Building the Future of Biodefense
Biothreat intelligence to deter and detect natural, accidental, deliberate and novel biological agents.
ADVISORY
Uruguay declares national health emergency over avian influenza in wild birds; Argentina reports outbreaks in poultry farm and wild birds
02/25/2026
Uruguay, Departamento de MaldonadoUruguay, Departamento de RochaUruguay, Departamento de CanelonesArgentina, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires
Recommendation: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) regularly causes bird deaths. Organizations in Uruguay and Argentina should remind employees (especially landscaping and facilities workers) to avoid direct contact with wild birds and animals. Employees should wear disposable gloves and a mask, and double-bag dead birds for disposal. PHC recommends that continuity plans be reviewed and updated in preparation for high-consequence infectious disease threats.
Situation: Uruguay declared a national health emergency in response to HPAI H5 detected in wild birds in Maldonado, Rocha, and Canelones. Control measures include restricting movement of backyard poultry, housing backyard and free-range birds indoors, suspending fairs and poultry events, and reinforcing biosecurity practices. Officials urged the public to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and report any suspected cases to help control the virus. Neighboring Argentina also detected HPAI H5 in a commercial poultry farm in Ranchos, Buenos Aires, affecting 30,000 birds. Movement restriction, disinfection measures, and enhanced biosecurity measures were implemented. HPAI was also detected in wild birds in Madariaga, Buenos Aires, affecting swans, gulls, and ducks. [Confidence: Very High]
ADVISORY
Preschool exposure linked to infant measles case in Singapore
02/25/2026
Singapore
Recommendation: Organizations in Singapore 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: Singapore health officials confirmed a measles case in an 11-month-old infant. This is the 5th case this year in a child under 12 months. The child had no recent travel or known contact history with another case, suggesting undetected community transmission. The child attended pre-school during their infectious period, and close contacts were notified. The name of the pre-school was not provided. Health officials advised the public to review their vaccination status and to get vaccinated, noting that 87% of locally acquired measles cases this year occurred in individuals who were not fully vaccinated. [Confidence: Very High]
ADVISORY
Possible mumps exposure at 2 Berkeley schools in California
02/24/2026
California, Alameda County
Recommendation: The average worker absenteeism for mumps is 5 days. Organizations in Alameda County, California, should provide flexible work schedules to support employees making vaccine appointments for themselves or family members.
Situation: According to media sources, 2 Berkeley schools sent notifications of possible mumps exposures. Berkeley High School alerted parents and staff about potential mumps exposure on 2/2, while Sylvia Mendez Elementary School had exposures on 1/14-15. The exposure window for Sylvia Mendez Elementary has closed. City health officials said the cases were linked to a single household with incomplete vaccination and travel-related exposure outside of California, with no evidence of community transmission. [Confidence: Very High]
ADVISORY
Zambia detects vaccine-derived poliovirus in environmental samples, similar to strains in 4 other African countries
02/24/2026
Zambia, Lusaka ProvinceNamibiaAngolaZimbabweMalawi
Recommendation: The polio vaccine is more than 99% effective in preventing poliovirus infection. Travelers to Zambia should verify their polio vaccination status before travel.
Situation: Zambia detected vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 in an environmental sample from Lusaka. No paralysis cases have been recorded. The detected virus is genetically similar to detections in Namibia and Angola, as well as neighboring Zimbabwe and Malawi (see PHC alert on 2/2). [Confidence: Very High]
ADVISORY
Mpox clade 1 continues to circulate across Europe, with Austria detecting its 1st cases
02/23/2026
AustriaSpainGermanyFranceNetherlandsCzechiaItalyIreland
Recommendation: Employers can support employees in obtaining mpox vaccinations by providing flexible work schedules. Information on the availability of mpox vaccines and treatment can also be included in employee wellness communication.
Situation: Austria reported 2 mpox clade 1b cases this month. Before these recent detections, only mpox clade 2 cases had been detected in the country. Across the European Union, 80 other mpox clade 1 cases were reported from 1/1 to 2/18 in Spain (36), Italy (19), Germany (10), France (8), the Netherlands (5), Czechia (1), and Ireland (1). Incidence of clade 1 has steadily increased over recent months in the European Union countries, rising from 8 cases reported in September 2025 to 73 cases reported in January 2026. See PHC alerts on 1/20 and 10/24 for earlier info. [Confidence: Very High]
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