The US has closed its borders to certain classes of people--including Americans responding to Ebola--and livestock, yet has an open border policy when it comes to wildlife trade.

Think Global Health@thinkglobalhealth.org · last mo.

New World screwworm has reemerged in the United States. @conservationdoc.bsky.social explains how this outbreak is a wake-up call for policymakers to prevent and prepare for major disease events involving animals and humans.

New in @lancetmicrobe.bsky.social: I wrote about the Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to the m/v Hondius — and what @conservationdoc.bsky.social says it reveals about spillover prevention, surveillance and outbreak response. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

International response to hantavirus outbreak

The Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to expedition cruise ship m/v Hondius has prompted an international public health response, with authorities monitoring passengers and crew across multiple countri...

thelancet.com

A huge honor to have contributed to today's United Nations stakeholders meeting, helping inform Member States as they draft the Declaration for the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response.

Wildlife trade is like a ticking time bomb in the hearts of the world's largest population centers. The world needs a robust legal framework to address the public health risks of wildlife trade (both legal and illegal). Until then, we're playing a dangerous game of pandemic roulette.

I responded to the two largest Ebola outbreaks in history (in Liberia in 2014 and DRC in 2019).

The Ebola outbreak unfolding right now is a tragedy that is going to get much worse.

I joined @mikedigirolamo.bsky.social of @mongabay.com to discuss the awful hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks unfolding right now. Tragically, we keep re-learning the same lesson: our actions drive the increasing frequency of spillovers of viruses from animals to humans.

Fur farming is pandemic roulette played for the sake of luxury coats.

A huge honor for me to share the @preventingpand.bsky.social Impact Report for 2025.

Preventing Pandemics at the Source@preventingpand.bsky.social · 6mo ago

We are excited to share our 2025 impact report! Together with our partners, we are building a strong scientific foundation, shaping the global health architecture, and raising global awareness for spillover prevention. 72d37324-5089-459c-8f70-271d19427cf2.filesusr.com/ugd/b89826_1...

Could our seafood system be breeding drug-resistant bacteria? In the @latimes.com, I explore how antimicrobial misuse in aquaculture is increasing the risk of superbugs. www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...

Contributor: Factory farming of fish is brewing pathogens

Aquaculture is critical for feeding a hungry planet, but it does not need to be as reckless as it is today.

latimes.com

Wow! I just finished The Arrogant Ape and am just floored by this book. What an incredible synthesis of science, philosophy, Indigenous knowledge, and lived experience to challenge the orthodoxy that humans are an exceptional species above all others.

The Arrogant Ape by Christine Webb: 9780593543139 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

A New York Times’s Notable Book of 2025 An impassioned celebration of humility before the living world that leads us to a new understanding of other species—and ourselves Darwin considered...

penguinrandomhouse.com

I made an effort this year to read more books. Below are the ten that stood out most of the 36 I read (or listened to).

Honored to share a new Comment just published in Lancet Planetary Health led by Latiffah Hassan. Our message is simple: the world must invest far more in the global veterinary workforce. I say this as a physician who has seen how human health is inseparable from the health of other animals.

A little late in sharing these, but I’m still feeling grateful. Last month, I had the privilege of attending the TIME100 Next gala. It was even more meaningful because my parents were with me in spirit: I wore an outfit crafted from a sari my dad bought for my mom years ago.

Science is under attack, and I shudder to think about the consequences. I just finished reading "Science Under Siege" by @michaelemann.bsky.social and @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social, and it’s one of the most compelling books I’ve read in a long time.

It’s an incredible honor to contribute to this year’s Amazon Assessment Report alongside so many inspiring colleagues. www.sp-amazon.org/ar2025#cta-c...

Amazon Assessment Report 2025 — Science Panel for the Amazon

sp-amazon.org

🌍 New OpEd Alert! Biodiversity is not just an environmental issue — it's a health issue. Yesterday, @cwalzer.bsky.social and I published an OpEd in @statnews.com calling for the health sector to confront a critical blind spot: biodiversity loss.

Jane Goodall was my first example of how a childhood love for nature could evolve into a lifelong purpose.

I’m deeply honored to be named to this year’s #TIME100Next list. time.com/collections/...

Neil Vora Is on the 2025 TIME100 Next

Find out why Neil Vora is on this year’s list

time.com

While at a winestore in rural New York State this weekend, I happened to be wearing a t-shirt from my time in the U.S. Public Health Service. At checkout, one of the staff asked, “Does that even still exist?”

Jane Goodall has been my hero since childhood. In challenging times, I often turn to her for guidance—and that’s why I just read her "Book of Hope". It’s an incredible piece that reinforces for me that hope is not passive—it’s a discipline, a choice, and a call to action. 🧵

What’s happening at CDC should concern all of us. Public health threats don’t care about politics or borders.

🌍 Exciting News for Global Health Professionals! The Global Health Council (GHC) has launched an Individual Professional Membership—a fantastic opportunity to stay engaged in global health at a time when collaboration and informed advocacy are more critical than ever.

This has been the hardest week I’ve had in a long time. 🧵 (1/6)

I'm excited to be in the running to speak at #SXSW 2025 with @monicamedinadc.bsky.social on why human health depends on nature. If you could take a moment to vote in support of this proposal, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thank you! 🗳️ Vote by Aug 24: lnkd.in/em3MDMiC ❤️ Click the heart! #OneHealth

Conservation International@conservationorg.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Help bring @conservationorg.bsky.social’s Neil Vora and Monica Medina to the @sxsw.com 2026 stage. Their talk will show how climate change is also a public health crisis — and how protecting nature can fight both.
 Vote by Aug 24: • Log in / Sign up • ❤️ icon #NeilVoraatSXSW #MonicaMedinaatSXSW

Just finished reading Biocentrism by Robert Lanza and Bob Berman. It’s one of those books that shakes up your assumptions about reality. 🧠🌌

Just finished "Everything is Tuberculosis" by John Green—and I can’t recommend it enough. As a TB doctor, I thought I understood this disease. But until I read this book, I hadn’t fully grasped just how deeply TB is woven into the fabric of our history, society, and even geography. 🧵

Over 100,000 people die from measles each year globally—a completely preventable tragedy. With U.S. cases rising, we risk losing our elimination status. I shared insights with @emilymullin.bsky.social / Wired magazine on what’s driving the outbreak. www.wired.com/story/can-us...

Can US Measles Outbreaks Be Stopped?

The US almost lost its measles elimination status once. Lessons from that episode suggest it will be more difficult to avoid doing so now.

wired.com

Honored to work alongside so many committed colleagues. We can reduce spillover risk — and in doing so, we: 🌍 Prevent pandemics 🌱 Fight climate change 🦋 Protect nature ⚖️ Advance equity The path forward is clearer than ever. Let’s act. #OneHealth #SpilloverPrevention #GlobalHealth #ClimateAction

Preventing Pandemics at the Source@preventingpand.bsky.social · last yr.

Some say it’s impossible to prevent spillovers. But that’s not true. Watch this video of Latiffah Hassan, Raina Plowright, and Neil Vora to learn how to reduce risk of spillovers and improve health of people, animals, and environment: tinyurl.com/2s4krbvu Video credit: Climate Acceptance Studios

A historic day! The Pandemic Agreement is adopted! 🌍✍️ This landmark achievement will make the world safer from future pandemic threats.