An end-of-year comprehensive report by the John Hopkins School of Public Health reviewed 10 major public health news events of 2024 and concluded with this headline describing the past year: “A rollercoaster for public health, with historic firsts, unwelcome comebacks, and rays of hope.”
Here’s a summary of three of these public health events which involved outbreaks of viral and bacterial diseases:
The Big Story: Continuing and Re-emergence of viruses
Many viruses the public is now familiar with continued in what experts called a “concerning year”
Even though the severity of the flu this year was rated as “moderate,” the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that influenza was associated with 40 million illnesses, 18 million medical visits, 470,000 hospitalizations, and 28,000 deaths, sadly including a new high of 200 pediatric deaths. Due to suboptimal vaccination rates, the CDC data showed an increase in number of flu-related illnesses and deaths.
Although less severe COVID remained with us with a summer surge of COVID. In March, for the first time since 2021, the CDC updated its COVID isolation guidance, just a few months before the rise of new Virus variants. JN.1, which drove a summer surge. In late August newer COVID vaccines including those from Moderna and Pfizer and a protein-based vaccine from Novavax became available. As with flu vaccines, many Americans have been slow to take advantage of the COVID vaccines, however.
H5N1 Avian Influenza has arrived in the US and M pox (commonly referred to as monkey pox) is not far behind
Another virus in the news H5N1 (popularly known as bird flu) has been circulating in wild birds and on poultry farms for years, but in March it was found in dairy cows, and in October in a pig. On Dec. 18th H5NI was detected in 123,689,426 poultry and on 860 dairy farms.
Another virus in the news H5N1 (popularly known as bird flu) has been circulating in wild birds and on poultry farms for years, but in March it was found in dairy cows, and in October in a pig. On Dec. 18th H5NI was detected in 123,689,426 poultry and on 860 dairy farms in the U.S.
Locally the Illinois Dept of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Il Dept of Communicable Disease, working with the CDC, are monitoring potential spread of this virus in animals and humans. Apryl Elliott Assistant Director for communicable Disease of Kane County and Nick Kubiac, Public Information Officer, McHenry County Health Dept. have confirmed “There have been no animal diagnosis of H5N1 in either county, with only 1 detection of Avian Flu in an animal in IL to date- a wild bird in DuPage County.” There have been no cases human cases of H1N1 in IL. The Department of NDNR and the Il Dept of Agriculture monitor the spread of this condition and report any confirmed cases to local health departments for follow up.
Biologists have raised alarms about the danger of HINI to spread to humans, as more than 50 human cases have been confirmed in the U.S. “The good news, so far,” Andrew Pekosz, PhD, professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, said in November, “is that no clear person-to-person transmission of any significant nature has been documented or detected.” A good resource for readers wanting to keep up to date on this virus is: www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html
While M pox previously had been found in Africa, now cases have been found outside the continent, specifically in Sweden. In August, Epidemiologist professor William Moss, MD, MPH warned, “It’s just a matter of time before we see clade 1(the most recent variant) here in the U.S.
A resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases
The CDC reported 16 outbreaks of measles in 2024, compared with four in 2023. The surge is believed to be caused by inadequate vaccination coverage, fueled by the anti-vaccination movement.
Pertussis, too, returned with a vengeance: More than six times as many cases of the highly contagious bacterial infection have been reported compared to the same time in 2023.
“We’ve done remarkably well in preventing vaccine-preventable diseases and in achieving high immunization coverage in America. But there are communities throughout the U.S. where vaccine coverage is lower than it needs to be,”
Next month’s health report will continue with a review of the remaining seven significant public health events of 2024 and a peek into emerging 2025 issues.
