What are the symptoms of Lassa fever and how is it spread?
This blog post summarises the key points about Lassa fever and what UKHSA does when a case of an infectious disease such as Lassa fever is identified in the UK.
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Andrew Donaldson-Wheatcroft: 'We should see HIV testing as an essential part of self-care'
If you are interested in skincare, beauty and wellness, you might know of influencer Andrew Donaldson-Wheatcroft, who has well over 200,000 followers on his social media accounts. Alongside this content, Andrew is an advocate for people living with HIV. In …
Meningitis: I underwent multiple surgeries, including the amputation of several fingers
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Categories:
Immunisation and vaccination, immunisations, Uncategorized
In this blog post, Becca shares her story of how meningitis changed her life and disrupted her plans just weeks into her starting her degree.
Health and science: A guide to our most popular blog posts of 2024
Around a million people read our blog in 2024, and we were the most read blog across government in December. Read this blog post and subscribe for the latest advice and insights.
What winter bug do I have? Know the signs and symptoms
We see cases of flu, RSV, COVID-19 and norovirus throughout the year, but in winter they circulate at the same time and can reach high levels. We also track other respiratory viruses – rhinovirus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and parainfluenza …
How human organs grown in labs are helping to develop the vaccines of the future
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Categories:
Prevention, Protecting the country's health, UKHSA science
In this blog post, we’ll explore how scientists are using organs grown in labs to help accelerate the development of new drugs, therapeutic medicines and vaccines.
How we monitor invasive mosquitoes and stop them spreading in the UK
As we release data showing a significant rise in travel-related infections like dengue and malaria, we speak to Colin Johnston, Senior Medical Entomologist at UKHSA, about his team’s work on invasive mosquito surveillance. Read on to find out how we …
What is bird flu and how are we protecting people against it in the UK?
This blog post was reviewed and updated in January 2025. 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 waterfowl …
Why is norovirus reporting in England so high at the moment?
This blog post was reviewed and updated in February 2025. 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 into winter, but …
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 2018, it led to trials for a potential new treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections. In this …