Disease Outbreaks

The CDC counts 4,852 confirmed measles cases this year as of Oct 29, with 43 outbreaks and 3 confirmed deaths, the highest yearly total in 35 years; a new CDC count is due this week. Pennsylvania still reports 1,433 cases in 44 counties (Nov 2), with 269 hospitalizations and 5 confirmed deaths, and its outbreak appears to be slowing. New York reported its first measles death in over 30 years on Nov 2, and Wisconsin rose to 431 cases on Nov 3.

New York health officials announced Nov 2 that a child in Lewis County died of measles, the state's first measles-associated death in more than 30 years; local news reports the child was an unvaccinated 7-month-old. New York State has 178 measles cases this year as of Oct 24, and a state disaster emergency has been in place for four weeks.

Yakima County reported 2 more human H5N1 cases over the weekend (CIDRAP, Nov 2), bringing its total this year to 3. One patient with underlying conditions who had contact with infected dairy cows died after hospitalization, the first US H5N1 death this year and the third since 2024. There is no sign of person-to-person spread, and officials say the public risk remains low.

Stanislaus County reported 4 recent mpox cases; the state confirmed 2 as clade 1, the more severe strain, and the other 2 are pending testing. Three of the 4 patients had not left the county in the past year, which points to local spread. Officials say the risk to the public remains low.

Wisconsin's health department confirmed 431 measles cases this year as of Nov 3, up from 392 a week earlier. The southwest outbreak in Grant, Iowa, Lafayette and Vernon counties has 362 confirmed and 6 probable cases, and the Chippewa County outbreak grew to 44 confirmed cases.

Kentucky's health department still counts 201 measles cases as of Oct 29, with 11 hospitalized and no deaths. Christian (65), Laurel (56) and Trigg (31) counties are hardest hit.

Seneca County in the Finger Lakes has 30 confirmed measles cases this year, all in unvaccinated people, with 4 hospitalized, per the county dashboard last updated Oct 23. The county urged MMR vaccination on Nov 2 as spread continues.

West Virginia issued a health alert Oct 29 for 41 Salmonella Typhimurium cases since early September, with 5 hospitalized and patients aged 3 to 54. No common source has been found, and no cases outside the state have been linked.

San Luis Obispo County has 5 lab-confirmed E. coli O157 cases plus 8 more under investigation as of Oct 31, all tied to visits to Brookshire Farms between Oct 16 and 26. Three patients developed kidney failure (HUS), the farm remains closed, and some local Halloween events were canceled.

Flu season started early, with nearly 5,000 lab-confirmed flu hospitalizations nationwide in the week ending Oct 17, the highest mid-October rate since 2010-11, per CDC data cited Oct 29. An H1N1 strain that only partly matches this year's vaccine is driving early cases, and experts urge getting a flu shot now.

Florida's reported dengue cases have nearly doubled since September, from 392 to 721, according to CDC data cited Oct 23. The outbreak is centered in Hillsborough County, where most cases are locally spread.

The CDC now counts 28 sick, up from 27, in its Oct 30 update on Salmonella linked to recalled raw oysters from Virginia's Little Wicomico River harvested Sept 18 to Oct 8. There are no deaths, and the harvest area remains closed.

A CDC investigation links 76 illnesses in 16 states, 6 hospitalizations and no deaths, to recalled alfalfa and radish sprouts from Everything Sprouts. No newer count has been released.

The CDC counts 13 sick in 9 states, 8 hospitalized and 3 with kidney failure (HUS), linked to recalled Graziers raw milk cheeses from Sierra Nevada Cheese Company. More than half of the sick are children 5 and under.

The CDC counts 32 sick in 6 states, 3 hospitalized and no deaths, linked to recalled broccoli sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts. It is separate from the alfalfa sprout outbreak.

The CDC counts 20 sick in 12 states, 5 hospitalized and no deaths, linked to pet turtles. Half of the sick are children under 5.

LA County has reported 249 West Nile infections and 12 deaths so far this year. Mosquito season is still active.

An E. coli outbreak tied to ready-to-eat chicken wraps stands at 50 cases. The brand has not been named.

Kenya still has 9 confirmed cases and 2 deaths in one cluster, with no new case since Oct 19. The health ministry discharged 5 recovered patients on Nov 3, leaving 2 in care, and released 46 more contacts from quarantine (66 total), with the remaining 52 due out by Nov 11. A 42-day countdown to declare the outbreak over begins once the last patient recovers.

Congo's health institute reports 10,532 confirmed cases and 5,126 deaths as of Nov 1 (SitRep 171), with 65 new cases and 23 deaths in the latest day, mostly in North Kivu and Ituri. Daily cases averaged 67 over the past week, slightly down from 73 the week before, and the outbreak is still in 67 health zones across 8 provinces. Some outlets cite a higher toll of about 5,372 deaths after an Ituri records review, so death counts differ by source.

Nigeria's NCDC said Nov 1 that the two suspected Ebola cases in Yola, Adamawa State, tested negative after two rounds of testing. The Swiss woman confirmed in Abuja on Oct 20 and evacuated to Geneva remains the country's only confirmed case.

Zamfara State confirmed on Nov 3 that dengue fever is behind an outbreak in Shinkafi, Zurmi and Birnin Magaji areas, with 366 suspected cases, 30 PCR-confirmed, and 46 deaths. Shinkafi has been hit hardest, with 123 cases and 38 deaths.

Hong Kong's health agency reported 2 new human H9N2 cases on the mainland, a 2-year-old boy in Hubei and a 77-year-old woman in Jiangxi, both sick in September. China has reported 22 other H9N2 cases in the past six months; most are mild.

Madagascar has 7 confirmed plague cases, 3 of them pneumonic in Midongy Atsimo. No newer official update has come out since Oct 18, when the ministry said there had been no new cases there since Oct 12.

Illness cases tied to Bronkhorstspruit's contaminated water remain at 833 as of Oct 28, with no deaths. Officials warn that household-stored water could still cause new cases, and the crisis has prompted an audit of Gauteng water treatment works.

Costa Rica's health ministry is investigating a Salmonella outbreak among workers at Hospital CIMA in Escazú, with 66 suspected cases, 2 lab-confirmed, 2 hospitalized and no deaths as of Oct 21. The US Embassy issued a health alert on Oct 23; the source has not been confirmed.

France reported the first known human infection with Shamonda virus, a livestock virus spread by biting midges. The patient, who had a serious underlying illness, died in early October, and experts are still checking whether the virus caused the death. Officials say the risk to the public is very low.

Bangladesh reported 6 more dengue deaths and 2,010 admissions in the 24 hours to 8 a.m. Nov 3, bringing 2026 to 140,909 hospitalizations and 439 deaths. About 5,876 patients are still in hospital, and this year has already passed last year's totals.

Bangladesh reported 6 more child deaths with measles symptoms in the 24 hours to Nov 3, bringing deaths since March 15 to 1,263 (105 confirmed, 1,158 suspected). The last reported confirmed case count was 23,935 as of Nov 1.

Cameroon's health minister reported 3,103 cholera cases and 94 deaths as of Oct 30, mostly in the North and Far North, at a four-country Lake Chad meeting in Douala that opened Nov 2. This replaces a Nov 2 news report of 426 deaths that was not confirmed officially.

Nigeria has reported 73,416 cholera cases and 493 deaths this year as of Oct 30, the largest share of more than 78,000 cases across the Lake Chad basin countries. Chad (1,431 cases, 60 deaths) and Central African Republic (about 784 cases, 46 deaths) are also affected.

Congo has had more than 51,412 suspected cases and 1,487 deaths in 2026, the latest UN figure, with 2,057 cases in week 42 alone. The health institute confirmed 3 cases in Kinshasa's Limete district on Oct 28 and the capital is on maximum alert.

Yemen has had 8,034 suspected cases and 27 deaths, with cases tripling in three weeks as conflict displaced over 200,000 people. There has been no newer figure.

Zambia has had 1,622 cholera cases (228 lab-confirmed) and 30 deaths since July 28, as of Oct 28, now in 20 districts across 6 provinces. Lusaka Province has 1,090 cases, and the government released K13 million for safe water.

Gombe State's Billiri outbreak has had 74 patients treated and 2 deaths. Officials planned to declare it over if no new case appeared by Oct 24; no declaration has been reported yet.

South Africa's NICD counts 44 confirmed diphtheria cases this year through Oct 18, up from 43 a week earlier.

Ghana has 3 confirmed cases and all 3 died, with 15 more deaths under investigation. The CDC posted a Level 2 travel notice.

Europe has its most widespread West Nile season on record, with 1,965 locally acquired cases in 20 countries as of Oct 21, led by Italy (770) and Greece (457). Belgium reported its first human cases, and transmission is now slowing with cooler weather.