Congo finally begins mpox vaccinations in a drive to slow outbreaks Congolese authorities have started vaccinations against mpox, nearly two months after the disease outbreak that spread from Congo to several other African countries and beyond was declared a global emergency. AP News

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Mpox in Africa: WHO approves first mpox test for quick diagnosis Lack of testing and delays in getting the results have made curbing the virus's spread harder. BBC News

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the first diagnostic test for mpox where the results can be immediately known, saying it could prove pivotal in helping to stop the rising global cases of the deadly virus.

The new PCR test enables the detection of the mpox DNA taken from skin lesion swabs.

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New Covid symptoms as GP says it is 'wiping people out' and cases soar There has been a 31.5% rise in Covid cases week on week, according to the UKHSA Yahoo News

A GP has explained the symptoms of the newest strain of Covid saying they are different from those caused by earlier variants and are leaving people 'wiped out'. The XEC variant of Covid has rapidly become dominant having spread to hundreds of countries around the world.

COVID-19 hospitalization remains higher among older adults At least one household member and six healthcare workers who encountered the index case-patient are being investigated after showing symptoms of viral infection. CIDRAP

New data published yesterday(Thursday) in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) show older adults continue to be hospitalized for COVID-19 at a much higher rate than other age groups. ...

RSV can be deadly—especially for older adults. Why aren’t more of them getting the new vaccine? About 6,000 to 10,000 people 65 and older die from RSV in the U.S. annually, the CDC says. Lindsey Leake Fortune

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US markers show more COVID decline, with RSV rise in the southeast Though KP.3.1.1 variant levels continue to rise, the proportion of XEC viruses is also trending upward. CIDRAP

COVID-19 activity declined last week, with wastewater levels—still highest in the West—now at moderate levels, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today (Friday) in its latest respiratory virus updates. ...

DHS Announces $210 Million of Additional Funds to Protect Faith-Based Institutions and Nonprofit Organizations | Homeland Security DHS announced that it will distribute $210 million in Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the second tranche of additional funding that the Biden-Harris Administration secured to protect faith-based institutions and nonprofit organizations against targeted attacks. U.S. Department of Homeland Security

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Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda draws concern over possibility of international spread A large outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda is drawing international concern about the possibility of spread beyond the country’s borders. Helen Branswell STAT

The number of cases detected so far, 27, already makes the outbreak one of the biggest involving Marburg on record. Nine of those individuals have died. There are currently no licensed vaccines to combat the disease. 

California faces ‘unprecedented’ local spread of dengue fever, possibly driven by climate change California last week clocked its fourth case of locally transmitted dengue fever this year — an alarming rise in a sometimes-deadly disease that experts fear could be fueled by climate change. The … aneklason The Hill

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Survey: COVID home test results can enhance disease tracking At least one household member and six healthcare workers who encountered the index case-patient are being investigated after showing symptoms of viral infection. CIDRAP

Online nonprobability survey estimates suggest that 54 million US COVID-19 infections went uncounted in official records after home tests were widely deployed and institutional testing waned starting in February 2022. ...