Summary of global surveillance data of infectious diseases in December 2020

ABSTRACT

In December 2020, a total of 61 infectious diseases were reported globally, affecting 223 countries and regions. Except for influenza, the top five infectious diseases affecting greatest number of countries and regions were coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19, 223), dengue fever (32), measles (22), poliomyelitis (15) and chikungunya fever (11). The top five infectious diseases with highest case fatality rates were Middle East respiratory syndrome (36.3%), Lassa fever (20.6%), yellow fever (11.7%), plague (7.2%) and West Nile fever (6.1%). The top five infectious diseases with greatest number of deaths were COVID-19, dengue fever, cholera, yellow fever and Lassa fever. The prevalent infectious diseases in Asia were COVID-19 and dengue fever, the prevalent infectious diseases in Africa were COVID-19, plague, cholera, yellow fever and Lassa fever, the prevalent infectious diseases in America were COVID-19 and dengue fever, the prevalent infectious disease in Europe was COVID-19.