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In work led by Ben Pinksy, Grant Higerd-Rusli, Matthew Hernandez & @abraarkaran.bsky.social, in @thelancet.bsky.social, we describe the importance of testing a broader range of people for #H5N1 bird flu in order to check for potentially hidden spread & new routes of transmission t.co/yZeHRcUV65

submitted 40 days ago • 0 comments

After 5 years, 150k papers and 17 million genomes, here's what we learned about SARS-CoV-2 and viruses in general. It holds lessons for future pandemics - only if we listen. "We’re in a worse place in terms of pandemic prevention" @eddieholmes.bsky.social told me. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

submitted 48 days ago • 1 comment

"I know how lethal Donald Trump’s assault on America’s outbreak preparedness could be. We are sure to regret it," warns @craigspencer.bsky.social @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

submitted 51 days ago • 2 comments

NEW: As measles cases rise in Texas, pharmacies in some cities are running out of MMR vaccines. The surge in demand comes even as RFK Jr. and the CDC frame vaccination as a "personal" choice — my latest: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

submitted 53 days ago • 12 comments

These unanticipated, abrupt & cruel funding cuts will cost lives Ebola outbreaks demand diligent & meticulous tracking of transmission chains Even small lapses can allow spread to escalate dramatically & become hidden in ways that can take months to regain a grip on

submitted 54 days ago • 0 comments

A leaked recording shows that American officials fear the spread of Ebola in Uganda and beyond, because of the Trump cuts in foreign aid www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/h...

submitted 54 days ago • 1 comment

Exactly - this study would be needless, wasteful & ridiculous, but, even more so, treacherous Given how this admin operates, there is a real risk it will pressure, doctor or falsify results to imply risks & links that are not real & then use that to undermine safe & proven vaccines

submitted 54 days ago • 0 comments

I recently read accounts of the plague & it was jarring just how much it shaped & redefined social order/life in that era Covid had a fraction of that impact but it’s fallout still fuels much of what happens now A more severe pandemic is something we need to be doing more to prevent

submitted 54 days ago • 0 comments

In a measles outbreak, children as young as 6 months can be vaccinated early and then vaccinated again per the regular schedule. This is an extra vaccine and does not count towards the two they should have. publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-to...

submitted 55 days ago • 0 comments

Dr. @gavinyamey.bsky.social & I highlight the serious risks of the U.S. withdrawing from the WHO,both for American & global health security. When the WHO is supported, the world benefits. In the face of rising infectious & chronic disease threats, we need solidarity, not isolation. #GlobalSolidarity

submitted 55 days ago • 8 comments

In Nature Medicine, we highlight 8 steps to prevent H5N1 🦅 🐄 🐓 (bird flu) from becoming a pandemic. Free access at rdcu.be/ea153 w/ @ranudhillon.bsky.social @abraarkaran.bsky.social Robert Garry

submitted 57 days ago • 1 comment

Cool paper from Florian Kramer & colleagues about a novel feature of circulating H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4. These viruses have a longer stalk in their neuraminidase (NA) enzyme, a key viral protein. This was not seen in past H5N1 strains (2002-2019) Why does it matter?🧪 journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

submitted 60 days ago • 11 comments

Measles in US in 2025 164 cases Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island, Texas Most children, some too young to be vaccinated 82% under age 20 Vaccination Status Unvaccinated or Unknown: 95% 1 MMR: 3% 2 MMR: 2% www.cdc.gov/measles/data... 🧵

submitted 60 days ago • 3 comments

In case you missed it, from Dr Mike Ryan at today's WHO press conference on those unexplained deaths in DRC "very limited in geography" "strong level of suspicion of a poisoning event related to the poisoning of a water source" tinalexander.github.io/notes/2025/0...

submitted 60 days ago • 2 comments

Half of Covid-19 patients emitted infectious virus in respiratory particles smaller than 5 microns (>30 min to settle out). Culturability of aerosols was associated with lower neutralizing antibody titers, so immune response matters for transmission potential. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

submitted 62 days ago • 7 comments

Measles is an outlier in terms of contagiousness & markedly more contagious than even the most contagious Covid variant Some affected areas seem to have pockets with markedly low vax rates It will be difficult to prevent onward spread in these areas without mass catch-up vaccination

submitted 62 days ago • 0 comments

The clear response should be to urgently engage communities on the need & safety of vaccination Measles is super contagious - the avg infectious person infects ~12-18 people For the most contagious Covid variant, it was ~9-12 Other measures likely won't be enough to stop this outbreak (1/3)

submitted 62 days ago • 1 comment

I commend every parent who is choosing to do the right thing by vaccinating their child as the measles outbreak spreads. There's no shame in changing your mind on a stance you were wrong about. Especially when it concerns protecting children from disease. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

submitted 63 days ago • 16 comments

It seems like metagenomic next-gen sequencing akin to what Charles Chiu @ucsfhealth.bsky.social does could help pinpoint the culprit pathogen Has this been tried? If not, an issue of sample preservation & transport? Limits of detection with certain sample types? In 2025, this is a solvable problem

submitted 63 days ago • 1 comment

Our commentary in Nature on immediate steps to combat the #H5N1 bird flu outbreak. @ranudhillon.bsky.social @sri-srikrishna.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

submitted 63 days ago • 2 comments

If H5N1 evolves to spread between people, it could spur a pandemic In @naturemedicine.bsky.social, @sri-srikrishna.bsky.social Robert Garry @abraarkaran.bsky.social & I discuss the mutations it may take for this to happen & what we could do now to stop it & be prepared in case it does rdcu.be/ea153

submitted 65 days ago • 1 comment

Extreme weather is our new reality. We must accept it and begin planning | Gaia Vince

submitted 74 days ago • 16 comments

#USDA has confirmed that the discovery of #H5N1 #birdflu in Arizona — found through bulk milk testing — does indeed represent a new spillover from wild birds into cows. This is the third time this has been observed to have happened. www.aphis.usda.gov/news/program...

submitted 74 days ago • 9 comments

Many people have asked me how can they best stay informed and protect their health while we navigate the indefinite pause on communications from NIH, CDC, & FDA. Here’s a thread on concrete steps YOU can take to protect yourself & your community. 🧵

submitted 92 days ago • 78 comments

Really proud to share our preprint describing early adaptation of H5N1 to US dairy cattle, and showing how these mutations enhance the ability of the virus to infect other mammals, such as pigs and humans. With @influenzal.bsky.social @vidhid.bsky.social @drclairesmith.bsky.social and many more!

submitted 113 days ago • 9 comments

@stephanienolen.bsky.social is one of the great science and health reporters. This dispatch on mpox in DRC deserves all the awards. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h...

submitted 143 days ago • 1 comment

Even while waiting on the pathogen’s identity, we should quickly discern how it spreads & immediately take steps to stop transmission Biophysical approaches to impede the few potential modes of transmission don’t require the pathogen-specific info needed for biochemical measures (eg, tests, drugs)

submitted 144 days ago • 0 comments

This is a good but still inadequate & too slow step in the right direction We need to just scale what Colorado’s been doing nationwide & quickly uncover where viral circulation is & use isolation to get it cleared We should’ve done that from the get-go ~9 months ago www.usda.gov/media/press-...

submitted 144 days ago • 0 comments

Lots to learn about this deadly mystery disease in DRC Discerning how it is spreading - even if its identity is still being investigated - should be a priority Knowing this could inform immediate steps to slow transmission even while other details are figured out

submitted 145 days ago • 0 comments

Scientists who have studied #H5N1 #birdflu for years are flummoxed by the lack of severe cases among the 55 human cases the US has confirmed this year. I talked to lots to explore the theories of what's going on. www.statnews.com/2024/12/02/b...

submitted 149 days ago • 13 comments

Understanding how transmission occurred is necessary for prevention. Sometimes it may be a very rare pathway that may not occur again & is never elucidated (“freak accident”) but it could also be something we aren’t thinking of with higher risk of recurrence. #H5N1

submitted 154 days ago • 0 comments