Objective To assess the risk of public health emergencies that may occur or be imported from abroad in China (except Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan region, the same below) in May 2025.

Methods Based on the reports of domestic and foreign public health emergencies and surveillance results of key infectious diseases or notifications from relative agencies and departments, the expert consultation conference was hold and experts from provincial (autonomous region and municipal) centers for disease control and prevention attended this conference through video terminal.

Results It is predicted that the incidence of public health emergencies in May 2025 would be higher than that in April 2025. The main public health emergencies would be infectious diseases. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has shown an 11-week consecutive rebound, with virus monitoring indicating no significant changes in recent circulating strains. It is predicted that the current wave of COVID-19 in China will peak in the near future, with a low possibility of large-scale outbreaks. Starting from May, the China enters the peak activity period for Aedes mosquitoes, with extremely high risks of local secondary transmission triggered by imported cases. This year, many countries worldwide have seen a significant rise in measles outbreaks. Although the reported cases of measles this year is higher than that of the same period last year. Vigilance is required against the risk of local transmission caused by imported cases and epidemic spread in some immunologically vulnerable areas domestically. China has now entered the hand, foot and mouth disease epidemic period, with the number of cases expected to increase in May, and the epidemic in southern provinces rising earlier than that in northern provinces. The Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) has entered its peak incidence period, with the risk of cluster outbreaks. In April 2025, 10 human avian influenza cases were reported nationwide, all sporadic, still mainly infected through exposure to poultry or poultry environments. The mpox virus clade IIb epidemic in China still maintains a low-level fluctuating trend, and there is also a risk of secondary transmission after the importation of mpox virus clade I cases.

Conclusion Attention should be paid to COVID-19, dengue, measles, hand, foot and mouth disease, SFTS, human infection with avian influenza, mpox.