Health protection situational awareness (HPSA) report

Health Protection Situational Awareness

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NI Situational Awareness Summary

Disease/Situation Trend Summary Source
COVID-19 Arrow Right Long Episodes, positivity, and admissions have remained stable. Admissions are lower compared to the same period in the previous year. View report
Influenza Arrow Right Long Episodes have decreased while positivity and admissions have remained stable. Admissions are lower compared to the same period in the previous year. View report
RSV Arrow Trend Up Episodes and admissions have increased while positivity remained stable. Admissions are lower compared to the same period in the previous year. View report
Trend is selected based on the trajectory of the majority of indicators for a given pathogen

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Horizon Scanning

Disease/Incident Location Situation Overview Source
Mpox clade I Global Clade Ib MPXV started a major outbreak in 2023 in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is undergoing sustained human-to-human transmission in several countries. View report
Mpox clade I & clade II United Kingdom Up to 30 April 2026, there has been a total of 48 Clade Ib Mpox cases reported in the UK. From 01 January 2023 to 30 April 2026, a total of 990 cases of Mpox clade IIb reported in the UK. Of these, 923 were in England, 37 were in Scotland, 21 were in Wales, and 9 were in Northern Ireland. View report
Hantavirus cluster linked to cruise ship travel Multi-country A cluster of hantavirus disease linked to a Dutch‑flagged cruise ship is under investigation following notification to WHO on 2 May 2026.​ As of 13 May 2026, a total of 11 cases have been reported (eight confirmed, two probable, and one inconclusive) including three deaths have been reported. ​ View report
Measles England Between 01 January 2026 and 11 May 2026, there were 542 laboratory‑confirmed measles cases reported in England (an increase of 65 since 27 April 2026).​ Majority of cases (349 of 542, 66%) were in children aged 10 years and under. View report
Measles Republic of Ireland Between 22 February 2026 and 09 May 2026, there were 10 confirmed measles cases reported in the Republic of Ireland. View report
Legionnaires' Disease​ Canada​ Nine cases identified in late March and early April 2026 in Toronto. No source has been identified. View report
Influenza A (H5N1)​ United States​ Transmission of influenza A(H5N1) viruses from domestic cats to humans has not previously been documented. In Los Angeles, evidence of infection was identified in one asymptomatic veterinary professional following occupational exposure to an infected cat. View report
Chikungunya Global The World Health Organisation has stated that chikungunya, a vector-borne disease, represents a moderate but growing global public health risk in 2026 following a rapid risk assessment. View report
HIV Canada Public health officials with Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care are declaring a public health emergency to combat the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). New cases of HIV in Manitoba have been steadily increasing, to a high of 328 in 2025 from 90 new cases in 2019. Manitoba continues to experience some of the highest HIV rates in Canada. View report
Dermatophilus congolensis France Suspected sexual transmission of Dermatophilus congolensis cutaneous infection reported among men who have sex with men in Lyon and Paris (France) from December 2025–February 2026. View report
Dermatophilus congolensis Spain Suspected sexual transmission of Dermatophilus congolensis cutaneous infection reported among men who have sex with men in Barcelona (France) from December 2025–March 2026. View report

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of selected surveillance metrics in the form of a situational awareness summary. Horizon scanning provides information on emerging situations that can impact public health including local, national and global events.

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