Building the Future of Biodefense
Biothreat intelligence to deter and detect natural, accidental, deliberate and novel biological agents.
Recommendation: Organizations with employees affected by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean should include health and safety-related information in their communications. This should cover adhering to local health guidance, wearing personal protective equipment, protecting open wounds, ensuring access to clean water, and warning about flood hazards, including mold and cuts from submerged metal. After the storm, organizations can support mosquito control measures at their facilities by eliminating standing water. Employees should eliminate sources of standing water around their property and prevent mosquito bites by wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent. Travel to affected areas should be reconsidered, as significant infrastructure damage is expected.
Situation: Hurricane Melissa is making a record-breaking Category 5 landfall in Jamaica, likely to bring catastrophic, life-threatening flooding, landslides, and destructive winds. With 185 mph winds and a pressure of 892 mb as of the morning of 10/28, it ranks among some of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded and is the strongest storm globally in 2025 so far. Up to 40 inches of rain and a 9-13 feet storm surge are expected in Jamaica. Melissa will remain a major hurricane as it moves toward Cuba, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and possibly Bermuda, likely causing severe flooding, extensive infrastructure damage, and power outages. Heavy rains could impact the surrounding areas of the Caribbean as well. [Confidence: Very High]
Recommendation: The primary impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in commercial flocks is the increased cost of eggs or poultry products when outbreaks become more widespread. Organizations sensitive to egg and poultry prices should have a contingency plan for price volatility. PHC recommends that continuity plans be reviewed and updated in preparation for high-consequence infectious disease threats.
Situation: Canada detected avian influenza in 7 commercial poultry facilities in British Columbia in less than a week. The outbreaks occurred in Chilliwack and Abbotsford in the Fraser Valley, but the number of affected birds was not provided. Media sources stated that all commercial farms in the province are in a biosecurity lockdown. British Columbia is on the path of a major flyway, increasing the risk of poultry outbreaks due to heightened exposure to migrating wild birds. [Confidence: Very High]
Recommendation: Organizations in Hong Kong and China's Guangdong Province should reduce mosquito habitats by eliminating standing water and applying insecticides to outdoor storage containers, as well as encouraging employees to prevent mosquito bites. Organizations should support pregnant employees who opt not to travel to the affected area. Employees should consult a doctor about vaccination against chikungunya before traveling to Guangdong Province. Vaccine eligibility and availability may vary by country.
Situation: Hong Kong announced its 1st locally acquired chikungunya case. In August, the individual traveled to Guangdong Province, China, where a chikungunya outbreak is ongoing, but she had not traveled internationally during her incubation period in October. Her symptom onset was on 10/18. All household contacts are currently asymptomatic and under monitoring. 46 imported chikungunya cases were reported so far this year in Hong Kong, but none lived near the new local case. Many of Hong Kong's imported cases had links to the outbreak in Guangdong, where 868 new cases were reported in the most recent week of data, according to media sources. This is the first week that new cases in the Guangdong province fell below 1,000 since cases resurged in September. Jiangmen City, one of the hotspots in the province during the resurgence, also declared the end to its Level III emergency response over the weekend after a sustained decline in incidence, with fewer than 50 new cases per day over 5 consecutive days. The cumulative total of the provincial outbreak was not provided. See PHC alerts on 10/20,10/14, 10/7, and 9/29 for earlier info. [Confidence: Very High]
Recommendation: Taiwan typically produces over 800,000 tons of pork annually, and the industry is worth over $3 billion USD. African swine fever (ASF) is highly lethal to pigs and is economically devastating to the pork industry in impacted areas. It cannot infect humans. Outbreaks of the disease can lead to large-scale culling of affected animals and substantial costs. Once the disease is established in wild pig populations, control is difficult, so prevention of importation is key.
Situation: Health officials reported that 40 farms in Taichung’s Wuqi District, where ASF was previously reported (see PHC alert 10/23), all tested negative for the disease. Inspections also found pigs in good condition. Monitoring across other counties has also shown no additional outbreaks. To strengthen prevention, 6 screening laboratories were established nationwide, and officials urged farmers to report any abnormal signs promptly. Officials will continue inspections and sampling of 168 more farms. Environmental sampling at the ASF case site continued to detect the virus after being disinfected, revealing gaps in cleaning procedures, prompting stricter enforcement. A national ban on pig transport and slaughter remains in place, with violators facing uncompensated culling. After completing the 1st phase of inspecting higher-risk farms, the 2nd phase of prevention measures includes enhanced disinfection, inspections of slaughterhouses, meat markets, and transport vehicles, detailed case-site investigations, and expanded tracing for infection risks. [Confidence: Very High]
Recommendation: This pediatric measles death serves as a reminder that measles can be a severe disease. Organizations in Israel should inform employees about the measles exposure locations and provide flexible work schedules to support employees in making vaccine appointments for themselves or family members. Measles is highly contagious and can quickly spread among unvaccinated individuals in a work environment.
Situation: Israeli health officials reported a new measles death in a 2.5-year-old toddler who was not vaccinated, bringing the total pediatric deaths in the country to 8 since August. Additionally, another 6-year-old child from the south of the country, who also was not vaccinated, is on a ventilator due to a measles infection. Areas currently defined as having an outbreak are: Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modi'in Illit, Nof HaGalil, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod, Safed, Netivot, and the Mateh Binyamin. Israel also reported a measles exposure on Wizz Air flight, flight number #W6 2098, from Tel Aviv to Krakow on 10/19, as well as on the company's return flight, flight number #W6 2097, from Krakow to Tel Aviv on 10/21, which landed at Ben Gurion Airport. Exposed individuals should monitor for measles symptoms (7-21 days from exposure). [Confidence: Very High]
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PHC Navigator
PHC Navigator is a biothreat intelligence engine built on expert-curated and proprietary data and models that provides actionable intelligence and insights
