Libbie Goult

Measles deaths down 88% since 2000, but cases surge Global immunization efforts have led to an 88% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2024, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly 59 million lives have been saved...

Measles cases have been surging over the short term despite massive declines in deaths over the long term. Even over the short term, the resurgence in cases has disproportionately been in countries with better access to care, so deaths have not increased as sharply.

UK fish stocks in trouble as catch limits exceed scientific advice: Report Nearly half of the United Kingdom’s most commercially valuable fish populations are either overexploited, critically low or both, according to a new report warning that the government continues to…

UK fish stocks in trouble as catch limits exceed scientific advice: Report

We've joined forces with The Marine Biological Association, the University of Plymouth and partners in a new project to investigate the unusual surge in #CommonOctopus (#OctopusVulgaris) numbers reported in the waters off the south coast of #Devon and #Cornwall this year. We want to understand the history and potential environmental causes of such blooms, the effects they are having on the #FishingIndustry, and the potential for such blooms to happen again in the future. It's the last chance to take part in the survey and share your experiences - closing this Sunday 21 September 2025. Thank you to all those who take part! This work is funded by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Plymouth City Council and Devon Council.

👀 Spotted an #octopus off the #SouthWest coast? #Fishermen & #divers, we want to hear from you! 🐙

Take part in this survey (closing Sun 21 Sept) & help us study this year’s unusual #CommonOctopus bloom:

🎣 Fishers: survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90884550/...

🤿 Divers: survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90886025/...

Bloody love this. Rory has a great way of putting things upside down.

Day care measles exposure forces Iowa family to take weeks off work for baby: 'It only takes one' There have been at least 1,309 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. this year. Hundreds or thousands of other families have most likely had their lives upended after being exposed.

Measles is horrible. It has already impacted thousands of young kids. This will only grow as vaccines become less accessible.

And when measles is joined by epidemics of rubella, mumps, and polio, we will see children suffer and die at national scale.

www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Congratulations Laura! I’m so proud of you!! 🥳

The Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Program was central in improving the evidence base for health policies and interventions, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central & Southern Asia - figure by @aasli.bsky.social.
Our preprint on the termination of the DHS Program: osf.io/preprints/so...

First confirmation of #WestNileVirus in mosquitoes in the UK, in an Aedes species. Risk to public still very low, but highlights huge importance of having robust mosquito surveillance and response programmes in place.
@mosquitoscotland.bsky.social

submit.forms.service.gov.uk/form/3652/re...

A tricky thing about modern society is that no one has any idea when they don’t die.

Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.

Ontario is now reporting 440 measles cases in 2025 so far, compared to 64 in 2024, and 101 between 2013 and 2023.

The vast majority of infections are in unvaccinated individuals.

The measles vaccine is free, widely available, highly effective and backed by decades of safety data.

And measles is really dangerous.
It can kill directly through encephalitis or pneumonia. And it can still kill years later through SSPE, a terrible death. "If people ever saw that up close, and I've seen about five cases in my life, they would get a measles vaccine", @pauloffit.bsky.social told me.

Consider applying to 2nd ESPIDAM summer program on infectious disease modelling, 23-27 June, in beautiful Stockholm! Covering many exciting topics (AI & ID, now/forecasting, networks, within-host models, data analysis...). So much to learn and great scientific discussions!
www.math.su.se/espidam

Watch how the measles outbreak spreads when kids get vaccinated – and when they don't If you take 10 communities and run a simulation, it’s easy to see why we need as many members of the ‘herd’ as possible to get vaccines – before it’s too late

Genial simulación de un caso de #sarampión llegando a varias comunidades con diferentes coberturas de vacunación.

Ilustra la inmunidad vacunal directa e indirecta (inmunidad de rebaño).

www.theguardian.com/society/ng-i...

Check out this new paper by my friend and colleague (who isn't on Bluesky yet...) Laura Barrero Guevara on #causalinference!! 🥳💃

Understanding mysterious outbreaks Three possibilities for unexplained outbreaks

"Mysterious" outbreaks can be one of three scenarios. I write on how to think like an epidemiologist about unexplained outbreaks in the news. caitlinrivers.substack.com/p/understand...

Thrilled to find out that my paper on the optimal measles vaccination ages has been selected as a featured article in the @natureportfolio.bsky.social #NatureComms editor's highlights page of 50 best papers recently published in #publichealth: www.nature.com/ncomms/edito...! 🥳🎉

Thrilled to share my PhD research on #measles vaccine schedules, out now in @natureportfolio.bsky.social! 🥳