Meera Chand

Early notice of NEW Wellcome Conference -
AIR 2026: Genomic and Systems Approaches to Respiratory Infection, Microbiomes and Immunity 11th-13th February, sign up below for notifications

coursesandconferences.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/our-events/c...

It's immunulogy AND it's microbiology 🫁

Pathoplexus | Pathoplexus July Update Pathoplexus is a new, open-source database dedicated to the efficient sharing of human viral pathogen genomic data, fostering global collaboration and public health response.

Some great new features and updates from the awesome Pathoplexus project. This is a new open pathogen genome database that can provide access to your sequences under a use-restricted license but also feed directly in to INSDC (EBI, Genbank etc) when you are ready. pathoplexus.org/news/2025-07...

New ECDC weekly reports and guidance to tackle mosquito-borne diseases across Europe As Europe enters this year’s mosquito season, ECDC has launched a new series of weekly surveillance updates to help public health authorities monitor mosquito-borne diseases in a timely way, covering ...

🔗 Read more: bit.ly/4esZ0zr

▶️ Watch the explainer animation: youtu.be/DDNTOB8EsF8

#ECDC #GlobalHealth #HealthSecurity #Epidemiology #IDsky #EpiSky #Dengue #Chikungunya #Zika

📢 @who.int Risk evaluation of #Oropouche #virus and its reassortants 🪰 🦟

www.who.int/publications...

Corynebacterium diphtheriae Outbreak in Migrant Populations in Europe | NEJM A surge of cases of Corynebacterium diphtheriae infection was observed in reception centers for migrants in Europe beginning in the summer of 2022. Most of the cases were cutaneous, although some r...

A new report describes the genetic epidemiology and antimicrobial-resistance patterns of a surge of cases of 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘦 infection that was identified in migrant populations in Europe. Read the full report: nej.md/3HEF3ZS

#MedSky #IDSky

Rolling clinical and epi updates for #mpox data from #SierraLeone. Watch for updated versions as additional data becomes available. Heartfelt thanks to our local colleagues in-country led by Dr. Jia Kangbai

t.co/D9QosVP1Bq

Leveraging genomics for improved metagenomic surveillance of Streptococcus pneumoniae at University of Birmingham on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Leveraging genomics for improved metagenomic surveillance of Streptococcus pneumoniae at University of Birmingham, listed on FindAPhD.com

Interested in pneumococci, genomics and metagenomics? Come and do a PhD with me, @alanmcn1.bsky.social and @meerac.bsky.social @ukhsa.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Pathoplexus | SeqSets Pathoplexus is a new, open-source database dedicated to the efficient sharing of human viral pathogen genomic data, fostering global collaboration and public health response.

Amazing work from our colleagues in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and elsewhere, making the first sequences available from the ongoing Mpox epidemic in Sierra Leone.

More to come - for now, head over to @pathoplexus.org:

pathoplexus.org/seqsets/PP_S...

A long thread about mpox and the context specific nature of outbreaks prompted by the large outbreak of MPXV Clade IIb happening at the moment in Sierra Leone:

Super exciting that we're now up to eight viruses supported on Pathoplexus - with lots of other exciting features in the pipeline too!

Ambitious project to develop low-cost genome sequencing for pathogens known and unknown - University of Birmingham Project will build on research that helped diagnostic labs to adopt sequencing capacity for COVID-19 and permit characterisation of future infectious threats

Absolutely thrilled to announce the launch of ARTIC2 - a £5.5M 5 year project funded by @wellcometrust.bsky.social to build on the ARTIC approach of low-cost, globally accessible genome sequencing for surveillance of outbreaks, epidemics and endemic diseases: www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/am...

Image showing the table of content of issue 15 in 2025 featuring the following articles: Surveillance Increased incidence of human leptospirosis and the effect of temperature and precipitation, the Netherlands, 2005 to 2023 Description and comparison of national surveillance systems and response measures for Aedes-borne diseases in France, Italy and Portugal: a benchmarking study, 2023 Research Seroprevalence of West Nile virus, Greece, 2020 Prevalence and risk factors for carriage of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in post-acute care hospitals, Israel, 2021 Letter Letter to the editor: Statistical methodology critique and alternative approaches in H5Nx avian influenza seroprevalence study among French cats Authors’ response: Statistical methodology critique and alternative approaches in H5Nx avian influenza seroprevalence study among French cats

Check out our new issue with a study describing and comparing 🦟 Aedes-borne disease (#dengue #chikungunya and #Zika) incidence from 2017-2023, and the surveillance systems and response measures operating in France, Italy and Portugal in 2023

🗞️ bit.ly/EUS3015

#IDSky #EpiSky #MedSky #PublicHealth 🦠

Mpox Clade I emerged in 2023 in South Kivu and since has spread sustained through direct human to human contact. Controlling this outbreak has turned out to be a major challenge. Through embedded outbreak research coupled with a local capacity building program, we first....

Dr Esther Robinson, Head of the TB Unit at UKHSA, said: "TB is curable and preventable, but the disease remains a serious public health issue in England. While England is still considered a low-incidence country for TB, the rise in cases over recent years means that we are now just below that threshold. This call for evidence will help us develop an action plan that prioritises the most effective interventions to reverse this trend, focusing particularly on the needs of those most affected."

We need the help of academics, health & policy professionals, and people with lived experience of tuberculosis (TB) to shape our next TB Action Plan. Together we can improve how we prevent, detect, and control TB. 🛡️
🗓️ Deadline: 2 May
🔗 www.gov.uk/government/n...

Another arbovirus popping up in our enhanced surveillance pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40133068/ Not too surprising but a first for our country. No human disease noted, but first indication that we may need to start considering it. First step is to understand if this is a one off finding or not

Today we have published our first annual report on infectious disease trends. 📊

The report brings together all the key data from 2023 to early 2025 and outlines the steps our organisation is taking to tackle these threats.

Read the full report 🔗🔽
www.gov.uk/government/p...

RSV F evolution escapes some monoclonal antibodies but does not strongly erode neutralization by human polyclonal sera Vaccines and monoclonal antibodies targeting the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion protein (F) have recently begun to be widely used to protect infants and high-risk adults. Some other viral pr...

In study led by @csimonich.bsky.social & Teagan McMahon, we quantify antigenic evolution of RSV F

Important because:

1️⃣ RSV top cause of infant hospitalization in USA

2️⃣ New antibodies & vax can prevent hospitalizations

3️⃣ Will virus evolution erode their efficacy?

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Timing and molecular characterisation of the transmission to cattle of H5N1 influenza A virus genotype D1.1, clade 2.3.4.4b Jonathan E. Pekar, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK Thomas P. Peacock, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, UK, GU24 0NF; Department of Infectious Disease, Imper...

Our analysis of the second incursion of H5N1 viruses (genotype D1.1) into dairy cattle in the US is now posted to virological virological.org/t/timing-and...

Neuraminidase reassortment and oseltamivir resistance in clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) viruses circulating among Canadian poultry, 2024 We report the detection of a clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) reassortant virus with a neuraminidase surface protein derived from a North American lineage low-pathogenic avian influenza virus. This virus cau...

Neuraminidase reassortment and oseltamivir resistance in clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) viruses circulating among Canadian poultry, 2024
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Core-funded postdoc position at The Pirbright Institute, Surrey, UK (just outside London), in the group of Professor Ian Brown.
Working on H5N1 avian influenza virus evolution and development of cross-reactive vaccines.
www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...

Notes from the Field: Seroprevalence of Highly ... This report describes evidence of recent highly pathogenic avian influenza infection among three veterinary practitioners.

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes...

Near Real-Time Genomic Characterization of the 2025 Sudan Ebolavirus Outbreak in Uganda’s Index Case: Insights into Evolutionary Origins Introduction Case History: On January 30, 2025, the Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus (SUDV) Disease in Kampala, Uganda, following the death of a healthcare worker at Mula...

First genome sequence from the Ugandan Ebolavirus outbreak with analysis: virological.org/t/990 and first filovirus genome submitted to Pathoplexus database: pathoplexus.org/seq/PP_0011C.... Great (and rapid) work from the National Health Laboratory, UVRI and partners.

Great to be able to share this today - looking forward to working with partners all over the country for the next phase

Please see the risk evaluation guidance docs on Clade Ia and Clade Ib mpox from the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (www.who.int/groups/techn...)
- excellent work from a great group of colleagues

www.who.int/groups/techn...

#mpox #PHEIC 1/2

Since the USDA launched its Bird Flu milk testing strategy in December, 28 states have enrolled, representing nearly 65% of the nation’s milk production. And there's a dashboard.

This was a long time coming but an impressive start.
www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-po...

Suppose a new flu pandemic were to emerge. How quickly could we get going with key epidemiological analysis and modelling?

To find out, I went back through the dozens of reports I was involved in for SPI-M for COVID and estimated where we currently stand: epiverse-trace.github.io/posts/covid-...

Polymerase mutations underlie adaptation of H5N1 influenza virus to dairy cattle and other mammals. In early 2024, an unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza was detected in dairy cattle in the USA. The epidemic remains uncontrolled, with spillbacks into poultry, wild birds...

Really proud to share our preprint describing early adaptation of H5N1 to US dairy cattle, and showing how these mutations enhance the ability of the virus to infect other mammals, such as pigs and humans.

With @influenzal.bsky.social @vidhid.bsky.social @drclairesmith.bsky.social and many more!

Are you London ID trainee post-PhD & interested in an ACL. May be able to create posts in 2025. Opportunities in Syphilis & STIs (UK & Global), Group A Strep (Global), Leishmaniasis & NTDs. If interested get in touch. @gpollara.bsky.social @drneilstone.bsky.social @thushan-desilva.bsky.social

Today Pathoplexus announces the inclusion of a new viral pathogen: mpox (previously known as monkeypox).

Within the context of the current mpox outbreaks and ongoing health concerns, Pathoplexus aims to support sequence sharing to improve both understanding and response.

1/7

Navy-colored graphic with white text in the middle "Undiagnosed disease Democratic Republic of the Congo". WHO Logo at the bottom, also in white.

Disease outbreak news on undiagnosed disease in #DRCongo bit.ly/3Zpj12M