"When you have a disease that was essentially gone & not a problem at all [in the US], & now children are dying from it, it's a pretty drastic difference between then & now," says @michaelrulrich.bsky.social on the sharp increase in measles cases after HHS cuts. spr.ly/63327BEAxwW

RFI: Measles cases reported in several health facilities in El Salvador suggesting local transmission amid ongoing measles importation pressure https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=1d51bc66-beed-4052-9f12-ed98b1f90c94&eventid=4bde1715-f77e-4cd6-b639-8d8b52360191&utm_source=bluesky

On the Lawyer 2 Lawyer podcast, prof @michaelrulrich.bsky.social (@busph.bsky.social @bulaw.bsky.social) explains how HHS funding cuts have cascading effects on research, healthcare access, & policy, particularly impacting states already limited in resources. legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/law...

RFK Jr. and Public Health: Vaccine Policy, Outbreaks, and Funding Cuts - Legal Talk Network

Since the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), public health has been surrounded by controversy. Discover insightful episodes on Legal Talk Ne...

legaltalknetwork.com

At a moment when the world is grappling with a massive Ebola outbreak in the DRC, @josephharrisbu.bsky.social sits down with Dr. Mardia Stone to discuss her experience in Liberia's national Ebola response. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Cyclospora outbreaks tend to be seasonal, but Dr. David Hamer (@busph.bsky.social @bumedicine.bsky.social) explains that between global food supply chains & climate change creating longer growing seasons in some areas, there's a risk outbreaks will persist longer. spr.ly/63325BEFF9l

RFI: Severe respiratory infections reported in indigenous community in Ngäbe-Buglé region, Panama, with six deaths; pathogen unidentified https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=dcd13cd2-c67c-4598-8a67-5b9ed3d3943d&eventid=d5547453-7b44-4be7-99b4-02ef541b197b&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social

More than 250 Salmonella cases reported in Colorado, USA, double the State's July baseline; traceback investigation ongoing. RFI on Salmonella serovar(s) and source https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=c2420235-0cbd-4063-96ec-56190411effe&utm_source=bluesky

Even with attempts at contact tracing, @bhadeliamd.bsky.social tells @npr.org there are likely many Bundibugyo Ebola cases being missed and this means people are presenting much later to care. spr.ly/63326BELeup

Why health officials do not have a good handle on the current Ebola outbreak

To get slightly ahead of the virus, health officials need to quickly identify people at risk of infection, a practice known as contact tracing. That's a challenge in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Mosquitos cause over half a million deaths per year by spreading infectious diseases. BU researchers, including grad student Garima Kohli, who has received grant support from CEID for this work, are exploring why some people attract more mosquitos than others. spr.ly/63322BELZHs

Why do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More than Others?

Boston University researchers hope the science of smell can help stop mosquito bites—and deadly diseases

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Measles cases in the US have already surpassed last year's numbers, the highest in 35 years. @drsyramadad.bsky.social reminds us of the seriousness of the disease which, beyond rashes, she says "can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, hospitalization, & death,.” spr.ly/63321BESLBt

US hits most cases of ‘world’s most contagious disease’ in 35 years — and it’s only July

As of Tuesday, there are 2,295 confirmed cases across the country. That surpasses 2025’s record-breaking total of 2,289 for the entire year — a number that has been startling because it was t…

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Legionnaires’ disease, a bacterial pneumonia spread through contaminated water systems, is common in New York summers. @drsyramadad.bsky.social explains that confirming sources requires culturing bacteria samples & matching them to cases, which can take weeks. spr.ly/63321BESxA7

Ebola deaths top 1,000, NYC Legionnaires cases hit 82: Doc explains both outbreaks

Madad said 80% of newly confirmed Ebola cases are not linked to any known chain of transmission.

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Even with attempts at contact tracing, @bhadeliamd.bsky.social tells @npr.org there are likely many Bundibugyo Ebola cases being missed and this means people are presenting much later to care. www.npr.org/2026/07/21/n...

Ebola death toll reaches nearly 1,000 as the DRC struggles to contain the virus

The current Ebola outbreak is eluding officials who are trying to figure out where it's going to go next. The DRC is training 21,000 people to try to help get a grasp on the outbreak.

npr.org

Even in states with no reported cyclosporaisis cases, @bhadeliamd.bsky.social says if someone is presenting with watery diarrhea, suspicion of cyclospora infection should be high given the scope of this outbreak. Diagnosis can be confirmed with specific stool tests. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

High Suspicion for Cyclosporiasis Needed, Tracing Continues

With the outlines shifting in the current outbreak, testing for the parasite is a no-brainer, say experts.

medscape.com

Dr. @brookeenichols.bsky.social, whose Impact Counter estimates USAID cuts led to more than 700,000 deaths, says that even when new programs are set up, USAID's "abrupt termination led to a breakdown of trust & supply chains, which are challenging to reinstate." spr.ly/63323BEi7IT

Trump's team says 'no children' died from USAID cuts. Consider these 3 cases

Both Marco Rubio and Elon Musk, who led the effort to sunset the foreign aid agency, have said that no deaths have been linked to the cutting of its funding. These parents tell a different story.

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Though the CDC has yet to identify the source of a major multistate cyclospora outbreak, Dr. David Hamer (@busph.bsky.social @bumedicine.bsky.social) reminds The Brink that this infection is both diagnosable and treatable. spr.ly/63328BEkvcg

As Cyclospora Cases Rise, a BU Expert Explains the Parasite Outbreak

Boston University infectious diseases expert David Hamer on how cases started, how it spreads, and how to protect yourself

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As we continue to improve BEACON's functionality, we've now added open-text search on our home page. Finding the info you’re looking for just got much faster. Open-text search can be used on its own or combined with our existing filters to better narrow your results. spr.ly/63320BE3KxM

Because the strain of bird flu found in wild birds on the southern coast of Australia is closely related to that detected in seals near Antarctica, speaking w/ ABC Australia, @bhadeliamd.bsky.social advises increased surveillance of marine mammals in addition to birds. spr.ly/63323BEBdal

International experts weigh in on Australia's bird flu response

While the H5N1 bird flu strain is relatively new to Australia, experts who have monitored the spread in other continents say surveillance is key to tackling the deadly virus.

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We received report on this disease event from a BEACON user related to multiple tour groups in grand canyons experiencing illness which included fever, chills, fatigue, weakness, and muscle soreness progressing to severe muscle pains. Request for information below. beaconbio.org/en/report/?e...

BEACON

Track biological threats, share vital information, and collaborate on solutions for community protection and preparedness.

beaconbio.org

RFI: Mangumo, Nord-Kivu, DRC: Unidentified fatal illness – nine deaths under investigation in remote mining community. RFI on laboratory results, patient demographics and exposure histories https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=0eeb7707-c136-4f41-9958-2de92a9d96af&utm_source=bluesky

“This isn't simply the return of a childhood rash illness,” says @drsyramadad.bsky.social as this year's cases already near 2025 totals. “Measles can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, hospitalization & death, especially in young children & medically vulnerable people.” spr.ly/63329BDNmcl

‘World’s most contagious disease’ on track for highest US cases in 35 years — doc warns: ‘We are allowing it to spread’

“This is a major public health warning sign,” epidemiologist Dr. Syra Madad told The Post. “The US is already close to last year’s total with about half the year still ahead.&#822…

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"By the time [the Bundibugyo] outbreak was declared at the end of May, it was clear it had been circulating for a while because there were positive cases in multiple provinces," says @bhadeliamd.bsky.social. "What worries me is we're seeing the pace of cases continue." spr.ly/63324BD078m

The World Archives - The World from PRX

Each weekday, co-hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler and their team of reporters and producers bring you the world’s most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is. The World is heard on over 350 stations across North America.

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Request for Information (RFI): US Embassy issues alert about potential case of Marburg virus disease is Western Uganda https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=85f3a062-dc78-4a12-b498-73ad46db925a&eventid=65a6cbaf-32e4-4ada-9668-93f9549638e5&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social

In the latest @ghpoliticspodcast.bsky.social episode, @josephharrisbu.bsky.social talks w/ anthropologist Susan Erikson, examining the World Bank's novel efforts to mobilize private finance to support pandemic response in the world's poorest nations. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...

Season 3, Episode 2: Susan Erikson on Investable! When Pandemic Risk Meets Speculative Finance, A Cautionary Tale

Podcast Episode · The Global Health Politics Podcast · June 28 · 1h 28m

podcasts.apple.com

"The cleaning & 'garbage disposal units' of the body back up into the blood system which has a lot of cascading negative consequences," CEID faculty Dr. John Connor (@bumedicine.bsky.social) tells @npr.org, explaining how Ebola kills those infected. spr.ly/63321BDcD6x

“We live in an age of epidemics. As human population grows, as climate-sensitive diseases become more apparent, that means diseases are appearing in places that we don’t expect them," says @bhadeliamd.bsky.social on why BEACON is more critical than ever. spr.ly/63326BDgGAC

‘Translates into lives saved’: New program at Boston University uses AI to track global diseases

When it comes to infectious diseases, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy and troubling year.

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Mosquito-borne La Crosse encephalitis virus is primarily seen in the Midwestern, mid-Atlantic and southeastern U.S. but CEID faculty Dr. David Hamer (@busph.bsky.social) says it may be spread by multiple species, expanding its range. spr.ly/63322BD5hte

The 5 mosquito-borne diseases you're most likely to get in the U.S.

These diseases usually cause mild symptoms (or none at all), but they can have more serious complications in certain people.

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Because Ebola symptoms aren't initially severe & mimic those of many other diseases, many who become ill may continue to interact with others & spread the virus without seeking care. @bhadeliamd.bsky.social tells @nytimes.com this may be why it was missed for months. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/h...

Ebola Symptoms in Current Outbreak May Be Milder Than in Previous Ones

nytimes.com

In new @NatureRevMicro view point, I discuss why in the current #Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak, trust is as valuable & critical as monetary funds. And why surging funding only after emergencies occur, leaves us backfooted & costs patient lives & healthcare worker safety. rdcu.be/fpjP2

While @beaconbio.bsky.social has reported increased incidence of alpha-gal syndrome on Martha's Vineyard, @bhadeliamd.bsky.social says she hasn't seen evidence that it's effecting 50% of the island's residents as some online claims have suggested. www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/i/202335498/...

A report earlier this month by House Oversight Democrats on the impacts of USAID cuts cited modeling by CEID faculty @brookeenichols.bsky.social, which estimates 600,000 people—two-thirds of them children—have died in just over a year as a result of eliminating USAID. spr.ly/63329BDz2kH

USAID's closure led to 'entirely preventable' deaths, latest Ebola outbreak: House Dem report

The Trump administration's decision to kill the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) likely contributed to 600,000 "entirely preventable" deaths, left the globe faltering in responding...

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