Jennifer Barr
@jennbarr.bsky.social
Virologist @ CSIRO Bat borne viruses, high containment pathogens, virus discovery, serological assays
The #Ebola #Bundibugyo outbreak in DRC's Ituri province is now the 2nd largest in known history, having overtaken the 2018-2020 outbreak in North-Kivu & Ituri in a matter of 2.5 months. Hard to say how big this one will get. Can't see it ending anytime soon.
Southern bent-wing bat numbers may still be declining - a real concern in an already critically endangered mammal. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The population of an endangered Australian bat suddenly dropped by up to 16%. No one knows why
Exclusive: Scientists say about 5,000 fewer southern bent-wing bats have been recorded at a key maternity site for the species
theguardian.com
Suspected detection of H5 strain of bird flu in WA, which would mark first detection in Australia
Breaking: Suspected H5 bird flu detection in Australia
The first suspected case of a deadly strain of bird flu that has killed millions of birds and mammals worldwide has been found in Western Australia, the federal government has confirmed.
abc.net.au
"He urged the public and healthcare workers not to dismiss early symptoms such as vomiting and headaches, warning that misinformation leads many people to believe they have been poisoned rather than seeking hospital care." www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06...
Brazil authorities investigate two possible Ebola cases as outbreak grows
The true reach of the Ebola outbreak in central Africa could be much wider than the official figures published by central African authorities, the World Health Organization is warning.
abc.net.au
At the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the front line is completely overwhelmed. Our chief Africa correspondent, Declan Walsh, describes what he saw in the Ebola ward at Mongbwalu General Hospital. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/w...
I spend a lot of time answering Ebola questions for media, elected officials, and family. So I wrote up some quick thoughts on where this outbreak stands, and what to pay attention to in the days and weeks ahead. craigaspencer.substack.com/p/ebola-upda...
Ebola Update—May 24
Everything I Think You Need to Know
craigaspencer.substack.com
An incredibly challenging situation in the DRC right now 😥 www.bbc.com/news/article...
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo: Angry crowd sets Rwampara hospital tents on fire
Grieving relatives and friends of a suspected Ebola victim were prevented from taking his body for burial.
bbc.com
🧵 1/15 The WHO Emergency Committee just met on Ebola Bundibugyo. This is the first time a WHO Director-General declared a PHEIC before convening the committee a signal of how urgent this is. I listened in and made a few notes which I share here. www.youtube.com/live/vLlbTW5...
LIVE: Media briefing on the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda with Dr Tedros
YouTube video by World Health Organization (WHO)
youtube.com
#AVS13 award applications are open for the AVS Rising Star Award and AVS Young Award, recognising outstanding early- and mid-career virologists in Australia and New Zealand. Recipients will be awarded and announced at the national conference. Closes Sun 9 Aug 2026. www.avs2026.org/travelgrants...
An outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has almost certainly been spreading undetected for weeks or even months go.nature.com/4ur1Dce
Ebola outbreak is a global health emergency: what happens next
The outbreak is only the third caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics.
go.nature.com
Some info about Ebolaviruses, the current outbreak in central Africa and the research we do at CSIRO ACDP www.csiro.au/en/news/All/...
What you need to know about ebolaviruses
Ebola virus disease is very serious, and while the current outbreak in Central Africa is a major public health concern, the risk to Australia remains very low.
csiro.au
Version 10. A lot. Update from new @WHO Risk Assessment www.who.int/publications.... Tidying up is needed tomorrow.
Amazing speed from the teams in Uganda and the DRC - impressive! Three genomes released so far - a few quick takes: 1️⃣ New genomes ~equidistant from 2007 and 2012 outbreaks. 2️⃣ Represents new spillover from reservoir. 3️⃣ Limited diversity, so too early to speculate on timing. Great work ⭐!
Kristian G. Andersen@kgandersen.bsky.social · 3mo ago
Under the IHR (2005), @drtedros.who.int, the Director General of WHO, having consulted the States Parties where the event is occurring, has determined that the Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in DRC & Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern bit.ly/3P4ZDac
A new outbreak of Ebola has been identified in the DRC.
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3mo agoEbola outbreak kills 65 people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Version 4. Spanish case added. Latest version pinned to the top of my timeline.
🐭🦠 #Hantaviruses are rodent‑borne viruses found worldwide—a classic #OneHealth challenge linking people, wildlife & the environment. Climate change and land‑use change can drive rodent booms and spillover risk. 🌍🌡️🚜 Learn more about CSIRO’s research on this group of viruses 🔬🇦🇺
Jennifer Barr@jennbarr.bsky.social · 3mo agoHave you heard about the disease outbreak on a cruise ship caused by #hantavirus? Prof Glenn Marsh provides an explainer about these viruses and the research we do at the #CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness 👇👇👇 www.csiro.au/en/news/All/...
"The WHO added that although uncommon, limited human‑to‑human transmission of the Andes virus, a species of hantavirus found in Argentina and Chile, "has been reported in community settings involving close and prolonged contact" -those last 4 words are key here. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05...
Human-to-human transmission suspected in deadly hantavirus outbreak
The World Health Organization says no rats have been found on board the cruise vessel where the outbreak has taken hold, with three people having died of confirmed or suspected infections of the roden...
abc.net.au
Have you heard about the disease outbreak on a cruise ship caused by #hantavirus? Prof Glenn Marsh provides an explainer about these viruses and the research we do at the #CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness 👇👇👇 www.csiro.au/en/news/All/...
Hantavirus: the ‘silent’ virus
As a hantavirus outbreak makes global headlines, CSIRO researchers are investigating how these rodent-borne viruses spread and why different strains target specific human organs, like the lungs or kid...
csiro.au
One week - and that's more than the entirety of the US public health budget up in, literal, smoke. *poof*
🎗️ Abstract submission deadline is today Fri 13 March @wohcongress.bsky.social World #OneHealth Congress, Lisbon, Portugal, 4- Sept 2026 #WOHC2026
World One Health Congress@wohcongress.bsky.social · 5mo ago💡Did you know? At the 8th WOHC, researchers, vets, medics, and policy makers all gathered in one room 🤝 Your next collaborator, co-author, or career-defining connection could be in the next seat 🌐 Expand your network in Lisbon 👉 globalohc.org/minisite/9WO... #OneHealth #WOHC2026
Excited to share our new paper on producing recombinant bat antibodies! 🦇🧬 Out now in Frontiers in Immunology: www.frontiersin.org/journals/imm... #bat #antibodies #immunoglobulin #chiroptera #antiviral
Frontiers | Cloning, expression and characterisation of antigen-specific recombinant bat immunoglobulin from the black flying fox (Pteropus alecto)
Bats are natural reservoir of viruses that cause severe disease in livestock and humans. Recent high-profile spillover events have directed significant atten...
frontiersin.org
Nipah Virus as a One Health Issue Hosted by Australian CDC 📅 10 March 2026 ⏰ 2:00 PM AEDT 🔗 Save your spot! 👉 bit.ly/4b2iIjY
Most flu deaths this century were recorded in 2025, ABS finds. -bigger season means more deaths unless flu vaccination levels are much higher. And we had our biggest season in record. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
Most flu deaths this century were recorded in 2025, ABS finds
There were more deaths associated with influenza last year than any other year this century, according to the Australia Bureau of Statistics.
abc.net.au
🌐🦠 #NipahVirus in the news, but not a 'new global threat' Two cases in India & a newly reported death in Bangladesh, serious, but outbreaks stay small as it does not spread easily between people. Sensationalism doesn’t help, check AuCDC & WHO websites for advice. bit.ly/4rHGg4E
Nipah in the news: why it’s essential to follow the facts, not the fiction
Doherty Institute's Dr Danielle Anderson shares the latest insights on Nipah virus reemergence in India, with two recent confirmed cases in West Bengal.
bit.ly
With thanks to @jennbarr.bsky.social for the reminder re #NipahVirus #OneHealth research progress 🌏 A recent global meeting in Geelong brought together experts to share advances in vaccines & treatments, viral mechanisms, genetic diversity, and the bat ecology behind spillovers 🦇🔬 bit.ly/3Mx6kjM
Integrating Prevention and Response at the Crossroads of Henipavirus Preparedness, Hendra@30 Conference, 2024
Hendra@30 Henipavirus Conference, 2024
bit.ly
#Nipah virus case in Bangladesh. Likely contracted from consumption of contaminated date palm sap. www.who.int/emergencies/...
Nipah virus infection - Bangladesh
On 3 February 2026, the International Health Regulations National Focal Point (IHR NFP) for Bangladesh notified WHO of one confirmed case of Nipah virus (NiV) infection in Rajshahi Division. The patie...
who.int
