COVID, Flu, Bundibugyo Ebolavirus, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu, Shamonda, Bluetongue, Measles and Other Virus and Health UK and World News Update 6th November 2026
Depending on which agencies measurements you use, COVID is running rampant in the UK, and also at "low levels". Either way it's not great, but the percentage of positive test results in England is down a little on last week. Bob Hawkins from Seeing The Forest For The Trees suggests England and N.Ireland Low, Scotland Medium, Wales Moderate, which lines up with what else I'm reading online (and in real life).
The UK's early flu season is very much visible, the percentage of positive test results is up and it is also deemed to be at "low levels" (UK HSA) with regional variation. There is some pressure regionally on hospitals, with a couple of critical incidents reported over the last fortnight (including currently Truro, Cornwall).
Our other main cause of respiratory problems, RSV, is beginning to wake up for Winter, but still at "baseline levels".
According to ONS figures, week ending 23rd October there were 10,272 deaths registered in England and Wales, which is 6.7% lower than expected (732 fewer deaths), but 11.0% involved influenza or pneumonia (1,130 deaths).
NHS Consultants will be striking on 25th and 26th November after a ballot by the BMA Union. This is the first senior doctor's strike since 2023, and is over pay, conditions and working hours. "Christmas Day cover" will be in place, so no patients will come to harm.
Hundreds of GP surgeries across England and Wales demonstrated one of the problems with outsourcing your websites last week, when software company Silicon Practice went into administration without giving them any warning. Websites for up to 1,000 GP surgeries became unavailable (around 500 in England). It left patients unable to access website appointment booking, consultations and test results, although patients could still access information and book appointments by calling, or visiting in person, and in some cases emailing.
Another person has died from measles in Pennsylvania. This is the 6th measles-associated death in Pennsylvania this year.
An unvaccinated child in New York has died from measles. This is New York's first measles death in 30 years.
On Thursday it was reported an infant has died from measles in Wisconsin. This is Wisconsin's first measles death in 36 years.
The US has had 3 measles-associated deaths in a single week, and it is 2026. 2 doses of the MMR or measles vaccine will prevent 97% of people from catching measles. Anti-vaccine misinformation is killing children.
As of 5th November, 5,182 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. Only 2% of patients are fully vaccinated, 11% (562) have been hospitalised. We will probably never know how many have been left with permanent damage, including blindness, hearing loss and brain damage.
"More than 30 senior Conservatives are named in newly released records of companies referred to the government’s controversial Covid PPE ‘VIP lane’ back in 2020, following a five-year fight by Democracy for Sale to force the government to divulge the information."
Thank you Democracy for Sale for going to tribunal to get this released.
"In total, 415 suppliers were channelled down the VIP lane, according to documents supplied to the Covid Inquiry and seen by Democracy for Sale. Conservative politicians referred 119 of them, and 25 went on to win contracts. Politicians from other parties referred just five, none of which landed a deal."
Anyone on the VIP lane was 10 times as likely to be awarded a contract, and "around £1bn of the £1.7bn spent on PPE from VIP suppliers was wasted on supplies later deemed unfit to use".
Referrers included 8 of Boris Johnson's cabinet ministers at the time, including Dominic Raab, Robert Buckland, Grant Shapps, Michael Gove and Simon Hart. Health Secretary Matt Hancock had referred at least 24 businesses, Conservative party chairman Lord Feldman at least 18, and Cabinet Office minister Lord Agnew at least 10.
The bank Santander referred at least 4 suppliers, and Sarah Ferguson (ex-wife of ex-Prince Andrew) was also a referee.
So next time we have a pandemic, lets not be having a VIP lane please, because hiring your mates isn’t always the best use of our money...
Bundibugyo Ebola. This is still nowhere nearer being under control. At latest count, as of 5th November, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported a total of 10,741 confirmed cases, including 5,230 related deaths (up to 4th November).
One of the additional Bundibugyo Ebola patients in Kenya has died. She was a 65 year old woman and a close relative of the deceased Kenyan index case. As of today's update 6 of the other positive patients have recovered, leaving one person under medical care.
Although there is no specific treatment or 'cure' for Ebola, including Bundibugyo Ebola, all of these patients were known contacts who were being watched. As soon as symptoms began, care could begin. Rapid access to address fever, dehydration, pain, low oxygen and other symptoms massively improves chances of survival. Even so, excellent work by Kenyan health authorities. Bundibugyo is assumed to have a mortality rate of up to 50%.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has provided an update on their first confirmed Ebola Virus Disease case, reporting that "genomic analysis indicates that the virus identified in Nigeria is genetically related to the virus identified in a case in Kenya".
The 2 cases are very closely linked, with just one mutation, suggesting it's very possible one caught it from the other (if true, most plausibly the diplomat's wife caught it from the index Kenyan patient at the airport).
The Ebola patient in Nigeria and her diplomat husband have now been evacuated home to Switzerland (they are Swiss citizens) by air ambulance. Her health is stable, but she remains infectious and was transported on a stretcher with a tent and her own air supply.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has approved an emergency payment of N100,000 per person weekly to support anyone placed in isolation or quarantine as part of efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory. That is about £55, and should make a world of difference to most people identified as contacts.
Over the last week the Ebola outbreak did look like it might be spreading with 2 suspected cases in Nigeria, 2 in Israel and 2 in Colombia, including one person who had succumbed. All 6 of those people have tested negative for Ebola, with the Colombian patients testing positive for very severe Malaria.
Sadly not everyone has a negative Bundibugyo Ebola test result and a British citizen has tested positive. They are a UK medical doctor who was working with a humanitarian organisation in the DRC. It seems most likely they were medically evacuated back to the UK on Wednesday night, and they are now receiving care in a specialist high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital, London. That is exactly what you'd expect, previous UK nationals who have caught Ebola overseas have been repatriated and treated there, they are experts. I wish the patient well.
In DRC although distrust of medics and aid workers is reducing in some areas, in others it's still horrific. Last week a nurse was killed and a health worker severely injured after they were attacked while responding to an Ebola alert in the town of Bafwasende, Tshopo province.
These medics are working in dreadful circumstances. It is a warzone, they're being attacked by patients and relatives, and they aren't being kept safe from Ebola. Last week 3 Doctors died from Ebola in a single treatment centre in Beni in less than 72 hours.
It's an horrific statistic, an horrific loss of life and morale there must be through the floor. Healthworkers should NOT be at risk from Ebola once you know it is a possibility and meet with every patient wearing appropriate PPE. They deserve far better.
Last month in the DRC a vaccine trial began using the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for Ebola virus, but not for Bundibugyo virus.
On Wednesday WHO expert groups recommended adding two Bundibugyo-specific vaccine candidates to the trial - ChAdOx1 BDBV, developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna's mRNA-1469.
Ugandan officials continue to vehemently deny there is any Ebola in Uganda. They are incredibly concerned about the effect any negative press might have on trade. At this moment we are unaware of any cases of Ebola in Uganda, so they could absolutely be correct, but their protesting is uncomfortable. The Ugandan Health Minister has even disputed Switzerland's statement that the diplomat and his wife did not visit DRC.
Meanwhile Uganda has further tightened Ebola prevention measures. Anyone who has travelled to DRC and is for specific reasons still allowed into Uganda has to pay for a mandatory 21 day quarantine, and ALL travellers entering Uganda have to fill in locator forms regardless of where they've visited.
Last Friday Saudi Arabia barred entry to anyone travelling from Kenya. They have already barred entry to snyone travelling from Uganda, DRC and South Sudan. Politicians and sensible people are pointing out it does not work. Wealthy people pay their way through, desperate people sneak their way through. Screening at border checkpoints is actually a more effective barrier if done correctly. All a ban stops is legitimate trade (including supplies for Ebola response), and movement of goods and people (including students or workers wanting to go home). Kenya have requested Saudi officials reconsider the ban.
Tragically after the massive increase and spread in Bluetongue since it first arrived in the UK just 3 years ago, I think we could smell this next one coming. Shamonda virus, which is also spread to livestock by biting midges, has reached the UK for the first time. Damn you climate change.
Shamonda was first detected in Nigeria in 1965 and reached Southern Germany and Switzerland in June of this year. Since then it has spread across Europe like a rapidly unfurling and very unwelcome blanket, reaching as far as Jersey and the Republic of Ireland by early October. Now it's been confirmed in Powys, Wales and Shropshire, England.
Shamonda causes fever and reduced milk production, and is devastating to unborn animals. It can also cause neurological symptoms. Only one case of a human infected with Shamonda has ever occurred, this was last month in France. The patient was already severely ill, and suffered additional neurological symptoms.
To date this season, since 1st July 2026, there have been 3,498 confirmed cases of Bluetongue virus in the UK. A 'case' can refer to a single animal or an infected premises. England 2,934, Wales 507, Scotland 57 and N. Ireland remains at 0. The animals affected include sheep, cattle, alpaca, llama, goat, deer and bison.
Last report I told you the US had confirmed it's first human infected with H5N1 Avian Flu since February 2025. A dairy worker in Yakima County in Washington State. Tragically since then 2 more dairy workers in Yakima County have been confirmed infected and one has died. The deceased person is reported to have had "underlying health conditions". The remaining infected patients do not have severe disease and are isolating at home.
Authorities have released genetic sequencing for the deceased person, which shows it is B3.13, the strain generally found in cattle. This is the first person to die from catching this strain (which has previously caused mild disease in humans), or to die from catching H5N1 from cattle.
This is avoidable infection, and we are approaching flu season where more dairy workers will be carrying human flu, and we really don't want them to catch both together and create something that can spread rapidly through the population. So that's fun.
H5N1 updates are reflecting the fact Winter is coming and migrating birds have begun to move.
In the UK our first detection of the season was on the Isle Of Lewis, Scotland on 2nd October, followed by commercial poultry in Belford, Northumberland on 19th October, commercial poultry in Biggar, Scotland on 2nd November and Brigg, Lincolnshire on 4th November.
In the US in the last 30 days there have been 47 dairy herds confirmed infected, 40 of them in Washington state, Texas 3, Indiana 2, Colorado and Kansas 1 each. In the last 30 days there have been 32 farmed bird flocks confirmed infected (12 commercial and 12 backyard), affecting an horrific total of 2.69 million birds.
There are cases appearing across Europe and the entire Northern hemisphere. In British Columbia, Canada, the Abbotsford Wildlife Centre is receiving 60 calls a day about "sick birds falling from the sky".
Sadly the migrating birds don't arriving up North doesn't mean the Southern hemisphere season is suddenly over. Down in Australia, where H5N1only arrived in June this year and has plenty of unprotected victims to work through, there have already been 737 confirmed cases in wildlife.
While we're on H5N1 Avian Flu. ProPublica have exposed a rather unsettling situation on a mink farm in Utah, and it is making headlines - as it should.
Some of the mink first caught H5N1 bird flu in mid-August. The USDA (US Department of Agriculture) said "we don't regulate mink" and nothing was done to stop the outbreak. Nothing. No culling, vaccinating or anything at all. It's been allowed to spread through the mink for a couple of months and now ProPublica have brought it to the attention of the world, and the local authority.
Mink have some similar flu receptors to humans, they can catch human flu. They can also catch bird flu. They can catch both at the same time. Flu comes in jigsaw pieces which can mix and match inside a body and make a new 'recombinant' flu. There's been concern since the H5N1 outbreak began that pigs might catch avian flu and recombine it to something that can spread human to human, seems no-one in authority considered the mink, so the dice has been rolling away there unchecked for weeks. Some leading scientists and science writers have had some choice words to say sbout the whole thing.
"It is really, really dangerous to let highly pathogenic bird flu spread unchecked through mammals, especially minks, which have similar susceptibility and transmission modes as people. This could literally kill hundreds of millions of people and usher in agricultural, ecological, and economic collapse."
Dr Angela Rasmussen, Virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan.
"This is playing with fire.
Minks and ferrets have such humanlike lung cells that they’re the standard for testing human flu transmission. (Cows aren’t!)
An H5N1 epidemic raging in a mink farm is basically the plot for Dr. Evil tries to spark a pandemic. Luck isn’t a plan."
Zeynep Tufekci, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University.
There are reports at least 1 of the mink farm workers had a 'red eye', which is a very common sign of H5N1 in humans. He wasn't tested. (If you don't test, you don't get cases, right?).
Arizona has reported it's first case of New World Screwworm after a dog was confirmed to be infected in Cochise near the border with Mexico.
Since it reached the US on 3rd June there have been 116 confirmed infections in animals or premises (114 domestic, 2 wildlife) and 6 detections in fly traps. The majority are in Texas, with some in New Mexico and now the single new report from Arizona.
The revolving door at the US CDC is spinning again. Dr. Jennifer Shuford, Deputy Director and Chief Medical Officer is leaving 'for family reasons' after only 4 months in the role. Sadly she is an actual scientist (epidemiologist) and worked hard to bring the West Texas measles outbreak under control in spite of RFK Jr, so it is an unfortunate loss. Fingers crossed she isn’t replaced by another political appointee...
Talking of political appointees, only from the other side. Barely 24 hours in office and Senator-Elect Annie Andrews: "I want to hold RFK Jr. accountable for the damage that he has done to America’s public health system. He is the reason that Spartanburg County, South Carolina had a measles outbreak just last year. He has done grave damage to trust in the public health system in America and he needs to be held accountable, and I think no one is better prepared to do that than me — a paediatrician with 20 years of experience practicing."
I can't wait...
The US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved a generic version of the drug Lenacapavir - a 6 monthly injection for HIV prevention. It is an incredibly user-friendly way to protect people from HIV, and FDA approval is enough for some countries who cannot afford their own testing to say "okay then, it must be okay". It’s hoped that this will enable rapid upscaling of manufacturing, and help up to 120 low and middle income countries to protect their citizens.
The generic drug will cost around $40 per year, which is the same as current tablets, but because it doesn't need to be distributed, remembered and taken every day, it is far more reliable and easy to administer.
It is the weekend - hurrah! It's my birthday next weekend, and I have an inkling there may be a surprise visit from a couple of my favourite people (some of my grown up kids), so I'll be eating cake and making memories. I hope you have something nice planned over the next week or two. Christmas is less than 50 days away, and that brings stress and concern, especially when money is tight. You don't have to spend a fortune to have a good time, there are things that are far more valuable than money. List what is important now, and prioritise the essentials. The list becomes so much shorter and more doable than you'd ever have thought. Don't forget to treat yourself. You have earnt it.
I'll be back in 2 weeks, until then...
Wear A Hat, Get Plenty of Fresh Air, Save The NHS...
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Sources Repeating
COVID
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/
UK Health Data
https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/
UK latest COVID cases UPDATES THURSDAY 4pm
https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/respiratory-viruses/covid-19
GP surveillance England Primary Care
https://www.rcgp.org.uk/representing-you/research-at-rcgp/research-surveillance-centre/public-health-data
US CDC respiratory dashboard
https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/index.html
Reference pages H5N1
https://bnonews.com/index.php/human-cases-of-h5n1-bird-flu/
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/hpai-confirmed-cases-livestock
https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bird-flu-avian-influenza-latest-situation-in-england
Measles Sit Rep US CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html
UK cases Measles
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-epidemiology-2023/confirmed-cases-of-measles-in-england-by-month-age-region-and-upper-tier-local-authority-2025
Canada Measles
https://health-infobase.canada.ca/measles-rubella/
Sources Images
WHO protect others from your illnesses including flu and Covid
Charlie Makesy
UK HSA 3037 hospitalised with chicken pox in 2025
Who is eligible for the RSV vaccine UK HSA imsge
Contacts who have completed quarantine are safe image MOH Kenya
UK who is eligible for the COVID vaccine 2026 Winter image
Fabulous Ebola update image Kenya
UK HSA Viruswatch images
Sources
Dashboard England and Wales deaths w/e 23rd October 2026
UK HSA Viruswatch
COVID UK Rise
Seeing The Forest For The Trees
Critical incident Treliske, Truro
https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/26703025.critical-incident-brings-corridor-care-back-treliske/
Senior doctors in England are to stage a two day strike in late November.
BMA senior doctor's strikes
Software company Silicon Practice, which claims online to "proudly serve 1,000 websites" for GP practices, enters administration.
GP surgeries websites down
Hundreds of GP surgeries lose online services after Silicon Practice collapse - BBC News
Measles latest - Measles Cases and Outbreaks | Measles (Rubeola) | CDC
New York child dies from Measles
Child in New York dies after contracting measles, the state’s first such death in 30 years | CNN
6 deaths Pennsylvania measles
BREAKING: An infant has died from measles in southwestern Wisconsin, marking the state's first measles-related death since 1990, health officials say.
Democracy for sale 30 senior Conservatives VIP COVID PPE lane referrals.
EBOLA
Ebola cases latest
The Kenyan Ministry of Health mourns the death of a 65-year-old woman
Woman is close family member of Kenyan index case (9 cases, 2 deaths)
EBOLA UPDATE | 6 NOVEMBER 2026
Kenya records six recoveries and 18 consecutive days without a new Ebola case, with only one patient remaining under treatment.
Genomic analysis Ebola Nigeria and Kenya linked
Ebola Nigeria evacuated to Switzerland
Swiss Nigerian Ebola patient
Genomic sequencing shows that the Ebola virus from Nigeria’s recently reported only imported case is highly similar to that from Kenya’s @MOH_Kenya reported first imported case, differing by only one mutation.
My thanks to the sequencing teams at @NCDCgov and the Institute of Genomics and Global Health @RedeemersUni , Ede, and to @christian_happi for this excellent work.
Nigeria ebola isolation money
Media briefing WHO - with Ebola update
DrTedros Vaccine trial additions Bundibugyo
Ebola: Uganda's Health Minister is disputing Switzerland's statement that the Swiss diplomat's wife who has Ebola never went to DR Congo.
Uganda: All those who have travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo required to pay for their mandatory 21-day quarantine
Uganda Public Statement:
All travellers have to fill in locator forms regardless of where they've been.
TAKE NOTE: The Ugandan Ministry of Health wishes to assure the country that Uganda remains Ebola-free.
2 x severe malaria cases in Colombia- tested negstive for Ebola
Nigeria Ebola 2 suspected cases were negative
Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region.
Nigeria reports two suspected Ebola cases in northeast region | Reuters
Israelis DRC Ebola Tests are pending and contacts are being traced.
Israelis negative
British person has Ebola
British healthcare worker with Ebola to be evacuated from Congo to UK, document shows | Reuters
UK citizen returned from DRC for specialist Ebola care
DRC Nurse killed in Ebola response
Last week 3 Doctors died from Ebola in a single treatment centre in Beni in less than 72 hours.
Saturday
Kenya asks Saudi to review the travel advisory
Kenya saudi travel
Ebola is going to get much much worse
https://x.com/brownecfm/status/2115019622197952697?a=vdLR7Sm0elZMyIJKPRw&s=09
Ebola WHO update 28th October
Shamonda virus detected in livestock in Great Britain for first time
BBC UK Shamonda
WHO Shamonda
WOAH Shamonda
Bluetongue UK
US Infected humans
Yakima County 3 cases and 1 death Avian Influenza
A person in Yakima County has died from complications of bird flu following exposure to infected dairy cattle and a 3rd case has been identified.
Official release Yakima County
https://x.com/KrutikaKuppalli/status/2117147058297880746?a=kB9kk3f7IrLb9pzNndo&s=09
Deceased person H5N1 US
Yakima County Health news
Yakima County press release
Avian Flu Diary: Washington: Yakima County Reports 2nd Human H5N1 Case (Hospitalized with severe illness)
Genome sequenced B3.13
Avian flu in humans More virulent
H5N1 Australian stats
H5N1 in cattle. This years cases are all really closely genetically linked. We had the chance to stop this, we didn’t and we aren't.
BC wildlife centre gets 60 calls a day as sick birds fall from the sky | Vancouver Sun
Mink farm with H5N1
It is really, really dangerous to let highly pathogenic bird flu spread unchecked through mammals, especially minks, which have similar susceptibility and transmission modes as people. This could literally kill hundreds of millions of people and usher in agricultural, ecological, and economic collapse.
Dr Angela Rasmussen
H5N1 mink farm
Bird flu mink farm
This is playing with fire.
Minks and ferrets have such humanlike lung cells that they’re the standard for testing human flu transmission. (Cows aren’t!)
An H5N1 epidemic raging in a mink farm is basically the plot for Dr. Evil tries to spark a pandemic. Luck isn’t a plan.
Zeynep Tufekci
American sociologist
Latest stats New World Screwworm US
CIDRAP NWS
New World screwworm Arizona canine
Dog tests positive for screwworm in Cochise County | FOX 10 Phoenix
US CDC resignation
Paediatrician ready to bring down RFK Jr
Lenacapavir HIV prevention
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