Government

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The detection of a new, fast-spreading strain of the virus in a remote mining town in eastern Congo led the World Health Organization to declare mpox a global public health emergency in August. Since then, its spread has only accelerated.

The virus is taking hold in crowded camps home to millions of displaced Congolese, who live crammed into rough shelters with limited access to water. And it has reached Congo’s cities, including its enormous, congested capital.

Belated efforts to control mpox in Kinshasa — by isolating patients and vaccinating their contacts — have been halting and haphazard, far outpaced by the speed of the virus’s spread and change.

Public health experts are warning of a ‘quad-demic’ this winter. Here’s where flu, COVID, RSV, and norovirus are spreading Taking precautions to protect yourself from the quartet of infectious diseases can lessen your odds of bringing an illness into the new year. Lindsey Leake Fortune

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California declares first statewide emergency over bird flu The declaration comes the same day the first “severe” case was found in a human outside of the state. Emma Anderson Politico

California on Wednesday declared a statewide emergency over bird flu, with Gov. Gavin Newsom warning that “conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property” meant greater efforts were needed to defeat the spread. ...