First human #H5N1 case of 2026 in #Cambodia: a 30-year-old man from Kampot province. Sequencing, virus isolation & animal investigations ongoing. Dead chicken at home before onset. Patient has since recovered. 🦠💉😷🐓🥼🔬🧪 Sequencing, contact tracing, and poultry investigations ongoing.

Planning is underway for the 2026 Metagenomic Virus Discovery workshop. Last years workshop was a great success with 22 participants representing 11 countries. If you would like to know more, get in contact with our organising committee at [email protected]

In our recent @nature.com Communications study, we compared traditional #poultry swabs with environmental #metagenomics, sampling #air, cage surfaces, carcass wash water, and drinking water in two Cambodian live bird markets. 🦠😷🔬🧪🐓🥼 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The WHO/WOAH/FAO H5 Evolution Working Group just released a major nomenclature update: 12 new H5 clades across 2.3.2.1 and 2.3.4.4, the result of a decade of relentless viral evolution stretching from Asia to Africa, the Americas, and even Antarctica. 🥼🔬🧪🦠🐓😷 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Go @eakarlsson.bsky.social knocking it out of the park at the @virus-metagenomics.bsky.social workshop at CERI in Stellenbosch.

Tomorrow evening we have our keynote lecture session from 16:00 in the Neelsie Cinema, Stellenbosch University. Dr Maja Vukovikj will be speaking about Africas ancient disease landscape and Dr Erik Karlsson will talk about metagenomics and high-risk interfaces tinyurl.com/ytj3sppm

Proud to be part of this new Nature Biotechnology paper, “RNA structure modulates Cas13 activity and enables mismatch detection.” Detecting single-nucleotide mutations in #influenza or SARS-CoV-2 is how you know, fast, when a virus is playing by different rules. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Now out in @nejm.org : Between 2023–2024: Sixteen human infections with A/H5N1 in Cambodia. Six deaths. Most in children. All exposed to sick or dead poultry. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Time’s running out! We’re hiring 1 Scientist + 2 Postdocs at @PasteurCambodia’s #Virology Unit to work on emerging viruses & #zoonoses. If you want to do real-time science that matters—this is your chance. Apply now. Start soon. 🦠🔬🧪🐓💉🦇😷🥼 #academicjobs #OneHealth #Virology

Cambodia has confirmed its 15th human case of #H5N1 in 2025. That brings the year’s total to 15 cases and 7 deaths (CFR: 46.6%). Since 2005: 87 cases, 50 deaths (CFR: 57.5%). 🧪🧬🥼🦠🔬😷🐓💉 #AvianInfluenza #Zoonoses #BirdFlu #Spillover

Cambodia has confirmed its 14th human case of avian influenza A/H5N1 in 2025 : a 26-year-old man from Siem Reap. So far in 2025: 14 cases, 7 deaths — a case fatality rate (CFR) of 50% Since 2005: 86 cases, 50 deaths (CFR: 58.1%) 🧪🧬🥼🦠🔬😷🐓💉

13th human case of #H5N1 in Cambodia this year: 6-year-old boy from Tbong Khmum province, confirmed on July 21. Exposure likely linked to sick and dead poultry. He is currently in intensive care. 🧪🧬🥼🦠🔬😷🐓💉

**JOBS ALERT** The Virology Unit at @PasteurCambodia hiring 1 Scientist and 2 Postdocs to join our fast-moving, field-connected, research-driven team on emerging viruses and zoonoses. 🧪🧬🥼🦠🔬🐓💉🦇😷 Limited time to apply — and we need people to start ASAP.**👇

Got a great idea for a metagenomic virus discovery project but not sure what to do next? We are running a 5 day hands on workshop in beautiful Stellenbosch, South Africa with experts from around the world. Applications are open until 31st July. climade.health/2025/06/22/m...

12th case of H5N1 in Cambodia in 2025. 5 yo boy from Kampot. Zoonotic spillover continues to occur. Vigilant surveillance and One Health response is critical.

The Virology Unit at IPC is constantly working to make surveillance/Early Warning faster, better, cheaper — from air sampling to portable labs. Happy to have our work featured in this @telegraphnews.bsky.social article by @sneweyy.bsky.social 🦠🧪🐓💉🥼😷 Read more: www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...

11th case of H5N1 in Cambodia has now been reported. Known exposure to sick poultry. This is the 7th case in June, and the 4th in Siem Reap. Continued vigilance, active surveillance, and a strong One Health response remain critical. #BirdFlu 🦠🔬🧪🐓💉😷🥼

Cambodia has confirmed its 9th and 10th human cases of H5N1 bird flu this year. 6 of these cases occurred in June alone. Sadly, 6 people have died in 2025. 🧪🧬🦠🔬🥼😷🐓💉

A long time coming, but our @nanoporetech.com P2Solo is finally running. Time to dive deeper into the messy unknown, hunt down mysterious pathogens, and maybe even find some shiny new viruses. Let's do this. 🦇🐓🧪🦠🧬🔬 #Nanopore #VirusHunting #Science #OneHealth #Genomics

I echo @systemsvirology.bsky.social - if anyone needs some support or ways to work, please reach out.

A virus won’t go from “nothing” to “crisis” overnight—but ignoring it is like smelling smoke and thinking, “Eh, probably just toast.” Spoiler: it’s not toast. Early Warning is everything. Fund and improve systems that keep the kitchen from burning down. 🧪🦇🔬🦠💉😷 #ViroSky #IDSky

Yet another reminder that A/H5N1 is everywhere: Cambodia’s MoH just confirmed the country’s 75th case. A young child exposed to sick/dead poultry is critically ill. Staying alert, acting fast, and keeping people informed is how we prevent more spillover. 🧪🐓🦠😷💉 #ViroSky #IDSky tinyurl.com/mrxw5xew

Scientists, clinicians and public health from across the Pacific are discussing pathogen genomic surveillance at the Institut Pasteur de Novelle Caledonie at the stunning Pacific Community Building in Noumea. Here, @eakarlsson.bsky.social leads a discussion of wet lab technical requirements.

We must shift our mindset and upgrade how quickly, accurately, and cheaply we can detect pathogens, even before they become outbreaks. The next pandemic isn't hypothetical; it's guaranteed. Time for more bold innovation and real-world action. #ViroSky #IDSky 🥼🦠🔬🧪🧬

Postdoc Opportunity Got a PhD in disease evolution, or something similarly hardcore? Know your way around phylodynamics? Good. We need you. If you’re up for real-world research getting hands-on with fieldwork, sequencing, and making sense of viral evolution, apply here: jobs.inrae.fr/en/ot-25456.

The Virology Unit at IPC has 3 positions open in #OneHealth: *Postdoc – Reconstructing Past Outbreaks *Postdoc – Environmental Surveillance *Clinical Manager These aren’t just jobs. They’re front-row seats to global health in action. Ready? tinyurl.com/57rvxcau #ViroSky #IDSky 🦠🔬🧬🥼🧪

Smart surveillance really coming into its own. Air, water, and surface sampling in bird markets w NGS can outperform traditional swab based approaches in detecting in a diversity of viruses, including avian influenza. Amazing work by @E_A_Karlsson + team 👉 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-5...

I know things are rough right now for a lot of people in science, and job hunting isn’t exactly fun—but if you’re a virologist looking for interesting work and want a scenery change, the Virology Unit at Institut Pasteur in Cambodia is hiring. #virosky #idsky tinyurl.com/y62d6tnw

Interested in doing a PhD along the lines of transmission dynamics, disease ecology or epidemiology? Check out iddjobs.org — whole bunch of new opportunities posted this past week!

Environmental sampling—air, water, and surfaces—in live bird markets coupled with NGS can outperform traditional poultry swabs in avian influenza (H5N1) and other zoonotic threats. Check out our preprint here: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-5... #virosky #idsky 🧪🦠🔬🧬🐓

Today is the abstract deadline for ASV2025 in Montreal, Canada! Submit by 11:59 pm ET tonight (2/3)! asv.org/asv2025/abst...

Honored to be speaking at the @nationalacademies.org Forum on Microbial Threats workshop on Preventing Patient Zero today. www.nationalacademies.org/event/43921_... #virosky #idsky

Very cool innovations utilised at Institut Pasteur du Cambodge presented by @eakarlsson.bsky.social - drones and remote control cars to collect environmental samples at locations that are high risk for avian influenza.

We have a new preprint on the receptor specificity of 2.3.4.4 H5 viruses. We introduced the hallmark Q226L mutation in several antigenic backgrounds and observed different phenotypes. #H5N1 #glycotime www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Cambodian man dies from H5N1 avian flu, possibly after eating sick chickens This is the 19th human H5N1 case identified in Cambodia since early 2023. www.cidrap.umn.edu/a... Photo: Paul Korecky / Flickr cc

Avian influenza #H5N1 continues to cause infections and deaths globally, including in Southeast Asia. Vigilant One Health surveillance and response is critical to detecting and preventing avian flu. 🦠🧪🔬🧬 www.facebook.com/share/p/1PM9...

Tis the season for #holiday lights. #avianinfluenza sequencing up and running on our new #mk1d from ⁦‪Oxford Nanopore at ⁦‪Pasteur Cambodia‬⁩ . #nanopore #oxfordnanopre #genomic #h5n1 #alliwantforchristmas #anywhereanything #virosky #idsky 🧪🦠🧬🔬🥼🥼🧑‍🔬

New toys for the holidays. Just got hands on the #Mk1d from #nanopore. Looking forward to using this in the field as we continue to make surveillance better, faster, and cheaper. #avianinfluenza #oxfordnanopore #anywhereanything 🦠🧪🔬🧬

Happy to be hosting the Pasteur Network Asia-Pacific Avian Influenza Symposium here in Phnom Penh this week organized by Pasteur Cambodia and HKU Pasteur - first time all nine of these institutes have met under this network! #avianinfluenzasymposium #avianflu #pasteurnetwork #ipc

Surveillance is hard, laborious, expensive. Even more so in the Antarctic. With @eakarlsson.bsky.social we highlight how to enhance our understanding of HPAI using innovative surveillance approaches. 👉https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534724002787#f0010

The emergence of HPAI in Antarctica’s vulnerable wildlife merits a rapid response supported by global coordination and scientific innovation due to the potential impact on both fauna and the ecosystem. #ViroSky #IDSky www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

So glad our genomic study of evolution and transmission during the waves of Alpha and Delta VOCs in #Cambodia in 2021 has finally been released - it has been a long time coming... #ViroSky #IDSky www.nature.com/articles/s43...

First post here... let's check it out... last days to apply for a PhD position in my lab! Looking for glyco and viro enthusiasts. #glycotime #lovevirology @eakarlsson.bsky.social www.uu.nl/en/organisat...

Report of the National academy of sciences on avian Influenza A H5N1 and pandemic risk, with research gaps and priorities. Good to see: importance of understanding how to bridge the divide between stakeholders and public health actors as we have witnessed nap.nationalacademies.org/read/28581/c...

A starter pack for all virologists out there on the blue side ! Might be missing some people but it’s a good start ! go.bsky.app/DmphBCT

I made a quick Starter Pack for scientists working on virus discovery - please reply if you’d like me to add you to the pack (or remove you) or to recommend anyone! #scisky go.bsky.app/HK1wxRb

Since so many people have joined lately, I just wanted to bump these positions I have available in my Unit at Institut Pasteur du Cambodge. #ViroSky #IDSky

[PhD position] Please share! Looking for a motivated PhD candidate to work in our MSCA Doctoral Network #VIVACE (vivace.hub.inrae.fr/news2) on highly pathogenic avian influenza #HPAI transmission #modelling to inform vaccination strategies. 👉 jobs.inrae.fr/en/ot-23143 @inrae-france.bsky.social

🧪 Scientist? 🟦 New to BlueSky? 👀 Wanna find posts by other people in your area and use the right hashtags in your own posts? 📃 Here’s a list of 200 science-related feeds and their hashtags. #AcademicSky #PhDSky

Lemme on the team, coach.