- The World Health Organization (WHO) today said India in 2024 reported 151 Zika virus cases, mostly from Maharashtra, with other from Gujarat and Karnataka states. No related cases of microcephaly or Guillain-Barre syndrome were reported. The numbers from Maharashtra were the highest since 2021. The number in pregnant women isn’t known. The WHO said though Zika virus isn’t unexpected in Maharashtra state, due to the presence of mosquito vectors, the spike in cases compared to previous years is unusual. India reported its first Zika case in 2016.
- The Georgia Department of Public Health yesterday reported the state’s first measles case of 2025, which involves an unvaccinated Atlanta resident who had traveled within the United States. Health officials said they are tracking people who were exposed to the patient while he or she was infectious between January 19 and January 24.
- The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (HSA) today updated its antibiotic classification tool, called UK-AWaRe, which helps support antimicrobial stewardship actions. The update was based on a recent review following a similar update from the WHO. In a press release, the HSA said the most significant change was classifying all first-generation cephalosporins as Access, compared to Watch in 2019. It added that the change is designed to give patients with certain allergies wider access to a range of antibiotics that have a lower resistance profile. Unlike the WHO’s update, the HSA tool keeps amoxicillin/clavulanic acid in the Watch category.