Risk assessment of public health emergencies concerned in China, February 2025

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 province, the same below) in February 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 February 2025 may decrease compared with January 2025. The main public health emergencies would be infectious diseases. At present, influenza is the main cause of acute respiratory infectious diseases, which is still in epidemic period, but its activity is decreasing. In northern and southern provinces of China, the positive rates of influenza virus detection peaked in the first and second weeks of 2025, respectively, and have been continuously declining. Currently, they are at medium - to - low levels. In January 2025, four human cases of avian influenza H9N2 were reported. All of them were sporadic cases, and infection still mainly occurred through exposure to poultry. No secondary cases were detected. The overall risk of human infection with avian influenza in China has remained unchanged. By the end of January 2025, 41 cases of mpox cladeⅡb and 6 cases of cladeⅠb were reported in China. In the short term, the epidemic of mpox cladeⅡb in China will remain at a low - level fluctuating state. It is predicted that the epidemic of mpox cladeⅡb will continue to spread at low level, and there is a risk of mpox cladeⅠb being imported into China and causing secondary transmission in close contacts. The risk of recent Marburg virus disease outbreaks in Tanzania(10 cases have been reported, and all have died) and Ebola virus disease outbreaks in Uganda(seven cases have been reported, and one case has died) being imported into China is low.

Conclusion Attention should be paid to acute respiratory infectious diseases, influenza, human infection with avian influenza, mpox, Marburg virus disease, and Ebola virus disease.