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Pakistan has its second wild poliovirus type 1 case of the year, 4 countries report rising mpox, and the WHO has new resources.

Southeast Asia's flu levels remained elevated, including in Cambodia, Myanmar, and the Philippines.

Flu was tied to 7,851 deaths from week 33, 2022, to week 12, 2023, compared with 32,607 deaths tied to COVID-19.

Flu remained at low levels overall, but with elevated activity in some parts of Asia and Central America.

As flu levels taper off in the Northern Hemisphere, some Southern Hemisphere nations have reported increased detections in recent weeks.

COVID-19 patients had a longer hospital stay and a 69% higher mortality rate than ICU patients with influenza.

Some Southern Hemisphere countries such as Australia and Chile are reporting increased influenza activity.

Flu and RSV levels are rising to prepandemic levels, with increasing hospitalizations in children younger than 2 years.

CD388 is Cidara's novel drug for preventing flu in adults at high risk for severe influenza, including those for whom vaccines are either ineffective or not indicated.

US Cyclospora infections typically rise in the summer, but the increase began in April this year.

In Australia, clinic visits for flu increased, and in South America, flu declined in Chile but rose in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Southern Hemisphere flu activity continues to rise in some countries, though levels have stabilized or are declining in others.

A roundup of infectious disease stories in the news.

A study found that the recombinant influenza vaccine provided better protection against hospitalization than the standard-dose vaccine.

The rates the researchers saw could serve as a baseline for gauging whether coinfections rates are shrinking or growing.

Guinea reports another Ebola fatality

Another fatal Ebola case has been reported in Guinea's recent Ebola cluster, involving a young girl who was hospitalized at an Ebola treatment center, Reuters reported on Mar 19, citing a spokesman for the country's Ebola coordination center.

Global flu activity remains high, with increased H1N1, flu B in Northern Hemisphere

Flu levels in Europe and North America continued to rise, with high but stable activity noted in northern Asia and China, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a Mar 21 update.

The 2009 H1N1 virus is the predominant strain worldwide, though detections of influenza B have increased in Europe and northern Asia.

US flu activity continues retreating, but 3 pediatric deaths reported

By most measures, the seasonal influenza epidemic in the United States waned further last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an update today, continuing a trend first apparent a week earlier.

Influenza D transmits between cattle, causes mild disease

Cattle serve as a natural reservoir for influenza D, which causes mild upper respiratory disease and can be transmitted to other cattle through contact, according to a Mar 30 study in the Journal of Virology.

Northern Hemisphere flu activity remains high but appears past peak

Flu activity in the Northern Hemisphere remains high but has likely peaked, with several regions detecting increases in flu B, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an Apr 4 update.

Flu levels in North America remain elevated because of H1N1 circulation, and Canada reported increasing proportions of flu B.

Kids' deaths continue amid slow decline in US flu activity

Major markers of US influenza generally continued their gradual decline last week, but seven more flu-related deaths in children were reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) weekly update today.

Experts weigh in on the future of Ebola vaccines

Exceptional Ebola surveillance and swift responses to outbreaks will be the key to taking advantage of the availability of Ebola vaccines, say three experts who offered their thoughts on the future use of such vaccines in a new article from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Study notes single-season influenza A infections followed by influenza B in kids

Austrian researchers who studied samples from 533 children with lab-confirmed flu during the 2014-15 season found that 13 of them (2.4%) were infected by influenza A, then subsequently infected with influenza B after they had recovered.

Chinese study points to asymptomatic migratory birds as source of H5N8

Asymptomatic migratory birds may play a role in geographic dissemination as well as facilitate the viral evolution and reassortment of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza, Chinese researchers reported yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Flu season analysis may help vaccination policies in tropical countries

An analysis of flu activity in tropical regions found eight zones that had similar patterns, which might be helpful for guiding flu vaccination timing and formulation, a team led by World Health Organization (WHO) experts reported yesterday in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) One.