• Deadly tropical disease kala-azar outbreak in South Sudan

    A deadly tropical disease, kala-azar has killed at least 52 people and sickened 2 447 in South Sudan so far in 2017, according to UN OCHA health partners who warn that many more were likely to be infected. The parasitic kala-azar disease, which peaks between…

  • Ebola-like Marburg virus disease presence declared in Uganda

    On October 19, 2017, Uganda's Minister of Health has officially declared the presence of Marburg virus disease, one of the most deadly known pathogens, in the eastern part of the country. The statement comes after one confirmed case was detected and died in…

  • Deadly hepatitis A outbreak spreading through California

    A state of emergency has been declared in California on Friday, October 13, 2017 due to hepatitis A outbreak that has so far killed at least 18 people. The proclamation allows the state to increase its supply of vaccines for the highly contagious virus. A large…

  • Severe plague outbreak affecting large urban areas of Madagascar

    Pneumonic plague has been detected in several cities in Madagascar, WHO reports. This form of plague is highly transmissible (person-to-person) and quickly causes death without treatment. At least 19 people have died since August 27. WHO is concerned that the…

  • Yemen: world’s largest humanitarian crisis and largest cholera outbreak

    Yemen currently holds a double grim world record: the largest humanitarian crisis (20.7 million Yemenis in need of humanitarian assistance, 17 million severely food insecure, at least 462 000 severely malnourished children) and the largest cholera outbreak (with…

  • Severe dengue and zika outbreak in flood-stricken Peru

    Peru’s National Civil Defence Institute (INDECI) reports a severe dengue and zika outbreak in the country, following devastating floods and landslides in February 2017. As of July 5, the Institute reports 20 390 confirmed dengue cases, 46 297 unconfirmed, 56…

  • Cholera outbreak rapidly spreading in Yemen

    The cholera outbreak is rapidly spreading in Yemen, with reported cases tripling over the last week. Since April 27, 2017, at least 180 people have died and 11 000 suspected cholera cases have been reported across 18 governorates in Yemen. On May 14, local health…

  • Ebola outbreak declared in Democratic Republic of Congo

    Health authorities are reporting an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is the first Ebola outbreak since the end of the West Africa outbreak in 2016, and the first in the country since November 2014. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)…