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The early weeks of 2026 have seen a significant decline in reported cholera cases compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in its week #5 report.
The ECDC reported that from January 1 to January 27, 2026, a total of 1,203 cholera cases, including seven deaths, were reported across eight countries: Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, and Zambia.
Health authorities attribute the decline to a combination of seasonal factors, improved response efforts, and expanded interventions in high-risk areas.
This figure marks a significant decrease from the equivalent period in 2025, when 10,043 cases and 32 deaths were reported worldwide by January 27. The reduction aligns with broader trends observed in late 2025, when global cholera activity began to ease in some regions after peaks in previous years.
For context, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a cumulative total of approximately 614,828 cholera cases and 7,598 deaths from January 1 to December 28, 2025, across 33 countries in five WHO regions.
Vaccine availability is a critical concern in controlling disease outbreaks.
The global oral cholera vaccine (OCV) stockpile, managed by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) and partners such as UNICEF and WHO, has fluctuated in recent years as high demand has outstripped production.
As of early 2026, emergency stockpile reports indicate that over 20 million doses are available (including formulations such as OCV-S), with ongoing production increases aimed at meeting global needs.
WHO-prequalified OCVs, such as Vaxchora, are being deployed for reactive vaccination campaigns in affected areas.
The ECDC and the WHO say that international travelers to affected regions should consult healthcare providers and local travel vaccination experts about OCV options to prevent disease while abroad.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) announced yesterday that it is investigating a new confirmed case of measles in an individual who recently returned from international travel.
This case, the second reported in the county as of February 1, 2026, involves a traveler who was infectious while passing through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and visiting at least one other public location.
LACDPH officials are warning that anyone present in Terminal B from 10:45 p.m. on January 26 to 1 a.m. on January 27 may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus.
In collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health departments are notifying passengers seated near the traveler on the international flight. An additional potential exposure site at Dunkin' Donuts, 22020 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91364, on January 30, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
California has reported several cases so far in 2026, including this one in Los Angeles County and related exposures in neighboring Orange County, where the traveler also visited popular locations such as Disneyland.
"Measles is a serious respiratory disease that spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, particularly among people who are not already protected against it," said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer, in a recent press release.
"A person can spread the illness to others before symptoms appear, and it can take 7 to 21 days for symptoms to show up after exposure. Measles can lead to severe disease in young children and vulnerable adults."
"As LA County residents begin to travel this summer, and with measles cases increasing among those who have traveled recently, we remind everyone that the best way to protect yourself and your family from infection is through the highly effective measles vaccine."
LACDPH says anyone who believes they may have been exposed should consult a healthcare provider promptly and inform them of their potential exposure before any in-person visit to avoid further spread in medical settings.
These LAX cases come amid a significant national rise in measles cases.
As of late January 2026, the CDC reported 588 confirmed cases in the United States, marking the highest January total since the country declared measles eliminated in 2000. Current outbreaks have been identified in South Carolina and Utah.
In 2025, the U.S. recorded 2,242 cases, one of the highest annual totals in decades.
As of February 2026, the CDC continues publishing a global measles outbreak Travel Health Notice, alerting international travelers to this health risk. To locate a travel vaccine clinic, visit Vax-Before-Travel.com.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified the 2025-2026 influenza season as moderate severity across all age groups.
However, seasonal influenza activity remains elevated nationwide and increased last week after three weeks of decline.
And Influenza A activity has remained stable, while influenza B activity has increased.
As of January 30, 2026, the CDC's FluView reported #3 stated that at this point in the flu season, the pediatric age group is classified as having high severity, while both the adult and older adult age groups are classified as having moderate severity.
Furthermore, the CDC confirmed eight additional influenza-associated pediatric deaths this week, bringing the total for the 2025-2026 season to 52.
Among children who were eligible for influenza vaccination and with known vaccine status, approximately 90% of reported pediatric deaths this season have occurred in children who were not fully vaccinated against influenza.
The CDC and healthcare providers throughout the USA encourage all children to be protected from influenza by accessing flu shots when recommended.
Despite the United Kingdom (UK) maintaining high vaccination coverage and remaining polio-free for decades, recent detections of poliovirus in wastewater have emerged as a significant early warning signal.
As of January 28, 2026, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) reported the detection of a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in an environmental sample in the UK.
This finding was part of routine wastewater surveillance conducted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and is part of ongoing efforts to monitor for poliovirus in sewage systems.
This recent detection aligns with a pattern of similar findings in the UK. Previous cVDPV2 detections in the UK during 2025 and late 2024 were linked to specific sites, for example:
A single sample from Shoreham STW on January 20, 2025 (with follow-up negative).
Other 2025 instances in regions such as Yorkshire and the Humber (September 2025 sample).
Detections in late 2024 from East Worthing STW (covering parts of West Sussex), Leeds Knostrop STW, and London Beckton/Crossness STWs.
In June 2022, UKHSA announced that environmental surveillance for polio had consistently detected poliovirus in sewage samples collected from the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in London.
Additional cases were noted in sources like the GPEI's weekly updates and UKHSA reports.
The strain involved in the recent UK detections has often been genetically linked to broader international clusters. In late 2024 and into 2025, a specific genetic cluster of cVDPV2—originating from lineages first observed in Nigeria—was detected in wastewater across multiple European countries, including the UK.
These detections underscored the risk of importation and silent circulation in under-vaccinated areas, prompting calls from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As of January 30, 2026, the CDC's Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions, Travel Health Notice lists 32 countries, including the UK. The CDC advises speaking with a travel vaccine advisor about immunization options before visiting countries at high risk for poliovirus.
CDC health experts say that as long as the poliovirus circulates anywhere, the risk of importation persists, even in polio-free regions.
