We have issued a late breaking update to this report based on US and WHO statements, at end of report. RFI and follow up: Russia reports anti-plague institute researcher died from pneumonia of unknown etiology, unrelated to lab work via @beaconbio.bsky.social - beaconbio.org/en/report/?r...

BEACON

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

beaconbio.org

The flu season seems to be off to an early start in the Northern Hemisphere and scientists are worried about one particular mutation. That means it's a good idea to go get vaccinated as soon as possible! I wrote about what the early data tell us: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Flu season could kick off ‘incredibly’ early — what scientists are watching

Cases in the Northern Hemisphere are cropping up weeks early, and they are dominated by a virus with a concerning mutation.

nature.com

It looks like we may be headed for an early flu season, especially in the Western region, where test positivity is climbing quickly. www.forceofinfection.com/second-look-...

This is a really important development. It appears H1N1 cases are rising in the western part of the United States, and these viruses have a key HA substitution that @jbloomlab.bsky.social recently demonstrated is targeted by antibodies in young people. 1/4 www.kuow.org/health/2026-...

The flu has arrived early in Washington state

Flu cases are surging in Washington state, much sooner than when health officials usually expect the illness to peak in winter.

kuow.org

It looks like we may be headed for an early flu season, especially in the Western region, where test positivity is climbing quickly. www.forceofinfection.com/second-look-...

Those whose immune systems are more vulnerable are at a higher risk of getting sick with and experiencing severe symptoms of flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Epidemiologist @cmyeaton.bsky.social gives her recommendations for vaccines this respiratory virus season. 🎧 t.jh.edu/ZXy7pM

Covid-19 activity has likely peaked in the South, with other regions still rising. Flu activity is rising steadily but still far below start of flu season. Free national edition + regionals start in about a month. www.forceofinfection.com/sep132026/

This is my annual September 11 re-read. www.washingtonpost.com/local/f-16-p...

F-16 pilot was ready to give her life on Sept. 11

A pilot reflects on one of the lesser-told tales of Sept. 11: how the first counterpunch the U.S. military prepared to throw at the attackers was effectively a suicide mission.

washingtonpost.com

Our middle school got rid of Chromebooks this year and the experience is already 200% better. Keep classrooms analog.

On #LongCovid and profiling my colleague @julialmv.bsky.social @smithsonianmag.bsky.social www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/m...

For Many Americans, Covid Is Still a Chronic, Disabling Disease. These Scientists Are Working Tirelessly to Bring Them Relief

Long Covid saps the strength and vitality of patients, who have little recourse to fight it. A team of specialists—including an afflicted researcher working mostly from her bed—is looking for answers

smithsonianmag.com

“Anna, who was pregnant, worried about the effect measles might have on her baby, but she didn’t think she could avoid being exposed. ‘I saw we can’t even get away from it because so many people have it’” www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...

The Measles-Stricken Mother Who Lost Her Newborn Son

The family at the center of Pennsylvania’s measles controversy tells their story.

theatlantic.com

Article here. This will be updated as I learn more, especially about any access difficulties. If a question is unanswered in this article, I don't know the answer yet, but I'm working hard to get more info as quickly as possible.

What to Know About New Covid Vaccines for Fall 2026 (Gift Article)

The shots have been approved for people 65 and older, and for younger people with underlying conditions. Others may be able to get them off label.

nytimes.com

Maggie Astor@maggieastor.bsky.social · last mo.

Updated Covid vaccines for the 2026-27 season have been approved by the FDA. Article to come.

Today on Force of Infection, I shared guidance and evidence on seasonal vaccinations specifically for people with immunocompromise. I relied heavily on info shared by the Infectious Diseases Society for America @idsainfo.bsky.social www.forceofinfection.com/ic-guide-to-...

sometimes, in the middle of yet another two-factor procedure, I think to myself...i don't actually want to check my email this badly.

“The number of infants aged under six months with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) requiring intensive or high-dependency care fell by around 50% during the first full year of England’s maternal vaccination programme” hospitalhealthcare.com/specialisms/...

Infant RSV intensive care admissions halve following maternal vaccine rollout

The number of infants aged under six months with RSV requiring intensive care fell by 50% in the 2025/26 winter season, the UKHSA says.

hospitalhealthcare.com

D.A. Henderson died ten years ago today. I've written a letter to him every August since — a list of the questions I'd have walked down the hall to ask him. Ten years of asking has produced a ledger. This year's is worse than last year's. ameshadalja.substack.com/p/da-henders...

DA Henderson: Ten Years Gone

A decade of asking questions nobody has answered

ameshadalja.substack.com

To me, this suggests challenges with case ascertainment rather than increased disease severity.

Amesh Adalja@ameshaa.bsky.social · 2mo ago

“No signs of abating” www.cidrap.umn.edu/ebola/ebola-...

“the case fatality ratio, has risen from about 20% ‌in ⁠early June to 46%” www.reuters.com/business/hea...

Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo becomes deadliest in country's history

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 2,325 people, government data showed on Sunday, surpassing the toll from the 2018-2020 outbreak to become the deadliest in the country's h...

reuters.com

The Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the DR Congo "is in a phase of intense transmission. It is the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the country and expanding faster than any previous Ebola outbreak." As of 12 Aug: 4665 confirmed cases, inc 2184 deaths. www.who.int/emergencies/...

Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus - Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in a phase of intense transmission. It is the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the country and expanding f...

who.int

Vaccines are probably the most life-saving invention in history. For the past 75+ years, every effort has been toward making them *more* widely available. These rollbacks are senseless.

Reserved a minivan with Enterprise. Get there, no minivan. Called customer service and confirmed that a second location had a van in stock. Get there, no minivan. Enshittification everywhere.

Fatima came to the US on a Fulbright scholarship & is a researcher at Johns Hopkins. She had previously filed for TPS & currently has a pending asylum case. But ICE has detained her & is working to deport her. [1/2]

ICE detains Hopkins public health researcher as agency expands airport arrests

A Johns Hopkins University public health researcher and former Fulbright scholar was detained this week by immigration agents while boarding a domestic flight as the Trump administration ramps up immi...

thebanner.com

“There’s a huge cluster of cases in North Carolina and the southeastern states, which may well represent the second outbreak that’s not associated with the lettuce,” www.cidrap.umn.edu/cyclospora/d...

A difficult-to-trace parasite, messaging missteps contribute to summer of overwhelming Cyclospora outbreaks

cidrap.umn.edu

the ER is a ghastly place. it's painfully obvious to anyone on this side of the stethoscope that people are not there for fun or convenience.

Seth Trueger@mdaware.org · 2mo ago

people with colds & ankle sprains "who don't need to be there" are not why ERs are busy or you wait time is long and they do need to be there

I joined PBS News Hour to discuss cyclosporiasis, salmonella, and measles. Outbreaks abound. x.com/NewsHour/sta...

PBS News (@NewsHour) on X

Public health concerns are growing as cyclosporiasis cases surge, and now a salmonella outbreak across 17 states has many Americans raising concerns about U.S. food safety. For more, @WmBrangham spea...

x.com

Another massive jump in Ebola cases in DRC (reflecting new cases as well as "data harmonization"). Now 2,905 cases including 1,269 deaths. I find it harder every day to square the size and speed of spread of this outbreak with the lack of attention it is getting. insp.cd/sitrep-n069-...

Cyclosporiasis is seasonal. 3,000-4,000 cases are reported in a typical year, so multiple outbreaks is not out of the ordinary. But the ideal number of cases is zero so...

Amesh Adalja@ameshaa.bsky.social · 3mo ago

“The U.S. FDA has said it is investigating a new outbreak of cyclosporiasis, with 72 cases ​tied to an as-yet-unidentified source.” www.reuters.com/business/hea...

Don't love parasite-smoke-heatwave-pocalypse, but on the bright side (?) I'm reading A Distant Mirror and the 14th century was definitely worse.

My book Crisis Averted, a book about the hidden science of fighting outbreaks (ahem, cyclosporiasis), is featured on Penguin's Books for this Moment page. The hardcover is half off on Amazon right now, too! sites.prh.com/booksforthis...

I’m finally going to listen to my doctor and eat more vegetables and get more fresh air