infectious diseases

The Ministry of Health has announced that Spain will receive the MV Hondius in the Canary Islands “in accordance with international law and the spirit of humanitarianism”. The government is thus responding to a request from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Union for the cruise ship, which is travelling from Argentina and has an outbreak of hantavirus on board, to dock in the Canary Islands, in the port of Granadilla, Tenerife. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has assessed which passengers should be evacuated from the ship to Cape Verde, where it is currently located, and which will continue on to the Canary Islands. Once there, they will be examined and transferred to their home countries in accordance with safety protocols. The cruise ship is expected to arrive in the archipelago in three or four days.

The Ministry of Health has announced on social media that, depending on the epidemiological data gathered from the ship regarding a possible hantavirus outbreak during its stopover in Cape Verde, “a decision will be made as to which port of call is most appropriate”. Various reports suggest that the World Health Organisation (WHO) would have preferred the cruise ship to stop in the Canary Islands. “Until then, the Ministry of Health will not take any decision, as we have made clear to the World Health Organisation,” it stated. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health has indicated that, following a meeting with the WHO, a team of epidemiologists will inspect the vessel this afternoon to assess the condition of those on board, determine whether there are any further cases with symptoms, and identify high-risk and low-risk contacts. “This will aid decisions regarding repatriation procedures and the ship’s route.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a public health event involving a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean that departed from Argentina. To date, two cases of hantavirus infection—generally acquired through exposure to the urine or feces of infected rodents—have been laboratory-confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases. Of these seven individuals, three have died, and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa. “The risk to the general population remains low. There is no reason to panic or impose travel restrictions,” said Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

Measles cases in Europe and Central Asia fell in 2025 compared with 2024, according to preliminary data reported by 53 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. This decline aligns with the preliminary figures published this week by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). According to the WHO, countries in Europe and Central Asia reported 33,998 measles cases in 2025, representing a decrease of nearly 75 % compared with the 127,412 cases recorded in 2024. In Spain, however, the number of cases has increased, as shown by data from the Carlos III Health Institute. A few weeks ago, the WHO announced that Spain had lost its measles-free status.

When a rhinovirus, the most common cause of the common cold, infects the lining of our nasal passages, cells work together to fight it off by activating an arsenal of antiviral defences. An article published in the journal Cell Press Blue demonstrates how they do this and suggests that it is the body's defences, rather than the virus itself, that determine whether we catch a cold or not, as well as the severity of the symptoms. 

Global vaccination efforts have achieved an 88% reduction in measles deaths between 2000 and 2024, and nearly 59 million lives have been saved by the vaccine since the beginning of the century, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). However, an estimated 95,000 people—mostly children under the age of five—died from measles in 2024, a disease that could be prevented with an effective, low-cost vaccine. Although the death toll is one of the lowest in this period, measles cases are on the rise worldwide, with an estimated 11 million infections in 2024, nearly 800,000 more than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Specifically, cases in Europe increased by 47% between 2019 and 2024.

An international team has used the CRISPR gene-editing tool to modify a key gene for the replication of the classical swine fever virus in pigs. The experiment, conducted on four animals, showed complete protection against the disease. According to the researchers, this breakthrough could serve as an additional method for controlling this type of virus, which entails significant economic and animal welfare costs. The results are published in the journal Trends in Biotechnology. 

In 2023, one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections were found to be resistant to antimicrobials, according to a report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Between 2018 and 2023, resistance increased in more than 40% of monitored antibiotics, which ‘is limiting empirical treatment options and driving a shift from oral to intravenous treatments, including greater reliance on second-line and last-resort antibiotics,’ the report warns. For example, globally, nearly 45% of Escherichia coli bacteria are resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, a proportion that varies from 20% in Europe to more than 70% in Africa.

According to the Global Burden of Disease study, and despite deep inequalities between countries, global life expectancy in 2023 was more than 20 years higher than in 1950. However, deaths among young people increased in some regions such as North America, Latin America—due mainly to suicide and drug use—and sub-Saharan Africa—mainly due to infectious diseases and injuries. Researchers also estimate that almost half of all deaths and disabilities could be prevented by modifying some of the main risk factors. The results are published in The Lancet and will be presented at the World Health Summit, being held in Berlin, Germany, from October 12 to 14.

The Pan American Health Organisation has maintained its epidemiological alert for Oropouche fever since it was first issued in February 2024. Although the virus only circulates endemically in the Americas, the importation of cases to Europe following international travel is keeping health agencies and authorities on alert.