The hottest Outbreak Response Substack posts right now

Measles protection is breaking down as falling vaccination and rising misinformation have already cost several countries (and possibly soon the U.S.) their elimination status, fueling large outbreaks that mostly affect unvaccinated people.
The Nipah outbreak in India is serious but currently small and controlled; the virus doesn’t spread easily between people, lives mainly in bats, and poses a very low risk of becoming a global pandemic.
The U.S. has left the WHO, which reduces U.S. influence and support for global outbreak response, while states like California are linking into WHO networks to try to stay informed and protect their populations.

Influenza is surging nationwide: outpatient ILI and test positivity have climbed sharply, many states now show high activity, and hospitalizations and pediatric deaths are rising. If you haven't had a flu shot yet, it's still the best way to reduce severe illness.
COVID-19 and RSV remain at relatively low levels overall but are inching upward, with small increases seen in wastewater, ED visits, and hospitalizations in some regions. RSV is below average for the season but slowly rising and continues to hit young children hardest.
There are multiple food recalls and a recalled infant formula tied to a botulism outbreak was still found for sale in many stores, contributing to numerous infant hospitalizations. Officials are also reportedly considering changes to the childhood vaccine schedule that could alter routine recommendations.

Flu season has begun — outpatient ILI is above baseline and test positivity rose to 8.1%, with H3N2 making up about 86% of samples and hotspots in New York, New Jersey, Colorado, and Louisiana. A small Thanksgiving-related dip in pediatric cases looks temporary and activity usually rebounds in the following weeks.
COVID-19 is starting to climb from recent lows, with wastewater and regional indicators rising (especially in the Northeast), though severe illness remains very low and increases in ED visits and hospitalizations are small. Expect a typical winter uptick even if current burden is still low.
RSV is still low nationally but is increasing in most states, with higher wastewater activity in places like DC, Florida, Kentucky, Colorado, and Louisiana, while ED visits and test positivity remain well below last year. Other respiratory viruses (adenovirus, parainfluenza) are still active, rhinoviruses are falling, and human coronaviruses and metapneumovirus are beginning to rise.

Voices in Print helps patients and advocates turn specific, actionable ideas into editorials for medical journals by pairing them with professional writers and removing cost and submission barriers.
A Measles Response Repository is collecting operational data from health departments that handled measles outbreaks since 2024 to learn what strategies, staff time, and financial resources worked best.
Both projects invite free participation through short submissions or surveys (without asking for personal health information) to improve clinical care and public health planning by amplifying lived experience and real-world data.

Canada has lost measles elimination status because the virus has been spreading locally for over 12 months, so measles is now endemic there.
The ongoing outbreaks seem to have started in undervaccinated, tight-knit communities (notably a Mennonite gathering) that seeded continuous transmission and occasional spillovers into the wider population.
This shows how fragile disease control is and that high vaccination rates, strong surveillance, and targeted outreach are needed to prevent and contain wider outbreaks.

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