Health blogs from the UK Health Security Agency
What is bird flu and how are we protecting people against it in the UK?
Avian influenza (bird flu) is an infectious disease that affects birds, caused by the influenza A virus. Birds are the hosts for a variety of influenza virus subtypes, particularly...
Why is norovirus reporting in England so high at the moment?
Data for the current 2024/2025 season in England shows that norovirus laboratory reports are notably higher than the 5-season average. Norovirus cases typically increase through autumn and...
How the science of snakebites is taking on superbugs
Patients in British hospitals with serious, antibiotic-resistant gut infections have little in common with snakebite victims overseas. But when scientists made an unlikely connection in...
Join the fight against flu by taking part in our citizen science project
Our scientists are tracking flu and other respiratory viruses and they need your help. Join our FluSurvey system and contribute directly to flu surveillance this winter. This UK-wide...
How we monitor flu and other respiratory viruses each winter
As we approach another winter season, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is ramping up its comprehensive surveillance systems to monitor flu and other seasonal respiratory viruses. Here's...
Marburg virus disease: what you need to know
Marburg virus under a microscope. Image courtesy US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Frederick Murphy You may have seen reports about a rise in cases of Marburg virus disease...
Your guide to who’s eligible for the 2024 flu vaccine
As we approach winter, it’s time for people at risk to be booked in for their free flu jab. If you’re eligible, you need to know why it matters that you take up the offer. Flu is far more...
How are we tracking mpox in the UK?
Surveillance is the ability to identify potential threats as quickly as possible and share the resulting data widely. It is one of the tools in our defence against infections like mpox. We...
How cutting-edge AI technology could hold the key to forecasting the pollen count
Pinaceae (pine) pollen On the roof of a UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) lab, at Chilton’s Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire, a new chapter in artificial intelligence (AI) and pollen...
Mpox clade 1: what you need to know
Credit: CDC/ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) This blog post will be updated regularly as more information emerges. The World Health Organization (WHO)...
How to stay healthy while wild swimming
Swimming is a great form of exercise we can all enjoy, and there are hundreds of beautiful wild swimming sites across the UK to explore. This blog post has essential tips and advice if...
Who’s eligible for the 2024 COVID-19 vaccine, or ‘Autumn Booster’?
As we move into autumn, protection from any earlier COVID-19 vaccination you may have had will be starting to wane. For those who are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19, the...