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The Infectious Dose Podcast

@pathogenscribe.bsky.social
1.3K followers 563 following 1.4K posts

PhD Virologist turned science writer. She/her. Fighting science misinformation with a podcast/blog. Infectiousdose.com My views are my own & do not represent any organization

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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
🎬 #SickFlicks are back. This weekend’s double feature: 🔁 The Endless (2017) 🌿 Annihilation (2018) Two films where reality still looks familiar, even as its rules quietly change. Watch with me before The Collection. 🏛️💀 Oct. 7. #MonthOfTheMacabre www.infectiousdose.com/month-of-the...
infectiousdose.com
Month of the Macabre | Infectious Dose
Where infectious disease science is reimagined through horror, mystery, history, and immersive narratives.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
That's the experiment: can we make rigorous infectious-disease science interesting to people who might never think a science podcast was for them? 🔥 Explore OAD: infectiousdose.com/outbreak-aft... 💀 Enter MotM: infectiousdose.com/month-of-the... This week: a new OAD. Next week: The Collection.
infectiousdose.com
Outbreak After Dark | Infectious Dose
The irreverent side of infectious disease—best served with a drink. Explore Outbreak After Dark for curious, unsettling and unexpectedly funny stories from the microbial world.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The science doesn't change. Outbreak After Dark uses conversation, humor and pop culture. Month of the Macabre uses horror, mystery, history, fiction and immersive storytelling. Different doors. Same commitment to evidence. 2/3
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Why does a science podcast have Outbreak After Dark and Month of the Macabre? Because not everyone who might enjoy some science is going to click on something that looks like a science lecture. Sometimes the way in is a story. 1/3
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
October has arrived. 💀 Which means the lights are going down at #InfectiousDose #MonthoftheMacabre returns with "The Collection" An infectious disease museum where the exhibits change, the rules don't quite hold...and maybe you shouldn't have come inside. Doors open Oct. 7
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
🎬 NEW OUTBREAK AFTER DARK Vampires. Werewolves. Zombies. Body snatchers. Possession. What happens when horror movie night meets infectious disease? Movies, Monsters and Microbes is live now. 🦠 One important lesson: STOP HIDING BITES. 🧟 www.infectiousdose.com/post/monster...
infectiousdose.com
Monsters, Movies, and Microbes: When Infection Becomes Horror.
What do vampires, werewolves, zombies, possession and The Last of Us have to do with infectious disease? Explore the real biology behind horror movies.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
👉The episode is live! Skeeters on a Plane follows the Frankfurt cluster and the strange science of airport malaria. Listen or read here or wherever you get #InfectiousDose: www.infectiousdose.com/post/skeeter...
infectiousdose.com
Skeeters on a Plane: The Curious Tale of Airport Malaria
Eight malaria cases and three deaths near Frankfurt Airport raise a rare possibility: airport malaria. Learn how infected mosquitoes can cross continents.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
A new Outbreak Watch is live. 🦠 Ebola transmission moving in different directions across the DRC. Florida dengue. Rabies prevention under pressure. Pennsylvania measles. Anthrax in Zambia. & more What changed & what should we watch next? 🎧 Listen now: www.infectiousdose.com/post/outbrea...
infectiousdose.com
Outbreak Watch: September 18, 2026
Outbreak Watch tracks Ebola in the DRC, U.S. screwworm and rabies, Florida dengue, Pennsylvania measles, Zambia anthrax and Frankfurt malaria.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
If this outbreak has you wondering how anthrax actually works... I have an episode for that. From spores that can persist in soil for decades and wildlife outbreaks like this, to human disease, vaccines, biological weapons & the 2001 letter attacks: 🎧 www.infectiousdose.com/post/episode...
An Infectious Dose Archive card with an illustration of anthrax bacterium and spores and a pen, vial and archive record card on a desk.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
www.bbc dot com/news/articles/ce8en6v3601o breaking the URL to avoid the graphic wildlife image in the preview but that is the url for the BBC story.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
10/ So this is a zoonotic outbreak. And one more example of spillover...no lab leak needed...no evil scientist to blame...just nature doing what it does & teaching us lessons that... at least in the US...we're determined to unlearn.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
9/ This is a classic One Health outbreak. Bacterium persists in environment → wildlife become infected → infected carcasses create additional exposure → people get infected through contact or consumption. Human, animal & environmental health are all part of the same event.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
8/ And the investigation isn't finished. Surveillance and laboratory work are continuing to determine how extensive the outbreak is, so 60 animal deaths and 12 human infections are the current known toll but those numbers could increase.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
7/ Zambian authorities are now warning people not to eat, sell, distribute or handle animals found dead or meat from animals that died suddenly or from unknown causes. They have also called for hunting in the affected area to be suspended while the outbreak is investigated.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
6/ People can develop anthrax through several routes, including contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products and by eating contaminated meat. In this outbreak, officials have specifically linked the reported human infections to consumption of infected wildlife.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
5/ Grazing animals can encounter spores in contaminated soil or vegetation. Once an animal becomes infected and dies, its carcass can become another source of contamination. Especially if it is opened, butchered or scavenged. This creates opportunities for further spread.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
4/ Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis. A bacterium with an unusual ability to persist in the environment. When exposed to oxygen, it can form hardy spores that can survive in soil for years or decades, sometimes even longer.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
3/ The human cases are linked to those carcasses. Authorities report that 12 people became infected after consuming meat from dead wildlife. All are receiving treatment, and no human deaths have been reported. There is no evidence of human-to-human spread.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
2/ The outbreak is centered in the Munyamadzi Game Management Area in Muchinga Province. Zambian authorities say carcasses from the wildlife deaths tested positive for anthrax. The known wildlife toll now stands at 60 animals.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
An anthrax outbreak killing wildlife in Zambia has now infected people. They've recorded the deaths of: 46 hippos 8 elephants 5 buffalo 1 crocodile And 12 people developed anthrax after eating meat from infected wildlife carcasses. Here’s what’s happening. 🧵
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
🦟 New episode is live! Dengue reaches FL in travelers every year. But what has to happen for an imported infection to become a local outbreak? We go through the biology w/ the current Hillsborough outbreak as a case study. 🎧 Listen now: www.infectiousdose.com/post/dengue-...
infectiousdose.com
Dengue Next Door: How an Imported Virus Becomes a Local Outbreak
Florida's local dengue outbreak shows how an imported virus becomes local transmission and why an outbreak doesn't necessarily mean endemic disease.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
www.wusf.org/health-news-...
wusf.org
Florida investigates possible Hillsborough death related to dengue as cases hit 95
Citing privacy issues, an official said the health department "is unable to provide additional details." However, the investigation occurs after Hillsborough was described as an "epicenter" of an outb...
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
8/ And that's why I've decided to pivot next week's episode. I'm going to use what's happening in FL as a case study: How does a travel-associated virus become a locally transmitted outbreak and what determines whether that transmission dies out or keeps going? More next week.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
7/ You need the pieces of the transmission cycle to line up: An infected person arrives while viremic → a competent local Aedes mosquito bites them → the mosquito becomes infected → it later bites someone else. Under the right conditions, that can seed local transmission.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
6/ What's happening in Tampa is also a useful case study in how an arbovirus normally associated with travel can begin transmitting somewhere we don't usually think of as a dengue transmission zone. You don't need dengue to be endemic for local transmission to occur.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
5/ FL health officials are investigating whether dengue was associated with the death of a Hillsborough County resident. That investigation is ongoing. It is not yet a confirmed dengue death.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
4/ This doesn't mean dengue is endemic in FL. Yet. But Hillsborough is experiencing enough active local transmission that mosquito-control officials have been conducting repeated aerial treatments while surveillance detects dengue-virus activity in mosquito traps.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
3/ And remember what “locally acquired” means. These aren't just people who traveled somewhere dengue was circulating, became infected, and were diagnosed after returning to FL. The infections were acquired in FL from a FL mosquito.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
2/ That's a big increase in reported cases. Florida has now recorded 111 locally acquired dengue cases since July. 95 are in Hillsborough County. That's about 86% of the state's locally acquired cases concentrated in one county.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
👉Florida’s dengue situation has shifted again. 2 days ago, I wrote ~Hillsborough County reaching 59 locally acquired infections. That # is now 95 & FL is investigating if dengue was associated with a resident’s death. The death is not yet confirmed as dengue-related. 🦟🧵
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Last night, WIDX Broadcasting Company went on the air. We recorded the main cast of The Devil of Hawthorn Mill last night, and I am ridiculously excited about how this is coming together. October 30. 📷 Until then, please stand by. #MonthoftheMacabre
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Reposted by The Infectious Dose Podcast
Crawford Kilian @crof.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
www.aa.com.tr/en/health/eb...
aa.com.tr
Ebola virus spreads to new Congolese health zone: WHO
Over 6,600 cases recorded, including 3,226 deaths, since outbreak in May, says World Health Organization | Anadolu
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
hcfl.gov/newsroom/202...
hcfl.gov
Hillsborough County Treating for Mosquitoes by Air on Wednesday in Tampa, Town 'N Country
Hyde Park, South Tampa, Ybor City, Town 'N Country will be treated early morning and evening
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
8/ What matters next is: whether local transmission continues, whether mosquito detections expand geographically, and whether intensified mosquito control interrupts the transmission cycle. Sources: FL DOH + Hillsborough County www.floridahealth.gov/2026/09/04/f...
floridahealth.gov
Florida Surgeon General Reminds Floridians to Take Precautions Against Dengue Ahead of Labor Day Weekend - Florida Department of Health
State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo joined local officials in Hillsborough County to urge Floridians to take precautions against mosquito-borne illnesses as families prepare to spend more time ...
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
7/ So this is a different signal from the Orange County case from last week. There, the interesting development was geography: local transmission appeared somewhere new. In Hillsborough, it's intensity: dozens of local cases + infected mosquitoes + repeated control operations.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
6/ One thing to understand: Local transmission ≠ dengue becoming endemic in Florida. These findings show active mosquito-to-human transmission is occurring. They don't tell us that dengue has become permanently established in the state.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
5/ And this isn't just a response to the human case count. The county says mosquito traps in multiple neighborhoods are detecting dengue-virus activity. That gives mosquito-control teams another signal of where transmission risk is occurring.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
4/ Early this morning, Hillsborough County began another round of low-altitude helicopter treatments. Target areas include Hyde Park/South Tampa, Ybor City and Town 'N Country, with operations scheduled through September 11 if needed.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
3/ It means dengue is being transmitted locally. An infected person can introduce the virus → Aedes mosquito bites them → that mosquito becomes infected → and can transmit dengue to someone else. Hillsborough is now seeing enough local activity to escalate mosquito control.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
2/ Hillsborough County has now reported 59 locally acquired dengue infections. And mosquito surveillance is detecting dengue-virus activity in multiple neighborhoods. That's important: this isn't just dengue being diagnosed in people who became infected while traveling.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
1/ Last week I wrote about a locally acquired dengue case appearing in a new part of Florida, and why one case didn't mean dengue was suddenly spreading widely across the state. Now there's another part of Florida's dengue story worth watching. Tampa. 🦟🧵
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
New episode! 🍄 C. auris seemed to emerge in different parts of the world at roughly the same time, but its genetically distinct clades suggest this wasn’t just one isolate spreading globally. So what happened? 🎙️listen here or where you get your podcasts www.infectiousdose.com/post/every-c...
infectiousdose.com
Every Clade, Everywhere, All at Once: The Strange Emergence of Candida auris
The strange emergence of Candida auris: how a drug-resistant fungus appeared across the world, spreads in healthcare settings, and remains difficult to control.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I'm building an outbreak tracker with some cool features. But I'm coding a thing into it that's a little FU to him. No matter what the map source does w/ his renaming of things...my map will always keep the legit names. Gulf of Mexico. Lake Ontario... & anything else will be preemptively protected.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
3/ You can also explore Outbreak Watch, Month of the Macabre, Outbreak After Dark, the Vaccine Safety Files, the episode archive, and Field Notes—all from the redesigned site. Plus it just looks better. 😆 Come take a look around: www.infectiousdose.com
infectiousdose.com
Infectious Dose | Infectious Disease Podcast & More
Explore infectious disease through science, stories and a little dark humor. Podcasts, outbreak analysis, field notes and more from Infectious Dose.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
2/ One thing you may not know: every Infectious Dose episode has a companion post on the website. That’s where you’ll find the full citations and recommended resources behind the episode. So if something makes you think, “I want to read more about that,” you can.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The newly redesigned #InfectiousDose website is live. 🦠 I’ve spent the last few weeks rebuilding it to make the growing archive easier to explore and to give all the different corners of Infectious Dose a proper home. A quick tour 🧵
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A fungus appears in hospitals on different continents. You assume it started somewhere and spread. Then scientists sequence it. And discover that the story is much stranger. New #InfectiousDose drops Tuesday at midnight CT.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
8/ No reason for alarm outside the affected area. but it's a reminder of what happens when immunity gaps allow a vaccine-preventable disease to regain a foothold and why surveillance, vaccination, rapid diagnosis and access to antitoxin are critical. www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-new...
premiumtimesng.com
Plateau shuts schools over suspected diphtheria outbreak
The Plateau State Government has ordered the temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools from September 7 over suspected diphtheria cases in four local government areas.
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The Infectious Dose Podcast @pathogenscribe.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
7/ That's why I'm watching the Plateau school closure. Case counts fluctuate, especially when many cases remain suspected. But closing every primary & secondary school in an entire state signals that authorities are taking substantial measures to limit transmission.
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