Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 17hRespiratory virus activity remains low in Canada, but is starting to rise. Vaccine programs are now rolling out. 🇨🇦 3133
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Respiratory virus season is coming up. COVID & flu vaccines are rolling out in Ontario now for high-risk groups, & more broadly starting Oct 26. RSV vaccines are available for those 75+, & for 65+ with risk factors for severe illness. tinyurl.com/mwhcrw8u 2145
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 28/09/2026A Florida county declares a state of emergency "due to the imminent public health hazard posed by the Dengue fever." Mosquito vectors are spreading into new areas, bringing diseases like dengue with them. tinyurl.com/nhewwsh6 tinyurl.com/3k6rj3jn 01810
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 05/09/2026We discussed the importance of integrating security considerations into outbreak preparedness and response at the 9th World One Health Congress in Lisbon. A valuable conversation alongside colleagues working across health, security, and preparedness. @wohcongress.bsky.social @cepi.net 0152
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 03/09/2026As the Ebola outbreak unfolds in the DRC, we explored different control scenarios: Improved case detection has the largest impact, but even a moderately effective vaccine could markedly reduce mortality, either through ring or community vaccination. 👉https://tinyurl.com/37ssjdvm 02011
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Remember Zika virus? Travellers have recently returned from Bali with this mosquito-borne infection. While most people experience a mild, self-limited illness, Zika infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects in the developing fetus. tinyurl.com/4fy8ythh 0125
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 07/08/2026The potential for rVSV-ZEBOV (Ervebo) to cross-protect against Bundibugyo ebolavirus was the basis for our modelling study in the preprint below. Clinical studies to evaluate this are now underway. Smart move by the WHO. 0151
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 06/08/2026AI was just used to design 16 new viruses. While some laud this as progress, it can also be a massive biosecurity risk. In the wrong hands, this could have catastrophic consequences. tinyurl.com/mw8jnnkztinyurl.comArtificial Intelligence used to design brand new virusesScientists made 16 successful viruses that had their genetic code designed by artificial intelligence. 4205
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 05/08/2026There was just a locally acquired case of dengue fever reported in Virginia, USA. The climate is becoming more suitable, the compatible mosquito species (Aedes) is already there, and we’ll likely see more cases across a wider area. Link: tinyurl.com/2pu4xrc5 33623
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 05/08/2026New World screwworm has returned to the U.S. after more than 40 years, threatening livestock & wildlife (including potentially billions in economic losses). This is a solvable "one health" issue. Link: tinyurl.com/y3k8hc7p, with Jason Andrews and J. Scott Weese. 0116
Reposted by Isaac BogochHelen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 31/07/2026The #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. 16836
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 31/07/2026A sad milestone: this is now the second-largest Ebola virus outbreak on record. Despite heroic efforts on the ground, it has not yet come under control. 0155
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 30/07/2026Long-acting HIV tablets have the potential to transform treatment and prevention. In this Phase 3 trial, a single once-weekly tablet of islatravir–lenacapavir maintained HIV suppression as effectively as daily oral therapy. Incredible. tinyurl.com/44v7d3zc 04410
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 17/07/2026West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitoes in Toronto and other parts of Ontario. Most infections cause no symptoms or only mild illness, but in rare cases, the virus can cause serious illness affecting the nervous system. Bring out the bug spray. 02316
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 14/07/2026Case detection & contact tracing could cut Bundibugyo Ebola deaths by ~60%. If a vaccine with modest efficacy were available, ring vaccination may offer modest benefit, while community vaccination could have greater impact. Preprint w/ great colleagues: tinyurl.com/ykp7aw2d 12711
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 13/07/2026Many infectious causes of diarrhea spread from person-to-person, but Cyclospora is different. This is commonly from ingesting contaminated food/water (e.g. fresh produce). Direct spread is less common because the parasite must mature outside the body before becoming infectious. 0115
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 07/07/2026It’s summer in Canada, and Lyme disease is out there. We’re lucky to live in the most beautiful country on the planet and should be outside as much as possible. 🇨🇦 Laura Brehaut discusses a few simple steps for Lyme prevention. Link: tinyurl.com/e6rzaxdftinyurl.comLyme disease is on the rise. Here's how to prevent it and what to do if you get bittenCanadian Lyme disease cases increased by 3,934 per cent in just 15 years 3316
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 07/07/2026Hantaviruses are a rare but potentially severe infection in travellers & migrants. We describe 17 cases reported to the GeoSentinel Network between 2002–2025 from multiple continents. Just published in the J. Travel Medicine with an excellent group of colleagues. ➡️https://tinyurl.com/bdh7s2jm 1141
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 03/07/2026Just pure magic in Southern Alberta. (Little Beehive Trail) 0253
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 27/06/2026A Danish cohort study of adults aged 65 and older demonstrated that COVID-19 vaccines continued to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death. The data are from this past winter. Link: tinyurl.com/tbskb5sa by Hansen et al. 14615
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 24/06/2026A French doctor supporting the Ebola outbreak efforts in the DRC contracted the virus and is now receiving care in France. "France has set up a 'dedicated monitoring system' for aid workers returning from DR Congo." www.bbc.com/news/article...bbc.comFrance confirms first Ebola caseMore than 260 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are known to have died during the current outbreak. 0146
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 19/06/2026Encouraging to see a coordinated global & local response to the Ebola virus outbreak. Cases are just over 900. Uganda has not had a confirmed case since June 5. Sustained support for local & global response efforts will be key to ending this outbreak. tinyurl.com/yzdbvfxj 0217
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Mass gatherings like the World Cup can facilitate the introduction of infections & spur outbreaks. But context matters. A recent preprint suggests the overall risk is (mostly) low. Still, it's always best to be prepared. Great write-up by @kakape.bsky.social. tinyurl.com/23cw2mx7 2132
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Screwworm has now reached Texas, breaching the barrier designed to keep it from moving north of Panama. These larvae can devastate livestock. Human cases are less common but can be severe & disfiguring. We recently saw a case in Toronto in a traveller returning from Costa Rica. 2147
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 28/05/2026Canada is taking significant steps to support the Ebola outbreak response in Central Africa. New funding will support medical & public health efforts, support frontline teams, and protect communities. 🇨🇦 Link: tinyurl.com/2tyzfk5u 14424
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Canada taking more stringent steps to reduce the risk of Ebola virus importation. Travel is not banned, but those arriving from impacted countries will isolate for 21 days. Link: tinyurl.com/nhfphu5s, by Lauren Pelley & Jennifer La Grassa 1224
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 23/05/2026There are currently no licensed Ebola virus vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain causing the current outbreak in DRC and Uganda. A team at Oxford is working on a dedicated vaccine candidate, which should be ready for testing shortly. Link: tinyurl.com/3cwjat8p 13810
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Locally acquired ascariasis (an intestinal worm infection) is vary rare in Canada, but it can occur. We report on a locally acquired case from Northern Ontario in @CMAJ. Great work by Dr. Foote. www.cmaj.ca/content/198/... 2183
Reposted by Isaac BogochSTAT @statnews.com · 18/05/2026A number of Americans who are in the Congo are believed to have had exposure to suspected cases in the country’s latest Ebola outbreak, sources have told STAT. www.statnews.com/2026/05/17/e...statnews.comIn Ebola outbreak, a number of Americans in the Congo believed to have had exposure to suspected casesA number of Americans who are in the Congo are believed to have had exposure to suspected cases in the country’s latest Ebola outbreak, sources have told STAT. 02712
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 17/05/2026Hantavirus (Andes virus) modelling with @jasonandrews.bsky.social: Long incubation & ~subclinical shedding in some may limit symptomatic screening, as transmission can occur before symptom onset. Longer isolation with periodic testing may reduce spread. Preprint: tinyurl.com/3n74863m 0185
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 17/05/2026Challenges to control this Ebola virus outbreak: 1. Geographically widespread, including urban settings (Goma) & cross-border spread (Uganda) 2. Non-Zaire strain with no approved vaccines or therapeutics 3. Regional security challenges that can hamper a public health response 0199
Reposted by Isaac BogochKai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 17/05/2026WHO has declared the #Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). First time this has been done without consulting an emergency committee. Extraordinary move that speaks to how concerning the facts on the ground look right now 314794
Reposted by Isaac BogochWHO @who.int · 17/05/2026Under 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 8231135
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 16/05/2026This is the week we’d expect hantavirus exposures linked to the ship/flights to begin testing positive or developing symptoms. The priority now is ensuring countries are implementing appropriate public health measures: contact tracing, isolation, and support for those who are ill. 0367
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 15/05/20261/ There is a large Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC. Challenges include: 1. Early findings suggest a non-Zaire Ebola virus species, limiting vaccine & therapeutic options. 2. Security complicating a public health response. 3. Proximity to international borders -> regional risk. 178
Reposted by Isaac BogochThelonevirologist @thelonevirologist.bsky.social · 14/05/2026Human Infection with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N5) Virus www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....nejm.orgHuman Infection with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N5) Virus | NEJMAvian influenza can jump species from birds to humans, a fact that arouses concern for serious illness and broader human transmission. In this report, avian influenza A(H5N5) was shown to cause sev... 0104
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 14/05/2026A tablet to prevent COVID infections in close contacts: Ensitrelvir reduced the risk of transmission among household contacts with covid in this Phase 3 study from Japan. This could be extraordinarily helpful in Long Term Care among vulnerable people. tinyurl.com/3dfnman5 14216
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 13/05/20263 things I’m watching closely, re: hantavirus: 1. Cases linked to ship exposure within the next week. 2. Case in Johannesburg & possible in-flight/in country exposures en route to/at hospital. 3. Adherence to public health measures in countries receiving repatriated patients. 0253
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 12/05/20261/ We are living in an era of emerging zoonotic infections. While hantavirus is the focus today, preventing epidemics requires sustained investment in the tools needed to prevent, rapidly detect & respond to biological threats, whether natural, accidental, or deliberate. 24512
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 11/05/2026Ontario's Infection Prevention & Control guidelines for suspected cases of Hantavirus include airborne precautions with fit-tested N95 masks & eye protection. 3229
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 11/05/20261/ A 2011 laboratory study suggested that ribavirin may have both therapeutic & post-exposure potential against Andes hantavirus. Outbreaks are tragic, but they also create a narrow window to empirically & ethically evaluate whether these approaches can actually work in humans. 1132
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 11/05/2026A Chilean study from ~20 years ago found that 3.4% of household contacts exposed to Andes virus (hantavirus) became infected, with the highest risk among sexual partners. Viral RNA was detectable in blood 5-15 days before symptom onset. tinyurl.com/337h9jxf by Ferres et al. 33310
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 09/05/2026Canada's published risk assessment on the Hantavirus outbreak: "At this time, ANDV is not considered to be a pathogen with pandemic potential." Link: tinyurl.com/ycpveenz 13011
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 08/05/2026The word “if” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, but if all stakeholders (national public health agencies, the WHO, local health authorities, and others) do their part, this outbreak can be contained sooner rather than later, as seen in prior Andes virus outbreaks. 1131
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 08/05/2026Clear recommendations from the European CDC on the management of passengers disembarking from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak. Link: tinyurl.com/p6kfp4h5 0134
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 07/05/2026It seems like the right steps are being taken (so far) to quell this hantavirus outbreak: the @who.int is coordinating across multiple countries, large scale contact tracing is underway, several Canadians are quarantining after returning home, and ill passengers are receiving care. 1265
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 06/05/2026Re: human spread of hantavirus, here’s a description from the 2018 Argentina outbreak: “high viral titers in combination with attendance at massive social gatherings or extensive contact among persons were associated with a higher likelihood of transmission.” www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... 1367
Isaac Bogoch @isaacbogoch.bsky.social · 05/05/2026WHO has a good overview of confirmed & suspected Hantavirus cases tied to a cruise. Hantavirus endemic to South America has some evidence of human-to-human spread; historical data demonstrates less efficient transmission. Awaiting deeper epi analysis. tinyurl.com/48nkzp5d 1203
Reposted by Isaac BogochHelen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 24/04/2026#Flu season is over, but pediatric flu deaths continue to be reported. In the week ending 4/18, 6 more deaths were reported to #CDC. They bring the season's total so far to 149 deaths in kids; more such reports may come. ~85% of those kids were not fully vaccinated. www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv... 0458