PHC Global Alerts
Japan's Ministry of Health data shows flu levels surpassed their alert-level for the second consecutive week; several schools have closed throughout the flu season; employers should expect continued illness-related absenteeism.
Employees can take steps to prevent mosquito bites by wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent; employers reduce mosquito populations at...read more their facilities by removing standing water; dengue fever virus can cause severe disease; 12 new cases identified statewide between October 29 - November 4, bringing the 2023 total to 110 locally-acquired cases.
Dengue fever virus can cause severe disease; Chad has mosquitoes that can carry dengue fever virus, but had not previously reported outbreaks; the dis...read moreease is expected in neighboring Sudan, and Chad's outbreak is on the border; the massive influx of refugees may have introduced the virus to the local mosquito population; Chad's government does not have the public health experience or resources to swiftly contain this outbreak; businesses operating in the area should 1) urgently educate employees about the disease and avoiding mosquito bites, 2) take steps to eliminate mosquitoes at their facilities
Updated South Korean surveillance reports show malaria cases at highest level in 12 years; malaria is expected in certain regions of South Korea; the...read more malaria season is ending, but new cases are still occurring; avoid mosquito bites (e.g., protective clothing, insect repellent)
Active tuberculosis is highly contagious, and the outbreak has not been contained; employers should encourage employees in Northeast Arkansas who have had a persistent cough for more than two weeks to contact their healthcare provider
States reporting increases include CA, ID, NV, and OH; mpox can cause severe disease in individuals with underlying immunosuppression; transmission ty...read morepically requires close or intimate contact with an infected individual; ensure that employees at high risk have access to available vaccines
Measles is highly transmissible among unvaccinated individuals and can be serious in children; an imported case in March has resulted in 475 total cas...read morees; in temperate climates, cases rise in winter and spring; schools can also amplify transmission; the Armenian school year began 1 Sept; slowing this outbreak may become more challenging in the coming months; employees and their families should ensure that they are up to date on measles vaccination
No outbreak source has been identified; PHC will update as soon as actionable information is available; since August 3rd, Middlesex and Union counties...read more have reported a combined total of 41 cases (compared to the expected 6 to 8 in this time period per county); officials have not yet identified a link between the cases; Legionnaires' disease is transmitted through water (often HVAC) and not person-to-person
No enterprise business action is needed at this time, but PHC will continue to monitor the outbreak and report updates as needed; four detainees have ...read moredied within a three week period as a result of an unexplained illness in the Ruyigi prison in Burundi; overcrowding in the prison may be a contributing factor
Businesses impacted by last season's widespread outbreaks and higher egg prices should monitor the start of the avian influenza season, but there have...read more been fewer outbreaks in North America so far this season; highly pathogenic avian influenza causes severe disease in poultry farms; the 16 outbreaks indicate the season has started; the severity of last year's outbreaks led to improved biosecurity measures at many farms and will provide additional protection this season