On the latest episode of the @ghpoliticspodcast.bsky.social, @repoyedc.bsky.social talks to @josephharrisbu.bsky.social about his experience as a pharmacist in a time of cuts to Medicaid, foreign aid, & research for drug development. spr.ly/63325htCy9

PandemIQ Llama, the LLM developed by the @buhaririinstitute.bsky.social with infectious disease experts at @buceid.bsky.social to analyze incoming signals & draft reports for BEACON, is now open-source. Share with us how you plan to use it in your own projects. spr.ly/63329htIg7

We're looking forward to supporting our colleagues at the Pardee Center for their next Global Health Politics Workshop, "A Political Economy of Inequality & Pandemics," on March 5th featuring @matthewkavanagh.bsky.social from Georgetown University. Join on campus or Zoom: spr.ly/63329hqwuL

Request for information (RFI): Acute gastrointestinal illness cluster with 62 children hospitalized in Fergana, Uzbekistan. RFI on diagnostic test results. https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=f5908507-e6dc-4882-9fb6-a609d79193b8&eventid=a4d77608-1531-4dbb-8e73-1118b62151a6&utm_source=bluesky

New South Wales, Australia, reports 11 cases of multidrug-resistant (MDR) gonorrhoea as of 24 Feb 2026 and five... https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=89839df7-6432-40ee-aad1-86e399ce6dbd&eventid=72e95639-f981-48b7-88ec-91a73ac8ac7c&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpost

We're awarding two $5k research grants to BU students & trainees again this year. Some past projects have looked at ventilation's role in TB spread, & what makes kids more appealing (& vulnerable) to mosquitos & the diseases they carry. What would $5k help you explore? spr.ly/63329h50QZ

In 1954, children in Pittsburgh received the first doses of Dr. Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine, developed by inactivating the virus so it could safely train the immune system to recognize and fight all three types of poliovirus. #RevolutionaryScience

Drs. @bhadeliamd.bsky.social & Britta Lassmann joined @youmakemesickpod.bsky.social for a conversation on how @beaconbio.bsky.social came to be, the process of creating a report from the 1st signal to publication, & biggest misconceptions about infectious diseases. spr.ly/63322hj1qy

States in the Governors Public Health Alliance have been making a coordinated effort w/ CEID to use info from @beaconbio.bsky.social to inform infectious disease responses. Building on these public health efforts, CO is the latest GPHA state pursuing joining GOARN. spr.ly/63320hjP4y

“We're seeing declining levels of flu right now," says @massdph.bsky.social BIDLS medical director @lmadoff.bsky.social, who collaborates with CEID as a Senior SME for @beaconbio.bsky.social, but he warns there could be another rise before the season is over. spr.ly/63323hjBwb

Deprioritizing pandemic preparedness will leave people in the US more vulnerable @bhadeliamd.bsky.social tells @nature.com. “Just because we say we’re going to stop caring about these issues doesn’t make the issues go away — it just makes us less prepared.” spr.ly/63323hbveX

Compared with respiratory or enteric infections, STIs are less likely to be detected in real time because many infections are asymptomatic or have longer incubation periods. Thus cases are more likely to be diagnosed later, limiting timely attribution to a specific gathering.

Request for information (RFI): Acute outbreak of undiagnosed disease with hepatitis reported in Chayansa, Palwal, Haryana, India, with 12 deaths linked to water contamination https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=38af1a10-4c70-433c-acf2-f4562927bb00&utm_source=bluesky

Measles outbreak in north London, with more than 60 suspected and 34 confirmed cases in schools with 20% hospitalization rate among children https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=d68015ed-385f-4211-bf2d-ab518c1f642b&eventid=cc468631-4051-4741-b1db-148678237614&utm_source=bluesky

The hosts of @youmakemesickpod.bsky.social stopped by our offices today to chat with @bhadeliamd.bsky.social & Dr. Britta Lassman (@bumedicine.bsky.social) about infectious disease careers and CEID's latest work, including @beaconbio.bsky.social. Stay tuned to hear their episode next week!

On the FDA's refusal to consider Moderna’s application for a new mRNA flu vax, CEID faculty @michaelrulrich.bsky.social (@bulaw.bsky.social) says, “The gov't shouldn’t say your study design is acceptable — then after the fact say, ‘But it wasn’t designed the way that we want it to be designed.’”

BEACON users can now choose to receive daily or weekly email digests focused on just the region or regions of their choice. Learn more about this update and select your preferences. spr.ly/63322hPIew

Calling all BU students pursuing research on infectious diseases, pandemic preparedness, or global health security! We're giving out two $5k grants for summer research projects related to CEID's mission. Apply by March 15th: www.bu.edu/ceid/2026/02...

The drop in the CDC's health alerts last year is concerning, @bhadeliamd.bsky.social tells @npr.org, because this type of reporting allows hospitals to be better prepared with the right types of medications & supplies, and adequate staffing. spr.ly/63327hMUVd

The Milano Cortina Olympics officially start today! While the Olympics are a time for celebration, as with all large-scale gatherings, the risk of communicable disease grows. This is why we're expanding our coverage of mass global events, starting with the these games. spr.ly/63320hK9nr

Hotter weather & longer summers mean longer periods of risk from Lyme disease-carrying ticks each year. These shifting conditions have enabled deer ticks to move into new areas, including cities explains CEID faculty Dr. Cassandra Pierre. @bumedicine.bsky.social spr.ly/63321hJauW

Two COVID-19 cases detected among Australian Winter Olympics support staff in Italy, with containment measures implemented ahead of Milano Cortina 2026 https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=b82ef2fe-8c8f-473c-9b3d-1892130a2047&eventid=095c55cd-6493-42fc-9d67-534e296295e1&utm_source=bluesky

Building on commitments to maintain public health infrastructure and channels of information, including collaborating with CEID to use information from @beaconbio.bsky.social, @idph.bsky.social announces joining @who.int's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network. spr.ly/63323hJgMX

Acute gastrointestinal illness suspected to be norovirus among Finland’s Olympic women’s ice hockey players in Milan https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=7ac4422d-7683-4669-86b6-094f4f6297c8&eventid=f9f68f67-bc0a-4ed9-ad5c-69358b96cb5c&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social

The Milan Winter Olympics officially kick off tomorrow, bringing together ~3k athletes from 90 countries, plus ~1M spectators & 1000s of staff & media. At the link below, we provide historic data on disease spread at Olympic games and continue monitoring this years games for related outbreak events.

Great conversation between CEID faculty @josephharrisbu.bsky.social & NYT Best-Selling author @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social, discussing what efforts are needed to eradicate tuberculosis, and how close are we to realistically achieving that goal.

TB often occurs alongside other existing conditions, worsening disease severity & compromising treatment outcomes. Dr. Pranay Sinha (@bumedicine.bsky.social) proposes a phased framework for multimorbidity-centered TB care, including coordination with existing health services. spr.ly/63328hGWxo

San Francisco Department of Public Health issues health advisory on high school tuberculosis outbreak involving three active and 50 latent cases https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=4c4db8a2-7d96-495f-96f2-d062d3ecfddd&eventid=54058967-1ee5-4e9d-82bc-054fa8beac62&utm_source=bluesky

The WHO Regional Office for Europe reports that the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan lost their measles elimination status https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=65d8c4f1-e15b-4d3c-8681-f6d10b58c292&utm_source=bluesky

There is a lot about this in media (and some misinformation). See our analysis on #Nipahvirus cases in India: "West Bengal, India; no onward transmission of Nipah virus disease reported; regional and global risk assessed as low" via @beaconbio.bsky.social - beaconbio.org/en/report/?r...

Australia sees assisting other Pacific nations as imperative to addressing global issues of climate change & disease control. Cuts to USAID, which @brookeenichols.bsky.social estimates has caused 750k deaths globally, limit Australian charities' abilities to help. spr.ly/63328hDJVe

"We've known how to deal with TB curatively since the 1950s, & here we are, still losing over a million people every year to it. That just says so much about the world in which we find ourselves," says @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social. spr.ly/63322h8rxC

One year since the Trump administration slashed USAID funding, Dr @brookeenichols.bsky.social's @impactcounter.bsky.social estimates these cuts have caused over 750,000 deaths — over 500,000 of them children —due to diseases including TB, HIV, & malaria, among others. spr.ly/63327h6PUd

CEID is delighted that our @beaconbio.bsky.social platform is contributing near real-time global surveillance data to the Special Pathogens Biopreparedness Map recently launched by @nychealthsystem.bsky.social, a critical new resource for clinicians. spr.ly/63329h6pmR

🗓️ Don't forget to mark your calendars, Terriers! President Gilliam will host her first Annual Presidential Address on January 28, 2026. Learn about BU’s vision in a changing world. Livestream will be available here ➡️ spr.ly/63328C0RlI

The US may be weeks from losing its measles elimination status. But what does that mean exactly? Writing for @nyasciences.bsky.social, CEID affiliate @syramadad.bsky.social explains this isn't just a symbolic designation, it's a technical time-bound measurement. www.nyas.org/ideas-insigh...

Although MA still has a high overall rate of MMR vaccination, CEID Director @bhadeliamd.bsky.social (@bumedicine.bsky.social) tells @bostonglobe.com the concern is when there are pockets of lower coverage, as seen in areas of western Mass. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/23/m...

🐾 @bostonu.bsky.social students, today is the last day of the student health services immunization clinic, free for students on the student health insurance plan. www.bu.edu/articles/202...

A big thank you to our colleagues from Senegal, @onehealthinstitute.bsky.social, & @cepi.net who joined us Tuesday to share their expertise in the multifaceted One Health approach that is needed to address a disease like West Africa's latest Rift Valley Fever outbreak. spr.ly/63325C7HTl

Ahead of @bostonu.bsky.social's upcoming immunization clinic on Jan. 22 & 23rd, @bhadeliamd.bsky.social reminds BU Today that even if flu shots don't fully prevent infection, they do prevent much more severe disease & the additional burden that puts on emergency rooms. spr.ly/63326CAD4a

In her recent research, CEID faculty Dr. @brookeenichols.bsky.social (@busph.bsky.social @amsterdamumc.bsky.social) uses mathematical models and global epidemic simulations to determine minimum global capacity for respiratory virus sequencing for global pandemic preparedness. doi.org/10.1038/s414...

As climate change shifts behaviors around home ventilation & AC use, how does this effect respiratory disease transmission? A team of researchers including @bumedicine.bsky.social student Palak Shah & CEID's Dr. Pranay Sinha have been studying this in the field in South India spr.ly/63320CL2ye

Rift Valley Fever continues to spread among humans, livestock, & wildlife throughout west Africa. Learn more about the wide-ranging impacts of this disease at an upcoming webinar on Jan 20 hosted by @buceid.bsky.social & @onehealthinstitute.bsky.social VISTA program. bostonu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The term "bird flu" encompasses several different viruses, including H5N1 & H9N2. H5N1 has increased to infecting dozens of mammal species over the past 2 years which, @bhadeliamd.bsky.social tells @nytimes.com, creates more opportunities for human infections. spr.ly/63323Ca8DZ

Rift Valley Fever is a true One Health threat, affecting humans, livestock, & wildlife. Join CEID & @onehealthinstitute.bsky.social's VISTA program on Jan. 20th for a webinar with experts from the US & Senegal discussing the current outbreak in West Africa. spr.ly/63327CS0PN

Unprecedented wildlife loss worldwide: WOAH highlights the global impact of HPAI H5 Read more at: https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=b65d7f72-6a64-4a98-8d5b-7f4ac20eafa2&eventid=63a4b372-386e-44ef-b0ca-bf6ef380539a&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpost

With states across the country seeing surges in flu cases, Dr. @syramadad.bsky.social explains how flu vaccine effectiveness always varies by year and subtype, but even when not a perfect match, vaccination provides meaningful protection against hospitalization & death. spr.ly/63321CoorP

Request for information (RFI): Cluster of acute jaundice cases at a residential school in Khurda district, Odisha, India. RFI on diagnostic confirmation and environmental investigation findings https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=2c2c7b38-4624-41a8-b1da-1a875350e99a&utm_source=bluesky

On the latest episode of his @ghpoliticspodcast.bsky.social, CEID faculty @josephharrisbu.bsky.social speaks with @madhupai.bsky.social on a range of global health concerns including TB, HIV, recent foreign aid cuts, & more. Listen here: spr.ly/63320CmfKa

Heading back to work or school today after the holidays? @bhadeliamd.bsky.social tells @ms.now it's not too late to protect yourself against the latest flu strain. spr.ly/63329CYvYz