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The essential travel checklist to keep you and your family healthy on holiday – UK Health Security Agency
Planning a holiday abroad? This guide provides essential information to help you travel safely and minimise health risks. Whether you're planning a beach break, visiting family overseas, or embarking on a backpacking adventure, it’s worth thinking ahead so that you …
What you need to know about UV (ultraviolet) radiation – UK Health Security Agency
Ultraviolet, or UV, radiation, comes to earth from the sun. The ozone layer protects those of us on the ground from most of it, but some does reach the surface. Here’s a quick briefing on UV. How to protect yourself When …
Who’s eligible for the 2025 COVID-19 vaccine, or ‘Autumn Booster’? – UK Health Security Agency
When autumn comes, 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 NHS offers a free vaccine in the autumn, previously …
What the evidence says about interventions to reduce pollution and improve lives – UK Health Security Agency
Breathing in polluted air affects our health, reduces our life expectancy, and costs our society billions of pounds each year. It is estimated that 2 million healthy life years are lost in Europe due to the impacts of poor air …
How to avoid rabies and what to do if you’re exposed while travelling – UK Health Security Agency
Rabies is a rare but deadly viral infection that affects the brain and nervous system. Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK but the infection poses a risk to travellers visiting regions where the disease remains prevalent.
A parent’s guide to summer infections and health hazards – UK Health Security Agency
As summer arrives, you’re likely to spend more time outdoors with your children. Lots of us love this time of year and it’s great to enjoy the longer days and warmer weather. It’s worth being aware, however, of some common seasonal infections and hazards to help you spot illness more easily and take action if you need to
What is Candidozyma auris? Fungal pathogen and emerging global health threat – UK Health Security Agency
C. auris is a recently discovered fungus. It rarely causes infections in healthy individuals though can pose a risk to people in hospital, particularly those who have been in hospital for a long time, who are critically unwell and/or who have weakened immune systems.
What is measles and why is it so important we’re all up to date with our MMR vaccine? – UK Health Security Agency
As families prepare for travel over the summer break, there is more chance for measles to be brought in from countries where there are outbreaks. Catching up children who missed out on their MMR vaccines is a priority, in order to help prevent another rise in measles cases.
How factors like your location, job or ethnicity can damage your health – UK Health Security Agency
Our new Health Inequalities in Health Protection report provides a high-level summary of the current state of health inequalities in England caused by infectious diseases, as well as environmental health hazards.
My measles journey: ‘I woke to find a rash all over my body’ – UK Health Security Agency
On 19 May 2016, I was admitted to Barnet General Hospital with measles. I’d started to feel unwell a few days prior to this with a sore throat and temperature, but didn’t think it was anything serious so started a self-care routine of taking paracetamol and warm fluids with some rest.
Travel health and the growing risk of antibiotic-resistant STIs like gonorrhoea – UK Health Security Agency
Recent data shows a concerning upward trend of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea infections, particularly in popular tourist destinations across the Asia-Pacific region. This includes countries such as Thailand, China, Cambodia and Vietnam. These infections are sometimes called ‘super-gonorrhoea’ in the media.
What is space weather, and why are we monitoring it? – UK Health Security Agency
As the Sun reaches its most active period in 22 years, we’re increasingly aware of the potential risks from severe space weather events. In our latest blog post, find out how we're refining our understanding and responses to space weather, ensuring the UK remains resilient to these cosmic challenges.
How we are pioneering artificial intelligence applications in public health – UK Health Security Agency
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to address health security challenges. Here are 3 examples of projects that demonstrate how we're using cutting-edge AI technology to protect and improve public health. Using …
Nanoplastics are everywhere: what is the health impact of these tiny particles? – UK Health Security Agency
Nanoplastics, and their slightly larger cousins microplastics, are polluting our environment and our food. The study of these tiny particles is still a relatively new field and in this blog post for British Science Week we’ll explore how scientists are investigating the effects nanoparticles are having on the human brain and its defences.
The National Collection of Type Cultures: where 100-year-old samples help solve today’s problems – UK Health Security Agency
For British Science Week, we take a look at how decades old, pre-antibiotic samples in our Culture Collections are helping to address health security challenges today. Read our latest blog post to find out how our specimens have become essential ingredients in some of the most important scientific developments in history – some more than once.
Changes to health protection notification regulations (NOIDs) – UK Health Security Agency
From 6 April 2025, we’re expanding the list of pathogens that Registered Medical Professionals and laboratories in England must notify us about. The changes will strengthen local and national surveillance and support a prompt response to outbreaks of infectious diseases. …
Behind the Scenes at RIPL: Protecting the UK from deadly diseases – UK Health Security Agency
In this blog post we take a behind-the-scenes look at the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL), where our scientists work to safeguard public health from rare and deadly diseases. Our laboratories RIPL is the UK’s frontline clinical diagnostic laboratory …
Andrew Donaldson-Wheatcroft: ‘We should see HIV testing as an essential part of self-care’ – UK Health Security Agency
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 …
What winter bug do I have? Know the signs and symptoms – UK Health Security Agency
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 …
What is bird flu and how are we protecting people against it in the UK? – UK Health Security Agency
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 and shore birds. All birds are susceptible to avian influenza …
How we monitor invasive mosquitoes and stop them spreading in the UK – UK Health Security Agency
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 …
Why is norovirus reporting in England so high at the moment? – UK Health Security Agency
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 this year cases have risen earlier than usual and are …
How the science of snakebites is taking on superbugs – UK Health Security Agency
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 …
Join the fight against flu by taking part in our citizen science project – UK Health Security Agency
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 citizen science programme has now started, but there is still plenty of …
A parent’s guide to keeping kids healthy this school year – UK Health Security Agency
With kids getting back into the classroom, now is a good time for parents to familiarise themselves with some of the common illnesses that could disrupt children's studies or even cause more serious illness during the colder months. This blog …
How we monitor flu and other respiratory viruses each winter – UK Health Security Agency
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 an overview of how we're working to keep the nation informed and protected. …
Marburg virus disease: what you need to know – UK Health Security Agency
You may have seen reports about a rise in cases of Marburg virus disease in Rwanda, which we are monitoring closely. Marburg virus belongs to the filovirus family, along with Ebola. It can cause haemorrhagic fever, meaning it can damage …
How cutting-edge AI technology could hold the key to forecasting the pollen count – UK Health Security Agency
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 monitoring is unfolding. In this blog post we’ll explore how our team of Toxicologists are working to better understand and monitor what we’re breathing in and how this may impact our health.