(A201) 2024 Outbreaks, A Primer for Otolaryngologists

Monday, October 13, 2025

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT

Location: OTO EXPO, Posters

Presenting Author(s)

CH

Catherine Han, MD

Resident Physician
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Cornell Campus)
New York, New York, United States
CH

Catherine Han, MD

Resident Physician
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Cornell Campus)
New York, New York, United States
VY

Victoria X. Yu, MD

Head and Neck Fellow
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
VY

Victoria X. Yu, MD

Head and Neck Fellow
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Senior Author(s)

Ashutosh Kacker, MD

Professor
Weill Cornell Medical College
New York , New York, United States
Ashutosh Kacker, MD

Professor
Weill Cornell Medical College
New York , New York, United States

Disclosure(s):

Catherine Han, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.

Victoria X. Yu, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.

Ashutosh Kacker, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.

Introduction: In light of recent global outbreaks (i.e. COVID-19, mpox), it is prudent for healthcare providers to maintain a working knowledge of global disease trends that have the potential to affect our patients. To this end, we seek herein to provide an overview of global outbreaks in 2024 and to highlight relevant otolaryngologic symptoms that are associated with these diseases.

Methods: The World Health Organization (WHO) releases information about confirmed acute public health events and emerging disease outbreaks through Disease Outbreak News (DON) reports. Events are classified as notable based on case numbers in excess of normal expectancy, changes in global distribution, or new clinical presentation. We reviewed DON reports released from January to December 2024 to compile a list of global health events in 2024. We selected a subset to review further the following inclusion criteria: WHO global risk assessment of moderate or high, lesser-known diseases, and/or better-known diseases with new features. Next we conducted a literature review of English language articles using disease names and otolaryngology-related terms on Pubmed Central and Embase through January 25th, 2025.

Results: Forty-six DON reports were released in 2024 on 17 diseases. We selected 12 diseases to review. Three were deemed moderate or high global risk by the WHO (dengue, hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 23, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). Seven were lesser-known (Marburg virus, Oropouche virus, Chandipura virus, Psittacosis, Nipah virus, Western equine virus, circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus). Two had new features (mpox clade 1b, bovine Influenza A). For each disease, we compiled information on the outbreak and disease background, including otolaryngologic signs and symptoms.

Conclusions: Otolaryngologists often serve as primary points of contact for patients within a diverse healthcare system and should have a working awareness of global health trends.