WHO: Common respiratory viruses seen in samples from remote DR Congo outbreak Further tests found seasonal flu, rhinovirus, COVID, and other common respiratory viruses, alongside malaria and complications from malnutrition. CIDRAP

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The WHO now refers to the outbreak as acute respiratory infections complicated by malaria. Officials said acute malnutrition led to an increase in severe illnesses and deaths.

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Bird flu update: CDC says it's searching for these pandemic red flags The CDC has revealed the red flags it is monitoring for that suggest that bird flu was about to become the world's next pandemic. Newsweek

The CDC told Newsweek Monday that while bird flu's current risk to the general public remains low, the agency is carefully monitoring for several red flags that could indicate that the virus could be on the verge of becoming a pandemic.

Those red flags include any outbreaks of bird flu that are spread from person-to-person, as well as evidence that the virus has mutated, making it easier for it to spread between humans.

COVID update: CDC map reveals states with "high" wastewater viral activity Levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, were found to be high in more than half of U.S. states' wastewater. Newsweek

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Between December 15 and December 21, the CDC detected "very high" levels of COVID-19 in the wastewater levels of 14 states: Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The CDC found "high" levels in 14 states: Idaho, Utah, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine.

CDC: Respiratory illness activity high nationally RSV activity remains high, with pediatric hospitalizations increasing across most of the country. CIDRAP

According to the latest weekly update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity continue to increase across the country, with COVID wastewater detections reaching high levels. ...