Evaluating Colilert and ChromAgar methods for the detection of ESBL bacteria in water samples from urban markets in Blantyre, Malawi

to 31 July 2022).Case numbers for the most frequently reported diseases were compared with official sources, revealing heightened reports of infectious diseases during the wartime period.Results: EPIWATCH reports of outbreaks of unspecified influenza-like illness and pneumonia, together with known causes confirmed an increase in respiratory illnesses in China in 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.In contrast, the same comparison globally shows a decrease in 2023 compared to 2022, indicating China was experiencing an unusual increase in respiratory illness.EPIWATCH detected a peak of pneumonia cases from October to early November 2023, before official diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumonia as the cause.On 22 November 2023, WHO identified clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children's hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning, and other places in China.Discussion: Harnessing AI for outbreak detection holds immense potential for early warning and assessment of unknown epidemics.It is particularly useful in resource-constrained and conflict-affected regions.This research highlights the capability of EPIWATCH as a valuable tool for non-traditional surveillance, enabling resource allocation, response and preparedness efforts to be optimized. Conclusion:With the acceleration of serious epidemics in the last decade, utilizing rapid epidemic intelligence methods and vast open-source data to enable earlier detection of epidemics is essential.AI systems such as EPIWATCH can provide epidemic intelligence to inform infectious disease control and serve as an adjunct to traditional surveillance methods, identifying outbreaks early.