Hot Topics in IPC: Measles, Avian Flu, Unidentified Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo, and More

Saskia v Popescu, PhD, presents Hot Topics in Infection Prevention

Measles in Texas – Rising Cases and a Pediatric Death

On Wednesday, it was reported that an unvaccinated child in West Texas died as a result of their measles infection. This is the first measles death in the US since 2015, and as the outbreak of 124 cases across 9 countries continues to spread, there is worry it will not be the last.

“This is a big deal,” Amy Thompson, MD, a pediatrician and chief executive officer of Covenant Health, said Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at a news conference. “We have known that we have measles in our community, and we are now seeing a very serious consequence.”

Despite comments from HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr, this is highly unusual and underscored significant gaps in vaccination across the state. The Texas Department of State Health Service has reported several exposures in the community, working to inform the public so those with potential exposures can quarantine and seek testing and care should symptoms occur.

More largely, concerns around vaccine-preventable diseases have grown as the FDA canceled a vaccine advisory committee meeting to discuss next season’s influenza shots, which has many worried that this speaks to larger anti-vaccine pressure from within HHS and other health agencies.

Unidentified Outbreak in DRC and Ensuring Global Health Security

A day before Elon Musk admitted to accidentally canceling USAID’s Ebola prevention/response efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of an unidentified infectious disease causing 53 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While Ebola has been ruled out, this underscores the ever-present threat of emerging infectious diseases.

“At least 431 cases have been reported since January of individuals suffering from fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue, according to the WHO’s Africa office. The illness — believed to have broken out in 2 separate villages in Équateur province — has a fatality rate of 12.3 percent, the WHO said. Investigators traced the outbreak’s origin to the village of Boloko, where 3 children under the age of 5 died after reportedly eating a bat carcass, health officials said. In addition to the other symptoms reported with this disease, the three children suffered symptoms similar to those of a hemorrhagic fever — bleeding from the nose and vomiting blood — before they died between January 10 and 13[, 2025].” You can read the WHO Africa Region weekly bulletin on outbreaks here.

H5N1 Updates and Plan

USDA $1 Billion Plan to Fight Avian Flu & Lower Egg Prices

(Credit: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/02/26/usda-invests-1-billion-combat-avian-flu-and-reduce-egg-prices)

No new H5N1 cases have been reported in herds, which hopefully means cases have slowed—or more worrisome, perhaps testing and reporting? To combat rising egg shortages, prices, and H5N1 infections, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new 5-step plan to combat the outbreak in the poultry industry.

You can also read USDA Secretary Rollins’s opinion article on the outbreak here. The plan includes the 5 key pieces:

• Invest in gold-standard biosecurity measures for all US poultry producers
• Increase relief to aid farmers and accelerate repopulation
• Remove unnecessary regulatory burdens on the chicken and egg industry to further innovation and reduce consumer prices
• Explore pathways toward vaccines, therapeutics, and other strategies for protecting egg-laying chickens to reduce instances of depopulation
• Consider temporary import-export options to reduce costs for consumers and evaluate international best practices