Weekly infectious disease report launched by NYS health department

The New York Department of Health announced Monday its launching of a weekly global health update report on infectious diseases and threats to public health.

The report, posted on the health department’s website, will detail "ongoing and emerging infectious disease outbreaks" such as avian flu and other threats, for health professionals and the public, the health department said.

Reports will be updated and published every Friday "to track public health trends to prepare and respond to future health emergencies," state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a statement.

"Protecting public health includes ensuring communities and public health professionals have access to timely, high-quality data and information regarding emerging infectious diseases," McDonald said. "Public health data are vital to helping states and localities understand the burden and impact of emerging infections so we can make informed decisions about prevention strategies."

The second of the first two health reports posted last week noted the outbreak of diseases such as avian flu in New York and around the country. As of last Wednesday, health officials reported 961 cases in livestock in 17 states and 124 cases in poultry flocks in 30 states over the past 30 days. There have been 67 human cases in 10 states since last year, but none in New York, according to the report.

Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered all live bird markets in the state to temporarily close and sell off their flocks in an effort to reduce bird flu transmissions.

The report also includes information on the current spread of diseases across the country and worldwide, including measles in Texas and Canada, and Ebola and mpox in the United States from Africa and other places worldwide.

The new report follows a purge of public health data on websites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after an executive order by President Donald Trump.

New York state officials did not say if the new global health reports were in response to the CDC purge.

The CDC posted that its "website is being modified to comply with President Trump’s Executive Orders." An executive order directed the CDC to stop communicating with the World Health Organization or the public.

CDC officials could not be reached for comment Monday.

The CDC website continues to maintain up-to-date statistics on avian flu in poultry and wild birds, including 101,000 ducks infected in Suffolk County last month and infections at live poultry markets last week in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.

In a statement, Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, said:

“The Department of Health’s weekly infectious disease updates will serve as an important tool for New Yorkers during a challenging moment for public health. A review of the report's first two weeks shows ongoing norovirus, measles, avian influenza ("bird flu"), and ebola outbreaks across the globe. New York State's outbreak report will help fill a crucial gap for healthcare providers and public health experts to make informed decisions when providing care.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.