Tracking Emerging Public Health Challenges – February 16, 2026 – Ebola
The new five-year strategy – CEPI 3.0 – was unveiled on Friday as CEPI called on governments, philanthropies and partners to invest US$2.5 billion to strengthen the world’s disease defences.”
“The new strategy will see CEPI and its partners deliver three interconnected priorities that will enable faster and fairer protection for all in the face of epidemic and pandemic threats. If fully funded, CEPI 3.0 will develop vaccines to tackle both known and emerging threats.
“CEPI will advance response-ready vaccines for many of the most menacing known epidemic pathogens—such as Lassa, Nipah and Rift Valley fever—while generating scientific tools, data and knowledge across most of the viral families deemed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to harbour pathogens capable of causing a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) or a pandemic…”
“CEPI will accelerate the development of platform technologies and embed them with regional manufacturers so that countries can move quickly against outbreaks….”
“CEPI will connect, strengthen and rigorously test its global scientific networks so they are ready to respond quickly and seamlessly in an emergency at every stage of the journey, from the early R&D once a threat is detected through to manufacturing.” (1)
“Kansas City will be one of 11 American cities to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.™
The potential increase in tourism from different parts of the country and world creates the opportunity for disease importation into Kansas, as well as the potential increase in healthcare utilization.
This document aids healthcare providers in evaluating patients for potential infectious diseases of concern and provides them with appropriate steps to control transmission in healthcare settings. All suspected and confirmed cases of reportable diseases, including those not on this list, should be
reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Epidemiology Hotline at 877-427-7318, option 5. Information about disease reporting can be found at kdhe.ks.gov/1508/Travel-Health.
Recommended Screening Procedures
• As part of a complete health history and physical examination, all patients should be asked about domestic and international travel history and animal exposure, in addition to participation in World Cup events.
• If a vaccine-preventable disease is suspected, immunization history should also be ascertained, particularly for the following conditions: measles, varicella, hepatitis A, typhoid, and tetanus.
• Suspected cases of infectious diseases detailed below, unusual disease clusters or outbreaks, and/or illnesses associated with any World Cup events should be immediately reported to Kansas Department of Health and Environment Epidemiology Hotline at 877-427-7318, option 5.” (2)
Ebola Virus Therapeutics Pipeline Strengthens with Participation from 18+ Leading Biopharma Companies, https://www.barchart.com/story/news/194642/ebola-virus-therapeutics-pipeline-strengthens-with-participation-from-18-leading-biopharma-companies-delveinsight
“A WOMAN has died from Nipah, a brain-swelling virus spread by bats that has been dubbed the ‘next pandemic threat’.
The case was confirmed in Bangladesh, where the bug – which kills up to 75 per cent of people who catch it – strikes almost every year.
It comes after an outbreak in neighbouring India, which triggered Covid-style airport health screenings across Asia and UK health chiefs to go on high alert amid fears the virus could spread further.
The latest patient, believed to be aged between 40 and 50, first fell ill on January 21 in northern Bangladesh, after developing Nipah-like symptoms, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.”
The UN organisation said she had no recent travel history, but had been drinking raw date palm sap, a known source of Nipah infection, which can be contaminated by bats.
They said all 35 people who had contact with the woman were being monitored and had tested negative for the virus, and no further cases had been detected to date.
India’s federal health ministry last month said about 200 people were in quarantine after at least two cases of Nipah virus were detected in the eastern state of West Bengal, which shares a border with Bangladesh.” (3)
“Bangladesh has reported 348 cases since 2001, with nearly half linked to the consumption of raw date palm sap. Outbreaks typically occur between December and April, a period that coincides with the harvesting and drinking of fresh palm sap.
There are currently no licensed vaccines or specific antiviral treatments for the virus. The disease has a high fatality rate, estimated at between 40 and 75 per cent.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently described Nipah as a “rare but serious disease”, noting that authorities are strengthening disease surveillance, improving infection prevention in health facilities, and educating the public on protective measures.
In February, Kenya’s Ministry of Health (MoH) issued a public advisory after two cases were confirmed in West Bengal, India, and assured that there is no outbreak locally and the risk of importation remains low.
Health Director General Patrick Amoth said the MoH is closely monitoring the situation and has heightened preparedness measures as a precaution.
“There is currently no Nipah virus outbreak in Kenya, and the risk to the general public remains low,” Amoth said, noting that simple hygiene and safe food practices are effective preventive measures.” (4)
1.CEPI unveils five-year strategy to tackle most dangerous viral threats, By Chukwuma Muanya, https://guardian.ng/news/cepi-unveils-five-year-strategy-to-tackle-most-dangerous-viral-threats/
2.2026 FIFA World Cup™: Summary of High Consequence Pathogens, https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/56557/Summary-of-High-Consequence-Pathogens-PDF
3.VIRAL THREAT Woman dies from ‘brain-swelling’ Nipah virus feared to be the ‘next pandemic’ as UK ‘closely monitoring’ outbreak, by Isabel Shaw, https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/38164275/nipah-virus-woman-dead-outbreak/
4.WHO confirms Nipah virus death in Bangladesh, risk of global spread Low, By Charity Kilei, https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/health/288678/who-confirms-nipah-virus-death-in-bangladesh-risk-of-global-spread-low
curated by Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.
Clinical Professor of Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai