Sign in

Becky Smith

@rlsdvm.bsky.social
4.2K followers 4.7K following 2.6K posts

Epidemiologist at UIUC, working in One Health

PostsRepliesMedia
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 46m
197/250 is Bacterial spectrum and proportion of multidrug-resistant bacteria in clinical samples from a regional hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon (2017–2023): Implications for antimicrobial resistance surveillance and public health Very necessary descriptive epi
doi.org
Bacterial spectrum and proportion of multidrug-resistant bacteria in clinical samples from a regional hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon (2017–2023): Implications for antimicrobial resistance surveillance a...
This cross-sectional study investigates the spectrum and proportion of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria isolated from clinical samples processed at the regional microbiology laboratory of Lambaréné,...
000
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 2h
Sometimes you have to wonder what the story was behind warning labels
Warnings
This product is not edible. Do not ingest.
This product is designed exclusively for stool sample collection.
111
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 18h
196/250 is Biosafety, biosecurity and antimicrobial resistance containment in Kenya: A One Health scoping review of national and subnational systems Concepts that work well at national level do tend to fall apart at the local (less resourced) level
doi.org
Biosafety, biosecurity and antimicrobial resistance containment in Kenya: A One Health scoping review of national and subnational systems
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat requiring robust biosafety, biosecurity, and surveillance systems across human, animal, and environmental sectors. However, evidence on how these systems function at sub-national and facility levels remains limited, particularly in decentralized settings such as Kenya. This scoping review was conducted in line with PRISMA-ScR reporting standards to map evidence on AMR containment systems in Kenya. Peer-reviewed and grey literature covering governance, surveillance, laboratory capacity, workforce, biosafety and biosecurity, digital systems, and One Health integration between January 2022 - February 2026 were systematically identified and thematically synthesized, with methodological quality assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A total of 31 studies (23 peer-reviewed and 8 grey literature) were included. Human health systems were the most frequently represented domain (n = 27), followed by data integration and digital platforms (n = 16) and animal health (n = 14). Governance and policy-related components were reported in fewer studies (n = 10), while environmental health was the least represented (n = 8). Despite strong national policies and digital platforms, implementation was uneven across counties and facility levels, with key constraints including workforce shortages, infrastructure gaps, fragmented financing, and limited use of surveillance data. These findings highlight persistent gaps in sub-national implementation and One Health integration that limit the effectiveness of AMR containment systems in Kenya.
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
195/250 is Seven ways to improve observational epidemiology and build trust Not just observational epi, but any research relying on public datasets. Should have mentioned pre-registration, though.
doi.org
Seven ways to improve observational epidemiology and build trust - Nature Health
As the number of observational studies continues to grow and with big data and AI use exploding, epidemiologists need better tools and best practices to produce reliable evidence and maintain public t...
110
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Ooh, I did that +Covid booster a week ago. Not a great plan
010
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
194/250 is Prevalence of West Nile Virus in Children Being Evaluated for Lyme Disease They didn't say what time of year they were testing!!! WNV is extremely seasonal, more so than LD
dx.doi.org
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
193/250 is Improving the Quality of Web Surveys:The Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES) Some good things here, but very basic and most already covered in STROBE. Glad I haven't been missing much by not using the checklist
dx.doi.org
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
192/250 is How to conduct behavioural experiments online Interesting parallels to online surveys. I was thinking about these before the SBE cuts <sigh>
doi.org
How to conduct behavioural experiments online - Nature Human Behaviour
Human behavioural research conducted online is rapidly growing. Although powerful, this approach can suffer from reduced experimental control. Here we outline ten principles for designing and executin...
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
191/250 is On Models, Prediction, and Scientific Roles Thereof Interesting read, given that I taught gohy.org yesterday. I don't fully agree (in PH, numerical predictions can be VERY important results of theory), but a useful discussion to have
philarchive.org
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
190/250 is A Shigella sonnei clone with extensive drug resistance associated with waterborne outbreaks in China Nightmare: daycare outbreaks with XDR clones
doi.org
A Shigella sonnei clone with extensive drug resistance associated with waterborne outbreaks in China - Nature Communications
Shigella sonnei is a major contributor to the global burden of dysenteric diarrhoea in developed countries. In this work, authors report a S. sonnei clone which has caused numerous waterborne shigello...
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
189/250 is Community-engaged passive tick surveillance highlights the diversity of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Illinois There is good information here, but we need a way to properly incorporate the (biased) passive data into our risk models
doi.org
Community-engaged passive tick surveillance highlights the diversity of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Illinois
The continuing increase in incidence of tick-borne illnesses in the United States necessitates expanded surveillance, especially in areas like Illinois experiencing range expansion of key vectors such...
110
Reposted by Becky Smith
Anita Devineni @anitadevineni.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The Emory Biology department is hiring a tenure-track ecologist at any rank. Deadline is Nov 1, link below! As I've said many times before, I couldn't ask for a more supportive department. Our faculty colleagues, dept chair, and admin staff are truly awesome ❤️ apply.interfolio.com/191783
2115145
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Our cats were banned from the bedrooms at night after the 5th live mouse released in the room at the middle of the night
150
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I was wondering why Fridays redeye was still making me so tired, and how it was making me lightheaded and giving me chills and ear ringing Then I remembered Sunday's COVID booster
000
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
188/250 is Southward Expansion of Ixodes scapularis (Blacklegged) Tick Pathogens — Western North Carolina, November 2024–August 2025 That really is a disturbingly high prevalence of Borrelia for that region
cdc.gov
Southward Expansion of Ixodes scapularis ...
This report describes identification of blacklegged ticks during community-based tick surveillance at a residential property in North Carolina.
111
Reposted by Becky Smith
The Ferrari Lab @theferrarilab.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
TT Assistant Professor position in Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease at University of Florida
explore.jobs.ufl.edu
University of Florida - Details - Assistant Professor of Biology
11435
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
187/250 is Quantifying the counter-intuitive effects of vaccination by coupling the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 and the evolution of human behaviors Maybe we should release mass vaccination with communication about continued NPI use
doi.org
Redirecting
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
186/250 is Impact of insecticide resistance evolution on malaria vector control Love the conceptual model diagram! I'd like to adapt the IR evolution model for Culex larvicide/adulticide
doi.org
Impact of insecticide resistance evolution on malaria vector control
Author summary Malaria vector control is reliant on insecticides primarily deployed as insecticide treated nets. To counter the threat of resistance, the use of insecticide resistance management is re...
121
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
New paper I got to help with:Bayesian Modeling of Bovine Tuberculosis Prevalence for Enhanced Estimation and Control in Intensive Dairy Farms: A Longitudinal Decision-Support Tools for Veterinarians and Policymakers Longitudinal sampling for bTB is the only way to go
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Bayesian Modeling of Bovine Tuberculosis Prevalence for Enhanced Estimation and Control in Intensive Dairy Farms: A Longitudinal Decision‐Support Tools for Veterinarians and Policymakers
Accurate prevalence estimation is crucial for effective bovine tuberculosis (bTB) control, as unreliable data often gives rise to strategic failures, misallocation of resources, and loss of stakehold...
042
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Props to 13 for sending me this: youtube.com/shorts/ASszT...
youtube.com
Here is another song about Spotted Lantern Flies! 😁
YouTube video by John Chungus
010
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Attending SOVE for the first time, and realizing that so much vector research involves torturing either arthropods or grad students
020
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
185/250 is Accounting for the long-distance transmission route: An epidemiological model of airborne disease transmission in hospitals Hey, look at that, masks work!
doi.org
Accounting for the long-distance transmission route: An epidemiological model of airborne disease transmission in hospitals
Author summary We introduce a novel epidemiological model of nosocomial outbreaks of respiratory infections that integrates short- and long-range transmission routes with close-proximity interactions ...
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
184/250 is Extreme weather events and vector-borne diseases: Quantifying the epidemiological effect of Hurricane Julia on malaria transmission in Colombia Interesting use of causal modeling!
doi.org
Extreme weather events and vector-borne diseases: Quantifying the epidemiological effect of Hurricane Julia on malaria transmission in Colombia
Extreme climatic events, such as hurricanes, are known drivers of vector-borne disease outbreaks; however, quantifying their causal effect remains challenging due to complex spatio-temporal dynamics a...
120
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Just so y'all know - this happens occasionally. Horror story they told us in vet school was about a horse with rabies they thought had choke. I don't remember how many vet students (small hands) they had reach down its throat to try to remove the obstacle before diagnosis
043
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
183/250 is West Nile Virus and Other Nationally Notifiable Arboviral Diseases — United States, 2024 WNV incidence is really clustering in that flyway across the rural plains, huh?
cdc.gov
West Nile Virus and Other Nationally Notifiable Arboviral
This report describes arboviral disease cases during 2024, including West Nile Virus.
120
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
But the statistics don't support any reason for men not considering attending, so it's all speculation unless you ask them Considering most people seem to start prepping for vet school applications in high school or earlier, you'd need the impact to happen early
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I'm not believing the argument about vet school. Yes, we've had a dramatic shift in demographics, but I've never heard male applicants complain about that. I think it's more related to other things (importance of and declining return on investment, shift from ag to pets)
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
182/250 is Exploring Female Leadership Globally Across Veterinary Medical Institutions: A Narrative Inquiry of Opportunities, Challenges, and Organizational Strategies The methods are a bit wonky, but there is some useful information here. I think regional versions would be helpful
doi.org
Exploring Female Leadership Globally Across Veterinary Medical Institutions: A Narrative Inquiry of Opportunities, Challenges, and Organizational Strategies | Journal of Veterinary Medical Education
Abstract Despite the rapid feminization of the profession, in some regions in the world, women remain underrepresented in veterinary leadership roles worldwide. A similar trend is observed globally within veterinary medical institutions in which women ...
100
Reposted by Becky Smith
Ed Yong is offline @edyong209.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Briefly popping my head back in to unveil the cover of my upcoming book, LIFE BEYOND MEASURE: Nature's Hidden Wonders at Every Scale. It’ll be out on April 6 in the U.S. and April 29 in the U.K. and you can pre-order it right now! www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/757705... 1/
A book cover featuring a beautiful closely cropped portrait of an Anna's hummingbird. The cover says LIFE BEYOND MEASURE: Nature's Hidden Wonders at Every Scale, by Ed Yong. The image also says US: 4/06/27 and UK: 4/29/27
271621360
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Me: It's a golden age for dashboards NASS: Uh huh Me: Data sharing and visualizations NASS: Yeah, sure Me: Documentation? NASS: Mmm Me: Data dictionaries?!?! NASS: <Snort>
quickstats.nass.usda.gov
USDA/NASS QuickStats Ad-hoc Query Tool
011
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
181/250 is Comparing the molecular evolution and recombination patterns of predominant PRRSV-2 lineages co-circulating in China Fascinating, I'm sure, but for me (not a molecular epi person) there's not enough contextual analysis - I want to know why and what it means for control
frontiersin.org
Frontiers | Comparing the molecular evolution and recombination patterns of predominant PRRSV-2 lineages co-circulating in China
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) poses widespread epidemics in swine herds, yet the drivers underlying lineage replacements /fitne...
110
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
180/250 is Pandemic risk in the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways This could be a good global framework for assessing specific risks, as well
doi.org
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Who would not want that in the supplement?!?!
000
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
How many ways can I tell a reviewer "the survey text is in the supplement"? At least 5 questions about our exact wording when it's right there (and sometimes in the table, too)
110
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
179/250 is A systems thinking approach to identify barriers and strategies to improve antimicrobial stewardship using a bottom-up approach among Danish pig veterinarians External (financial) pressures are so much of the pressure to keep AMU up
doi.org
Redirecting
110
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I know goldenrod can be annoying in a small garden, but I just ID'd 3 bee species, 2 wasp species, a bee fly, 2 beetles, and an orb weaver on one patch in 2 minutes. There were others, but too small for my camera and I use iNaturalist for IDs
120
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
178/250 is A Bayesian Hidden Markov Model using continuous longitudinal test data: Evaluation and application to BVD detection in cattle This could have application for wastewater testing, too
doi.org
Redirecting
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
177/250 is Multi-sectoral health system analysis for zoonotic diseases management: An application of Parsons’ Social System Action Theory to improve One Health practice for rabies control in Burkina Faso This is a great framework for One Health policy analysis
doi.org
Redirecting
101
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
176/250 is No more silos: Tackling disease outbreaks and food scarcity with One Health Nothing new. Just restating the argument for One Health
doi.org
Redirecting
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
175/250 is A rule-based large language model screening framework for evidence synthesis in animal health: Feasibility evaluation in a veterinary scoping review Custom LLM, but stats done in Excel? Also, timing needs to include development of the LLM. Still, this is what we need!
doi.org
Redirecting
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Toe beans AND air biscuits? Yes please!
051
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
New paper from my lab! We had conducted tick and TBD KAPs across a wide range of groups in Illinois (health and vet professionals, farmers, Extension, public health, and the general public), so we thought it would be worthwhile comparing what we found. Some ideas for TBD KAP development by group
link.springer.com
Harnessing survey data across multiple demographic groups in Illinois to assess survey questions and reveal insights about ticks and tick-borne disease risk: a meta-comparison study - BMC Public Healt...
Background Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) are major public and veterinary health issues, existing at the intersection of behavioral, environmental, ecological, climatic, and entomological facto...
000
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Yesterday, at the Labor Day parade, a Republican marching dared to tell us that if we weren't voting for her candidate "then just don't vote" She didn't dare to have any party affiliation visible
static.klipy.com
The Audacity!
Alt: A white man giving a dirty look while walking away. Text says "The Audacity!"
000
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Good news is that he's still interested in a career in vector ecology!
010
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Summer intern debrief: There are fieldwork fails. And then there's your fieldwork project getting hit by a tornado. Twice.
120
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
174/250 is Quantitative analysis of massive SARS-CoV-2 testing in the community in France in 2021–2022 reveals the associations of variant, vaccination, and age with viral dynamics in symptomatic individuals Good use of a massive dataset, with all the caveats of DL data
doi.org
Quantitative analysis of massive SARS-CoV-2 testing in the community in France in 2021–2022 reveals the associations of variant, vaccination, and age with viral dynamics in symptomatic individuals
Author summary In this study, we explored whether viral load data collected routinely in community laboratories can help us understand how factors like age, vaccination, and viral variant influence th...
110
Reposted by Becky Smith
Berna Devezer @devezer.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
in scientific discourse, what we often mean by "the study didn't work" is that it didn't yield a desired/pre-committed result or statistic (p < 0.05). that's a distortion of scientific practice and essentially a cry for help. for a study to not work, it should not have produced meaningful knowledge.
2295
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
173/250 is AgentBasedModeling.jl: A tool for stochastic simulation of structured population dynamics It can handle phage dynamics - I wonder if it could work with plasmid systems . . .
doi.org
AgentBasedModeling.jl: A tool for stochastic simulation of structured population dynamics
Agent-based modeling is a powerful approach for understanding cellular systems. Yet, many existing frameworks treat cell-level and population behaviors separately, overlooking their interplay. We pres...
100
Becky Smith @rlsdvm.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
We will be having webinars and in-person trainings with the BV-BRC team as time goes on - check the MAAGE website for details
000