iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

Daria Van Tyne @dariavantyne.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

My lab at Pitt is looking for a Research Scientist to help us make phage therapy for patients with antibiotic-resistant infections. Please share and apply! cfopitt.taleo.net/careersectio...

cfopitt.taleo.net

Research Scientist

Click the link provided to see the complete job description.

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

Joanna Schaenman, MD, PhD @jschaenmanmd.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

We are in the final stretch for the Donation Derby, and only 24 members away from hitting the goal of 10% participation! 🐎 💰 🏆 Please donate if you have not already, even a small amount counts towards the goal! @astinfo.bsky.social @txidfellows.bsky.social #TxIDSky #IDSky

txid.sky

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

Jake Scott, MD @jakescottmd.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

It's very concerning that the ACIP may vote to delay hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines for children, as reported by @reuters.com Here's why. 🧵 www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

AST IDCOP @ast-idcop.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Set your calendars for the AST IDCOP Town Hall on 12/5/25 @2pm ET! Connect with the Exec Committee, get updates on the Donation Derby, learn about new guidelines, and more! Details for registration in your email / The Hub. #TxID #IDSky

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

AST IDCOP @ast-idcop.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Did someone say Donation Derby? Our 2025 fundraiser is now open. Support the IDCOP by allocating the donation to us. If we hit 10% participation we get to keep 75% of funds for IDCOP! www.myast.org/donationderby

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

Gabriele Pollara @gpollara.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

Well, this is a brilliant #IDSky article that cuts close to the bone! 😬 Reframes #academia as an infection for which the causative organism may be less easy to define, but that can be just as insidious on affected individuals (clinical academics)! #AcademicSky #MedSky 🧪 @cidjournal.bsky.social

academic.oup.com

Infected With the Academic Bug

It starts innocently. A paper you’re proud of, the thrill of seeing your name on PubMed. Everyone is genuinely happy for you; you’re a threat to no one. Bu

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

Ilan Schwartz @germhuntermd.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Donor-derived infections with Rickettsia typhi (agent of murine typhus) in 2 kidney transplant recipients (1 fatal) Teaching points - 🐭 typhus transmitted by fleas (& transplant) - Cases 📈 in Texas - Death of diffuse 🫁 , 🧠 edema w/o dx=👎 tx - cfDNA MGS (Karius) can dx wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...

Figure 1. Timeline describing the transmission of Rickettsia typhi from an organ donor to 2 kidney transplant recipients, Texas, 2024. Day 1 of donor hospitalization is represented as −5, the day of death as −1, and the day of transplantation as 0, after which posttransplant days are listed, ending with the discharge of recipient 1 from the hospital on posttransplant day 20.

Figure 2. Chest radiographs from an organ donor with murine typhus, from a study describing the transmission of Rickettsia typhi from an organ donor to 2 kidney transplant recipients, Texas, 2024. A) Chest radiograph obtained at hospital admission, 5 days after symptom onset, with no specific abnormalities noted. B) Chest radiograph obtained on hospital day 3, revealing extensive alveolar opacities predominantly in the middle and lower lung fields.

Figure 3. Histopathological and immunohistochemical features of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens collected from the right and left kidney allografts procured from a donor who died of murine typhus, from a study describing the transmission of Rickettsia typhi from an organ donor to 2 kidney transplant recipients, Texas, 2024. A) When stained with hematoxylin and eosin, both allografts showed multifocal, interstitial, and predominantly mononuclear peritubular infiltrates, associated with focal endarteritis (thin arrows), features of acute tubular injury, including epithelial attenuation with loss of apical cytoplasm (thin arrowheads), and pigmented casts (large arrow). B) Glomeruli displayed moderate mesangial hypercellularity and tuft adhesions to the Bowman’s capsules (arrows) and intracapillary and mesangial phagocytic foam-cells (arrowheads), That finding is compatible with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. C) Short chains comprising small, rod-shaped bacteria were revealed in glomerular capillaries by the Warthin–Starry silver impregnation staining technique. Immunoreactive R. typhi antigens were noted within intracellular bacteria in endothelial cells of renal arterioles. D–F) An immunohistochemical stain for typhus-group rickettsiae revealed intact bacteria within endothelial cells of inflamed small vessels and vascular spaces of mesangial capillaries (arrows) and phagocytized bacterial antigens in the cytoplasm of glomerular foam-cells (arrows). Original magnifications ×400 (A, B and E) and ×1,000 (C, D, and F).

Figure 4. Annual case counts of murine typhus in Texas, USA, during 1920–2024. Cases increased from close to zero to ~ 500 in 1930s before spiking to ~2000 in 1940s, then back down close to zero by 1950s, and remained near zero until started creeping back up in 2000s, steadily increasing, now with ~800 cases/year

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

International Immunocompromised Host Society @ichs-global.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

Deadline: Sept 2, 2025 Join us Sept 8–9 for the Pamela Tucker Johns Hopkins Course in Transplant & Oncology Infectious Diseases. Learn from top experts & earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits Designed for ID, transplant, & oncology clinicians & more! For more information + registration: buff.ly/9KVn8lX

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

Darcy Wooten (she/her) @darcy-id-doc.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

We are recruiting an Transplant ID faculty at WashU Medicine Infectious Diseases Division. Come work at one of the largest transplant centers in the country with some of THE BEST ID fellows in the world! facultyopportunities.wustl.edu/Posting/Deta...

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

AST IDCOP @ast-idcop.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Less than one week until #WTC2025! Will we see you there?? #TxID #IDSky

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

IDSA @idsainfo.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

With ACIP sidelined, the Vaccine Integrity Project is convening trusted experts to ensure immunization guidance remains evidence-based, with IDSA leading efforts for immunocompromised and high-risk populations. www.statnews.com/2025/07/03/v...

statnews.com

The U.S. government is failing on vaccine policy. The Vaccine Integrity Project is here to help

The Vaccine Integrity Project will convene experts to assess the evidence on influenza, RSV, and Covid-19 to equip clinicians with reliable, evidence-based information.

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

STAGGERING: This new study of 133 countries is the first to estimate the impact of all USAID’s work. In 2 decades, it has saved *92M* lives. Current cuts, if not reversed, are forecast to cost up to *14M* lives thru 2030. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

How bad will it be? Catastrophic. Proposed cuts to #NSF, #NIH, and #NASA will set the US R&D landscape back 25 yrs+, cause economic and job loss now, and undermine innovations to come. But, this is the WH's *proposed* budget. Speak up now before it is too late. (inflation adjusted $-s below)

NSF, NASA and NIH budgets per year, inflation adjusted from 2000-2025 along with the proposed cuts. NSF includes research component only. Massive cuts across all sectors, well below support spanning 25 years.

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

JAMA @jama.com · 30/12/2024

While immunocompromised individuals had a heterogeneous antibody response to RSV vaccines, those who received the adjuvanted RSVPreF3-AS01 vaccine showed better neutralization. ja.ma/4iVzJzy

Figure. Antibody Responses Among Immunocompromised Adults Following Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccination

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William Werbel, MD PhD @williamwerbel.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

I assume this will get a lot of media and mis/disinfo attention, so best to read details in this excellent document to answer Qs. ? does mRNA preF vaccination lead to higher risk for severe RSV disease in infants (namely 8-10m olds). www.fda.gov/media/184301...

fda.gov

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Reposted by William Werbel, MD PhD

Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Today we report that an engineered skin bacterium, swabbed gently on the head of a mouse, can unleash a potent antibody response against a pathogen. Could lead to topical vaccines that are applied in a cream. @djenetbousbaine.bsky.social led the charge... @natureportfolio.bsky.social 1/55

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