Five viruses and infections are on the rise in 2024, according to the CDC.
Some infections like COVID-19 are seeing a resurgence, while others such as pertussis are mirroring prepandemic levels. Here are the five infections to watch:
1. For the week ending July 6, about 1.3% of emergency department visits in the U.S. involved a COVID-19 diagnosis at discharge — a nearly 24% increase from the previous week. Hawaii and Florida saw the highest percentage of ED visits diagnosed as COVID, at 4% and 3.1%, respectively. Many areas of the U.S. have seen a consistent increase in activity in recent weeks, with the CDC estimating that infections are growing or likely growing in 45 states and territories.
2. Four more poultry workers in Colorado have been diagnosed with bird flu, bringing the total to nine since the first human case was reported in 2022. Eight of the nine cases were reported this year. Health officials still say the threat to the general public is still low.
3. The CDC is warning clinicians and public health authorities of rising dengue infections in the U.S. In a June 25 advisory, the agency recommended healthcare providers maintain a high suspicion of the mosquito-borne viral infection among patients with a fever and who have recently traveled to areas where the infection is known to spread frequently. Dengue, also known as break-bone fever, spreads from infected mosquitoes to people and can cause severe disease in rare cases. So far this year, there have been more than 9.7 million cases globally, twice as many in all of 2023. In the U.S., there have been 2,241 cases since January, just under half of which were reported in Puerto Rico, where a public health emergency has been declared over the high number of cases.
4. The CDC is reporting a steep increase in pertussis cases this year. As of May 25, the CDC has confirmed 4,864 whooping cough cases this year among U.S. residents. This tally is up nearly threefold from the 1,746 cases reported in 2023. This trend reflects a global increase in pertussis cases and mirrors figures seen prior to the pandemic.
5. The CDC is warning of a possible mpox resurgence after a deadlier version of the infection "ravaged" the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mpox is showing signs of resurgence in the U.S. with the number of cases this year nearly double the tally from the same period in 2023. The CDC encourages high-risk Americans to become vaccinated before the resurgence hits in force and urges clinicians to be alert for possible cases in travelers from Congo.