NOT MEDICAL ADVICE.  For information only. In an emergency, call your local emergency number immediately.

Terms of Service

Last updated: May 28, 2025

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the VirusWatch website at viruswatch.health (the "Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Site. These Terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Site.

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "last modified" date. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

Description of Service

VirusWatch is a free public health education platform that aggregates and presents information about infectious diseases, outbreaks, and global health trends. The Site provides:

  • Educational information about infectious diseases
  • Disease statistics sourced from WHO, CDC, and other public health authorities
  • News aggregation from public health RSS feeds
  • A general health information assistant (educational use only)
  • Country-specific disease surveillance summaries
  • Medicines reference information
  • Outbreak archive and historical data

Medical Disclaimer — Important

VirusWatch is NOT a medical service and does NOT provide medical advice. All content on this Site is for general educational and informational purposes only. Nothing on this Site should be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations.

  • Do not use information on this Site to self-diagnose or self-treat any medical condition.
  • Always seek the advice of a qualified physician or other licensed healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
  • Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this Site.
  • In a medical emergency, call your local emergency services (e.g., 911, 999, 112) immediately.
  • VirusWatch is not affiliated with the WHO, CDC, or any government health authority.

The AI assistant on this Site generates responses for educational purposes only. AI-generated content may contain errors and should never replace professional medical consultation.

Accuracy of Information

We strive to provide accurate, up-to-date public health information. However, VirusWatch makes no warranties or representations as to the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or timeliness of any information on the Site. Disease statistics are sourced from third-party APIs and public health databases and may not reflect the most current data.

We are not liable for any errors or omissions in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance on the information provided. Users should always verify critical health information with authoritative sources such as the WHO (who.int) and CDC (cdc.gov).

Permitted Use

You may use the Site for personal, non-commercial educational purposes. You are permitted to:

  • Access and view content on the Site for personal informational use
  • Share links to pages on the Site
  • Use our public API (api.viruswatch.health) for non-commercial, educational projects, subject to rate limits described in our Developer documentation
  • Subscribe to outbreak alert newsletters

You must not:

  • Use automated tools to scrape or bulk-download site content beyond normal browsing
  • Use the Site or API for commercial purposes without prior written permission
  • Attempt to circumvent rate limits, access controls, or security measures
  • Use the Site to distribute misinformation or modify our content in ways that are false or misleading
  • Reproduce or republish substantial portions of this Site's content without attribution

API Usage

Access to the VirusWatch public API (api.viruswatch.health) is provided free of charge for non-commercial, educational use. We reserve the right to:

  • Impose rate limits to ensure fair use (currently up to 60 requests per minute per IP)
  • Suspend or terminate API access for abuse, excessive usage, or commercial use without permission
  • Modify or discontinue API endpoints with or without notice

The API provides read-only disease data and AI-generated educational responses. API data is provided "as is" without any warranty of accuracy or availability.

Intellectual Property

The VirusWatch name, logo, and original written content are the property of VirusWatch. Disease statistics, WHO data, CDC data, and other third-party data remain the property of their respective owners and are used in accordance with their respective terms of use.

Our platform code is independent software. Third-party data providers (WHO, disease.sh, Johns Hopkins) retain ownership of their respective datasets. We operate under the principle of fair use for educational and informational purposes.

Third-Party Links and Services

The Site contains links to third-party websites and services (WHO, CDC, NHS, health ministries, etc.). These links are provided for convenience and informational purposes. VirusWatch does not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for the content or practices of any third-party sites. Accessing linked sites is at your own risk.

The Site uses third-party services including Google Analytics, Google Fonts, Google Translate, Cloudflare, Groq, OpenAI, and Formspree. By using features that invoke these services (such as the AI assistant or newsletter subscription), you acknowledge that those features are subject to the respective third parties' own terms and privacy policies. Links to those policies are provided in our Privacy Policy.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, VirusWatch and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to:

  • Any harm resulting from reliance on health information provided on this Site
  • Any loss or damage resulting from errors or omissions in disease data
  • Any harm resulting from AI assistant responses
  • Any loss of data, revenue, or profits
  • Any service interruptions or API unavailability

This limitation applies whether the alleged liability arises from contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or any other basis, even if VirusWatch has been advised of the possibility of such damage.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless VirusWatch and its operators from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: (a) your use of the Site; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any third-party rights; or (d) any content you submit through the Site (such as newsletter subscriptions or AI queries).

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. VirusWatch operates as an independent educational platform serving a global audience. Any disputes shall be resolved through good-faith negotiation between the parties. If negotiation fails, disputes shall be submitted to the courts of competent jurisdiction in Ontario, Canada.

Termination

We reserve the right to restrict, suspend, or terminate access to the Site or API for any user who violates these Terms, engages in abusive behaviour, or for any other reason at our sole discretion, with or without notice.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Contact

For questions about these Terms of Service: [email protected]

For privacy-related matters: [email protected]

VirusWatch is operated as an independent public health education platform.