iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Lewis C. E. Mason @lewiscemason.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Given the data report by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) regarding the increase in giardiasis cases, it has been a pleasure to write this article discussing potential reasons for this rise in cases. doi.org/10.64628/AB....

doi.org

Giardiasis cases are rising in England: should we be worried?

Giardia causes hundreds of millions of infections globally each year.

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Reposted by Lewis C. E. Mason

Kate Baker @ksbakes.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

👀👇 New work on sexually transmitting Shigella (press-friendly: bit.ly/4bBarEL) From continued collaboration with @clairejenkins2.bsky.social @ukhsa.bsky.social, @pducambridge.bsky.social co-lead @hsalje.bsky.social, a talented student Julia Marshall www.linkedin.com/in/julia--ma..., and others! 🧫🧬💊

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The Lancet Microbe @lancetmicrobe.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

New personal view article The role of microbial genomics in delivering the UK’s national action plan for confronting antimicrobial resistance 2024–29 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... #IDSky #ClinMicro #AMR #OpenAccess #OA

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Kate Baker @ksbakes.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Many thanks to lead authors @drtessjohnson.bsky.social and @lewiscemason.bsky.social team @target-amr.bsky.social and our wonderful stakeholders who joined in and shared their invaluable views and experiences! 7/n

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The Shigella Meeting @shigellameeting.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Did you know shigellosis also transmits as a sexually transmissible illness? This has increased since the early 2000s with marked AMR. Read the back story on ST shigellosis emergence here, and come to Paris for #Shigella2026 to find out more! doi.org/10.1099/mgen...

doi.org

The natural history of the emergence of sexually transmissible shigellosis

Shigellosis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by bacteria belonging to one of four species of Shigella. Sexually transmissible (ST) shigellosis was first reported in 1974, but recently there has be...

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Lewis C. E. Mason @lewiscemason.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Why did sexually transmissible #shigellosis outbreak reporting increase in the early 2000s? Our new article explores the genomic epidemiology of two #Shigella sonnei outbreaks in London and Berlin, alongside a temporal/spatial literature review. 🛟🧪🧬🖥️🦠💉🧫😷 www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

microbiologyresearch.org

The natural history of the emergence of sexually transmissible shigellosis

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Lewis C. E. Mason @lewiscemason.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

I am very pleased to announce that I have started a new role as a Lecturer in Biological Sciences (Microbiology) at Kingston University ( @kingstonuniversity.bsky.social ). I am really looking forward to sharing my expertise and knowledge in infection, immunity, bioinformatics, and microbiology!

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Lewis C. E. Mason @lewiscemason.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

My current Postdoctoral Research position is due to end on 30th September 2025. I am keen to continue working in infectious disease research, data-driven epidemiology, and teaching in academia, public health, and/or industry. If you know of any opportunities, please do let me know - thank you!

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Kate Baker @ksbakes.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

I hope all my fellow #shigellaphiles have 20 - 24 April 2026 blocked out in their diaries for @shigellameeting.bsky.social next year in Paris! In the meantime, check out (and join) our starter pack to start community building now 🧫

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The Shigella Meeting @shigellameeting.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

Why not follow our @shigellameeting.bsky.social starterpack of people who are speaking at and attending the conference - please message to be added to the starter pack if you're planning on coming or we haven't found you yet! go.bsky.app/6Vbwhjc

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Kate Baker @ksbakes.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

There are half a million cases of invasive non-Typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) every year and while you might know S. Typhimurim and Enteritidis, you may not have heard of S. Panama 💩 🩸 🧫 💊 Check out our latest in @lancetmicrobe.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.la... and the 🧵 below to find out more 1/n

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Willem van Schaik @wvschaik.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

'The University of Birmingham is one of the UK research institutions to each receive £4.35 million of funding from the Global Talent Fund – a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) resource supporting the movement of global academic talent' www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/un...

birmingham.ac.uk

University of Birmingham chosen among elite UK research funding recipients - University of Birmingham

Birmingham is one of 12 UK research institutions to share £54 million of funding from the Global Talent Fund.

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UK Health Security Agency @ukhsa.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

🆕 The UK becomes one of the first countries in the world to issue national evidence-based doxyPEP guidelines. This is a step forward in targeted STI prevention and addressing the continuing rise in syphilis cases in the UK. 🔗 www.bashh.org/news/1686/ba...

DoxyPEP is now available for gay and bisexual men and transgender women at risk of getting syphilis.

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Marco Coluccia @marco-coluccia.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

First post on Bluesky and first time at #EMBL in #Heidelberg. I am happy to present my poster on #Shigella at #EESMicrobiology!

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Charlotte Houldcroft @virologyhouldcroft.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Ipswich looking glorious in the sun. Brilliant 48h with the @pducambridge.bsky.social solving the pressing questions in infectious diseases, competing in penalty shoot outs and cooking up a storm #PDURetreat

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Pathogen Dynamics Unit @pducambridge.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Check out the latest from the lab on Sexually Transmissible shigellosis where @lewiscemason.bsky.social and co unpick why this relatively obscure disease re-emerged endemically in the 21st Century 🔬 🧫 🕵️ 🧬

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Kate Baker @ksbakes.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Sexually transmissible shigellosis has gone from an obscure cause of sporadic outbreaks to a sustained endemic AMR priority in only two decades! 🧫💊 Check out our latest preprint to understand how this happened 1/11 www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

medrxiv.org

The natural history of the emergence of sexually transmissible shigellosis

Shigellosis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by bacteria belonging to one of four species of Shigella . Sexually transmissible shigellosis was first reported in 1974, but recently there has been a...

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Lewis C. E. Mason @lewiscemason.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Why did sexually transmissible shigellosis outbreak reporting re-emerge in the early 2000s? Below, our preprint explores the genomic epidemiology and temporal dating of Shigella sonnei from two early outbreaks in London & Berlin. 🛟🧪🧬🖥️🦠💉🧫😷https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.02.25326874v1

medrxiv.org

The natural history of the emergence of sexually transmissible shigellosis

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Lewis C. E. Mason @lewiscemason.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Antimicrobial resistant Shigella spp. continue to transmit internationally. Our commentary in Lancet Microbe explores combining patient demographics and bacterial genomics to inform antimicrobial treatment. 🛟🧪🧬🖥️🦠💉🧫😷https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(24)00294-5/fulltext

thelancet.com

Using demographics of patients to inform treatment of shigellosis in England

Shigellosis, caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella, is a diarrhoeal disease transmitted by the faecal–oral route.1 Rapid increases in the prevalence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella iso...

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Lewis C. E. Mason @lewiscemason.bsky.social · 04/08/2024

We are pleased to announce that our work investigating the genomics and patient demographics of re-emerging MDR Shigella flexneri 3a in England has been accepted in Nature Antimicrobials and Resistance, and is available to view Open-Access. 🛟🧪🧬🖥️🦠💉🧫😷 doi.org/10.1038/s442...

doi.org

The re-emergence of sexually transmissible multidrug resistant Shigella flexneri 3a, England, United Kingdom - npj Antimicrobials and Resistance

npj Antimicrobials and Resistance - The re-emergence of sexually transmissible multidrug resistant Shigella flexneri 3a, England, United Kingdom

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Lewis C. E. Mason @lewiscemason.bsky.social · 02/02/2024

Between 2009-2014, an epidemic of sexually transmissible Shigella flexneri 3a occurred in England that subsequently declined. However, from 2018-2021, S. flexneri 3a re-emerged. We explored possible drivers of the re-emergence by comparing host demographic features and pathogen genomics. 🛟🧪🧬🖥️🦠💉🧫😷

researchsquare.com

The re-emergence of sexually transmissible multidrug resistant Shigella flexneri 3a, England, United...

Shigellosis is an enteric infection that transmits through the faecal-oral route, which can occur during sex between men who have sex with men (MSM). Between 2009 and 2014, an epidemic of sexually tra...

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Lewis C. E. Mason @lewiscemason.bsky.social · 24/11/2023

The evolution and international spread of extensively drug resistant Shigella sonnei. The international outbreak (England, France, Belgium, USA, Australia) was ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, and ceftriaxone resistant - three of four WHO recommended antibiotic treatment options for shigellosis. 🖥️🧪🧬🦠🧫

nature.com

The evolution and international spread of extensively drug resistant Shigella sonnei - Nature Commun...

An increase in shigellosis cases among men who have sex with men in the United Kingdom has been linked to an extensively drug-resistant strain of Shigella sonnei. In this genomic epidemiology study, t...

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Zamin Iqbal @zaminiqbal.bsky.social · 23/11/2023

V interesting paper from Cristina Herencias, Jeronimo Rodriguez-Beltran, @sanmillan.bsky.social et al on collateral sensitivity in E coli: Highlight of the abstract: "to reveal that the expression of the β-lactamase blaOXA-48 induces CS to colistin and azithromycin." www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

biorxiv.org

β-lactamase expression induces collateral sensitivity in Escherichia coli

bioRxiv - the preprint server for biology, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a research and educational institution

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Andrew Page @andrewjpage.bsky.social · 17/11/2023

Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis. @OzanGundogdu11.x.com and @dutchscientist.bsky.social teach me a bit about the genomics and epidemiology of it on the Bioinformatics Lab Podcast. SC: soundcloud.com/the_bioinfor... YouTube: youtu.be/ZJdhbcnGyw4

youtu.be

Campylobacter genomics and epidemiology

Dr Ozan Gundogdu from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Dr Arnoud van Vliet from the University of Surrey join Andrew to chat ab...

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Rachel M. Wheatley @rachelmwheatley.bsky.social · 16/11/2023

🦠 New preprint 🦠 Really happy to see this up on bioRxiv - my 1st as senior author & Lina’s 1st as first author 🎉 a double whammy. 📄 Antibiotic resistance alters the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to invade the respiratory microbiome (1/n) www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

biorxiv.org

Antibiotic resistance alters the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to invade the respiratory microbi...

bioRxiv - the preprint server for biology, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a research and educational institution

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MicrobesNG @microbesng.bsky.social · 20/10/2023

📽️Here is Hannah Trivett from Liverpool's Institute of Infection Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, giving the prize winning flash presentation from our Manchester Pop Up event 🏆🎉 'Metagenomics For Pathogen Diagnostics: Problems Solved By Long Read Data' youtu.be/jhfqc9FCyKQ #STS #MNGPopUp #ECR

youtu.be

Hannah Trivett | Metagenomics For Pathogen Diagnostics: Problems Solved By Long Read Data

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London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine @lshtm.bsky.social · 26/09/2023

“There is great potential in using these findings to train the human immune system to combat Shigella and other antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.” Margarida Castro Gomes Spencer & Serge Mostowy explain how zebrafish research could lead to new ways to fight infection 👉 bit.ly/3PhNf2p

Zebrafish shown in tanks in the laboratory at LSHTM

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London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine @lshtm.bsky.social · 17/10/2023

How online dating fuelled record level of STIs in Britain “Greater sexual contact numbers means larger sexual networks, facilitating transmission of STIs” Emma Harding-Esch in @Telegraph on impact of dating apps on rise of gonorrhoea & syphilis. bit.ly/3Qg5G9p

bit.ly

How online dating fuelled record level of STIs in Britain

Gonorrhoea and syphilis bounce back from relative obscurity in the UK – experts are concerned

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