Building the Future of Biodefense
Biothreat intelligence to deter and detect natural, accidental, deliberate and novel biological agents.
Recommendation: Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is highly contagious; a single case in the workplace can infect 15 others. The whooping cough death in a child is a reminder that the disease can be deadly. The average worker absenteeism for whooping cough is 6 days. Organizations in Japan should provide flexible work schedules to support employees making vaccine appointments for themselves or family members.
Situation: Japan reported 11,921 cases of whooping cough so far in 2025 as of 4/27, almost 3 times the total for all of 2024, with 4,054 cases. By region, Niigata (876), Tokyo (846), and Osaka (781) have the highest number of cases. With rising whooping cough cases, media sources reported that the Japanese Pediatric Society recommended vaccinating infants at higher risk at 2 months old, rather than waiting until 6 months, to prevent severe illness or death. See PHC alert 4/23 and 4/9 for earlier info. [Confidence: Very High]
Recommendation: The rise in measles cases in Ontario, Canada, warrants greater attention from organizations. Organizations in Ontario should provide flexible work schedules to support employees making vaccine appointments for themselves or family members. Measles is highly contagious and can quickly spread among unvaccinated individuals in a work environment.
Situation: Ontario, Canada, reported 197 new measles cases this week, totaling 1,440 measles cases since the outbreak started in Oct 2024. 17 health units reported cases, with the most cases in southwestern Ontario. 101 cases in the outbreak required hospitalization. 76% of cases were in infants, children, and adolescents, while 87% of cases were unimmunized. See PHC alerts on 5/1, 4/17, 4/10, 4/3, and 3/27 for earlier information. [Confidence: Very High]
Recommendation: Organizations in Williams County, North Dakota, should inform employees about the measles exposure locations and provide flexible work schedules to support employees making vaccine appointments for themselves or family members. Employees with children may require absenteeism for childcare during school exclusion periods. Measles is highly contagious and can quickly spread among unvaccinated individuals in a work environment.
Situation: North Dakota health officials confirmed 5 more measles cases in unvaccinated individuals from Williams County, bringing the total to 9. The new cases had no contact with previous cases, suggesting local community spread. Exposures include: Williston Walmart (4/29), Missouri Ridge Elementary, Williston Middle School, and Williston High School. No exposure dates were given for the schools. Health officials stated that unvaccinated students at these schools should stay home for 21 days after exposure, along with staff without vaccination documentation or born after 1957. Exposed individuals should monitor for measles symptoms (7-21 days from exposure). Health officials advised the public to review their vaccination status and to get vaccinated. See PHC alerts 5/6 and 5/5 for earlier info. [Confidence: Very High]
Recommendation: Informational update only. Organizations should follow the recommendations provided in the PHC analysis on 1/10 and 2/13, including lowering barriers to seasonal flu vaccines for their employees.
Situation: The CDC's Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT) evaluates the potential pandemic risk of novel influenza A viruses. The latest assessment reviewed two recent clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses: a B3.13 genotype virus and a D1.1 genotype virus. Both viruses scored as "moderate risk" for emergence and public health impact. The IRAT does not assess immediate public health risk or predict future pandemics. The current H5N1 bird flu situation continues to be mostly an animal health issue, and human risk remains low. [Confidence: Very High]
Recommendation: Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is highly contagious and can be deadly; a single case in the workplace can infect 15 others. The average worker absenteeism for whooping cough is 6 days. Organizations in Mexico should provide flexible work schedules to support employees making vaccine appointments for themselves or family members.
Situation: Mexico reported 835 confirmed cases of whooping cough so far this year, including 49 deaths. All deaths were in children under the age of 1 who were unvaccinated, and most were in children under the age of 6 months. In the first 4 months of 2025, Mexico approached the 2019 annual total of cases (874). See PHC alerts on 4/14 and 3/4 for earlier info. [Confidence: Very High]
Real-time,
World-wide
Product Alerts
Delivered to you at the speed of relevance
Operational and strategic intelligence for biodefense
Leverage operational biosurveillance to anticipate and assess biological risks, drive decision-making, and protect
mission-critical operations.
PHC Navigator
PHC Navigator is a biothreat intelligence engine built on expert-curated and proprietary data and models that provides actionable intelligence and insights
