INTRODUCTION
The global challenge of infectious diseases persists and is propelled by increased population mobility driven by economic globalization [1–3]. Formerly driven by factors, such as warfare and colonialism, global population movements are now largely steered by economic globalization, thereby accelerating the global transmission of infectious diseases. Over recent decades, while advances in medical technology and healthcare systems have led to reductions in overall incidence rates, infectious diseases continue to pose a profound burden in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, seasonal outbreaks and the emergence of new pathogens further exacerbate this challenge, facilitated by heightened population mobility. Consequently, infectious diseases persist as a significant challenge, necessitating sustained attention and the implementation of effective measures to safeguard human health and well-being.
To comprehensively examine the global distribution of infectious diseases from January to March 2024 we utilized the Shusi Tech Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System (Fig 1). Our analysis uncovered notable trends across various infectious diseases, including influenza, dengue fever, monkeypox, cholera, measles, insect-borne infectious diseases, and sporadic infectious diseases. By scrutinizing data from diverse regions and disease categories, we better understand the current landscape of infectious diseases, which will facilitate proactive measures to mitigate the impact on public health.
INFLUENZA
Influenza virus infection is a formidable challenge facing global public health. The annual incidence and mortality rates have reached significant levels [4,5]. Authoritative statistics indicate that influenza contributes to an estimated 290,000–650,000 deaths worldwide annually due to respiratory-related illnesses [6]. Notably, in high-income countries, influenza is one of the leading diseases affecting individuals of all age groups [7].
In the past 3 months (January to March 2024), confirmed cases of influenza have demonstrated a significant decline overall, primarily concentrated in the US, Canada, Australia, and Spain (Fig 2A). Among these nations affected by influenza, the US has reported the highest incidence, with a notable 98,943 cases, followed by Canada and Australia with 19,352 and 19,123 cases, respectively (Fig 2B). The total number of new cases reported from January to March 2024 is approximately 150,000 cases, with January contributing the largest percentage (65%).
Statistics of new influenza cases from January to March 2024. A. The top 6 countries or regions with the number of cumulative suspected influenza cases. B. Number of confirmed cases of influenza virus infection per month from January to March 2024.
Despite the decreasing trend in influenza cases, maintaining vigilance remains paramount. Individuals exhibiting symptoms, such as fever or cough, are strongly advised to wear masks. This precautionary measure is crucial given the persistent global threat posed by influenza virus infections, which continue to impact public health on a significant scale.
DENGUE
Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the dengue virus, which is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites [8]. With the acceleration of global climate change and urbanization, breeding grounds and dissemination of mosquitoes have expanded, making the spread of dengue fever increasingly facile. Dengue fever has emerged as a progressively serious global health issue [9]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global incidence of dengue has risen sharply from 505,430 cases in 2000 to 5.2 million cases in 2019 [10]. Between January and March 2024 Brazil, Argentina, Peru, the Philippines, Colombia, and Paraguay have reported tens of thousands of cases of dengue fever (Fig 3). Brazil has recorded the highest number of fatalities (n=561). As the incidence of dengue fever continues to rise, the implementation of effective preventative and control measures becomes increasingly critical. Enhanced surveillance and management of mosquito breeding sites, along with heightened public awareness and implementation of preventative measures against dengue fever, represent pivotal steps in addressing this pressing global health challenge.
MONKEYPOX
Monkeypox, caused by the monkeypox virus, is a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae [11]. From January to March 2024 the data suggests a significant spread of monkeypox across multiple continents, with varying degrees of confirmation and mortality rates (Table 1). Geographic regions, such as Brazil and Spain, show high numbers of both suspected and confirmed cases, indicating more extensive outbreaks. Some countries, such as Mexico and Brazil, have reported deaths (n=34 and 16, respectively), while other countries, despite high numbers of suspected cases, have reported fewer or no deaths. The death counts, while generally low compared to the number of cases, are nonetheless present, indicating that the disease has had fatal outcomes in some instances.
Worldwide monkeypox cases reported between January and March 2024.
| Record period | Location | Cumulative suspected cases (confirmed cases) reported during the record period | Cumulative deaths reported during the record period | Data source |
| 01/01/2022-31/01/2024 | Australia | 341 | WHO | |
| 01/01/2022-27/01/2024 | America | 114 | U.S. CDC | |
| 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | Brazil | 10967 | 16 | WHO |
| 06/05/2023-29/02/2024 | Britain | 3892 | U. K. Health Security Agency | |
| 01/01/2022-31/01/2024 | Belgium | 803 | 2 | WHO |
| 05/02/2024 | Cambodia | (1) | ProMED-mail | |
| 13/12/2023-05/02/2024 | (5) | |||
| 15/02/2024 | (1) | |||
| 13/12/2023-15/02/2024 | (12) | |||
| 01/01/2022-31/01/2024 | Chile | (1449) | 3 | WHO |
| 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 1605 | 2 | WHO |
| 01/01/2024-31/01/2024 | England | (7) | 0 | Health and Safety Executive |
| 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | France | 4195 | WHO | |
| 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | Germany | 3816 | WHO | |
| 24/05/2022-13/02/2024 | Ghana | 138 | 5 | WHO Regional Office for Africa |
| 06/09/2022-29/02/2024 | Hong Kong, China | (58) | 0 | Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection, China |
| 01/01/2024-29/01/2024 | 3 | |||
| 29/02/2024 | 1 | |||
| 15/02/2024 | (1) | 0 | ||
| 01/01/2022-18/02/2024 | Indonesia | (83) | 0 | Who Regional Office for South-East Asia |
| 01/01/2024-09/01/2024 | Israel | 5 (5) | Xinhuanet | |
| 01/01/2024-28/01/2024 | Japan | 3 | Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases | |
| 29/01/2024-11/02/2024 | (3) | 0 | Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare | |
| 23/07/2022-13/02/2024 | Liberia | 119 (7) | WHO Regional Office for Africa | |
| 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | Mexico | 4081 | 34 | WHO |
| 01/01/2022-31/01/2024 | Netherlands | 1292 | 0 | WHO |
| 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | New Zealand | 1299 | WHO | |
| 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | Nigeria | 843 | 9 | WHO |
| 01/01/2022-31/01/2024 | Spain | (7786) | 3 | WHO |
| 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | 7898 | 3 | ||
| 01/01/2022-12/01/2024 | Swiss | 563 | European Union CDC | |
| 01/01/2022-12/01/2024 | Switzerland | (563) | 0 | WHO |
| 24/06/2022-05/03/2024 | Taiwan, China | 363 | Taiwan Disease Control Agency, China | |
| 01/01/2022-18/02/2024 | Thailand | (729) | 0 | Who Regional Office for South-East Asia |
| 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | 743 | WHO | ||
| 21/01/2024-27/01/2024 | U.S. | (21) | 0 | U.S. CDC |
| 01/01/2024-09/02/2024 | (114) | 0 |
CHOLERA
Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium, Vibrio cholerae [12]. Some geographic regions report a very high number of suspected cholera cases, with Afghanistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe showing particularly large numbers (n >10,000 cases; Fig 4A). Zambia, in particular, has the second-highest number of cases (n=18,139) and the highest number of deaths (n=577). The Fig 4A outlines the seven nations with the highest number of new cholera cases reported in the first quarter of 2024 (Fig 4A). New cholera cases in Afghanistan, Zambia, and the Congo saw a decrease in February, then a substantial increase in March (Fig 4B).
New cholera cases from January to March 2024. A. The top 7 countries or regions with the number of cumulative confirmed dengue cases and deaths (January to March 2024). B. Changes in the number of suspected cases of cholera infection per month from January to March 2024. Afghanistan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Congo, Haiti, Mozambique, and Somalia reported the highest number of cholera cases during the period from January to March 2024.
MEASLES
Measles, an important cause of deaths among young children globally, spreads through direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected individuals or through aerosol transmission when an infected person coughs or sneezes [13]. Between January and March 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo reported the highest number of cases with approximately 20,050 deaths. Comparing this data with that from September to December 2023, some countries, such as Afghanistan and Ethiopia, have observed a decrease in measles cases, while other countries, like Britain, have experienced an increase.
INSECT-BORNE INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Insect-borne infectious diseases, also known as vector-borne diseases, are infections transmitted by the bite of infected arthropod species, such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas [14]. During the period from January to March 2024, yellow fever and Zika virus infections had a relatively stable prevalence, Chikungunya fever surged in February followed by a steep decline in March (Fig 5). Chikungunya fever appears to have a significant number of cases in some regions, with Brazil showing a high number of both suspected and confirmed cases. The data suggest that while Chikungunya and Zika virus infections have widespread transmission, yellow fever, although less widespread, is more severe given the number of deaths (Table 2).
Suspected cases of three kinds of arbo-borne infectious diseases from January to March 2024, including yellow fever, Chikungunya fever, and Zika virus infection.
Worldwide insect-borne infectious diseases cases reported between January and March 2024.
| Record period | Location | Cumulative suspected cases (confirmed cases) reported during the record period | Cumulative deaths reported during the record period | Data source |
| Chikungunya fever | ||||
| 21/01/2024-27/01/2024 | U.S. | (2) | 0 | U.S. CDC |
| 01/01/2024-03/02/2024 | Argentina | (89) | 0 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | 216 | |||
| 01/01/2024-02/03/2024 | Barbados | 1923 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-27/01/2024 | Bolivia | 60 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | 126 | |||
| 01/01/2024-27/01/2024 | Brazil | 14189 (11128) | 3 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| 28/01/2024-10/02/2024 | 20580 (16779) | 1 | Who Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | 56154 (43096) | 10 | Who Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-16/03/2024 | 111437 (81133) | 36 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-27/01/2024 | Brazilian | 14189 (11128) | 3 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas |
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | 56154 (43096) | 10 | ||
| 01/01/2024-04/03/2024 | Central African Republic | 708 (9) | 2 | Africa CDC |
| 01/01/2024-27/01/2024 | Columbia | 13 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-27/01/2024 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 01/01/2024-10/02/2024 | 16 | 0 | ||
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | 17 | |||
| 01/01/2024-17/02/2024 | Costa Rica | 4 (1) | 0 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | 6 | |||
| 01/01/2024-04/03/2024 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 46 (14) | Africa CDC | |
| 01/01/2024-17/02/2024 | El Salvador | 5 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | Guatemala | 2 | 0 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | 10 | |||
| 01/01/2024-13/01/2024 | Paraguay | 973 (3) | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 14/01/2024-10/02/2024 | 1302 | 0 | ||
| 01/01/2024-10/02/2024 | 2275 (24) | 0 | ||
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | 2395 (25) | |||
| 01/01/2024-17/02/2024 | Peru | 10 (2) | 1 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | 15 (4) | 1 | ||
| 01/01/2024-02/03/2024 | 17 (5) | 1 | ||
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | Peru | 15 (4) | 1 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas |
| 01/01/2024-07/01/2024 | Senegal | 7 | Africa CDC | |
| 01/01/2024-17/02/2024 | Salvador | 5 | 0 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| Zika virus disease | ||||
| 07/01/2024-01/01/2024 | Mali | 10 | Africa CDC | |
| 01/01/2024-03/01/2024 | Thailand | 19 | ProMED-mail | |
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | Bolivia | 65 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-27/01/2024 | 27 | |||
| 01/01/2024-03/02/2024 | Costa Rica | 6 | 0 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| 01/01/2024-17/02/2024 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | 7 | |||
| 01/01/2024-20/01/2024 | Brazil | 127 (5) | 0 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| 21/01/2024-03/02/2024 | 736 (43) | 0 | ||
| 01/01/2024-27/01/2024 | Columbia | 33 | 0 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| 01/01/2024-10/02/2024 | 45 | 0 | ||
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | 59 | |||
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | Guatemala | 1 | 0 | Who Regional Office for the Americas |
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | 6 | |||
| 01/01/2024-20/01/2024 | Peru | 3 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | 7 | |||
| 01/01/2024-02/03/2024 | Ecuador | 18 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-09/03/2024 | El Salvador | 19 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-16/03/2024 | Paraguay | 78 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| 01/01/2024-24/02/2024 | Puerto Rico | 3 | WHO Regional Office for the Americas | |
| Yellow fever | ||||
| 06/01/2024-29/01/2024 | South Sudan | 30 (1) | 6 | Africa CDC |
| 10/02/2024-17/02/2024 | 14 (1) | 0 | ||
| 06/01/2024-17/02/2024 | 64 (3) | 6 | ||
| 01/01/2024-24/03/2024 | 87 (3) | 6 | ||
| 27/01/2024-10/02/2024 | The Republic of Congo | (11) | 0 | |
| 01/01/2024-19/03/2024 | Colombia | 3 | 3 | U. N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
| 27/01/2024-10/02/2024 | Gabon | (3) | 0 | African CDC |
| 01/01/2024-24/03/2024 | 28 | |||
| 01/01/2024-31/01/2024 | Nigeria | 189 | Nigeria CDC | |
| 01/01/2024-19/03/2024 | Peru | 2 | 1 | U. N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
SPORADIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Sporadic infectious diseases, while not as prevalent as endemic or epidemic diseases, pose their own unique challenges to healthcare systems and require vigilance and readiness to respond when they do occur. In addition to the diseases mentioned above, other global infectious diseases that occurred in the first quarter of 2024 are listed in S1 Table, including polio, Western equine encephalitis, Zika virus infection, Legionnaires’ disease, Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, hepatitis C, hepatitis E, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, meningitis, Salmonella infection, campylobacteriosis, mumps, Lassa fever, pertussis, bacillary dysentery, tuberculosis epidemic, coccidiosis, scarlet fever, yellow fever, amebic dysentery, West Nile fever, tetanus, norovirus, rotavirus, mite-borne typhus fever, invasive group A streptococcal infection, Hantavirus infection, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infection, diphtheria, parrot fever, human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza, Ross River virus disease, varicella, anthrax, cryptosporidiosis, and malaria.
CONCLUSION
In the past 3 decades, >40 previously unidentified infectious diseases have emerged globally. This emergence, coupled with accelerated urbanization, advancing transportation networks, climate change, and global population aging, has led to the rapid spread and increased recurrence of infectious diseases worldwide. Consequently, these phenomena pose a significant threat to public health and safety, while profoundly impacting economic and social development.
As a result, the effective prevention and control of newly emerging infectious diseases have become pressing imperatives for humanity. Simultaneously, bolstering research efforts aimed at preventing and treating emerging infectious diseases remains an ongoing pursuit within the medical domain, encapsulated by the adage, “with greater knowledge comes greater challenges.” It is an unequivocal responsibility for healthcare practitioners to diligently explore timely and efficacious methods and strategies for preventing and treating newly emerging infectious diseases.