Did you know that there are approximately one billion cases of seasonal flu each year? 🤧🤒 Dive into all things influenza so you can stay one step ahead of the virus this flu season.

To learn more about a worldwide hunt, visit: explore.research.ufl.edu/buzz-off.html

Medical geography Professor at @ufgeog.bsky.social, @sjryan3.bsky.social is leading efforts to predict disease risks and guide public health as mosquito habitats shift due to climate change, underscoring the vital link between planetary changes and future health.

Once thought to be confined to tropical regions, Burkholderia infections are emerging in the United States. Curious about Burkholderia? Discover what it is, the diseases it causes and its growing concern in the U.S. Don’t miss our expert Q&A — read it now for all the insights.

This #Halloween, we’re chasing monsters—microscopic ones. 🧌🦠 #HappyHalloween

Flesh-eating bacteria. Brain-colonizing fungus. Brain-eating amoeba. Haunted horned rabbit virus. Parasitic zombie fungus. Swiss-cheese brain disease. 🧟🐰🧠🧀 It turns out you don’t need a haunted house to find horror, just a microscope. Meet the microbes that keep us up at night: go.ufl.edu/9r3156v.

Let’s face it — bats get a bad rap. Their links to disease outbreaks and their spooky association with vampires influence their notoriety. 🦇🧛 In reality, bats are remarkable. So why is it that when we hear of disease outbreaks, it always seems to be bats? 🤔 Read our latest article to find out!

One of the most dangerous malaria-carrying mosquitoes is rapidly evolving in response to control efforts, genetics has revealed. Findings could inform smarter tools to monitor for and fight malaria. 🦟 Read more here ⤵️ http://bit.ly/4pwQKDv

There seems to be a new food recall every week. Why are there more foodborne outbreaks? Why are people getting sick from their groceries? Dive into the article for food safety breakthroughs and setbacks, the top three foodborne pathogens and how to avoid foodborne illness: go.ufl.edu/ccb77ye.

Did you know #SwineFlu is actually a type of #BirdFlu? 🤯 Watch the full video on YouTube as one of our experts covers everything bird flu, including responding to tweets about the virus! www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2...

🧑‍🔬Scientists support the inclusion of the United States 🌎 as an endemic country for #Chagasdisease 🪳 👉 coalicionchagas.org/en/scientist... @uofcalifornia.bsky.social @tamu.bsky.social @ufresearch.bsky.social @epi.ufl.edu

It’s World Mosquito Day! Over 125 years after the day it was founded, we’re still working hard to study mosquito-borne diseases and improve the health of all. 🦟🧑‍🔬#WorldMosquitoDay2025

#Measles, a highly contagious viral disease, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. 📊 This JAMA Insights discusses transmission, clinical presentation, and diagnosis of measles. ja.ma/4ozL1wh

School is back in session! And that means various returning pathogens are eager to reunite with their hosts after a summer away. 🦠🤒😷 Visit our website to learn about the most common illnesses, what signs to look out for, advice on what to do when sick, and more!

One of our amazing members published a new paper in the journal Pathogens! Explore how mosquitoes are used as flying syringes to conduct pathogen surveillance on wildlife. 🦟💉

About 25 to 30 #tick species are found in #Florida. According to the Florida Department of Health, some of the most common diseases they spread in the state are Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis. Where are ticks most common? How should you protect yourself? Our website has all the answers.

🦟"World Health Organization @who.int raises concern about spread of #mosquito-borne #chikungunya #virus" via @reuters.com #arbovirus #GLAI www.reuters.com/business/hea...

"You’ve got to have scientists and public health practitioners to be able to move forward with disease prevention, but the system is being dismantled. There could be profound consequences if we are confronted with another major pandemic.’’ — J. Glenn Morris Jr www.floridatrend.com/articles/202...

What if we were one step ahead of infection across diseases and regions? Combining #AI and epidemiology may bring that possibility closer to reality. In a scoping review published by @nature.com, researchers analyze AI's impact on outbreak forecasting. #AIAppreciationDay

Deadly, flesh-eating #bacteria may be moving to a #beach near you. EPI member Antar Jutla works with collaborators to use machine learning to refine risk models and curb Vibrio infections. Read the latest Scientific American article covering the bacteria!

In a moment of serendipity when investigating a case of meningitis in a daycare worker, EPI members stumbled upon a new virus. This surprising case helped create a domino effect in proper health care. ⚕️ Uncover the power of combining #research and #healthcare.

A new 10-year study led by UF EPI members suggests #Florida has all the ingredients for local #Chagas disease transmission, a latent but life-threatening disease that can cause organ failure. Visit our website to dive into the collaborative research: go.ufl.edu/5ua0p0e.

Spatial Patterns of Dengue Incidence in Nepal During Record Outbreaks in 2022 and 2023 - now published in Trop Med, led by @simrikbhandari.bsky.social! doi.org/10.4269/ajtm...

During an outbreak, what does “contact tracing” mean? A newly released disease agnostic practical guideline, helps to strengthen public health responses during outbreaks by defining essential terms. Explore the guideline, now available in 6 languages: bit.ly/4mETgWL

According to the @CDCgov, there have been 1,046 #measles cases in the U.S. as of May 23, 2025. How does measles spread? Is the virus airborne? How do you treat it? How do you prevent it? And who is at risk? Read our latest expert Q&A for all the answers.

EPI Associate Director of Training and Special Projects Daniel Swale recently visited the U.S. Capitol to advocate for the development and innovation of agrochemical technology. With #AI and investments, he believes #agricultural #research can advance with increased agrochemical discovery. 💫

Today my lab published a manuscript that provides insights about Torqu teno sus virus, a cute little 2800bp virus of pigs! THM: this virus can be used in wildlife ecoepideiology and biosecurity 🧪🌏👩🏻‍🔬 doi.org/10.3389/fmic...

How does contact with someone with #tuberculosis affect #disease transmission? How do age and immune status affect the risk of #TB? 🤔 EPI members collaborated with the Florida Department of Health on a recently published paper in @plosone.org to answer both questions. #EndTB

Founding EPI director J. Glenn Morris, Jr., has published a letter in @thelancet.bsky.social about #cholera risk in Goma, DR Congo. The paper explores the #PublicHealth crisis happening in the region amid ongoing fighting and forced dispersal of relief camps.

So we know that #Cordyceps from #TheLastOfUs is real? But how real is the show, and can humans get infected? 🤔 Sit down with biologist Dr. Nick Keiser as he watches clips from season one and debunks fact vs. fiction. @spdr-collection.bsky.social #fungus Watch the full episode on YouTube!

#KissingBug season looms, making it a time for serious precautions against #Chagas in #Florida. EPI member Dr. Norman Beatty recently published an OpEd in the @tampabaytimes.bsky.social, underscoring the need for urgent action and awareness. Learn how to protect yourself against the disease.

If there is one thing we have learned, it truly takes a village to tackle infectious disease #research. Dr. Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi echoed that sentiment in an engaging talk about his studies and collaborations. Read our latest article to explore his journey: go.ufl.edu/kxvncsf.

It was amazing switching up the venue this year! We can't wait to be back. 😄 More pictures and event highlights to come. Stay tuned!

Holding the future in our hands – and working daily to protect it. 🌍😁 #EarthDay

This month's Explore Magazine explains how Dr. Jason Blackburn from UF Geography and @epi.ufl.edu uses Artificial Intelligence to forecast the likelihood of anthrax outbreaks

Another successful symposium in the books! A big thank you to the incredible faculty who led discussions on how infectious disease ecology and animal behavior are intrinsically linked fields of study. Did you miss the event? Visit our website for a full recap: go.ufl.edu/gkrtoia.

Now live: Why the growth of arboviral diseases necessitates a new generation of global risk maps and future projections journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...

It's #WorldTuberculosisDay. Did you know that tuberculosis is the deadliest infectious disease? Though there is a cure, and it is preventable, over 1 million people still die from the disease each year. Several EPI members aim their studies at combatting the disease. #YesWeCanEndTB #WorldTBDay

When astronauts go to #space, how do they ensure #pathogens from Earth don't get onto the ship and pathogens from space don't return to Earth? An EPI ambassador is testing whether plasma sterilization is the answer. Watch the full video for how we take #research to the next level: bit.ly/3XXCwiK.

A little fun from our Instagram account today. Celebrating #WomenInStem this #InternationalWomensDay! 🤩

Letting @epi.ufl.edu put me in a lab coat for social media - I promptly grabbed dry erase pens and drew temperature curves on whiteboards.

As infectious disease outbreaks increase and new pathogens emerge, how can we curb the effects? EPI members use #AI to predict and prevent new threats. Read the Op-Ed published in @thehill.com to learn more about our efforts to unlock the potential of AI.

New paper from graduate student Steven Cassidy studying the effects of a fungal pathogen on social spider behavior: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

New Editorial: “Untreated insomnia as a contributor to geographic disparities in risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias” @lippikiyay.bsky.social and I are pleased to add our #MedGeo approaches to this ongoing collaboration!

As #BirdFlu continues to make headlines, questions about its danger to humans arise. One question: Can you get the virus from eggs, meat, or other foods? 🥚 The lead on the EPI bird flu response team Dr. Benjamin Anderson gave some insight.

Working with EPI members @meganstanifer.bsky.social and @boulantlab.bsky.social, #UF undergraduate student Victoria aims to tackle the pathogens that infect our intestines. Her research focuses on how a low-oxygen environment impacts parasites. Watch the full video: bit.ly/3WUWLNE.

One unknown about #BirdFlu is the virus's ability to become airborne, sparking the next pandemic. In a recent article in @the-independent.com, EPI member Dr. John Lednicky describes how the virus could spread between birds and mammals.

Recurrent #uveitis is one of the leading causes of blindness in humans and #horses. 🧍🐎 Uncover how EPI member Dr. Joseph Larkin and his collaborators have discovered a treatment that can combat the effects of the #disease.

Check out this great video about the work done on enteric viruses by an EPI member!

Did you know SARS-CoV-2 has been found in white-tailed deer? 🦌 EPI members collaborated with researchers from @myfwc.bsky.social to study how human exposure to the virus influences the deer. See what they learned from researching the raising concerns about zoonotic transmission.