Request for information (RFI): Suspected Ebola virus disease case under investigation in Beni, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. via @beaconbio.bsky.social - beaconbio.org/en/report/?r...
“The purpose [of Impact Counter] was to try to get these numbers in the hands of people that could advocate for a waiver or for stopping the pause and advocacy to make sure that this didn’t happen,” @brookeenichols.bsky.social tells @wgbh.org one year after USAID cuts.
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One week left to submit applications for our student & trainee summer research grants. Tell us about your current infectious disease or global health research for a chance at one of two $5,000 awards. More info here:
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logos for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic games
The Milano Cortina Paralympics officially start today, bringing together 650 athletes from 50 countries, plus 1000s of spectators & staff. Building on coverage of the Olympics, BEACON will share focused reporting on outbreaks related to this global mass gathering.
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Save the date, Terriers—Giving Day is back! Join us on Wednesday, April 8, to support the causes that mean the most to you and to make an impact right here at BU ❤️🐾
infographic showing dates and titles of this semesters workshops
Tomorrow, join us & our colleagues at the Pardee Center for their next Global Health Politics Workshop, "A Political Economy of Inequality & Pandemics," featuring @matthewkavanagh.bsky.social from Georgetown University.
Join on campus or Zoom:
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Excited to be interviewed abt the state of #globalhealth on #NoJargon podcast! From #COVID to @ghpoliticspodcast.bsky.social, we talked about it all! @busph.bsky.social @buceid.bsky.social @bucas.bsky.social @gdp-center.bsky.social @bostonglobe.com @dadakim.bsky.social @matthewkavanagh.bsky.social
“The leading driver of TB worldwide is undernutrition,” says Dr. Pranay Sinha (@bumedicine.bsky.social). Based on his research in India on food's role in immune function, he is now focused on developing evidence-based nutritional standards for TB care in the U.S.
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This cross-campus collaboration between research centers showcases the kind of #ConvergentResearch that positions
@bostonu.bsky.social as a leader in research with global impact.
Partnering with @buhaririinstitute.bsky.social, our infectious disease experts provided the content inputs needed to train PandemIQ Llama LLM. By training the LLM on pandemic-specific text, we've created a domain-adapted foundation model specifically designed for high-stakes health intelligence.
Request for information (RFI): Around 500 individuals affected by respiratory illness in Nakharji village, Mugu district, Nepal, following religious festival. RFI on diagnostic testing results.
https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=8e4ed19a-7c0a-42b8-8bda-c8bcbf3fd101&utm_source=bluesky
On the latest episode of the @ghpoliticspodcast.bsky.social, @repoyedc.bsky.social talks to @josephharrisbu.bsky.social about his experience as a pharmacist in a time of cuts to Medicaid, foreign aid, & research for drug development.
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flow chart of BEACON's report publication process
PandemIQ Llama, the LLM developed by the @buhaririinstitute.bsky.social with infectious disease experts at @buceid.bsky.social to analyze incoming signals & draft reports for BEACON, is now open-source. Share with us how you plan to use it in your own projects.
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infographic showing dates and titles of this semesters workshops
We're looking forward to supporting our colleagues at the Pardee Center for their next Global Health Politics Workshop, "A Political Economy of Inequality & Pandemics," on March 5th featuring @matthewkavanagh.bsky.social from Georgetown University.
Join on campus or Zoom:
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Request for information (RFI): Acute gastrointestinal illness cluster with 62 children hospitalized in Fergana, Uzbekistan. RFI on diagnostic test results.
https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=f5908507-e6dc-4882-9fb6-a609d79193b8&eventid=a4d77608-1531-4dbb-8e73-1118b62151a6&utm_source=bluesky
New South Wales, Australia, reports 11 cases of multidrug-resistant (MDR) gonorrhoea as of 24 Feb 2026 and five...
https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=89839df7-6432-40ee-aad1-86e399ce6dbd&eventid=72e95639-f981-48b7-88ec-91a73ac8ac7c&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpost
We're awarding two $5k research grants to BU students & trainees again this year. Some past projects have looked at ventilation's role in TB spread, & what makes kids more appealing (& vulnerable) to mosquitos & the diseases they carry. What would $5k help you explore? spr.ly/63329h50QZ
"Today in Science History: Children Receive First Polio Vaccine": pictured are a group of children in line to receive their dose of the polio vaccine. Image source is Wiki Commons.
In 1954, children in Pittsburgh received the first doses of Dr. Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine, developed by inactivating the virus so it could safely train the immune system to recognize and fight all three types of poliovirus.
#RevolutionaryScience
Drs. @bhadeliamd.bsky.social & Britta Lassmann joined @youmakemesickpod.bsky.social for a conversation on how @beaconbio.bsky.social came to be, the process of creating a report from the 1st signal to publication, & biggest misconceptions about infectious diseases.
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States in the Governors Public Health Alliance have been making a coordinated effort w/ CEID to use info from @beaconbio.bsky.social to inform infectious disease responses. Building on these public health efforts, CO is the latest GPHA state pursuing joining GOARN.
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“We're seeing declining levels of flu right now," says @massdph.bsky.social BIDLS medical director @lmadoff.bsky.social, who collaborates with CEID as a Senior SME for @beaconbio.bsky.social, but he warns there could be another rise before the season is over.
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Deprioritizing pandemic preparedness will leave people in the US more vulnerable @bhadeliamd.bsky.social tells @nature.com. “Just because we say we’re going to stop caring about these issues doesn’t make the issues go away — it just makes us less prepared.”
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Compared with respiratory or enteric infections, STIs are less likely to be detected in real time because many infections are asymptomatic or have longer incubation periods. Thus cases are more likely to be diagnosed later, limiting timely attribution to a specific gathering.
Request for information (RFI): Acute outbreak of undiagnosed disease with hepatitis reported in Chayansa, Palwal, Haryana, India, with 12 deaths linked to water contamination
https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=38af1a10-4c70-433c-acf2-f4562927bb00&utm_source=bluesky
Measles outbreak in north London, with more than 60 suspected and 34 confirmed cases in schools with 20% hospitalization rate among children
https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=d68015ed-385f-4211-bf2d-ab518c1f642b&eventid=cc468631-4051-4741-b1db-148678237614&utm_source=bluesky
The hosts of @youmakemesickpod.bsky.social stopped by our offices today to chat with @bhadeliamd.bsky.social & Dr. Britta Lassman (@bumedicine.bsky.social) about infectious disease careers and CEID's latest work, including @beaconbio.bsky.social. Stay tuned to hear their episode next week!
Dr. Maggie Lind (@busph.bsky.social), also CEID faculty, reiterates to @wgbh.org "this is not an indication that these vaccines are dangerous or not effective or not safe. That is not the case.”
www.wgbh.org/news/health/...
On the FDA's refusal to consider Moderna’s application for a new mRNA flu vax, CEID faculty @michaelrulrich.bsky.social (@bulaw.bsky.social) says, “The gov't shouldn’t say your study design is acceptable — then after the fact say, ‘But it wasn’t designed the way that we want it to be designed.’”
white paper silhouettes of the continents on a blue background
BEACON users can now choose to receive daily or weekly email digests focused on just the region or regions of their choice. Learn more about this update and select your preferences.
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Calling all BU students pursuing research on infectious diseases, pandemic preparedness, or global health security! We're giving out two $5k grants for summer research projects related to CEID's mission. Apply by March 15th: www.bu.edu/ceid/2026/02...
