Local doctors push for more mpox vaccination as virus appears to be on the rise | GBH

2022 saw it’s highest spikes in the number of mpox cases in the summer. Though Massachusetts has higher vaccination rates than the national average, physicians including CEID faculty Dr. Cassandra Pierre still express some concern for a repeat of that trend this summer. “We are concerned that, going into the summer, there remain a large […]

CDC preparing for ‘possibility of increased risk to human health’ from bird flu | ABC News

As federal health officials begin to stockpile H5N1 vaccines, CEID affiliate faculty Dr. John Brownstein commends the preparedness measure and explains it isn’t a sign for the general population to be overly concerned. “Public health, when it’s working at its best, is proactive and it’s actively looking for potential signals, is using all methodologies data […]

Cases of babesiosis, a deadly tickborne disease, are on the rise in New England | GBH

Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are widely known for carrying Lyme disease. Another, lesser known disease they can spread is babesiosis. While most people experience mild flulike symptoms of fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, it can be fatal for older adults, immunocompromised people, and those without a spleen. CEID faculty Dr. Cassandra Pierre […]

How fast is bird flu spreading in US cows? ‘We have no idea’ | The Hill

“[Many farmworkers] are socioeconomically vulnerable. … In some circumstances, it kind of requires the buy-in of the employer to engage in surveillance of these workers. And that hasn’t happened in a substantial way to date,” CEID faculty Jessica Leibler told The Hill regarding why there has not been more widespread H5N1 testing. Read the full […]

Bird flu in US cows: where will it end? | Nature

CEID faculty Dr. Jessica Leibler recently told Nature she hopes public-health efforts will begin testing industrial farm workers and their families for H5N1 so that any transmission in humans will quickly be detected. “Every time it gets a new mammalian host species, like cows, there’s more risk of human transmission and reduced human immunity,” she […]

Cattle may become a permanent host for bird flu | earth.com

“When you see symptomatic patients, that’s the tip of the iceberg,” CEID faculty Dr. Jessica Liebler told Earth.com about H5N1. She worries it. could remain undetected in various species for an extended period, potentially mutating and setting the stage for a future avian flu pandemic. Read more here.

Big Ag, Not Wild Birds, Is What Really Spreads Avian Flu | The New Republic

Avian influenza often hits birds harder, so it’s possible that pigs & cows are spreading the virus with few or no symptoms. CEID faculty Jessica Leibler recognizes that surveillance efforts are expensive, “But at minimum, being able to have ongoing surveillance of the workers in these industrial facilities would be really important to try to […]

BU Researchers Weigh In On Emerging Bird Flu Cases In US | WBZ News Radio

Emphasizing the need for more H5N1 testing, CEID director Dr. Nahid Bhadelia tells WBZ News Radio, “We are a bit later than we think we are when it comes to outbreak response. We want to get ahead of the problem,” by testing more livestock and more farm workers. Read or listen to the interview here.