Joël Mossong
@joelmossong.bsky.social
📤 942
📥 332
📝 74
Epidemiologist in a small country.
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Kai Kupferschmidt
1 day ago
“But while the need for better tests has been clear for years, there has been little investment to develop them because there is no high-income market, said Sonjelle Shilton, who works [] for the aid group Doctors Without Borders.” Great story on Ebola diagnostics in current outbreak 🧪
#giftlink
loading . . .
Only the Right Tests Can Stop This Ebola Outbreak. Congo Has Hardly Any.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/health/ebola-tests-congo.html?unlocked_article_code=1.nFA.T-17.hhAzvdCakci7&smid=nytcore-ios-share
0
46
19
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Epidemiology & Infection
27 days ago
🎉 This year, we’re celebrating 125 years of Epidemiology & Infection! 🏛️🔬 Curious to know why the journal has endured for more than a century? 🎥 Watch our anniversary video to find out: 👉
https://cup.org/48DCdiD
1
1
1
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Chris Hanretty
8 days ago
On the year's hottest day, a thread on why this infographic misleads (1/n)
add a skeleton here at some point
1
69
30
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Kristian G. Andersen
12 days ago
The Proximal Origin of the MV Hondius Andes virus outbreak.
virological.org/t/potential-...
loading . . .
Potential geographical and ecological origin of the MV Hondius Andes virus outbreak
The recent outbreak aboard the MV Hondius caused by Andes virus raises two key questions [1]: (i) where do the outbreak genomes cluster geographically, and (ii) how can the phylogenetic signal be reco...
https://virological.org/t/potential-geographical-and-ecological-origin-of-the-mv-hondius-andes-virus-outbreak/1039
4
97
49
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Adam Kucharski
13 days ago
There's been some high profile criticism of test-negative method for vaccine effectiveness, as well as counter-criticism. Yet remarkably little in media saying what the method actually does, why it's useful, what the limitations are, and how we can improve it. Great that John Drake wrote this:
loading . . .
Jay Bhattacharya Called Test-Negative Study Design ‘Crap.’ Here’s How We Know Whether Vaccines Measured With It Are Effective
Jay Bhattacharya dismissed the test-negative design as 'crap.' The biostatistics literature tells a different story.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johndrake/2026/05/11/acting-cdc-director-jay-bhattacharya-called-a-vaccine-study-design-crap-what-the-test-negative-design-is-and-how-we-know-whether-vaccines-measured-with-it-are-effective/
0
14
5
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Ben Harrap
14 days ago
Someone brought up variable naming and it reminded me of how much fun I had writing this blog post
#rstats
#databs
benharrap.com/post/2025-03...
loading . . .
What makes a good variable naming convention – Ben Harrap
https://benharrap.com/post/2025-03-03-variable-naming-convention/
2
22
10
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Charlotte Houldcroft
15 days ago
We do not currently have a vaccine for Bundibugyo ebolavirus. BUT! There are vaccine candidates that have ben tested in animals and could go forward more quickly to human trials. Eg VesiculoVax
doi.org/10.1093/infd...
and another VSV-based vaccine
journals.plos.org/plosntds/art...
loading . . .
A Highly Attenuated Panfilovirus VesiculoVax Vaccine Rapidly Protects Nonhuman Primates Against Marburg Virus and 3 Species of Ebola Virus
AbstractBackground. The family Filoviridae consists of several virus members known to cause significant mortality and disease in humans. Among these, Ebola
https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiad157
1
9
8
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Marc Veldhoen
18 days ago
A Canadian passenger from the cruise ship Hondius has likely tested positive for hantavirus, a health official told CBC. The patient, with mild symptoms, was hospitalized and is currently in stable condition. Again, this concerns a passenger.
add a skeleton here at some point
1
8
2
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Billy Quilty
22 days ago
How have UK social contact patterns changed post-pandemic? How assortative are they by age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status? Pleased to share our new
@plosmedicine.org
paper, jointly led by
@lucygoodfellow.bsky.social
and myself, with
@kevinvzandvoort.bsky.social
and John Edmunds.
#IDSky
2
23
10
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Billy Quilty
21 days ago
A great Perspective piece from
@joelmossong.bsky.social
on the evolution of social contact surveys, from the POLYMOD study he led in 2008 (which became the template for all others), to CoMix during the pandemic, and now on to Reconnect:
journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...
add a skeleton here at some point
1
6
4
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Bill Hanage
21 days ago
Bringing some of my thoughts together. And explaining why hantavirus is emphatically not COVID
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
loading . . .
Hantavirus likely to be fully contained but may take time — Harvard Gazette
The disease is much deadlier than COVID, but much harder to spread.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/05/hantavirus-likely-to-be-fully-contained-but-may-take-time-hanage-says/
1
59
30
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Kai Kupferschmidt
23 days ago
"WHO’s assessment continues to be that the risk to health globally is low. So far, 11 cases have been reported, including 3 deaths. All 11 cases are among passengers or crew on the ship. 9 of the 11 have been confirmed as Andes virus, and the other two are probable", says
@drtedros.who.int
.
2
39
11
reposted by
Joël Mossong
WHO
23 days ago
Join our live update on
#hantavirus
with Olivier Le Polain, Unit Head, Epidemiology & Analytics for Response, TODAY at 17.00 CEST [GMT+2] It will be livestreamed on WHO's X, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube
0
45
19
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Nicolas Berrod
24 days ago
🔴 La passagère française symptomatique et rapatriée hier est positive à l'#hantavirus, annonce Stéphanie Rist sur France Inter. Son état de santé "s'est dégradé" dans la nuit, elle est hospitalisée à Bichat.
4
18
19
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Kai Kupferschmidt
27 days ago
After 15 years of reporting on infectious disease outbreaks, what continues to fascinate me about them is the challenge of making high-stakes decisions under uncertainty. The hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius is a perfect example My story in
@science.org
is here (and a thread to come): 🧪
#IDsky
loading . . .
What to do with the passengers on the cruise ship hit by hantavirus?
Past studies of Andes virus offer scant evidence on transmission risks, and have sparked debate
https://www.science.org/content/article/what-do-passengers-cruise-ship-hit-hantavirus
9
477
229
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
28 days ago
I am hosting a media briefing on
#hantavirus
today at 15:00h CEST. You can join and watch via
@who.int
and my social media channels across X, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
0
62
32
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Kai Kupferschmidt
29 days ago
I've spent yesterday and today talking to researchers across the globe trying to understand the hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius. My story in
@science.org
is here (and some threaded thoughts coming):
www.science.org/content/arti...
🧪
#IDsky
loading . . .
Cruise ship’s hantavirus outbreak puts researchers in uncharted territory
Questions about the culprit virus and its route of spread remain as health officials make plans for stranded passengers
https://www.science.org/content/article/cruise-ship-s-hantavirus-outbreak-puts-researchers-uncharted-territory
21
817
504
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Kristian G. Andersen
30 days ago
Updates on the hantavirus situation from WHO (which we, beyond belief, are no longer part of). Seven suspected cases, three deaths. Case 1 boarded Apr 1, got sick Apr 6, died Apr 11. Likely Andes virus, given Argentina link. Consistent with infection before boarding.
www.who.int/emergencies/...
loading . . .
Hantavirus cluster linked to cruise ship travel, Multi-country
On 2 May 2026, a cluster of passengers with severe respiratory illness aboard a cruise ship was reported to the World Health Organization. The ship is carrying 147 passengers and crew. As of 4 May 202...
https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON599
6
209
74
reposted by
Joël Mossong
about 1 month ago
The hantavirus outbreak is a stress test for WHO's IHR. Cape Verde should allow disembarkation if it has capacity The IHR requires a risk assessment, and there is no risk to the local pop. This happened during COVID & it's why the IHR were amended. We haven't learned our lesson
0
8
5
Not much information regarding lab results yet. I guess they meant pan-hantavirus PCR positive, rather than hantavirus positive.
add a skeleton here at some point
30 days ago
0
0
0
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Jonas Schöley
about 1 month ago
demoscapes.org
is a visual atlas of demographic surfaces hosted at
@mpidr.bsky.social
. It is also my passion project growing out of my 2016 human mortality database explorer. Did you publish something containing Lexis surfaces? Consider reaching out and having your work featured on the site.
add a skeleton here at some point
6
87
40
Similar to what happened in Europe: no
#Covid19
summer wave in 2025, but not any winter epidemic 2025/26 either. Flu levels were also lower than previous season.
erviss.org
A major wave only to be expected if new variant with large number of mutations were to appear. Not on the horizon yet.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
2
7
1
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Kit Yates
about 1 month ago
Only a rise from $100 to $600 is a 500% rise, not a 600% rise. And when you drop the price back down from $600 to $100 that’s not a 600% reduction, that’s an 83.3% reduction.
10
292
27
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Jon Cohen
about 2 months ago
www.science.org/content/arti...
loading . . .
Rollout of powerful new HIV prevention tool in lower income countries gets a boost
Global Fund and U.S. government plan to make injectable lenacapavir available to 3 million people by 2028
https://www.science.org/content/article/rollout-powerful-new-hiv-prevention-tool-lower-income-countries-gets-boost
0
7
9
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Alasdair Munro
about 2 months ago
Avoiding infections is good But some simply cannot be avoided - multiple exposures over the life course are inevitable In which case, when is the best time to get infected for the first time? 🤔
loading . . .
What people get wrong about early life infections
The confusing reality behind the timing of childhood pathogen exposure
https://open.substack.com/pub/alasdairmunro/p/what-people-get-wrong-about-early?r=1fhhmw&utm_medium=ios
2
21
11
reposted by
Joël Mossong
John M. Drake
3 months ago
(Potentially) unpopular opinion. Too long for BlueSky so please read on Substack.
jdrakephd.substack.com/p/in-praise-...
loading . . .
In Praise of the AI-Drafted Email
I’m going to risk sounding contrarian: I like receiving AI-written emails.
https://jdrakephd.substack.com/p/in-praise-of-the-ai-drafted-email
0
1
1
reposted by
Joël Mossong
PlantEvolution 🌱🌾
2 months ago
@forbes.com
picking up the recent work by
@carlbergstrom.com
& Kevin Gross in
@plosbiology.org
on the future of peer review.
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
loading . . .
The System That Decides What Science Gets Published Is Breaking Down
The peer review system that validates scientific research is trapped in a self-defeating cycle. A new mathematical model shows why—and what comes next.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johndrake/2026/03/25/the-system-that-decides-what-science-gets-published-is-breaking-down/
2
49
27
reposted by
Joël Mossong
BK. Titanji
3 months ago
This is a remarkable study. A simple sanitary pad could transform cervical cancer screening. Researchers enrolled 3,000+ women (age 20–54) & compared 2 approaches: Standard clinician-collected cervical HPV test HPV testing from menstrual blood collected on a sanitary pad
www.bmj.com/content/392/...
loading . . .
Testing menstrual blood for human papillomavirus during cervical cancer screening in China: cross sectional population based study
Objective To compare the diagnostic accuracy of minipad collected menstrual blood versus clinician collected cervical samples to test for human papillomavirus (HPV) in the detection of cervical intrae...
https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-084831
3
77
24
Great reminder why we need conferences.
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
0
0
0
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Dr Emma Hodcroft
3 months ago
Every year I get to 're-live' the pandemic thanks to FB memories. Re-examining my posts with increasing time is always interesting. This one though - this one never fails to send a shiver down my spine. When do make a post like this? When are you sure enough? What if you regret it?
4
97
19
reposted by
Joël Mossong
STAT
4 months ago
COMP360 could be the first psilocybin-based medicine to win approval.
www.statnews.com/2026/02/17/c...
loading . . .
Compass says its psilocybin drug helped patients with severe depression in two trials
COMP360 could be the first psilocybin-based medicine to win approval.
https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/17/compass-pathways-comp360-psilocybin-severe-depression-trial-results/
0
19
10
The battle to save South America’s skull-crushing big cat
www.economist.com/the-americas...
From The Economist
loading . . .
The battle to save South America’s skull-crushing big cat
Farmers and villagers realise that jaguars are worth more alive than dead
https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/02/15/the-battle-to-save-south-americas-skull-crushing-big-cat
4 months ago
0
0
0
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Kai Kupferschmidt
4 months ago
Five years after the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines started, it seems the mystery of why the Astra-Zeneca and J&J vaccines led to a rare but deadly side effect of unusual blood clots and bleeding has finally been solved. It's a fascinating case of molecular mimicry that may help make vaccine safer.🧪
loading . . .
Rare, dangerous side effects of some COVID-19 vaccines explained
“Groundbreaking” study uncovers why adenovirus-based shots caused life-threatening blood clots and bleeding in some people
https://www.science.org/content/article/rare-dangerous-side-effects-some-covid-19-vaccines-explained
10
620
267
Reassuring to see no difference in clinical illness between clade Ib and IIb cases in the same population.
add a skeleton here at some point
4 months ago
0
2
0
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Eurosurveillance journal
4 months ago
Indicating ongoing local transmission: between Oct-Nov 2025, 8 people were diagnosed with
#mpox
caused by infection with monkeypox virus (MPXV) clade Ib in the Netherlands - with now multiple
#MPXV
clades co-circulating in
#Europe
#IDsky
#EpiSky
#MedSky
#MicroSky
#STISky
🛟🧪
@flahless.bsky.social
loading . . .
Eurosurveillance | First detection and autochthonous transmission of monkeypox virus clade Ib in the Netherlands, October to November, 2025
In October–November 2025, eight autochthonous cases of monkeypox (MPXV) clade Ib virus infection were reported in the Netherlands. All cases were men who have sex with men aged 25–65; none required hospital admission or antiviral treatment. Phylogenetic analysis combined with contact tracing suggest multiple introductions or cryptic circulation with onwards transmission within the community. Highly related international sequences were identified dating back to August 2025, indicating sustained global community transmission of clade Ib outside the African continent.
https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2026.31.3.2500958#html_fulltext
0
6
3
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Helen Branswell 🇨🇦
4 months ago
People who oppose
#vaccines
often claim that doctors push them because they're paid to by Pharma or that vaccine administration is a big revenue source for doctors. The reality: Delivering vaccine puts an economic strain on many pediatric practices.
www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/p...
loading . . .
Do pediatricians make large profits from vaccines?
Vaccine critics like to say that pediatricians profit from vaccines. This report found something very different.
https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/pediatricians-vaccines-profits-incentives-costs/
2
103
43
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Bloomberg News
4 months ago
AI weather models are helping make forecasts more accurate for longer ranges than meteorologists have long thought possible.
loading . . .
How AI Weather Models Are Making Better Forecasts
Google, Microsoft and Nvidia are among the names vying to make forecasts more accurate for longer.
https://bloom.bg/3LExfdd
1
14
5
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Thijs Kuiken
4 months ago
First evidence in Europe of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 infection in a dairy cow. Antibodies against H5N1 detected in a cow with mastitis and respiratory signs on a Dutch dairy farm at the end of December. A cat on that farm had died from H5N1.
www.tweedekamer.nl/downloads/do...
3
98
80
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Steve Valeika
over 1 year ago
Aluminum adjuvants in vaccines. Finally an NYT article that doesn’t try to spin a “both sides” narrative. This is one of the most studied ingredients in vaccines, and they have a terrific safety record in all species (except cats). Great
#OneHealth
trivia—adjuvants were invented by a vet! 1/7
loading . . .
Yes, Some Vaccines Contain Aluminum. That’s a Good Thing. (Gift Article)
R.F.K. Jr. and others have blamed the ingredient for allergies and other illnesses. Scientists say it actually bolsters the immune response.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/24/health/aluminum-vaccines-kennedy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.rk4.qdoK.Lq3lZWTXuHpf&smid=url-share
4
65
17
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Vittoria Colizza
4 months ago
*New paper in Nature Health* Why did the 2022 mpox outbreak in Paris decline so abruptly?
rdcu.be/eZ24H
loading . . .
Role of behaviour change in controlling the 2022 Paris mpox outbreak
Nature Health - Behaviour changes, rather than vaccination or postinfection immunity, best explained the sudden decline of mpox cases among men who have sex with men during an outbreak in the Paris...
https://rdcu.be/eZ24H
1
31
12
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Lynn Miclea
4 months ago
She was absolutely right. And she would have been an amazing President.
763
19931
6593
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Conor Sen
4 months ago
The Carney speech is worth reading in full:
globalnews.ca/news/1162087...
loading . . .
Read the full transcript of Carney’s speech to World Economic Forum - National | Globalnews.ca
Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a forceful speech in Davos, Switzerland, on the 'new world order' and how middle powers like Canada can benefit by working together.
https://globalnews.ca/news/11620877/carney-davos-wef-speech-transcript/
9
715
323
reposted by
Joël Mossong
J. Emory Parker 🏳️🌈
5 months ago
Longer version with more detail:
www.npr.org/sections/kru...
loading . . .
Dissolve My Nobel Prize! Fast! (A True Story)
It's 1940. The Nazis have taken Copenhagen, and physicist Niels Bohr has just hours, maybe minutes, to make two Nobel Prize medals disappear.
https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2011/10/03/140815154/dissolve-my-nobel-prize-fast-a-true-story
0
59
22
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Mark A. Hanson
5 months ago
We've got ISSUES. Literally. We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
A 🧵 1/n
17
510
364
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Seva
5 months ago
I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
loading . . .
The Age of Academic Slop is Upon Us
what happens when AI automates "normal science"?
https://open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/p/the-age-of-academic-slop-is-upon?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
25
656
341
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Adam Kucharski
5 months ago
Want to get the data out of a PDF figure? As in, the actual data – not a rough trace-along-the-lines version? I made an app you might like:
adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
loading . . .
18
479
204
reposted by
Joël Mossong
BK. Titanji
5 months ago
Please stop calling the circulating sub-clade K strain of H3N2 a "super flu". It is a strain that drifted through a normal evolutionary process from the strains included in this year's vaccine. It means we are seeing more cases of flu and the vaccine may not work as well in preventing infections.
4
87
26
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Aris Katzourakis
6 months ago
Why are virologists thinking and talking about this year's strain of influenza? We are dealing with a version of H3N2 that is unusual compared to what we might expect year on year. At the same time, it is not as unusual as, say, a novel pandemic strain, far from it.
2
80
38
reposted by
Joël Mossong
Prof Christina Pagel
6 months ago
🧵 Is it a super flu year? Who knows, but I think the current reporting is stupid. A pissed off thread using data. Firstly - here are today's headlines and some from the last 3 years... spot the difference. 1/10
18
471
277
Load more
feeds!
log in