Health blogs from the UK Health Security Agency
Information on monkeypox and our investigation into recent cases
UKHSA is urgently investigating a number of monkeypox cases recently identified in the UK. You can find our updates on this GOV.UK page. Monkeypox is a viral infection usually associated...
A voice to lead: International Nurses Day 2022
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), English Nurse and pioneer of modern medicine in the hospital at Uskudar (Scutare) during the Crimean War, 1854-1856. Each year, on 12 May, I take great...
An increase in Hepatitis Cases in Children
Since January 2022, we have detected an increase in the number of acute (sudden onset) hepatitis cases in the UK in children aged 10 and under. Hepatitis is a condition that affects the...
UKHSA’S weekly surveillance report: focusing on ‘Pillar 1’ data
Throughout the pandemic UKSHA has published over 100 weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports. These reports provide an important picture of the pandemic by detailing numbers...
What is Lyme disease, and why do we need to be tick aware?
Lyme disease is an infection caused by a type of bacteria that is carried by some species of ticks. People can get the disease if bitten by an infected tick. People are most likely to be...
What to do if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19, or a positive COVID-19 test
The pandemic is not yet over, but the success of the vaccination programme means the majority of people who become infected with COVID-19 will no longer become seriously ill. However,...
London’s communities remain vulnerable to COVID-19 without full vaccine protection
Guest blog by Professor Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director of Public Health, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities After more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, all...
What is TB and what are we doing to combat it?
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection spread through inhaling small droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person. It mainly affects the lungs, but it can affect any part...
How science can protect us from the health effects of climate change
The impacts of climate change are already being seen around the world. The Earth is warming, rainfall patterns are changing, and sea levels are rising, increasing the risk of heatwaves,...
Thunderstorm asthma and public health – looking back to move forward
In June last year, UKHSA's Real-time Syndromic Surveillance system detected a potential episode of thunderstorm asthma; an increase in people reporting asthma symptoms linked to...
Taking the sting out of new and emerging health threats
During British Science Week we’ve been looking at the diversity of work going on across UKHSA which serves to keep the public safe from established and emerging threats to human health. In...
Health security labs: Keeping us on the front foot in the fight against health hazards
The scientific capabilities and technologies at our health security laboratories, including those in our science campuses at Porton Down, Chilton and Colindale and our regional labs, are...