8 a.m. and from Gulbene to Riga on March 15 at 1:50 p.m.

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The SPKC calls on all passengers who traveled on the aforementioned trips to contact the SPKC epidemiologists by calling the 24-hour hotline at 67271738 or by emailing dezurants.riga@spkc.gov.lv to assess the possible risk of infection and receive recommendations for further action.

Unlike several other European Union countries, the situation in Latvia has been favorable in recent years. In 2025, one imported case of measles was confirmed (the patient was infected abroad), and in 2023, one imported case of measles was also confirmed (the patient’s child was infected abroad). From 2020 to 2022, no measles cases were registered in Latvia, while three cases were registered in 2019. The last measles outbreaks in Latvia were registered in 2018 (25 cases) and 2014 (36 cases).

Measles is a vaccine-preventable infection, and vaccination is the only effective way to protect against the disease and prevent measles outbreaks.

Although every child in Latvia has the right to receive state-funded measles vaccination, an analysis of SPKC vaccination data shows that approximately 14,000 (4%) children aged one to 17 years have not received any measles vaccine. This is a significant number of non-immune children, which can contribute to the formation of chains of infection and increase the risk of measles outbreaks, especially considering the spread of the disease in other countries and international travel.

Lambing season is a highlight for many households, but it also brings real health risks. Last year, around 80 cases of cryptosporidium were recorded at one farm in South Wales alone. Cryptosporidiosis is a stomach infection often linked to contact with farm animals. The illness can cause severe diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps and can be particularly serious for young children and vulnerable groups.

Public Health Wales is urging visitors to enjoy farm experiences responsibly by following essential precautions:

• Do not pick up lambs - avoid holding, cuddling, or kissing them. This is one of the highest‑risk activities for spreading infection.

• Wash hands thoroughly with warm running water and liquid soap after touching animals, fences, or surfaces. Hand gels and wipes are not effective substitutes.

• Supervise children closely, especially around handwashing and before eating or drinking.

• Avoid eating or drinking near animals — use designated areas only.

• Wear suitable clothing and footwear and clean anything that becomes soiled as soon as possible.

Guidance for farm event organisers

Farms offering public access during lambing season should take steps to reduce infection risks:

• Promote hygiene guidance clearly to staff and visitors.

• Provide accessible handwashing stations with hot and cold water, soap, and paper towels.

• Keep lambs in enclosed pens and allow feeding only from outside the enclosure.

• Quarantine any scouring (diarrheic) lambs and disinfect animal contact areas regularly.

• Use booking systems, websites and social media to share public health advice.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness, often associated with contact with animals, especially young farm animals such as calves and lambs.

The main symptoms of cryptosporidium infection include:

• Watery diarrhea

• Stomach pains or cramps

• Nausea or vomiting

• Mild fever

• Loss of appetite

• Weight loss

The symptoms usually start between two and 10 days after exposure and can last for up to two weeks.

Cryptosporidium can also spread from person to person. Washing your hands properly at home, especially before eating or preparing food, is one of the best ways to stop the infection spreading.

Cryptosporidium usually clears up on its own, but it can cause more serious illness in young children and people with weaker immune systems.

Scotland

Public Health Scotland (PHS) is working closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), other public health colleagues across the UK and NHS Boards in Scotland, to monitor the outbreak of meningitis in Kent.

There are currently no cases known to be linked to this outbreak in Scotland and therefore no evidence of any increased risk here.

Dr Jim McMenamin, Head of Health Protection Infection Services at PHS is encouraging everyone to be aware of signs and symptoms of meningitis:

“Meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia can be very serious and life threatening if not treated quickly. Signs and symptoms include a sudden high temperature, severe and worsening headache, a stiff neck, joint and muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, a rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it, confusion, drowsiness or unresponsiveness, a dislike of bright lights, and seizures (fits). These symptoms can appear in any order, but some may not appear.

“If you or anyone you know develops symptoms, seek medical help immediately. Phone 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department. Phone 111 or your GP practice for advice if you’re not sure if it’s anything serious or you think you may have been exposed to someone with meningitis.”

Wales

Dr Christopher Johnson, head of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme (VPDP) at Public Health Wales, said:

“We are aware of the reports of invasive meningococcal disease in Kent and our thoughts are with those affected.

“While meningococcal disease is rare, it can become very serious quickly. Recent surveillance data show that cases in Wales remain relatively low, with 18 notifications of meningococcal disease reported in 2023 and 19 reported in 2024.

“Vaccination is a key way of protecting against meningococcal disease. In Wales, vaccines that protect against several types of meningococcal bacteria — including types A, B C, W & Y — are offered as part of the routine NHS immunisation programme for infants (Meningococcal type B) and teenagers (Meningococcal types ACW&Y).”

Meningococcal meningitis with Rodney Rohde, PhD

Northern Ireland

The Public Health Agency (PHA) just ruled out a probable case of meningitis in a pupil at a Belfast school, they announced Friday.

No further actions are required from pupils, friends, or anyone who may have had contact with the individual.

All appropriate public health actions have been completed.

To date there is no evidence of spread beyond the South East of England.

The death toll remains at two.

As of Friday, 20 March, 4,500 vaccinations have been given and over 10,500 doses of antibiotics have been administered.

Dr Ben Rush, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at UKHSA said:

We continue to remain vigilant for new cases and work closely with NHS England and local authorities across the country to ensure enhanced surveillance is in place. Any new cases will be identified quickly and responded to.

It’s reassuring to have seen so many eligible young people come forward for antibiotics and vaccination and we’d like to thank everyone involved in this effort so far.

It’s vital that people are aware of the signs and symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease and seek immediate medical attention if they or anyone they know develops symptoms. The risk to the wider population remains low and UKHSA continues to work with partners to identify contacts and offer necessary treatment.

Meningococcal disease is a serious but uncommon illness caused by meningococcal bacteria. It can lead to meningitis - inflammation of the lining of the brain - and sepsis (blood poisoning). The onset can be sudden, which is why knowing the signs and symptoms, and acting quickly, is so important. There are multiple strains of meningococcal bacteria - MenA, MenB, MenC, MenW, MenX, MenY. 

Bacterial meningitis and vaccinations

Transmission of MenB requires close and prolonged contact to spread including living in the same household and intimate contact such as kissing or sharing drinks or vapes. The bacteria are not as contagious as other infections such as measles and COVID-19. 

 The most important thing you can do is know the symptoms and act quickly if they appear. 

Symptoms to look out for include: 

• a rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass 

• sudden onset of high fever 

• severe and worsening headache 

• stiff neck 

• vomiting and diarrhoea 

• joint and muscle pain 

• dislike of bright lights 

• very cold hands and feet 

• seizures 

• confusion or delirium 

• extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking

Most often, enterobiasis affects young children, especially in daycares and schools, since they have not yet acquired the habit of proper hand washing and other hygiene skills. Also, helminth eggs are easily transmitted between members of the same family.

In Ukraine, enterobiasis accounts for 60–80% of all cases of helminthiasis. According to official statistics, over the past 3 years, the number of cases of enterobiasis has been 4,500–8,800 annually. However, the real number of patients may be much higher, since many people do not seek medical help or engage in self-medication.

Pinworms ( Enterobius vermicularis ) are small, white roundworms 4–10 mm long. They get their name from the long, pointed tail of the female.

Fertilized females migrate from the large intestine outside the anus at night and lay eggs as they move along the skin of the perianal area, causing severe itching. During a life span of up to four weeks, a single female can release up to 15,000 eggs.

TikTok Dad: ‘My son has worms in his anus’ What are pinworms?

How does infection occur?

The only source of pathogens is a person with enterobiasis. The only mechanism of transmission is fecal-oral, i.e. through the mouth, pinworm eggs enter the intestine, where they develop into sexually mature adults. It is enough to swallow just a few helminth eggs, which can be on hands, toys, clothes, towels, bed linen, doorknobs, mobile phones, etc.

The ease of pinworm infection is due to several features. First, their eggs mature directly on human skin in just 4–6 hours. Second, when people (especially children) often scratch the skin around the anus due to itching, the eggs get under the nails and from there back into the mouth, causing reinvasion, closing the cycle of the disease that is difficult to break without specific treatment.

Diagnosis of enterobiasis is usually carried out using microscopy - through the detection of pinworm eggs or the parasites themselves.

Symptoms of enterobiasis

The first symptoms of the disease appear no earlier than 10–25 days after infection: itching around the anus leads to sleep disturbances, neurasthenia, and enuresis in children.

A large number of adult worms in the intestine can cause abdominal pain, constipation, tenesmus (a feeling, often painful, of being unable to defecate), and vaginitis (inflammation of the vaginal mucosa). Cases of appendicitis complicated by helminthiasis have also been reported.

Prevention of enterobiasis

It’s easy enough to swallow pinworm eggs, but preventing them is also easy:

• carry out wet cleaning every day;

• Change your bed linen and underwear regularly:

• iron washed underwear;

• wash your hands with soap after using the toilet and before eating;

• ensure that children always wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating;

• Keep your and your children’s nails short;

• maintain personal hygiene and monitor children’s compliance with these procedures;

• Employees of educational institutions must ensure:

  • proper sanitary regime in organized children’s groups: processing of toys, carpets, monitoring of children’s hand hygiene and personal hygiene, etc.;

  • informing parents and children about the rules for preventing enterobiasis.

To date, 13 cases have been reported, including two fatalities.

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), investigations have confirmed some of the cases visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury between 5 to 7 March prior to becoming unwell. UKHSA’s health protection team is working closely with the nightclub and partners including the University of Kent to limit the spread.

UKHSA is now advising anyone who visited Club Chemistry on 5 March, 6 March or 7 March to come forward for preventative antibiotic treatment as a precautionary measure. This can be collected from the following sites:

1. Senate Building at University of Kent, CT2 7NZ – open until 8pm on Monday 16 March (queue closes 7.15pm) and from 9am to 8pm on Tuesday 17 March.

2. Gate Clinic, Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Ethelbert Road, Canterbury, CT1 3NG - open until 8pm on Monday 16 March and planned to open from 8.30am to 7.30pm on Tuesday 17 March.

3. Westgate Hall, Westgate Hall Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2BT. Planned to be open from 8.30am to 7.30pm on Tuesday 17 March.

4. Carey Building, Thanet Hub, Margate Northwood Rd, Westwood, Broadstairs, CT10 2WA. Planned to be open from 8.30am to 7.30 pm on Tuesday 17 March.

Advice has been issued to 16,000 staff and students at the University of Kent, where antibiotics are also being offered to those who need them.

Meningococcal disease can progress rapidly. Signs and symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia can include a fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting, and cold hands and feet. Septicaemia can also cause a characteristic rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass.

Early symptoms can often be confused with other illnesses such as a cold, flu or hangover, and students are particularly at risk of missing the early warning signs. If you or anyone you know develops any of these symptoms, seek medical help immediately.

• The median age of cases is 9 years. The 3 most affected age groups are infants under one year old (32%), children aged 1-4 years (18%) and adults aged 20-24 years (18%).

• Among the subjects targeted by vaccination (aged over one year and born since 1980), for whom vaccination status was known (n=12), 9 (75%) were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated, 3 (25%) were vaccinated with two doses.

• Thirteen departments in France (13%) reported at least one case during the period. No cases were reported in the overseas territories. The five departments with the highest number of reported cases are: Paris (18%), Essonne (18%), Hauts-de-Seine (18%), Savoie (11%), and Bouches-du-Rhône (7%).

• During this period, 5 clusters of cases (groups of epidemiologically linked cases) were reported to the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) (provisional, unconsolidated data) for a total of 15 cases. Among them, one cluster in a daycare center involved 5 or more cases and is still active.

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In South Moravia, the highest number of cases is concentrated in Brno. "The disease spreads through the fecal-oral route, through person-to-person contact - either through direct contact or through touchable surfaces and objects, with subsequent failure to observe basic hand hygiene principles," epidemiologist Renata Ciupek from the Regional Hygiene Station of the South Moravian Region said.

Last year, hepatitis in the Czech Republic recorded the largest epidemic since the early 1980s. Over three thousand people were infected, with forty people dying. "Based on the experience from previous years, when the increase and subsequent decrease in the number of cases of viral hepatitis A usually lasted three years, we can assume a gradual reduction in the number of reported cases of the disease this year, i.e. the suppression of the epidemic," said Fabiánová.

Of these cases, 4 were hospitalized (including 1 in intensive care), and 1 case presented a complication (including 1 case of pneumonia and 0 cases of encephalitis). No deaths were reported.

Among the subjects targeted by vaccination (aged over one year and born since 1980), for whom vaccination status was known (n=7), 5 were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated, 2 were vaccinated with two doses.

Seven departments in France (7%) reported at least one case during the period, none in the overseas territories. The departments that reported more than one case are: Savoie (3 cases), Paris (3 cases), Essonne (2 cases).

During this period, three clusters of cases (groups of epidemiologically linked cases) were reported to the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) (provisional, unconsolidated data), for a total of six cases. None of these clusters involved five or more cases. One outbreak remains active in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region at a ski resort.

The certification is given as part of WHO's global effort to stop mother-to-child transmission and is based on documentation of high screening coverage among pregnant women, safe access to treatment and stable, very low infection rates over time.

"This marks a major public health achievement by Denmark," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“It’s an important pat on the back for the entire healthcare system. For many years, we have had regular screening of pregnant women and ensured rapid treatment when necessary. This is what ensures that children in Denmark today are not born with HIV or syphilis,” says Maria Wessman, senior physician and section head at the Statens Serum Institut.

She emphasizes that the effort must be maintained:

“We must continue to focus on early detection and prevention so that we keep the infection at bay.”

WHO’s certification marks an important step in the continued work to protect future generations from serious infectious diseases.

The case has no known history of exposure to pigs or a contaminated environment.

Spain has reported four human cases of swine influenza A(H1N1)v in the past 17 years, with the latest being in Catalonia in 2024.

The case remains asymptomatic, while epidemiological investigations are still ongoing.

Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza in pigs.

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Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with influenza viruses that normally circulate in swine and not people have occurred. When this happens, these viruses are called “variant viruses.” They also can be denoted by adding the letter “v” to the end of the virus subtype designation. Human infections with H1N1v, H3N2v and H1N2v viruses have been detected in the United States.

While most individuals recover from influenza, including illnesses from variant viruses, these infections can sometimes cause severe disease, even in healthy people. If someone experiences respiratory symptoms, they should share any recent exposure to livestock with their doctor so that influenza testing can be considered. The same antiviral drugs used to treat seasonal flu can be used to treat novel influenza A ‘“variant” viruses in children and adults. These treatments are most effective when taken early in the illness.

Three of the cases reported in the period (3.6%) are imported cases and 2 are related to imported cases.

"After two years of high incidence of measles cases in Italy, with 1,055 and 532 cases in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the year 2026 begins with a new increase in January with 84 cases”, according to the experts of the Infectious Diseases Department of the ISS. The virus continues to circulate in the country, especially among unvaccinated young adults.

There are 9 Regions/PPAA that have reported cases in 2026, but almost all of the cases (81/84; 96.4%) come from only 6 Regions (Lombardy, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Puglia and Calabria). The median age of the reported cases is 28 years, however the highest incidence is observed in the 0-4 age group and 2 cases have been reported in children under one year of age. The vaccination status is known for 91.7% of the cases, the 90.9% were unvaccinated at the time of infection. More than a third of cases reported at least one complication. The most frequent complications were pneumonia and hepatitis/elevated transaminases. Among the reported cases, 5 are healthcare workers (of whom 4 were unvaccinated at the time of infection and 1 was vaccinated and had received two doses).

Europe measles 2025

In Europe, the ECDC recently reported, between 1 January and 31 December 2025, 30 EU/EEA countries reported 7,655 cases of measles and 8 deaths: 4 in France, 3 in Romania, and one in the Netherlands. Although the total number of infections in 2025 represents a significant decrease from the more than 35,000 cases in 2024, it is almost double the cases reported in 2023. The highest notification rates were observed in infants aged 18 and under. under one year of age (261.6 cases per million) and children aged 1 to 4 years (127.4 cases per million). 79.9% of cases were unvaccinated, 10.3% were vaccinated with one dose of measles vaccine, 7.9% were vaccinated with two doses, and 1.7% were vaccinated with an unknown number of doses.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced at the end of January 2026 that Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Uzbekistan had re-established endemic measles transmission based on the number of cases recorded in 2024.

Related news:

Measles cases near 100 in England in 2026

UK officials report on Shigella sonnei cases linked to travel to Cape Verde, Advise travelers

Measles in France 2025

This is according to data from the National Reference Laboratory for HIV/AIDS at the State Institute of Health (SZÚ).

According to officials at the SZÚ, when the infection was detected, 193 people were in the asymptomatic stage (i.e. without visible symptoms) and 49 people were in the acute infection stage. Furthermore, 14 patients were in the symptomatic non-AIDS stage (when visible symptoms appear, but they are not serious infections characterizing AIDS) and 44 people were in the AIDS stage.

Last year, Czech doctors recorded 140 infections among foreigners with long-term or permanent residence, which is almost 48 percent of the total number. These people come mainly from Ukraine (71), Slovakia (9), Brazil (6), Moldova (5), Russia (5) and to a lesser extent from other countries.

Experts stressed that despite the increase in cases, the Czech Republic remains a country with a relatively low level of HIV/AIDS infection. According to them, the infection is most often spread sexually, with 151 people diagnosed last year engaging in homosexual or bisexual behavior. The infection spread most widely in large cities, led by Prague.

Measles activity has increased in January 2026, mostly driven by an outbreak in North London.

The 77 percent of these cases were in children aged 10 years and under, and 17 percent were in young people and adults aged 15 years and over.

Two out of three cases have been in London, while a quarter of the cases have been in the West Midlands.

No acute measles-related deaths have been reported to date in 2026.

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