• Incidence rate: The old "14,075 per 100,000" was clearly wrong. The correct figure is ~0.76 per 100,000 (about 59,000 deaths in a population of ~8 billion).
• "Prevalence of 52% in humans": Removed entirely - this figure is meaningless for rabies. Since it is almost always fatal within days-weeks, "prevalence" is not the right measure.
• Causative agent: Now correctly listed as Rabies lyssavirus (not just the genus name).
• Incubation period: Moved to Disease Overview where it belongs, not under complications.
• Transmission: Added scratches and mucous membrane contact.
• Public health programs: Mass dog vaccination ("Zero by 30") is now prominently featured.

Top Picks for Your Epidemiology Fact Sheet

1. 🦟 Dengue Fever

• Very well-documented: WHO reports ~390 million infections/year, ~100 million symptomatic cases, ~40,000 deaths/year
• Clear person/place/time data (tropical regions, seasonal peaks, age distribution)
• Interesting angle: cases have increased 8-fold in the last 20 years
• In the news: 2024 was a record-breaking year globally
• Difficulty: Easy - tons of WHO/CDC exact numbers

2. 🪱 Schistosomiasis

• Second most common parasitic disease after malaria
• WHO: ~250 million people need treatment yearly; ~11,700 deaths/year
• Very unique - transmitted through freshwater snails (not person-to-person)
• Clear geographic data: sub-Saharan Africa (>90% of cases)
• Difficulty: Easy - very structured WHO data

3. 🧫 Cholera

• WHO: 1.3-4 million cases/year, 21,000-143,000 deaths/year
• Massive 2022-2024 resurgence - very current and newsworthy
• Simple transmission (contaminated water/food), clear CFR data (~1-3% with treatment, up to 50% untreated)
• Strong public health angle (WASH - water, sanitation, hygiene)
• Difficulty: Easy - very well documented

4. 🧠 Meningococcal Meningitis

• CDC/WHO: ~1.2 million cases/year globally; CFR of 10-15% even with treatment; 10-20% survivors have permanent disability
• "Meningitis Belt" in sub-Saharan Africa is very distinct geographic data
• Interesting: can kill a healthy person within 24 hours
• Strong vaccine-preventable angle
• Difficulty: Easy-Medium

5. 🦷 Noma (Cancrum Oris)

• Extremely unique and underknown - perfect for standing out
• WHO only added it to the NTD list in 2023 - very recent, very fresh topic
• ~140,000 new cases/year; 90% fatality if untreated; affects children 2-6 years
• Almost entirely in the "Noma Belt" of sub-Saharan Africa
• Difficulty: Easy - simple disease, very clear data
• Professor will likely never have seen this one before

6. 💉 Tetanus

• WHO: ~56,000 deaths/year (mostly neonatal tetanus); CFR 10-70% depending on setting
• Vaccine-preventable but NOT herd-immunity dependent (spores live in soil forever)
• Very clear age/geographic/sex breakdown
• Strong public health angle (maternal/neonatal vaccination)
• Difficulty: Easy

My Recommendation

More Disease Options - All Have Great Data

Respiratory / Airborne

Vector-Borne

Waterborne / Foodborne

Soil / Contact Transmitted

Emerging / Unique Picks

Quick Decision Guide

• Two WHO PHEICs - only a handful of diseases have ever triggered this; gives you strong public health discussion material
• Two clades behaving completely differently - Clade IIb (sexual/MSM) vs Clade Ib (heterosexual, also affects children) - perfect for descriptive epidemiology discussion on how the same disease can have totally different patterns
• Extremely current data - numbers go up to WHO Sitrep #62 (January 2026) and ECDC (May 2026)
• Strong equity angle - vaccines available in rich countries but not where the disease kills most (Africa)
• Historical link to smallpox - the 1980 vaccination stop explains the current resurgence

MPOX - Epidemiology Fact Sheet

1. DISEASE OVERVIEW

• Viral zoonotic disease caused by Monkeypox virus (MPXV), genus Orthopoxvirus
• Two clades: Clade I (more severe, Africa) and Clade II (less severe, global 2022 outbreak)
• Incubation period: 3-17 days; infectious until all lesions heal (~2-4 weeks)
• Case fatality rate: 0.2% (Clade IIb globally) to 3-10% (Clade I in Africa)

2. EPIDEMIOLOGY DATA

• 124,753 confirmed cases and 272 deaths globally (Jan 2022 - Dec 2024) - WHO
• 52,845 cases and 215 deaths globally in 2025 alone - WHO Sitrep #62
• Global CFR: 0.2%; rises to 15% in HIV-positive/immunocompromised patients
• Affected 128 countries/territories across all 6 WHO regions

3. DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY

• Person: Adults 20-40 most affected in Clade IIb; children under 10 most affected in Clade I (DRC); >95% male in 2022 global outbreak; more balanced sex ratio in Clade Ib Africa
• Place: ~78% of cases in Africa; DRC is the highest-burden country; Clade Ib now causing community transmission in USA, Italy, Netherlands, Spain (2025)
• Time: First human case in 1970 (DRC); surged globally May 2022; second wave with new Clade Ib in 2024; WHO declared PHEIC twice (2022 and 2024)

4. RISK FACTORS

• Unvaccinated (smallpox vaccination stopped in 1980; no cross-protection for anyone born after ~1980)
• Multiple sexual partners; men who have sex with men (MSM)
• Direct contact with infected person's skin lesions, bodily fluids, or contaminated items
• HIV infection (uncontrolled) or other immunocompromising conditions
• Living in or traveling to endemic areas; contact with wild rodents or bushmeat

5. TRANSMISSION & PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT

• Primary route: Skin-to-skin and sexual contact (dominant in Clade IIb); also respiratory droplets and fomites (bedding, clothing)
• Zoonotic: From infected rodents (squirrels, rats) or primates via handling/consuming bushmeat
• Impact: 2 PHEIC declarations in 3 years; 128 countries affected; vaccine inequity between rich and poor nations is a major concern

6. CONTROL & MANAGEMENT / PREVENTION

• Vaccine: MVA-BN (JYNNEOS) - 2-dose vaccine; ~85% effective against Clade IIb; recommended for high-risk groups
• Treatment: Tecovirimat (TPOXX) antiviral for severe cases; mostly supportive care
• Prevention: Avoid contact with lesions, use condoms, isolate if infected, wear PPE (healthcare workers)
• Programs: WHO Standing Recommendations (post-PHEIC 2025); Gavi funded 500,000 doses for Africa; ring vaccination and contact tracing

7. QUICK FACTS

• Mpox was renamed from "monkeypox" in November 2022 to reduce stigma
• Only disease (alongside COVID-19, Ebola, Polio, Zika) to trigger two WHO PHEICs
• Monkeys are NOT the reservoir - rodents are the main animal reservoir
• The 1980 global smallpox eradication and vaccine discontinuation left current generations vulnerable

8. SOURCES

1. WHO Mpox Fact Sheet (2024) - who.int
2. WHO Multi-country Situation Report #46 (Jan 2025) & #62 (Jan 2026) - who.int
3. CDC MMWR - Clade Ib Mpox Outbreak, Kenya 2024-2025 (PMID: via cdc.gov/mmwr)
4. ECDC Mpox Worldwide Overview (May 2026) - ecdc.europa.eu
5. Ndembi N et al. (2025) - NEJM. PMID: 39887004

Simple & Straightforward Options

1. Cholera - one pathogen (Vibrio cholerae), one route (water), massive exact numbers from WHO, very current 2022-2024 resurgence
2. Measles - literally the textbook example of epidemiology; incidence, herd immunity threshold, R0, all perfectly documented
3. Tetanus - completely unique angle (not person-to-person at all), clear age/sex/geographic data, strong vaccine story

Pertussis vs. Leishmaniasis

Verdict

My recommendation: Pertussis

• Zero confusion - one bacteria, one route, one vaccine
• WHO and CDC have exact numbers going back decades
• Has a really good story: cases are rising even in vaccinated populations because immunity wanes - perfect for an epidemiology class discussion
• Every field in your datasheet fills easily with clean, cited numbers

PERTUSSIS (WHOOPING COUGH) - Epidemiology Fact Sheet

1. DISEASE OVERVIEW

• Highly contagious bacterial respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis
• Characterized by severe coughing fits followed by a high-pitched "whoop" sound on inhale
• Incubation period: 7-10 days (range: 4-21 days)
• Case fatality rate: <1% overall; up to 1-2% in infants under 6 months
• Vaccine-preventable but immunity wanes over time - making it a disease of ALL age groups

2. EPIDEMIOLOGY DATA

3. DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY

• Infants under 6 months have highest incidence (85.4/100,000) and highest death risk
• In the USA 2024: 42.9% of cases were teens (11-19 years) due to waning vaccine immunity
• Slightly higher incidence and mortality in females than males, especially in infants
• Adults aged 20+ are underdiagnosed - present without the classic "whoop"

• Global: Highest burden in low-income countries with low vaccination coverage (Asia, Africa)
• USA 2024: Highest incidence in Alaska (81.1/100,000), Idaho (54/100,000), Wisconsin (45/100,000)
• In developing countries: mainly affects unvaccinated young children
• In developed countries: mainly affects unvaccinated infants and waning-immunity teens/adults

• Cyclical disease - peaks every 3-5 years
• Global cases dropped 40.98% between 1990-2019 due to vaccination
• Sharp resurgence post-COVID: 2024 US cases (35,435) were 5x higher than 2023 (7,063)
• Trend 2026: Cases declining after November 2024 peak - consistent with cyclical pattern

4. RISK FACTORS

• Infants under 6 months - not yet fully vaccinated (most vulnerable)
• Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated individuals
• Waning immunity - vaccine protection lasts only 4-12 years; teens and adults lose protection
• Household or close contact with an infected person
• Pregnancy - infected mothers can transmit to newborns; also higher risk of complications
• Low vaccine coverage communities; larger household sizes (risk factor in Hispanic infants)
• Immunocompromised status; chronic respiratory conditions

5. TRANSMISSION & PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT

• Spread by respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing - extremely contagious
• R₀ = 12-17 (one of the highest of any known disease; measles is ~12-18)
• A person is contagious from the start of symptoms for up to 3 weeks if untreated
• Antibiotic treatment (azithromycin) within first 3 weeks reduces contagious period significantly
• Teens and adults often spread unknowingly - they present with mild prolonged cough only

• ~24.1 million cases/year; 160,700 child deaths/year globally
• Infants most at risk: in USA 2024, 63% of infected infants under 12 months were hospitalized
• Waning vaccine immunity means even vaccinated populations drive outbreaks
• Significant healthcare costs from hospitalizations; 2024 US surge was largest since pre-vaccine era

6. CONTROL & MANAGEMENT / PREVENTION

• Antibiotics (azithromycin, clarithromycin, or TMP-SMX) - most effective in early stage; reduces severity and contagious period
• Supportive care - rest, hydration; avoid cough suppressants in infants
• Hospitalization for infants with apnea, feeding difficulties, or oxygen needs

• DTaP coverage in US children (≥3 doses by 24 months): 93.3%
• Tdap coverage in US adolescents: 90.2%; adults: only 31.7% - gap driving adult outbreaks

• WHO EPI (Expanded Programme on Immunization) - global DTP vaccination initiative
• Cocoon strategy - vaccinating parents and caregivers to protect newborns before their vaccines
• Maternal Tdap - WHO and CDC recommend 1 dose per pregnancy
• Contact tracing and antibiotic prophylaxis for household contacts of cases

7. QUICK FACTS / DID YOU KNOW?

• Known as "the 100-day cough" in Chinese medicine - coughing fits can last up to 3 months
• Despite >90% vaccination rates, pertussis cannot be eliminated because vaccine immunity wanes
• The 2024 US surge (35,435 cases) was the highest since before the COVID pandemic
• Adolescents and adults are the hidden reservoir - they spread it to vulnerable infants while thinking they just have a bad cold
• For every clinical adolescent/adult case diagnosed, there are an estimated ~5 undetected cases
• The whooping sound is heard mainly in children - adults rarely whoop, making diagnosis harder

8. SOURCES

1. CDC - 2024 Provisional Pertussis Surveillance Report (Jan 2025). cdc.gov
2. CDC - Pertussis in Other Countries. cdc.gov/pertussis/php/global
3. CDC - Pertussis Surveillance and Trends. cdc.gov/pertussis/php/surveillance
4. CDC Pink Book - Chapter 16: Pertussis. cdc.gov/pinkbook
5. StatPearls/NCBI - Pertussis (updated 2024). PMID via ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519008
6. WHO Immunization Data - Pertussis reported cases and incidence. immunizationdata.who.int
7. PMC Review - Resurgence of pertussis: Epidemiological trends, contributing factors (2025). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12153400

Honest Assessment: Georgia (Country) & India Data

Georgia (Country - Caucasus):

• No country-specific WHO pertussis case numbers found for Georgia in public databases. Georgia is a small country (~3.7 million people) and pertussis data for it is not individually published by WHO or ECDC in easily citable form. The searches only returned Georgia the US state (280 cases in 2024).
• I would have to fabricate or guess numbers - which I won't do.

India:

• India has severe underreporting of pertussis. WHO/UNICEF list India as one of the top 10 countries with the highest number of unvaccinated children globally, but exact annual pertussis case counts for India are not reliably published.
• A 2025 CDC study from North India (2019-2023) found 49.2% of suspected pertussis samples tested PCR-positive - showing high burden, but national numbers don't exist.
• DTP3 coverage in India: ~91% (WHO/UNICEF 2024) - that's citable.

My Honest Recommendation

Better alternatives for country-level focus:

• Europe overall - ECDC 2024: 54.9 cases/100,000 - excellent data
• UK - very well documented pertussis resurgence 2024-2025
• Pakistan or Nigeria - WHO tracks these as high-burden countries with vaccine gap data

Reported Cases vs. Estimated Cases

Why Are They So Different?

1. Mild/atypical cases - adults and teens just think they have a bad cough and never see a doctor
2. Misdiagnosis - doctors may call it bronchitis or a chest infection
3. No testing - many countries lack PCR or lab capacity to confirm pertussis
4. Poor surveillance - low-income countries don't have complete reporting systems
5. Asymptomatic cases - some people carry and spread it with no symptoms at all

Simple Way to Think About It

Reported cases = the tip of the iceberg (what we can see and count) Estimated cases = the whole iceberg (the true burden including hidden cases)

• "WHO reported 941,565 confirmed cases globally in 2024 - however, the estimated true burden is ~24.1 million cases/year, reflecting significant underdiagnosis and underreporting, particularly in low-income countries (WHO/CDC)."

• Dark blue title banner with "PERTUSSIS / Whooping Cough" header
• All 8 fields with colour-coded section headings (blue)
• Formatted tables with alternating row shading for all data fields
• Bullet points for risk factors, transmission, quick facts
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• All exact numbers from WHO, CDC, and ECDC cited inline