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As at 27 January 2020, 42 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) cases were confirmed outside China. We estimate the risk of case importation to Europe from affected areas in China via air travel. We consider travel restrictions in place, three reported cases in France, one in Germany. Estimated risk in Europe remains high. The United Kingdom, Germany and France are at highest risk. Importation from Beijing and Shanghai would lead to higher and widespread risk for Europe.

To analyze the global epidemic status of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) and assess the importation risk into China. Data from World Health Organization reports were used. We described the global epidemic status of EVD from 1976–2021, and assessed and ranked the importation risk of EVD from the diseaseoutbreaking countries into China using the risk matrix and Borda count methods, respectively. bo From 1976–2021, EVD mainly occurred in western and central Africa, with the highest cumulative number of cases (14,124 cases) in Sierra Leone, and the highest cumulative fatality rate (85%) in the Congo. Outbreaks of EVD have occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea since 2018. The importation risk into China varies across countries with outbreaks of disease. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had an extremely high risk (23 Borda points), followed by Guinea and Liberia. Countries with a moderate importation risk were Nigeria, Uganda, Congo, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Gabon, while countries with a low importation risk included Sudan, Senegal, and C te d'Ivoire. China is under the risk of EVD importation with the globalization and severe epidemic status of EVD. Key attention need to be paid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, and Liberia. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent and prepare in advance for importation risk in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the 2022 multiple-country monkeypox outbreak and assess its importation risk into China. Data was from United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We described the global epidemic and calculated concentration index to measure economic-related inequality. Importation risk into China was evaluated and ranked by using risk matrix method and Borda count method, respectively. As of July 29, 2022, of 79 countries or territories, 39 (49.37%, 39/79), 17 (21.52%, 17/79), 6 (7.59%, 6/79), 12 (15.19%, 12/79), and 5 (6.33%, 5/79) country or territories identified cases < 10, 10–, 51–, 101–, and > 1,000. There were economic-related health disparities exist in the distribution of cases (the concentration index = 0.42, P = 0.027), and the inequality disadvantageous to the rich (pro-poor). There were 12 (15.38%, 12/78), 15 (19.23%, 15/78), 6 (7.69%, 6/78), and 45 (57.69%, 45/78) countries or territories with extremely high, high, moderate, and low importation risk. United States and France ranked first with the highest Borda points of 156, and counts of zero. Of 78 countries or territories, the key attention need be paid to the United States and France, relatively. As the epidemic progresses, preparing prevention and control measures to further reduce importation risk was crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Confirmed local transmission of Zika Virus (ZIKV) in Texas and Florida have heightened the need for early and accurate indicators of self-sustaining transmission in high risk areas across the southern United States. Given ZIKV's low reporting rates and the geographic variability in suitable conditions, a cluster of reported cases may reflect diverse scenarios, ranging from independent introductions to a self-sustaining local epidemic.Methods: We present a quantitative framework for real-time ZIKV risk assessment that captures uncertainty in case reporting, importations, and vector-human transmission dynamics.Results: We assessed county-level risk throughout Texas, as of summer 2016, and found that importation risk was concentrated in large metropolitan regions, while sustained ZIKV transmission risk is concentrated in the southeastern counties including the Houston metropolitan region and the Texas-Mexico border (where the sole autochthonous cases have occurred in 2016). We found that counties most likely to detect cases are not necessarily the most likely to experience epidemics, and used our framework to identify triggers to signal the start of an epidemic based on a policymakers propensity for risk.Conclusions: This framework can inform the strategic timing and spatial allocation of public health resources to combat ZIKV throughout the US, and highlights the need to develop methods to obtain reliable estimates of key epidemiological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]