Health officials say they have confirmed the first U.S. case of a new form of mpox that was first seen in eastern Congo.

Canadian health officials have confirmed bird flu in a British Columbia teen.

A Canadian teen is hospitalized in critical condition with what is believed to be bird flu.

Federal health officials are calling for more testing and treatment of workers on farms with bird flu.

British health officials say they have identified four cases of the new, more infectious version of mpox that first emerged in Congo, marking the first time the variant has caused a cluster of illness outside of Africa.

The World Health Organization has declared the ongoing outbreaks of mpox in Congo and elsewhere in Africa to be a global emergency, requiring urgent action to curb the virus’ transmission.

Swedish health officials say they have identified the first case of a person with the more infectious form of mpox that was first seen in eastern Congo.

The head of the World Health Organization says he will convene an expert group to determine if the increasing spread of the mpox virus in Africa warrants being declared a global emergency.

Kenya and the Central African Republic have declared new outbreaks of mpox as Africa's health officials are racing to contain the spread of the disease in a region lacking vaccines.

A new study suggests dozens of U.S. cities are at risk for mpox outbreaks this summer.

In a story published February 13, 2023, about a congressional investigation into COVID-19 origins, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Rep. James Comer is from Tennessee.

The federal government plans to end in January the public health emergency it declared earlier this year after an outbreak of mpox left more than 29,000 people across the U.S. infected.

The Biden administration has put a well-known Russian paramilitary organization on a list of religious freedom violators alongside a number of notorious terrorist organizations.

The World Health Organization is renaming monkeypox as mpox, citing concerns the original name of the decades-old animal disease could be construed as discriminatory and racist.

The World Health Organization is holding an open forum to rename the disease monkeypox, after some critics raised concerns the name could be derogatory or have racist connotations.

British health authorities say the monkeypox outbreak across the country may be peaking and that the epidemic’s growth rate has slowed.

Spain has confirmed death of a person from monkeypox, which Spanish media say is a first in the country.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, says he plans to retire by the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January 2025.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, says his COVID-19 recovery is an “example” for the nation on the protection offered by vaccines and boosters.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of America’s pandemic response through two White House administrations, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Dr. Anthony Fauci has given an upbeat assessment of the state of the coronavirus in the U.S., saying the country is “out of the pandemic phase” on new infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

Scientists have found a previously unrecognized variant of HIV that's more virulent than usual and has quietly spread in the Netherlands for the past few decades.

As the COVID-19 omicron variant surges across the United States, top federal health officials are looking to add a negative test along with its five-day isolation restrictions for asymptomatic Americans who catch the coronavirus.

U.S. health officials say that while the omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading in the country, early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations.

Researchers from the University of Michigan found that natural COVID infections provided some protection against reinfection in a community in Nicaragua.

A major health care provider in northern Michigan says it's putting an emphasis on COVID-19 care and reducing other services after a spike in the region.

Pfizer says its experimental pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% among patients with mild-to-moderate infections.

A new study found a cheap antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk adults with COVID-19.

Warning of tough days ahead with surging COVID-19 infections, the director of the National Institutes of Health says the U.S. could decide in the next couple weeks whether to offer coronavirus booster shots to more Americans this fall.

The United States is devoting more than $3 billion to speed development of treatments for COVID-19 and other dangerous viruses.

The immunologist who leads the COVID-19 response in the United States says “the undeniable effects of racism” have led to unacceptable health disparities.

Watch live coverage as the White House COVID-19 Response Team holds a virtual press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine rollout.

The CDC Advisory Panel voted to lift the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause and recommended its use in those over the age of 18.

The House Ethics Committee says the No. 3 House Democratic leader, Rep. Jim Clyburn, has been fined $5,000 after Capitol Police reported he avoided being screened before entering the House chamber.

A U.S. health panel says it’s time to resume use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, despite a very rare risk of blood clots.

ANN ARBOR – New research from the University of Michigan shows that reinfections of seasonal coronaviruses are common, suggesting that the virus behind COVID-19 could be endemic. “The frequency of reinfections with the different seasonal coronaviruses suggests that SARS-COV-2 is not going to completely disappear.”AdThe researchers used data on 3,418 individuals from the Household Influenza Vaccine Evaluation from the years 2010-2018. Upon evaluating the data, the team found 1,004 seasonal coronavirus infections. Additionally, 27 percent of the reinfections occurred within one year of the initial infection, which researchers say is a relatively short period of time given the virus’ seasonal nature. “In our study, participants had high levels of anti-spike protein binding antibody to seasonal coronaviruses, but these antibodies did not correlate with protection from infection,” Petrie said in a release.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a briefing with the coronavirus task force at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – The White House COVID-19 response team held a news briefing on Wednesday morning to provide an update on the nation’s pandemic. The briefing comes as states begin lifting virus restrictions as COVID vaccinations ramp up, and as some states -- like Michigan, New York and New Jersey -- experience another surge in virus spread. The nation has also just cleared President Biden’s goal of administering 100 million vaccinations within his first 100 days in office. President Biden is also assembling the next big White House priority, a sweeping $3 trillion package of investments on infrastructure and domestic needs.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON – Members of the White House COVID-19 response team are holding a news conference Wednesday to discuss ongoing virus outbreaks, their impact and the nation’s response. Related: Experts: Virus surge in Europe a cautionary tale for USIn Michigan, daily new COVID cases have been on the rise in recent weeks. Virus testing has remained steady in recent weeks, but the average positive test rate has risen above 6 percent as of Tuesday. AdAccording to Johns Hopkins University, more than 29.5 million cases have been reported in the U.S., with more than 535,000 deaths reported from the virus. Worldwide, the university reports totals of more than 120.8 million virus cases and more than 2.6 million virus deaths across the globe.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for an emergency use authorization. Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said people should take the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine if that’s what they are offered. Instead, the J&J vaccine uses a harmless, weakened cold virus to carry instructions into the body to trigger the immune response and a method developed a decade ago and used for an ebola vaccine. Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky is a native Michigander. Testing, efficacyThe Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been tested on nearly 44,000 people in United States, Latin America and South Africa.

He's expected to be joined by first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. Her husband, Anthony Willis, died Dec. 28, followed by her mother-in-law in early January. My whole world is turned upside-down.”The global death toll was approaching 2.5 million, according to Johns Hopkins. While the count is based on figures supplied by government agencies around the world, the real death toll is believed to be significantly higher, in part because of inadequate testing and cases inaccurately attributed to other causes early on. Despite efforts to administer coronavirus vaccines, a widely cited model by the University of Washington projects the U.S. death toll will surpass 589,000 by June 1.

(NIAID-RML via AP)GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus has been reported in a third Michigan county for the first time. Health officials say a confirmed case of a highly contagious COVID-19 variant, known as B117, was reported in Kent County on Sunday, Feb. 7. Michigan’s first known case of the virus variant was identified on Jan. 16 in a Washtenaw County woman who had just recently traveled to the U.K. Washtenaw County officials say that all known B117 variant cases within that county are tied to the University of Michigan community. Related: University of Michigan identifies virus outbreaks at off-campus housesAdThree COVID-19 variants, including the B117 variant, have been identified in the U.S. so far.

(White House via AP)WASHINGTON – The nation's top infectious disease expert doesn't want the Super Bowl to turn into a super spreader. Dr. Anthony Fauci, says when it comes to Super Bowl parties during the pandemic, people should “just lay low and cool it.”He said during TV interviews Wednesday that now isn’t the time to invite people over for watch parties because of the possibility that they’re infected with the coronavirus and could sicken others. Big events like Sunday’s game in Tampa, Florida, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are always a cause for concern over the potential for virus spread, Fauci said. “You don't want parties with people that you haven’t had much contact with,” he told NBC's “Today” show. "You just don’t know if they’re infected, so, as difficult as that is, at least this time around, just lay low and cool it.”The NFL has capped game attendance at 22,000 people because of the pandemic and citywide coronavirus mandates.

Vaccines are not yet approved for children, but testing already is underway for those as young as 12. If those trials are successful, Dr. Anthony Fauci said they would be followed by another round of testing down to those 9 years old. “Hopefully by the time we get to the late spring and early summer we will have children being able to be vaccinated,” Fauci said at a White House coronavirus briefing. Ad“You don’t want to have to ... go through an efficacy trial, where you’re involving tens of thousands of children," Fauci explained. Testing in the U.S. had a chaotic start, and experts say in many parts of the country it's still subpar.

In this image from video, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, speaks during a White House briefing on the Biden administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Washington. (White House via AP)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The mutated version of the virus, first identified in South Africa, was found in two cases in South Carolina. Neither of the people infected has traveled recently, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday. AdIn South Carolina, the state health agency said the variant was found in one person from the state's coastal region and another in its northeastern corner. The variant first found in South Africa was detected in October. Biden on Monday reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions on most non-U.S. travelers from Brazil, the U.K. and South Africa.

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2020, file photo Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Anthony Fauci endorsed the decision of U.S. officials to require negative COVID-19 tests before letting people from Britain enter the U.S. He declined to weigh in on whether that step should have been taken sooner. He said the variant strain is something “to follow very carefully” and “we’re looking at it very intensively now.”He said: “Does it make someone more ill? Fauci spoke on CNN's “State of the Union.”

(NIAID-RML via AP)Two new studies give encouraging evidence that having COVID-19 may offer some protection against future infections. Researchers found that people who made antibodies to the coronavirus were much less likely to test positive again for up to six months and maybe longer. The institute's study had nothing to do with cancer — many federal researchers have shifted to coronavirus work because of the pandemic. One is a blood test for antibodies, which can linger for many months after infection. Only 0.3% of those who initially had antibodies later tested positive for the coronavirus, compared with 3% of those who lacked such antibodies.

President-elect Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in rally for Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):7:55 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has formally announced former rival Pete Buttigieg as his pick to be secretary of transportation. ___1:30 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden says he’s spoken with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the Electoral College affirmed his victory Monday. ___8:40 a.m.Two foreign leaders who had not congratulated President-elect Joe Biden have now done so. ___7:30 a.m.Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible.

Made during a May 21, 2020 interview on CNN, Fauci's pleas for people to "wear a mask" to slow the spread of the coronavirus, tops a Yale Law School librarian's list of the most notable quotes of 2020. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP, File)NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A plea from Dr. Anthony Fauci for people to “wear a mask” to slow the spread of the coronavirus tops a Yale Law School librarian’s list of the most notable quotes of 2020. “Wear a mask.” — Dr. Anthony Fauci, CNN interview, May 21. — Trump, in remarks at a White House Coronavirus Task Force news briefing, April 23. You have my word on that.” — White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, at her first press briefing, May 1.

As the U.S. settles deeper into the holiday season, so too is it settling into a dangerous trend of coronavirus spread. The cold winter months are pushing people indoors, where the airborne virus can spread easier than outdoors. He was referring to the country’s current battle with increased coronavirus spread. Pfizer formally requested an emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 20. Related: Details on when COVID-19 vaccine could be made public for useWhile it’s not totally clear who will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and when, it is likely that school-aged children will be among the last groups in the U.S. to receive them.

___5:30 p.m.Joe Biden is denouncing disruptive demonstrations by supporters of President Donald Trump across the country. Trump tweeted a video of the caravan and declared, “I LOVE TEXAS!” Biden also referenced reports that Trump supporters shut down a major roadway in New Jersey. ___12:25 p.m.Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris says Black voters are critical to defeating President Donald Trump and electing Joe Biden president. ___11:55 a.m.President Donald Trump is braving flurries and a stiff wind chill as he rallies thousands of supporters in Michigan. Biden’s return to Philadelphia underscores the significance of Pennsylvania, the Rust Belt state that helped deliver President Donald Trump the White House four years ago.

U.S. government officials are putting an early end to a study testing an Eli Lilly antibody drug for people hospitalized with COVID-19 because it doesn’t seem to be helping them. Independent monitors had paused enrollment in the study two weeks ago because of a possible safety issue. In a statement Lilly notes that the government is continuing a separate study testing the antibody drug in mild to moderately ill patients, to try to prevent hospitalization and severe illness. The company also is continuing its own studies testing the drug, which is being developed with the Canadian company AbCellera. Lilly and Regeneron have asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency use authorization for their drugs for COVID-19 while late-stage studies continue.

The paused study, called ACTIV-3, started in August and aims to enroll 10,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the United States, Denmark and Singapore. The pause in the Lilly study comes a day after a temporary halt to enrollment in a coronavirus vaccine study. Johnson & Johnson executives said Tuesday that it will be a few days before they know more about an unexplained illness in one participant that caused a pause in its late-stage vaccine study. Johnson & Johnson isn’t disclosing the nature of the illness. He says Johnson & Johnson gave information on the case to the independent monitoring board overseeing the safety of patients in the study, as the research protocol requires.

President Donald Trump is pushing for a faster timeline, which many experts say is risky and may not allow for adequate testing. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn pledged that career scientists, not politicians, will decide whether any coronavirus vaccine meets clearly stated standards that it works and is safe. In one of the largest studies yet, Johnson & Johnson aims to enroll 60,000 volunteers to test its single-dose approach in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. J&J’s vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Going forward, “we need uniformity throughout the country.”In a testy exchange, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky insisted public health officials were wrong that a lockdown could change the course of the pandemic.

FILE - In this April 22, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump watches as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)