Building the Future of Biodefense
Biothreat intelligence to deter and detect natural, accidental, deliberate and novel biological agents.
ADVISORY
Polio outbreak slows in Papua New Guinea, with no new cases or positive environmental samples this year
02/11/2026
Papua New Guinea
Recommendation: The polio vaccine is more than 99% effective in preventing poliovirus infection. Travelers to Papua New Guinea should verify their polio vaccination status before travel.
Situation: Papua New Guinea provided an update on the polio outbreak, reporting 5 acute flaccid paralysis cases due to vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in 2025, with the last case detected in mid-September. 65 cVDPV2-positive samples were detected in environmental sampling, with the last detection in mid-October. No cases or positive environmental samples have been detected so far in 2026, with health officials stating that the outbreak has slowed. Since the outbreak was declared in May 2025, vaccination campaigns increased the national coverage to 83%, though it remains below the target of 95% coverage in children, according to media sources. See PHC alerts on 8/29, 8/12, 6/10, and 5/16 for earlier info. [Confidence: Very High]
ADVISORY
3 avian influenza human cases reported in China: 2 H9N2 and 1 H10N3
02/11/2026
China, Guangdong ShengChina, Hunan Sheng
Recommendation: China reports avian influenza H9N2 human cases sporadically, while H10N3 human cases are rare and usually associated with severe disease. Historically, the risk of an outbreak from either H9N2 or H10N3 has been extremely low since human-to-human transmission does not usually occur. Employees in or traveling to China should avoid live-animal markets and not have contact with or consume diseased poultry.
Situation: Hong Kong health officials reported 2 new H9N2 human cases in mainland China. One case was detected in Guangdong in a 73-year-old woman with an onset on 1/17, and the other was detected in Hunan in a 2-year-old boy with an onset on 12/29. Mainland China previously recorded 18 H9N2 cases and no deaths in the past 6 months. Additionally, officials reported a new H10N3 human case in Guangdong in a 34-year-old man with onset on 12/29. [Confidence: Very High]
WATCH
California urges vaccination as measles cases rise in the state; Riverside County reports its 1st case in 2026
02/10/2026
California, Riverside CountyCalifornia, Shasta CountyUnited States of America, California
Recommendation: Organizations in California should provide flexible work schedules to support employees in making vaccine appointments for themselves or family members. Measles is highly contagious and can quickly spread among unvaccinated individuals in a work environment.
Situation: Riverside County health officials reported a measles case in a child, marking the county’s 1st confirmed case of 2026. The unvaccinated child is recovering at home and had no recent travel history, suggesting undetected community transmission. Officials stated the case is part of a broader rise in Southern California, where 9 measles cases were confirmed across multiple counties in recent weeks. As of 2/9, a total of 17 measles cases were reported statewide so far this year, including an outbreak of 8 cases in Shasta County. The outbreak in Shasta County is California's 1st measles outbreak since 2020. California also reported over 95% measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination coverage among kindergarteners in the 2024–2025 school year, sufficient to reduce community spread risk. However, to continue achieving protection from measles, California officials urged the public to check their vaccination status and get vaccinated. See PHC alerts 2/9, 2/5, 2/4, 2/3, and 2/2 for earlier info. [Confidence: Very High]
WATCH
Measles case traveled through Arizona's Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
02/10/2026
Arizona, Maricopa CountyArizona, Mohave CountyUnited States of America, Arizona
Recommendation: Organizations in Maricopa County, Arizona, should inform employees about the possible measles exposure. Organizations in Arizona 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: 8 new cases were recorded in the 2025-2026 measles outbreak in Mohave County, Arizona, since PHC's last alert on 1/29, for a county total of 239 cases. Elsewhere in the state, Maricopa County health officials reported that a non-county resident who was infectious with measles traveled through the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, including Terminal 4 on 1/29. The statewide case total for Arizona reached 254 cases for 2025-2026. [Confidence: Very High]
ADVISORY
Fatal Nipah virus case in Bangladesh
02/09/2026
Bangladesh, Rajshahi Division
Recommendation: Nipah virus is severe and often deadly. Individuals are typically infected after consuming fruit or fruit products contaminated by fruit bats. Bangladesh experiences periodic small Nipah virus outbreaks year-round, most commonly between December and April during the date palm sap harvest season. Organizations in Bangladesh should advise employees not to consume raw juice or raw fruit that has been left in the open.
Situation: The WHO confirmed a fatal case of Nipah virus in Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh, involving a middle-aged woman with no travel history but who reported repeated consumption of raw date palm sap. The individual developed symptoms on 1/21 and died on 1/28. Health officials launched an investigation, contact tracing, and community awareness efforts. So far, 35 contacts have been identified and are under monitoring. As of 2/3, no additional cases have been identified. WHO assessed the public health risk at the national and global level as Low. [Confidence: Very High]
Real-time,
World-wide
Biothreat Alerts
Delivered to you at the speed of relevance
Operational and strategic intelligence for biodefense
Leverage operational biosurveillance to anticipate and assess biological risks, drive decision-making, and protect mission-critical operations.
PHC Navigator
PHC Navigator is a biothreat intelligence engine built on expert-curated and proprietary data and models that provides actionable intelligence and insights
PHC Vector
PHC Vector provides direct programmatic access to PHC Global intelligence to simplify an increasingly complex biodefense landscape
