January - March 2026

SARInet plus

Newsletter

SARInet plus and REVELAC-i Regional Meeting 2026
March 24 - 26, 2026

This year’s meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss key challenges and opportunities in respiratory virus surveillance in the Americas, share best practices in pandemic preparedness, review current prevention and control recommendations, and reflect on progress in vaccine effectiveness evaluation.

A virtual broadcast will also be available for those who wish to participate remotely, offering access to technical discussions, national experiences, and regional updates.

We look forward to your active participation and valuable contributions.

Highlights

Early detection and genomic surveillance key to containing A(H5N1) in the Cayman Islands

The recent detection of avian influenza A(H5N1) in poultry in the Cayman Islands put national preparedness to the test and offered important lessons for the Caribbean. Thanks to rapid detection and local genomic sequencing by the Cayman Islands Molecular Biology Laboratory (CIMBL), and a coordinated One Health response, Cayman authorities successfully contained the outbreak to a single farm, with no human cases and no further spread detected.

Respiratory virus detectives:
Guardians of health in Argentina

This story takes us inside the world of epidemiological surveillance, where dedicated health teams act as true “detectives,” tracking respiratory viruses to protect vulnerable populations. Through a network of sentinel sites, Argentina generates critical data to better understand virus circulation, assess vaccine impact, and strengthen public health decision-making across the Region.

Explore our recent webinars

Publications

Epidemiological alerts and updates

• Epidemiological Alert Simultaneous circulation of seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus - 9 January 2026

• Epidemiological Update - Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in the Americas Region - 11 March 2026

Quick Hits

• El Salvador strengthens its preparedness for future pandemics with a national simulation exercise

• Panama brings together key stakeholders to advance the prevention and control of respiratory viruses with epidemic and pandemic potential

• Caribbean health professionals strengthen critical care skills to improve preparedness and response to severe acute respiratory infections

• Mexico strengthens its capacities to address respiratory viruses with support from PAHO

• Regional workshop in Brazil enhances capacity to measure influenza burden and vaccination impact

Share your updates in our next newsletter!

We want to hear from you! If you have news, achievements, or updates you’d like to share with the SARInet plus community, send them our way.

Submit your contributions by February 15 to info@sarinet.org, with a copy to acostaand@paho.org, and be featured in the next edition of our newsletter

Want to stay up to date? Visit our website for the latest updates: https://sarinet.org/