Building the Future of Biodefense

Recommendation: Informational update. Rabies is endemic in the Philippines, which ranks among the top 10 countries globally most affected by the disease. Human rabies cases are 100% fatal if untreated. Travelers should consider getting vaccinated against rabies before travel if they might come in contact with dogs, cats, or wildlife, or plan to work with animals during travel. Travelers potentially exposed to rabies, including those bitten, scratched, or having a fresh wound, should immediately seek medical care.

Situation: According to media sources, the Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized suspected counterfeit anti-rabies vaccines, branded “Equirab,” during an enforcement operation in Aurora following a rabies-related death of an 8-year-old child. Inspections of drugstores on 2/10 near Aurora Memorial Hospital, where anti-rabies vaccines were reportedly purchased, uncovered multiple violations involving the sale, handling, and storage of anti-rabies vaccines. The FDA secured and sealed all vaccine stocks, including confiscating “Equirab” doses flagged under FDA Advisory No. 2025-1415 as counterfeit. The identified distributor was also found to have committed multiple violations, including failing to provide vaccine source records and lacking proper storage equipment for high-risk biological products. The FDA warned that counterfeit or improperly stored vaccines pose serious health risks, including treatment failure and death. [Confidence: Very High]

Recommendation: Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is highly contagious; a single case in the workplace can infect 15 others. The average worker absenteeism for whooping cough is 6 days. Organizations in Yukon, Canada, should provide flexible work schedules to support employees making vaccine appointments for themselves or family members.

Situation: Canada reported a rising number of whooping cough cases in the Yukon this week. The number of cases was not specified. Health officials urged the public to seek care if they develop respiratory symptoms. The advisory was issued ahead of the Arctic Winter Games, which will take place in Whitehorse from 3/8 - 3/14, bringing nearly 2,000 volunteers, 2,000 athletes, and other participants from the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, and Greenland together. Mass gatherings can increase disease spread. [Confidence: Very High]

Recommendation: The polio vaccine is more than 99% effective in preventing poliovirus infection. Travelers to Papua New Guinea should verify their polio vaccination status before travel.

Situation: Papua New Guinea provided an update on the polio outbreak, reporting 5 acute flaccid paralysis cases due to vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in 2025, with the last case detected in mid-September. 65 cVDPV2-positive samples were detected in environmental sampling, with the last detection in mid-October. No cases or positive environmental samples have been detected so far in 2026, with health officials stating that the outbreak has slowed. Since the outbreak was declared in May 2025, vaccination campaigns increased the national coverage to 83%, though it remains below the target of 95% coverage in children, according to media sources. See PHC alerts on 8/29, 8/12, 6/10, and 5/16 for earlier info. [Confidence: Very High]

Recommendation: China reports avian influenza H9N2 human cases sporadically, while H10N3 human cases are rare and usually associated with severe disease. Historically, the risk of an outbreak from either H9N2 or H10N3 has been extremely low since human-to-human transmission does not usually occur. Employees in or traveling to China should avoid live-animal markets and not have contact with or consume diseased poultry.

Situation: Hong Kong health officials reported 2 new H9N2 human cases in mainland China. One case was detected in Guangdong in a 73-year-old woman with an onset on 1/17, and the other was detected in Hunan in a 2-year-old boy with an onset on 12/29. Mainland China previously recorded 18 H9N2 cases and no deaths in the past 6 months. Additionally, officials reported a new H10N3 human case in Guangdong in a 34-year-old man with onset on 12/29. [Confidence: Very High]