Building the Future of Biodefense

Recommendation: Human rabies cases are 100% fatal if untreated. Employees in Los Angeles County, California, should avoid interacting with wild animals (including bats) and seek immediate medical care and contact their local health department if they are bitten or scratched by an animal with suspected rabies.

Situation: Los Angeles County health officials detected rabies in 61 bats so far in 2025, the 2nd highest total ever recorded in the county. Only 2021 saw more, with 68 rabid bats confirmed. This increase continues a decade-long upward trend. Rabid bats have been detected throughout LA County, with the highest numbers in the Santa Clarita Valley, particularly among the Canyon Bat species. Rabies activity typically peaks in late summer. Health officials urged residents to avoid contact with bats, to immediately speak with their medical provider or contact public health if they have had contact, and to report any bats found indoors or acting abnormally. [Confidence: Very High]

Recommendation: Organizations in Selangor, Malaysia, should provide flexible work schedules to allow sick employees (or those with caregiving duties) to stay home until 48 hours after gastrointestinal symptoms have stopped. Encourage robust hand and food hygiene.

Situation: According to media sources, over 800 staff members of a government agency and their families experienced food poisoning after a family day event at a theme park in Selangor, Malaysia, on 10/4. Many participants experienced vomiting and diarrhea within an hour of eating the event’s meals, with some requiring hospitalization for severe dehydration and diarrhea. Health officials ordered the park’s kitchen to be temporarily closed for two weeks while the investigation is ongoing. [Confidence: Very High]

Recommendation: Anthrax is endemic in southern and eastern Europe, with a few human cases reported every year across the continent. Organizations should caution employees working in or traveling to Hungary to avoid consuming meat from dead or improperly slaughtered livestock.

Situation: Hungary confirmed its first anthrax detection in cattle since 2019. The disease was detected in a frozen meat sample from a cattle slaughtered at home in Békés at the end of October. Several individuals participated in the slaughter and later developed symptoms. The exact number of human cases was not specified. Health officials implemented control measures and launched an epidemiological investigation. [Confidence: Very High]

Recommendation: The primary impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in commercial flocks is the increased cost of eggs or poultry products when outbreaks become more widespread. Organizations sensitive to egg and poultry prices should have a contingency plan for price volatility. PHC recommends that continuity plans be reviewed and updated in preparation for high-consequence infectious disease threats.

Situation: All devolved nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland announced mandatory housing orders for poultry and captive birds this week due to the increased risk of avian influenza outbreaks. 7 commercial poultry outbreaks were reported in England so far this month, in North Yorkshire (2), Lincolnshire (2), Suffolk (1), Devon (1), and Norfolk (1). In the past week, Northern Ireland detected HPAI at 2 commercial poultry farms in County Tyrone and County Fermanagh. Elsewhere in Europe, the Netherlands detected HPAI on a commercial poultry facility in Emmeloord, affecting 45,000 birds. HPAI detections in commercial poultry and captive birds continue to rise in Germany, with 66 outbreaks affecting over 1 million birds since October. At the end of October, Slovenia also reported its 1st HPAI detection of 2025 in a wild bird near Lake Velenje. [Confidence: Very High]