BK. Titanji
@boghuma.bsky.social
Physician Scientist MDPhD
Infectious Diseases
Academic Medicine
Global Health
Science Communicator
Posts are my opinions, not my employer's and not medical advice
I bet on myself and double down
https://substack.com/@bktitanji
Infectious Diseases
Academic Medicine
Global Health
Science Communicator
Posts are my opinions, not my employer's and not medical advice
I bet on myself and double down
https://substack.com/@bktitanji
Pinned
BK. Titanji
@boghuma.bsky.social
· Feb 12
Here are 5 top things I'll be watching closely in global public health in 2025:
1. H5N1 outbreak trajectory
2. Impact of RFK Jr. on infectious dz control and vaccines in the US.
3. The mpox outbreak in Africa
4. Expanded access to Lenacapavir for HIV PrEP.
5. The US withdrawal from the WHO.
1. H5N1 outbreak trajectory
2. Impact of RFK Jr. on infectious dz control and vaccines in the US.
3. The mpox outbreak in Africa
4. Expanded access to Lenacapavir for HIV PrEP.
5. The US withdrawal from the WHO.
I think I shall just pin this post because ....👀
Reposted by BK. Titanji
It’s officially potluck season withoffice parties galore. 🦃🥘 If, like me, you harbor an irrational fear of food poisoning, I’ve got you covered. Here’s your ID doctor–approved guide to surviving the season’s buffets w/out ending up in the ER.
🧤🍽️💀
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
🧤🍽️💀
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
An ID Doctor’s Guide to Surviving Holiday Potlucks Food Poisoning Free
Because nothing says “festive” like avoiding an impromptu Norovirus outbreak.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
It’s officially potluck season withoffice parties galore. 🦃🥘 If, like me, you harbor an irrational fear of food poisoning, I’ve got you covered. Here’s your ID doctor–approved guide to surviving the season’s buffets w/out ending up in the ER.
🧤🍽️💀
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
🧤🍽️💀
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
Losing #measles elimination status as predicted is the result of vaccines being a victim of their incredible success. It quite sad that people will need to experience the suffering inflicted by an infection like measles in order to remember why elimination was remains something to strive for.
As expected, Canada has lost its measles-free status because of the long-running outbreak there. With it goes the #measles elimination status of the entire zone of the Americas, the only division of the #WHO to ever have achieved measles elimination. www.statnews.com/2025/11/10/m...
Canada loses measles elimination status — as does the entire Americas region
Canada has formally lost its measles elimination status, the country’s public health agency announced, triggering the loss of that status throughout all of the Americas.
www.statnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Losing #measles elimination status as predicted is the result of vaccines being a victim of their incredible success. It quite sad that people will need to experience the suffering inflicted by an infection like measles in order to remember why elimination was remains something to strive for.
A bigot lost at the Supreme Court today. Cheers to love, equality, and every happily married gay couple. May the bigoted losers itch where they can’t scratch. 🌈
www.nbcnews.com/politics/sup...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/sup...
Supreme Court rejects long-shot effort to overturn same-sex marriage ruling
The court turned away an appeal filed by Kim Davis, a former county clerk in Kentucky who was sued after refusing to issue a marriage license to a gay couple.
www.nbcnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:39 PM
A bigot lost at the Supreme Court today. Cheers to love, equality, and every happily married gay couple. May the bigoted losers itch where they can’t scratch. 🌈
www.nbcnews.com/politics/sup...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/sup...
It’s officially potluck season withoffice parties galore. 🦃🥘 If, like me, you harbor an irrational fear of food poisoning, I’ve got you covered. Here’s your ID doctor–approved guide to surviving the season’s buffets w/out ending up in the ER.
🧤🍽️💀
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
🧤🍽️💀
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
An ID Doctor’s Guide to Surviving Holiday Potlucks Food Poisoning Free
Because nothing says “festive” like avoiding an impromptu Norovirus outbreak.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
It’s officially potluck season withoffice parties galore. 🦃🥘 If, like me, you harbor an irrational fear of food poisoning, I’ve got you covered. Here’s your ID doctor–approved guide to surviving the season’s buffets w/out ending up in the ER.
🧤🍽️💀
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
🧤🍽️💀
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
A fascinating new Lancet ID paper offers the strongest comparative evidence yet between infection-induced and vaccine-induced immunity against mpox. The study followed people for up to 2 years after infection with monkeypox virus or vaccination with MVA-BN. #IDsky
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Long-term consequences of monkeypox virus infection or modified vaccinia virus Ankara vaccination in Belgium (MPX-COHORT and POQS-FU-PLUS): a 24-month prospective and retrospective cohort study
Individuals previously infected with MPXV show strong and durable immunological memory
lasting up to 2 years after infection, in contrast to the less robust and shorter-lived
response observed after M...
www.thelancet.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM
A fascinating new Lancet ID paper offers the strongest comparative evidence yet between infection-induced and vaccine-induced immunity against mpox. The study followed people for up to 2 years after infection with monkeypox virus or vaccination with MVA-BN. #IDsky
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Not all heroes wear capes. What a brave and compassionate human being. The war in Sudan has killed 150,000 people and displaced 12 million. This orthopedic surgeon has not fled but continued to provide medical assistance under impossible conditions.
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
Doctor in Sudan wins $1 million prize for his extraordinary courage: 'It is my duty'
Dr. Jamal Eltaeb of Sudan has been awarded the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. He says, "Every day we work in the impossible conditions with barely enough to keep people alive."
www.npr.org
November 9, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Not all heroes wear capes. What a brave and compassionate human being. The war in Sudan has killed 150,000 people and displaced 12 million. This orthopedic surgeon has not fled but continued to provide medical assistance under impossible conditions.
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
From winning the nobel prize for co-discovering the structure of DNA to becoming a pariah for his rank racist views towards Black people and overt sexism towards women. One can only hope before his death that he found time to reflect and change for better.
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
James Watson, who co-discovered the structure of DNA, has died at age 97
James Watson, who co-discovered the structure of DNA has died at age 97. He was a scientific superstar until he made racist remarks that made him an outcast.
www.npr.org
November 8, 2025 at 2:16 AM
From winning the nobel prize for co-discovering the structure of DNA to becoming a pariah for his rank racist views towards Black people and overt sexism towards women. One can only hope before his death that he found time to reflect and change for better.
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
Elon Musk just secured a $1 trillion payout.
This same man helped dismantle USAID - an agency that cost ~$23 billion a year and saved millions of lives. Its collapse is projected to cause 14 million preventable deaths by 2030.
That is his real legacy.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
This same man helped dismantle USAID - an agency that cost ~$23 billion a year and saved millions of lives. Its collapse is projected to cause 14 million preventable deaths by 2030.
That is his real legacy.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Tesla Shareholders Approve $1 Trillion Pay Package for Musk
Elon Musk responded in kind to Tesla Inc. investors approving his $1 trillion compensation package, making a series of extravagant predictions about what the company will be capable of in the years to...
www.bloomberg.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Elon Musk just secured a $1 trillion payout.
This same man helped dismantle USAID - an agency that cost ~$23 billion a year and saved millions of lives. Its collapse is projected to cause 14 million preventable deaths by 2030.
That is his real legacy.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
This same man helped dismantle USAID - an agency that cost ~$23 billion a year and saved millions of lives. Its collapse is projected to cause 14 million preventable deaths by 2030.
That is his real legacy.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The travesty is complete.
The million dollar question is can he survive a 7 year term at the age of 92, and if he does will he run for a 9th term at 99?
Only time will tell if and when Cameroon will gain its liberation from authoritarian rule.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The million dollar question is can he survive a 7 year term at the age of 92, and if he does will he run for a 9th term at 99?
Only time will tell if and when Cameroon will gain its liberation from authoritarian rule.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Paul Biya sworn in for eighth term as Cameroon's president
Paul Biya has been in power since 1982 - the opposition says the election was rigged.
www.bbc.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:57 AM
The travesty is complete.
The million dollar question is can he survive a 7 year term at the age of 92, and if he does will he run for a 9th term at 99?
Only time will tell if and when Cameroon will gain its liberation from authoritarian rule.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The million dollar question is can he survive a 7 year term at the age of 92, and if he does will he run for a 9th term at 99?
Only time will tell if and when Cameroon will gain its liberation from authoritarian rule.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
As reflected in the price of a dozen free range eggs being back to costing 10.99$
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
Bird flu surges among poultry amid a scaled back federal response
Migrating wild birds are spreading the virus to domesticated flocks, increasing the risk of eventually seeing a human outbreak. Scientists are troubled by the muted federal response.
www.npr.org
November 6, 2025 at 6:21 PM
As reflected in the price of a dozen free range eggs being back to costing 10.99$
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
If you read and watch one thing today it should be this pice accompanying @agawande.bsky.social documentary.
"As of November 5th, it estimated that U.S.A.I.D.’s dismantling has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children."
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
"As of November 5th, it estimated that U.S.A.I.D.’s dismantling has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children."
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
www.newyorker.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:18 PM
If you read and watch one thing today it should be this pice accompanying @agawande.bsky.social documentary.
"As of November 5th, it estimated that U.S.A.I.D.’s dismantling has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children."
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
"As of November 5th, it estimated that U.S.A.I.D.’s dismantling has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children."
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
The thing about being a woman and navigating the world, is that you are never safe from being sexually harassed by strangers even if you are a freaking head of state.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Mexico president to seek charges after being groped on street
Claudia Sheinbaum says she is pressing charges because "a line must be drawn" against the harassment of Mexican women.
www.bbc.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:30 PM
The thing about being a woman and navigating the world, is that you are never safe from being sexually harassed by strangers even if you are a freaking head of state.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
A new NEJM study reports results from a phase 1 trial of a Lassa virus vaccine, a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vector engineered to express the Lassa glycoprotein (the same platform as the approved Ebola vaccine, ERVEBO). It was safe and immunogenic.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Safety and Immunogenicity of an rVSV Lassa Fever Vaccine Candidate | NEJM
No vaccine is currently available for Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease that
is estimated to cause thousands of deaths each year in western Africa. A replication-competent
recombinant vesicu...
www.nejm.org
November 6, 2025 at 12:12 PM
A new NEJM study reports results from a phase 1 trial of a Lassa virus vaccine, a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vector engineered to express the Lassa glycoprotein (the same platform as the approved Ebola vaccine, ERVEBO). It was safe and immunogenic.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
A silent virus. Thousands of babies affected every year. Decades of research, still no vaccine. My latest post explains why CMV remains one of medicine’s toughest adversaries and why we can’t stop trying.
#IDSky #Vaccines #MedSky
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
#IDSky #Vaccines #MedSky
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
Why We Still Need a Cytomegalovirus Vaccine, And Why It’s So Hard to Make One
Half a century of effort, billions spent, and one persistent virus: why protecting babies from CMV is harder than it looks
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:34 PM
A silent virus. Thousands of babies affected every year. Decades of research, still no vaccine. My latest post explains why CMV remains one of medicine’s toughest adversaries and why we can’t stop trying.
#IDSky #Vaccines #MedSky
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
#IDSky #Vaccines #MedSky
open.substack.com/pub/bktitanj...
Anecdotally people are presenting sicker as well. I wonder how much of this is attributable to much lower vaccination coverage rates than during the peak of the pandemic. Adult uptake in the US stalled at 21% last year. I predict it will be lower this year.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
COVID-19 is spreading again — how serious is it and what are the symptoms?
Limited COVID-19 surveillance data are hampering vaccination and health strategies, researchers say.
www.nature.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Anecdotally people are presenting sicker as well. I wonder how much of this is attributable to much lower vaccination coverage rates than during the peak of the pandemic. Adult uptake in the US stalled at 21% last year. I predict it will be lower this year.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
An outbreak of Listeria which has caused 6 deaths so far has been linked to pasta meals sold in 18 US states. Listeria infections can especially severe in young children, pregnant women, the elderly and other immunocompromised persons.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Listeria outbreak in pasta meals linked to six deaths across 18 US states
Listeria found in pasta sold by Trader Joe’s, Kroger and others as CDC urges people to check fridges and seek care if ill
www.theguardian.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:15 PM
An outbreak of Listeria which has caused 6 deaths so far has been linked to pasta meals sold in 18 US states. Listeria infections can especially severe in young children, pregnant women, the elderly and other immunocompromised persons.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
TSA workers and air traffic controllers also have bills to pay and families to feed. I don't blame them for doing what they need to do to make ends meet.
If the shutdown is not resolved by Thanksgiving it will definitely not be safe to fly that weekend. Heck it's less safe now.
If the shutdown is not resolved by Thanksgiving it will definitely not be safe to fly that weekend. Heck it's less safe now.
TSA workers were told sick calls will bring “appropriate accountability measures to the fullest extent possible” after the shutdown ends—but airport screeners told Forbes such threats would likely backfire.
Houston’s Bush Airport TSA Wait Times Top 3 Hours—As Unpaid Screeners Tell Of Agency’s ‘Scare Tactics’
TSA workers were told sick calls will bring “appropriate accountability measures to the fullest extent possible” after the shutdown ends—but airport screeners told Forbes such threats would likely backfire.
www.forbes.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:44 AM
TSA workers and air traffic controllers also have bills to pay and families to feed. I don't blame them for doing what they need to do to make ends meet.
If the shutdown is not resolved by Thanksgiving it will definitely not be safe to fly that weekend. Heck it's less safe now.
If the shutdown is not resolved by Thanksgiving it will definitely not be safe to fly that weekend. Heck it's less safe now.
This is incredibly depressing news. To come do far just to throw it all away. Measles elimination is always a win, we benefit nothing as a society from a resurgence of this infection.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/03/m...
www.statnews.com/2025/11/03/m...
The Americas, led by Canada, is on the brink of losing measles-elimination status
The Americas is the only region of the world to have stopped endemic transmission of measles. But its victory is on the verge of being rolled back.
www.statnews.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:31 PM
This is incredibly depressing news. To come do far just to throw it all away. Measles elimination is always a win, we benefit nothing as a society from a resurgence of this infection.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/03/m...
www.statnews.com/2025/11/03/m...
Walking may slow progression of Alzheimer's dz - Using pedometer-measured step counts in cognitively unimpaired older adults, demonstrated an association between higher physical activity and slower cognitive and functional decline in individuals w ⬆️baseline amyloid.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Physical activity as a modifiable risk factor in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease - Nature Medicine
In cognitively normal older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s dementia, physical inactivity was associated with faster tau protein buildup and cognitive decline.
www.nature.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Walking may slow progression of Alzheimer's dz - Using pedometer-measured step counts in cognitively unimpaired older adults, demonstrated an association between higher physical activity and slower cognitive and functional decline in individuals w ⬆️baseline amyloid.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Food assistance for 42M Americans costs approximately 100B a year. 10 individuals grew their personal wealth in one year by an amount that could feed the 42M people needing food assistance for 7 years!
Allowing children to go hungry as a society is a choice.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Allowing children to go hungry as a society is a choice.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Top 10 US billionaires’ collective wealth grew by $698bn in past year – report
Oxfam warns Trump policies risk driving inequality to new heights – but Democrats have also exacerbated wealth gap
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Food assistance for 42M Americans costs approximately 100B a year. 10 individuals grew their personal wealth in one year by an amount that could feed the 42M people needing food assistance for 7 years!
Allowing children to go hungry as a society is a choice.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Allowing children to go hungry as a society is a choice.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Again LLMs spit out whatever information is used to train them. In this instance sexism in, sexism out 🤷🏽♀️.
They amplify all pre-existing biases which is why pervasive unregulated use of AI is so dangerous.
They amplify all pre-existing biases which is why pervasive unregulated use of AI is so dangerous.
When ChatGPT was asked to rate 40,000 résumés, it ranked the older male candidates as better quality than the younger female applicants.
Age and gender distortion in online media and large language models - Nature
Stereotypes of age-related gender bias are socially distorted, as evidenced by the age gap in the representations of women and men across various media and algorithms, despite no systematic age differ...
www.nature.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Again LLMs spit out whatever information is used to train them. In this instance sexism in, sexism out 🤷🏽♀️.
They amplify all pre-existing biases which is why pervasive unregulated use of AI is so dangerous.
They amplify all pre-existing biases which is why pervasive unregulated use of AI is so dangerous.
The weekly US influenza surveillance report is now lagging behind by 6 weeks. The last data update was for the week of September 20th. This used to be a vital tool to alert on how widely flu was circulating during peak season. Looks like we will be flying blind this year.
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...
Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report: Key Updates for Week 38, ending September 20, 2025
Seasonal influenza activity is low.
www.cdc.gov
November 1, 2025 at 9:32 PM
The weekly US influenza surveillance report is now lagging behind by 6 weeks. The last data update was for the week of September 20th. This used to be a vital tool to alert on how widely flu was circulating during peak season. Looks like we will be flying blind this year.
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...
I know it's November 1st but we cannot thaw out Maria until after thanksgiving ok!!!
Them's the rules.
Them's the rules.
a woman in a santa claus outfit is standing in the snow and says `` it 's time '' .
ALT: a woman in a santa claus outfit is standing in the snow and says `` it 's time '' .
media.tenor.com
November 1, 2025 at 9:25 PM
I know it's November 1st but we cannot thaw out Maria until after thanksgiving ok!!!
Them's the rules.
Them's the rules.