Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases

Research Cores

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BEACON to Monitor Disease Events at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

As millions of spectators & athletes flock to Canada, the US, & Mexico for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, CEID's disease surveillance platform, BEACON, will provide real-time tracking, expert synthesis, & critical context on the evolving communicable disease landscape.

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In The Media

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Measles, Cholera, and Mpox: BU-Based Outbreak Tracker Monitors World’s Most Dangerous Infectious Diseases

In its first year, CEID's infectious disease surveillance program, BEACON, has helped direct public health responses globally, monitoring 181 pathogens in 169 countries—and 1 in space

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Publication Highlights

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Center News

Virus Intelligence & Strategic Threat Assessment: New global collaboration uses experts and AI to spot the next pandemic

OSLO, SEP 4 —Global health and pandemic experts are banding together to combine their AI programmes and infectious disease knowledge to more accurately rank the viruses that have the potential to cause the next deadly pandemic. The new partnership will see the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and University of California, Davis (UC Davis) working […]

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PRESS RELEASE – Infectious disease surveillance platform BEACON launches beta version as a new open-source global resource

APRIL 23, 2025FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT:CASSANDRA KENNEDYMEDIA@BEACONBIO.ORG Infectious disease surveillance platform BEACON launches beta version as a new open-source global resource BOSTON, MA – The Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON) leverages advanced artificial intelligence (AI), large language models (LLMs) and a network of globally based experts to rapidly collect, analyze, and disseminate information on […]

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Infectious Diseases At A Glance

33 %

of annual deaths worldwide are attributed to infectious diseases (Journal of Infection, 2023)

over half

of the world's population cannot obtain essential health services (World Health Organization, 2017)

60 %

of emerging infectious diseases that are reported globally are zoonoses (World Health Organization)

47 %

of the world's population have little to no access to diagnostics (The Lancet, 2021)