World News
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2025
India: Avian Influenza
Cases of avian influenza have started coming to light once again in Bihar. Many chickens suddenly died at a poultry farm in the Bypass police station area of the capital Patna. Veterinary doctors said it was avian influenza. Many crows were also found dead in the Gosai Math area of Sampatchak. It is worth noting that a month ago, many crows had died in Jehanabad district, in which the H5N1 virus was confirmed.
A poultry farm operator of Marcha village in Bypass police station area, said that his chickens suddenly started dying, after which he contacted a doctor. He was told that the chickens may have a disease like Newcastle disease or avian influenza. By March 25, the number of dead chickens in his farm increased to 2,500.
Congo: Mpox
In the Moba health zone, located in the province of Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of Congo, over 240 suspected cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) have been reported in the first 3 months of 2025. The alarm was raised by Dr. Barwine Momat, the medical officer in charge of the health zone, who spoke openly about the growing difficulties in containing the epidemic due to the lack of resources.
According to Dr. Momat, the trend of infections is growing rapidly, and the healthcare personnel are now overwhelmed by the number of patients to be treated. Despite the lack of external support, awareness-raising activities among the local population on prevention measures continue. The doctor has made an urgent appeal to the authorities and humanitarian organizations to provide concrete help to deal with the epidemic. In the meantime, the population has been asked to report and take to the hospital any person with symptoms attributable to mpox, such as skin rashes, where visits and any treatment are free.
Among the main recommendations: washing your hands with soap often, wearing masks, avoiding contact with infected people, and practicing safe sex. The ongoing emergency in Moba highlights the fragility of the local health system and the urgency of coordinated support to contain the spread of the disease.
Vietnam: Measles
As the measles outbreak continues to escalate across Vietnam, top Hanoi hospitals have admitted both children and adults in critical condition, with the unvaccinated making up the majority of severe cases.
A Ministry of Health task force reported a concerning rise in measles cases during their visits to major hospitals in Hanoi to inspect screening, triage, and treatment systems for measles patients.
At the Vietnam National Children's Hospital, nearly 2,700 measles patients have been recorded since 2024, including 1,894 cases in the first quarter of 2025. According to Cao Viet Tung, the hospital's deputy director, about 60% of the patients were either unvaccinated or too young to receive the vaccine.
Each day, the hospital sees up to 90 suspected measles cases, with some days exceeding 100. Tung said the hospital already set up triage systems from the outpatient department and is preparing to handle more cases and support lower-tier hospitals if the outbreak worsens.
Iran: CCHF
A medical source in Nineveh Health Department reported the first confirmed case of hemorrhagic fever this year in a 13-year-old child in Mosul.
The source said, "The infected child does not work as a butcher or in any direct connection with the profession, but according to his family's statements, he frequently visited an area designated for tying up livestock in a residential neighborhood in Mosul."
The source added, "Medical tests confirmed that the child has hemorrhagic fever, and he was immediately isolated and provided the necessary treatment in accordance with approved protocols." The source indicated that "the health condition of the child is stable so far, and he is being closely monitored by medical personnel."
In cooperation with veterinary authorities, Nineveh Health Department is intensifying its monitoring and awareness-raising measures in areas where livestock are abundant, fearing an increase in infections, especially with the approaching holiday season, which witnesses an increase in slaughtering and contact with animals.
Brazil: Chickungunya
The City of Cuiabá has extended the public health emergency decree for another 60 days due to the significant increase in cases of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya in the city. The decision maintains the combat actions initiated in January.
The municipality recorded 20 deaths caused by chikungunya, according to the Arbovirus Monitoring Panel, updated by the Ministry of Health. In addition, the survey reveals that, in the first 3 months of this year, 7,189 cases of the disease were recorded.
The measure reinforces the need for federal resources and maintains prevention actions, such as monitoring foci of Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding sites and awareness campaigns. The city government warns that the population must redouble its care to prevent the proliferation of the vector.
Britain: Avian Influenza
Bird flu has been found in seals at one of England's best-known colonies for the second time in recent months, scientists have said.
The virus has been detected in 15 dead seals during recent testing at Blakeney Point, Norfolk, government figures show.
More tests were carried out by staff from the "avian influenza national reference laboratory" after 2 grey seals tested positive at Blakeney Point in February. Results released by the Animal & Plant Health Agency and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) show that 15 out of 40 seal carcasses tested were positive.
Detail was given in a government statement posted online. Scientists said they could not be sure that bird flu had been the "sole cause of death."
Colombia: Yellow Fever
There is a new yellow fever focus in the south of Tolima.
The Governor of Tolima announces community actions and important resources to counteract new cases of the disease.
The governor of Tolima, Adriana Magali Matiz, announced community and health measures at the end of an extraordinary Departmental Risk Management Council meeting in response to the new case of yellow fever confirmed by the National Institute of Health (INS) in a scattered rural area in Ataco.
The governor announced an investment of $800 million [$190,000 USD] to strengthen community surveillance efforts in the municipalities of Ataco, Rioblanco, Chaparral, Ortega, and Planadas. "It will be a team of community managers with nursing assistants, health professionals, epidemiologists, and, of course, nurses.
India: African Swine Fever
A new outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has struck Mizoram, leading to the deaths of over 510 pigs in just 2 weeks, officials confirmed. The highly contagious disease has spread across 13 villages and localities in Lawngtlai and Mamit districts, prompting urgent containment measures.
Teams from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (AHVD) have already culled around 100 pigs and piglets in an effort to prevent further transmission. The fresh outbreak was confirmed after testing at the Northeast Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NERDDL) in Guwahati.
The outbreak initially surfaced in Lawngtlai district, which shares an unfenced international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh. The infection then spread to Mamit district, which borders Tripura and Bangladesh. Authorities are now closely monitoring the situation to contain the disease and prevent further losses.
Pakistan: Lumpy Skin Disease
Lumpy skin disease (LSD), a highly infectious viral disease affecting cattle, has reemerged in central Sindh, raising alarm bells across the country over its potential spread.
The Sindh livestock department has confirmed multiple cases in Moro and Naushahro, marking the 2nd outbreak in less than 4 years. The disease was first reported in Pakistan in November 2021 in Sindh, followed by outbreaks in Punjab in March 2022, leading to significant losses for farmers.
According to official findings, the virus originally spread from India into Pakistan. The previous outbreaks resulted in economic losses amounting to billions of rupees due to decreased animal productivity, damage to hides, and high mortality rates. An estimated 7,000 cattle died during the 2021-2022 outbreak.
Nigeria: Diphtheria
A few weeks after the report of the diphtheria outbreak at Kings College annex, Victoria Island, the Lagos State government has officially confirmed 10 cases of diphtheria. Meanwhile, the state health authorities have intensified efforts to control the outbreak.
Giving an update on the development by the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, the number of suspected cases fluctuated significantly during the period, with some days seeing as many as 15 cases reported.
Abayomi revealed that laboratory tests on 76 samples confirmed 10 cases of diphtheria, while 63 returned negative results. "Three additional samples … are still awaiting results," he noted.
He said the outbreak has affected several local government areas (LGAs), with Eti-Osa recording the highest number of suspected cases at 44. Other LGAs impacted include Alimosho, Badagry, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Ojo, Mushin, and Lagos Island, which have reported varying numbers of suspected and confirmed cases.
India: Malaria
While most districts in Mizoram are making significant progress toward achieving the central govt's target of zero indigenous malaria cases by 2030, 4 districts along international borders continue to lag behind, said a senior state health department official.
India's malaria eradication program employs a multi-pronged approach, including enhanced surveillance, prompt case management, and integrated vector management, as outlined in the National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) launched in 2016.
Dr Chawngthanchhunga, additional director of the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) under the state health and family welfare department, identified Mamit district (bordering Bangladesh and Tripura), Lunglei district (bordering Bangladesh), Lawngtlai district (bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh), and Siaha district (bordering Myanmar) as the key areas hindering the state's progress in malaria eradication.
India: Avian Influenza
India has recorded its second human death due to bird flu after a 2-year-old girl from Narasaraopet in Andhra Pradesh's Palnadu district succumbed to the H5N1 virus.
The child was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Mangalagiri after experiencing fever and difficulty in breathing. Despite receiving medical treatment, she passed away. Given concerns about avian influenza, her swab samples were tested at the AIIMS, confirming an H5N1 infection.
This diagnosis was later corroborated by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.
"The NIV lab in Pune has confirmed the presence of H5N1 virus in the swab," a health official from Andhra Pradesh told South First.
Morocco: Tuberculosis
A Moroccan public health policy expert has mentioned that tuberculosis (TB) still poses a public health problem of concern in Morocco and, according to WHO disease statistics, the country registers 96 tuberculosis cases and 9 TB-related deaths per day. The country witnessed a slow reduction in annual TB incidence of 1% between the years 2015 and 2021, and this may not help the country in meeting the 2030 WHO global goal of tuberculosis disease elimination.
The policy expert added that "tuberculosis affects 59% of men compared to 41% of women, or 2 women for every 3 men," and "the 25-34 age group is the most affected," noting that "residents of densely populated neighborhoods and neighborhoods surrounding cities are the most vulnerable to infection."
He also said that two-thirds of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases are not detected, which poses a serious public health risk of the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis. In addition, the incidence of extrapulmonary TB cases has risen from 28% in 1990 to 49% in 2021, far exceeding the expected rates.