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Beth Marie Mole

@bethmariem.bsky.social
4K followers 297 following 32 posts

Senior Health Reporter at Ars Technica. PhD in microbiology. Microbes, infectious diseases, public health, questionable puns. (she/her) beth.mole@arstechnica.com | bethmm_ars.02 (Signal)

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Reposted by Beth Marie Mole
Chemjobber @chemjobber.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
if you don't want to read about being stranded in Iceland and instead want to freak yourself out, @bethmariem.bsky.social provides some impressive nightmare bait/a wonderful lesson in parasitology: arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
arstechnica.com
Woman's brain worm infection confirmed after eggs grow tails in lab test
There is no single definitive test for these worms, but the tail is fairly convincing.
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John Timmer @jtimmer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Ok, this "there are two separate brains" thing appears to be making the rounds, and I want to be absolutely clear: this is a press office overhyping some perfectly reasonable science that won't come as a surprise to most developmental biologists.
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John Timmer @jtimmer.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
This explains my inbox.
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Beth Marie Mole @bethmariem.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
There's been a lot of pointing to cuts to CDC's FoodNet amid the cyclosporiasis surge, suggesting the cuts hurt responses. They didn't. The cuts are bad for other reasons, but FoodNet is not for real-time detection/response. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
washingtonpost.com
How much did CDC cuts really impact this cyclosporiasis outbreak?
The cuts would have little effect on the current situation, a former agency official said, but do constrain CDC's ability to track longer-term disease trends and risks.
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Jennifer Ouellette @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
This story by my esteemed Ars colleague @bethmariem.bsky.social is a journey, y'all. :) Surprised doctors find 10-inch worm in man’s groin during elective surgery. arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
arstechnica.com
Surprised doctors find 10-inch worm in man's groin during elective surgery
Oddly, it wasn't the first time this had happened to the man.
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Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Musk says not a single person has died due to him axing USAID. Sadly, part of my job involves tracking aid spending. So here’s a thread with just some of the people who lost their lives because of USAID cuts
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Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 17/06/2026
arstechnica.com
Second carcass-eating fly species cleared by FDA for maggot wound therapy
Maggot therapy lacks robust data, but it has fans and a fail-safe "bacon therapy."
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Voices for Vaccines @voices4vaccines.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
"That’s according to a new study that pulled data from more than 1 million patients in a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system." from @bethmariem.bsky.social arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
arstechnica.com
Heart protection from COVID shots remains amid updates, study finds
Despite continued benefits, anti-vaccine rhetoric has driven down vaccination.
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Shiv Ramdas Mens Rice Activist @nameshiv.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
who wants uplifting news
Screwworms will attack any wound in humans—they can find a wound as tiny as a tick bite as a way in. For those caught unaware, the flies will also happily lay eggs in convenient openings such as the nose, mouth, ears, eyes, and even the bum, if available.
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gostin.bsky.social @gostin.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Kenyan ​court extends block on US Ebola for 3 weeks. Two people died in protests against the facility. Public anger is palpable as the US offloads health risks to Kenya The US plan is unlawful & dangerous www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/the-...
medpagetoday.com
Opinion | Here’s Everything Wrong With the Offshore Ebola Quarantine Plan
Clinical, ethical, and legal issues abound
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Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 03/06/2026
arstechnica.com
Flesh-eating screwworm infection detected in South Texas, USDA says
If confirmed, it would be the fly's first breach of the US-Mexico border.
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Satadru Pramanik @satmandu.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
More good reporting from @bethmariem.bsky.social ...
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BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Kenyan healthcare workers are pushing back hard against reported plans for the U.S. to establish Ebola quarantine/treatment facilities in Kenya for exposed American personnel during the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Central/East Africa.
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Kristian G. Andersen @kgandersen.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Since we're now navigating 𝘌𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘴 (but not Ebola virus..) yet again, just to clarify:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ "𝘌𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘴" is the genus. E.g., "𝘉𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘺𝘰 𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘴" being the species, with the virus itself being "Bundibugyo virus". Similarly, "𝘡𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘴" as the species, "Ebola virus" the virus.⁣
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Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
1. #WHO has declared the #Ebola #Bundibugyo outbreak in NE DRC a public health emergency of international concern, aka a PHEIC. Yet another sign this is likely to be a very challenging outbreak. So far there've been 8 confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases & 80 suspected deaths.
who.int
Epidemic of Ebola Disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda determined a public health emergency of international concern
Pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 12 - Determination of a public health emergency of international concern, including a pandemic emergency of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), the Di...
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Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Here we go: Official declaration from the DRC that "laboratory analyses conducted by the National Institute of Biomedical Research on May 14, 2026, on 13 blood samples, have confirmed 8 positive cases of Ebola virus disease, Bundibugyo strain" 5 samples had too little volume to be analyzed
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Satadru Pramanik @satmandu.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Get your vaccinations. TL;DR: Vaccines later in life may boost what was previously considered "innate immunity" as you age. arstechnica.com/health/2026/... via @bethmariem.bsky.social
arstechnica.com
Routine vaccines may cut dementia risk—experts have startling hypothesis on how
Vaccines may be training a part of our immune system long thought to be untrainable.
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Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 23/04/2026
arstechnica.com
RFK Jr.’s rejection of germ theory debunked in Senate hearing
Kennedy falsely argues that vaccines did little to lower childhood deaths.
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Prof Gavin Yamey MD MPH @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
RFK Jr wants “government-run farms where Black youth would be “reparented” away from their families” I am so fed up of people telling me to “find common cause” with RFK Jr & his MAHA movement. Absolutely nope.
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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Idaho has the worst vaccination coverage in the United States due to their pathetic vaccine exemption policy, and someone with measles just rolled through the Boise airport. I won’t ask what could possibly go wrong because we already know. Another great piece by @bethmariem.bsky.social
arstechnica.com
Measles takes a plane to Idaho, which has worst vaccination rate in US
In the 2024-2025 school year, only 78.5% of kindergartners had measles vaccination.
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Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
My favorite part of going to the doctor is when he touches my forehead holding the glowing orb of light
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Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis @kendrawrites.com · 26/03/2026
This isn't true. I wish people would stop saying this. Specifically the banned additives. The US actually bans slightly more additives than the EU, just different ones. The EU for example allows cyclamates the US doesn't
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Satadru Pramanik @satmandu.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Great reporting by @bethmariem.bsky.social . This evidence supports the idea that relying on the flawed local non-governmental hierarchies that led to the drop in vaccination rates doesn't work as well as using your governmental power to blast out the correct information to everyone.
arstechnica.com
Measles vaccinations rose 291% among New Mexico adults during outbreak
Despite anti-vaccine rhetoric, New Mexico residents embraced life-saving shots.
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Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis @kendrawrites.com · 13/03/2026
Did a story on what RFK Jr. believes and how it ties into what some are describing as "soft eugenics." We also interviewed @bethmariem.bsky.social who did a piece last year digging into his beliefs. You can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts
scientificamerican.com
How RFK, Jr.’s controversial beliefs are shaping Americans’ health
How Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s ideas about public health—from vaccines to seed oils—are shaping Americans’ health
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
The 2026 National Science Foundation budget is $8.75 Billion.
nytimes.com
First 6 Days of Iran War Cost U.S. $11.3 Billion, Pentagon Says
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Jonathan Howard @joho.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Yes. This is about Prasad.
The agency, in other words, handed regulatory oversight for drugs intended to treat rare and deadly diseases to a person who misses their hot-take podcast.
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Reuters @reuters.com · 13/02/2026
Exclusive: White House uses USAID funds for budget director Vought's security, documents show reut.rs/408Bam1
reut.rs
Exclusive: White House uses USAID funds for budget director Vought's security, documents show
The White House budget office is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's budget chief and an architect of the government overhaul that has cut thousands of federal jobs, according to three documents seen by Reuters.
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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
RFK Jr. says we should check with AI about what to eat and then AI totally dunked on his stupid dietary guidance. Also @bethmariem.bsky.social is doing some downright incredible work, and this article is another tour de force of very professional shade.
arstechnica.com
RFK Jr. food pyramid site links to Grok, which says you shouldn’t trust RFK Jr.
Grok generated a meal plan to fit RFK Jr.'s food pyramid, then explained why it's bad.
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Mockingbird, MPH, CHES @amockingbird.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Thread. I really liked James Van Der Beek, but he supported RFK jr in the ‘24 election. His wife is a MAHA type health influencer. They moved to TX to a 36 acre ranch in 2020, and he’s worked steadily as an actor. He has two projects out this year. SAG insurance is very good.
rollingstone.com
James Van Der Beek's Influencer Wife Is Peddling Vaccine Conspiracy Theories on Instagram
Kimberly Van Der Beek, a wellness influencer, uses her platform to post photos of her family, their Texas compound, and Covid misinformation.
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Your Local Epidemiologist @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
1/ The death of James Van Der Beek is tragic and has understandably reopened fears about colon cancer among younger people. It has also opened a well-deserved conversation about the outrageous realities of healthcare costs. So let’s ground this in data.
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Colm Atkins, PhD @atkinscolm.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
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Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 06/02/2026
arstechnica.com
Penisgate erupts at Olympics; scandal exposes risks of bulking your bulge
Claims of penis injections in ski jumpers has fillers spewing into the news.
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Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Huge respect to Georgia Fort for continuing to report what was happening and why it was unconstitutional while the Feds were literally at her door.
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Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Even though all evidence showed they were wrong, and they could not win the suits they filed, antivaxxers bullied the manufacturer of an effective vaccine for Lyme disease into withdrawing from the market just to avoid their bullying tactics. That was 24 yrs ago & we still don’t have a Lyme vaccine.
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Microbes.Info @microbesinfo.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
This may be the grossest #eye pic ever—but the cause is what’s truly horrifying ... | #bacteria | #vision | #infection | #antibiotics | #Klebsiella | By @bethmariem.bsky.social via @arstechnica.com
arstechnica.com
This may be the grossest eye pic ever—but the cause is what’s truly horrifying
Hypervirulent germ nearly destroys man, invading brain and blowing out an eye.
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Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 16/01/2026
arstechnica.com
This may be the grossest eye pic ever—but the cause is what’s truly horrifying
Hypervirulent germ nearly destroys man, invading brain and blowing out an eye.
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Beth Marie Mole @bethmariem.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
South Carolina's measles outbreak jumps again with 124 new cases since Tuesday, bringing the outbreak total to 558. 531 people quarantined. The outbreak began in Oct, but is wildly accelerating now. Since Jan 6, there have been 347 new cases (62% of total cases). dph.sc.gov/news/friday-...
dph.sc.gov
FRIDAY MEASLES UPDATE: DPH Reports 124 New Measles Cases in Upstate, Bringing Outbreak total to 558, Additional School and Public Exposures | South Carolina Department of Public Health
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Jan. 16, 2026
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Derek Lowe @dereklowe.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Oh God, this is good news. I had been trying to bring myself to blog about this trial, but every time I was too enraged to get something together. This was a hideously stupid and unethical idea, and no one promoting it should have anything to do with medicine or public health.
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Melody Schreiber @melodyschreiber.com · 15/01/2026
BREAKING: The controversial hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau has been *cancelled,* I can now report. A senior official with Africa CDC confirmed the cancellation and said GB officials are working to make sure any research is conducted ethically: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled
$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease
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Soren Larsen (SEGL) @sorenlarsen.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
FDA deletes warning on bogus autism therapies touted by RFK Jr.‘s allies "The agency used to warn of chelation, used by RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine ally David Geier."
arstechnica.com
FDA deletes warning on bogus autism therapies touted by RFK Jr.‘s allies
The agency used to warn of chelation, used by RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine ally David Geier.
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Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 13/01/2026
arstechnica.com
Warning about bogus autism treatments vanishes from FDA’s website
The agency used to warn of chelation, used by RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine ally David Geier.
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Daniel Suitor @danielsuitor.com · 07/01/2026
This is the video.
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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Children will die with RFK Jr.'s new vaccine recommendations. We're NOT doing the "experts disagree" game. The US vaccine schedule was painstakingly constructed through a deep & thorough process by experts with unquestionable expertise. This is policy by fiat. It is pre-meditated murder. 1/
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Microbes.Info @microbesinfo.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Healthy #welder nearly died of #anthrax ... | #pneumonia | #infection | #Bacillus | #bacteria | #pathogen | By @bethmariem.bsky.social via @arstechnica.com
arstechnica.com
Healthy 18-year-old welder nearly died of anthrax—the 9th such puzzling case
Welder's Anthrax" was first coined in 2022, when seven cases had been identified.
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Fired but Fighting (National Public Health Coalition) @firedbutfighting.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Tobacco use is leading cause of preventable disease, disability, & death in USA. Why did admin fire CDC's tobacco prevention & control experts? Illegal RIFs didn’t just eliminate jobs, they have silenced science. Critical data on tobacco use & its harms are NOT being published through MMWR. 1/2 🧵
what happens when you fire every tobacco control expert at CDC?
email from CDC's MMWR staff person to a tobacco prevention and control author.
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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
What does it mean when your doctors keep insisting you redo the cognitive exam
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Sarah Karlin-Smith @sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
They're lining up because the deals are weak... "“When you saw the lack of impact to earnings of the initial companies’ deals, for most coming after, it’s a no-brainer,” said Chris Meekins, a managing director at Raymond James.
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Ken Mayer @uwkenmayer.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
I was on an IRB at UW Madison for 6 years, and chair for 2. We would have run this proposal through a shredder, set fire to the detritus, mixed the ashes with concrete, and buried it in a salt mine. It's just outrageous.
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