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

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...

"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...

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...

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

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...

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

I only listed a few studies that include 100s of 1000s of children in my story. Here are more from the Autism Science Foundation: autismsciencefoundation.org/autism-and-v...

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

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...

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

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

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/...

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... 🧵

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...

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...

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

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)

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...

Samples have been sent further afield for testing. For now WHO only reports "Metagenomic sequencing and additional investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of illness and deaths in the two health zones".

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

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...

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

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

#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...

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. 🧵

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!

@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...

so both receptor binding changes and polymerase changes would be needed to go pandemic (as well as ph stability to allow efficient airborne transmissibility). The cattle viruses already have polymerase changes that are equivalent to E627K though.

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)

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-...

This is an interesting tidbit because it shows that these types of mutations already exist out in "the wild". Does the fact that we found Q226L in a mouse on a farm back in June of this year change the threat picture of H5N1? No, it does not, but we're playing a numbers game. I would rather not.

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

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...

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

In light of recent H5N1 news, a 🧵 on what we should be doing to respond Whether H5N1 causes an epidemic hinges on if current strains evolve for efficient spread and more pathogenicity among humans This may never happen or could happen next week & abruptly spur a major global crisis (1/10)

I'm happy to announce that my book, "The Foreign Gaze: Essays on Global Health", is now out! You can order the print copy and download the e-copy (open access) here: www.editions.ird.fr/produit/728/... The book comes with a playlist for your listening pleasure: open.spotify.com/playlist/5K5...