Melanie Matheu, PhD
@lilscience.bsky.social
Scientist, Founder (2x), and Immunology expert. Excited about advances that blend tech, bio, and engineering. Don't fight biology, leverage it. No medical advice. Substack: https://substack.com/@lilscience
Reposted by Melanie Matheu, PhD
USAID’s website has been deleted, all that is left is a note saying all personnel are now on administrative leave and personnel outside the US are to be brought home. Completely illegal, no act of congress or even executive order was signed to dismantle the agency
February 5, 2025 at 2:29 AM
USAID’s website has been deleted, all that is left is a note saying all personnel are now on administrative leave and personnel outside the US are to be brought home. Completely illegal, no act of congress or even executive order was signed to dismantle the agency
Infectious disease doesn't disappear just because some silenced our federal health agencies. Here's my 2/4/2025 infectious disease round up.
Infectious Disease Roundup: 2/4/2025
Respiratory virus infection remains high in the US, Tuberculosis is on the rise, 4 measles cases in Texas, and a novel virus reported in Alabama shrews- similar viruses have 70% fatality rate
lilscience.substack.com
February 5, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Infectious disease doesn't disappear just because some silenced our federal health agencies. Here's my 2/4/2025 infectious disease round up.
What happens when scientists are censored? People die.
New Substack post on the status of censorship of United States Scientists "February 1st Has Come and Gone, US Science Remains Censored"
New Substack post on the status of censorship of United States Scientists "February 1st Has Come and Gone, US Science Remains Censored"
February 1st Has Come and Gone, US Science Remains Censored
Remember what happened last time we tried to ignore Scientists? The problems don't disappear, they kill Americans.
lilscience.substack.com
February 5, 2025 at 6:38 PM
What happens when scientists are censored? People die.
New Substack post on the status of censorship of United States Scientists "February 1st Has Come and Gone, US Science Remains Censored"
New Substack post on the status of censorship of United States Scientists "February 1st Has Come and Gone, US Science Remains Censored"
Infectious Disease Roundup: 2/2/2025.
Probable human case of H5N1 in Delaware. Egg prices high forever? More deadly, highly contageous Clade Ib MPOX continues to spread (14% pediatric patients in recent outbreak), and more fun topics.
Probable human case of H5N1 in Delaware. Egg prices high forever? More deadly, highly contageous Clade Ib MPOX continues to spread (14% pediatric patients in recent outbreak), and more fun topics.
Infectious Disease Roundup: 2/2/2025
Second Largest US Egg producer hit with H5N1, Probable Human H5N1 case in Delaware, Clade Ib MPOX spreading in DRC and a new case in the UK, Polio Detected in wastewater of several EU countries...
open.substack.com
February 3, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Infectious Disease Roundup: 2/2/2025.
Probable human case of H5N1 in Delaware. Egg prices high forever? More deadly, highly contageous Clade Ib MPOX continues to spread (14% pediatric patients in recent outbreak), and more fun topics.
Probable human case of H5N1 in Delaware. Egg prices high forever? More deadly, highly contageous Clade Ib MPOX continues to spread (14% pediatric patients in recent outbreak), and more fun topics.
Read more about the REAL science behind some of RFK Jr's statements today:
The National Embarrassment: RFK Jr
The National Embarrassment: RFK Jr
The National Embarrassment: RFK Jr
The dark side of scientific history is that it has been use by bigots to justify racial discrimination, eugenics, and gas chambers. RFK Jr is trying to bring that back.
open.substack.com
January 31, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Read more about the REAL science behind some of RFK Jr's statements today:
The National Embarrassment: RFK Jr
The National Embarrassment: RFK Jr
"California attorney Mark Lemley dropped Meta Platforms Inc. as a client in a high-profile copyright case because of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s “descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness,” the Stanford University professor said on LinkedIn."
Meta Lawyer Lemley Quits AI Case Citing Zuckerberg 'Descent' (1)
California attorney Mark Lemley dropped Meta Platforms Inc. as a client in a high-profile copyright case because of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s “descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness,” the Sta...
news.bloomberglaw.com
January 30, 2025 at 10:35 PM
"California attorney Mark Lemley dropped Meta Platforms Inc. as a client in a high-profile copyright case because of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s “descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness,” the Stanford University professor said on LinkedIn."
As an Immunologist who has studied Influenza I was worried about H5N1, I am horrified re: H5N9.
Our population has no pre-existing immunity.
I repeat, we have NO PRE-EXISTING immunity to H5N9.
(we have a little with H5N1 via H1N1 vaccines & infections)
www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
Our population has no pre-existing immunity.
I repeat, we have NO PRE-EXISTING immunity to H5N9.
(we have a little with H5N1 via H1N1 vaccines & infections)
www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
Tests identify H5N9 avian flu at California duck farm
www.cidrap.umn.edu
January 29, 2025 at 3:57 PM
As an Immunologist who has studied Influenza I was worried about H5N1, I am horrified re: H5N9.
Our population has no pre-existing immunity.
I repeat, we have NO PRE-EXISTING immunity to H5N9.
(we have a little with H5N1 via H1N1 vaccines & infections)
www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
Our population has no pre-existing immunity.
I repeat, we have NO PRE-EXISTING immunity to H5N9.
(we have a little with H5N1 via H1N1 vaccines & infections)
www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
Vaccines are life saving. The individual & public health benefit outweighs the risk more than nearly any other approved drug/med procedure.
Example: Tylenol is responsible for more deaths & hospitalizations than all vaccines combined.
#RFKJr made $Ms off of telling people otherwise.
Example: Tylenol is responsible for more deaths & hospitalizations than all vaccines combined.
#RFKJr made $Ms off of telling people otherwise.
January 29, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Vaccines are life saving. The individual & public health benefit outweighs the risk more than nearly any other approved drug/med procedure.
Example: Tylenol is responsible for more deaths & hospitalizations than all vaccines combined.
#RFKJr made $Ms off of telling people otherwise.
Example: Tylenol is responsible for more deaths & hospitalizations than all vaccines combined.
#RFKJr made $Ms off of telling people otherwise.
I left Twitter years ago. I don't think much of it will exist by this time next year.
Reminder
No one in history has blown $44B faster than Elon Musk while seemingly trying not to.
Trump put him in charge of US Gov Efficiency. 😅
Reminder
No one in history has blown $44B faster than Elon Musk while seemingly trying not to.
Trump put him in charge of US Gov Efficiency. 😅
EU medicines agency quits X, moves to Bluesky
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Monday it would no longer post on X and would use rival Bluesky instead, becoming the latest organisation to quit a social media platform that some have criticised for its content.
www.reuters.com
January 29, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I left Twitter years ago. I don't think much of it will exist by this time next year.
Reminder
No one in history has blown $44B faster than Elon Musk while seemingly trying not to.
Trump put him in charge of US Gov Efficiency. 😅
Reminder
No one in history has blown $44B faster than Elon Musk while seemingly trying not to.
Trump put him in charge of US Gov Efficiency. 😅
It's farcical that #RFKJr was nominated at all.
Someone who has directly profited for decades attacking sound science with pseudoscience and is directly linked causing a deadly measles outbreak should never be in charge of HHS, this is a waste of everyone's time.
Someone who has directly profited for decades attacking sound science with pseudoscience and is directly linked causing a deadly measles outbreak should never be in charge of HHS, this is a waste of everyone's time.
January 29, 2025 at 2:55 PM
It's farcical that #RFKJr was nominated at all.
Someone who has directly profited for decades attacking sound science with pseudoscience and is directly linked causing a deadly measles outbreak should never be in charge of HHS, this is a waste of everyone's time.
Someone who has directly profited for decades attacking sound science with pseudoscience and is directly linked causing a deadly measles outbreak should never be in charge of HHS, this is a waste of everyone's time.
Please call and write to your senators and remind them that it doesn't matter what #RFKJr says in his hearings.
Relying on "his word" against a multi-decade track record of attacking life-saving vaccines among other atrocities is utter nonsense. You don't take people like that "at their word"
Relying on "his word" against a multi-decade track record of attacking life-saving vaccines among other atrocities is utter nonsense. You don't take people like that "at their word"
January 29, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Please call and write to your senators and remind them that it doesn't matter what #RFKJr says in his hearings.
Relying on "his word" against a multi-decade track record of attacking life-saving vaccines among other atrocities is utter nonsense. You don't take people like that "at their word"
Relying on "his word" against a multi-decade track record of attacking life-saving vaccines among other atrocities is utter nonsense. You don't take people like that "at their word"
#Medicaid is down in all 50 States.
Medicaid is the primary program providing health care coverage and long-term services supporting more than 90 million low-income people, covering between 10-34% of each State's population.
Read more about Medicaid here
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
Medicaid is the primary program providing health care coverage and long-term services supporting more than 90 million low-income people, covering between 10-34% of each State's population.
Read more about Medicaid here
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
10 Things to Know About Medicaid | KFF
Medicaid is the primary program providing comprehensive coverage of health care and long-term services and supports to more than 90 million low-income people in the United States. In 2023, Medicaid programs are facing new challenges and millions of enrollees are at risk of losing coverage as states unwind the continuous enrollment provision that was put in place early in the pandemic to ensure stable coverage.
www.kff.org
January 28, 2025 at 8:58 PM
#Medicaid is down in all 50 States.
Medicaid is the primary program providing health care coverage and long-term services supporting more than 90 million low-income people, covering between 10-34% of each State's population.
Read more about Medicaid here
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
Medicaid is the primary program providing health care coverage and long-term services supporting more than 90 million low-income people, covering between 10-34% of each State's population.
Read more about Medicaid here
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
Would someone in the #Biotech or #Medtech community like to explain to Alexa Lardieri and the Daily Mail that this would not be the "Worlds First Cancer Vaccine" and perhaps remind them that the current nominee to oversee HHS has made millions being radically against all vaccines?
January 28, 2025 at 5:52 PM
This is correct. Infectious disease is just a plane flight away. Stopping widespread destruction to human life (and yes economies if that's your number one) is now a global team effort.
The #WHO is the organization that contains, isolates, and identifies pathogens.
The #WHO is the organization that contains, isolates, and identifies pathogens.
The country's pending withdrawal has been heavily criticized by global health leaders and US experts, who say it will make the world less safe and weaken America.
WHO starts cutting costs as US withdrawal date set for January 2026
The US is currently the WHO’s biggest funder, contributing about 18% of its budget.
arstechnica.com
January 27, 2025 at 4:40 PM
This is correct. Infectious disease is just a plane flight away. Stopping widespread destruction to human life (and yes economies if that's your number one) is now a global team effort.
The #WHO is the organization that contains, isolates, and identifies pathogens.
The #WHO is the organization that contains, isolates, and identifies pathogens.
The UK has reported it's first human case of H5N1. The person had extensive contact with a large number of infected birds on a farm. Threat to the general public remains low.
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Human case of avian flu detected in England
UKHSA confirms rare case of bird flu (H5N1) in the West Midlands region.
www.gov.uk
January 27, 2025 at 4:36 PM
The UK has reported it's first human case of H5N1. The person had extensive contact with a large number of infected birds on a farm. Threat to the general public remains low.
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
The United States Health and Human Services remains in a communications embargo. We are in the middle of a 'quad-demic'. There have been intermittent instances of highly pathogenic H5N1 infecting people (gaining mutations that would enable person to person spread). I will keep posting updates here:
Infectious Disease Roundup: 1/26/2025
An overview of infectious disease outbreaks in the United States and globally. January 26th, 2025: Tuberculosis, Norovirus, Chronic Wasting Disease, H5N1, Marburg Virus, et al.
lilscience.substack.com
January 27, 2025 at 4:33 PM
The United States Health and Human Services remains in a communications embargo. We are in the middle of a 'quad-demic'. There have been intermittent instances of highly pathogenic H5N1 infecting people (gaining mutations that would enable person to person spread). I will keep posting updates here:
Good leadership listens to experts.
I ran @USAID health programs for the last 3 years. Trump’s 90 day Stop Work Order on foreign assistance does serious damage to the world and the US. Examples:🧵
January 26, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Good leadership listens to experts.
Fellow #founders, let's make this article age poorly. Follow me here, more coming soon on how we're going to keep good tech alive and thriving.
2025 will likely be another brutal year of failed startups, data suggests | TechCrunch
More startups shut down in 2024 than the year prior and a high volume of startup failures will continue, data from multiple sources.
techcrunch.com
January 26, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Fellow #founders, let's make this article age poorly. Follow me here, more coming soon on how we're going to keep good tech alive and thriving.
While I deeply appreciate the concern & agree with the authors, the entire US Health & Human Services, which includes the agencies that would spearhead the effort is currently shutdown.
Please write more about the devastating consequences of that @financialtimes.com
Please write more about the devastating consequences of that @financialtimes.com
‘Grossly irresponsible’: health experts urge US to control bird flu
Call for stronger action comes on warning of growing risk the virus will evolve to spread more easily between humans
www.ft.com
January 26, 2025 at 5:20 PM
While I deeply appreciate the concern & agree with the authors, the entire US Health & Human Services, which includes the agencies that would spearhead the effort is currently shutdown.
Please write more about the devastating consequences of that @financialtimes.com
Please write more about the devastating consequences of that @financialtimes.com
Lest anyone question where I stand.
There's a Nazi with an office in the White House. He was just moved him across the street after speaking to far right Nazi-sypathetic party in Germany called the AfD.
Thread⬇️: A Real Silicon Valley story from someone born here.
www.adl.org/resources/ba...
There's a Nazi with an office in the White House. He was just moved him across the street after speaking to far right Nazi-sypathetic party in Germany called the AfD.
Thread⬇️: A Real Silicon Valley story from someone born here.
www.adl.org/resources/ba...
Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party: What You Need To Know
www.adl.org
January 26, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Lest anyone question where I stand.
There's a Nazi with an office in the White House. He was just moved him across the street after speaking to far right Nazi-sypathetic party in Germany called the AfD.
Thread⬇️: A Real Silicon Valley story from someone born here.
www.adl.org/resources/ba...
There's a Nazi with an office in the White House. He was just moved him across the street after speaking to far right Nazi-sypathetic party in Germany called the AfD.
Thread⬇️: A Real Silicon Valley story from someone born here.
www.adl.org/resources/ba...
Thanks for stepping in to fill this role.
Since the FDA can’t communicate with us, then I will help the government do their job. Subscribe to my Substack to get FDA recall alerts until their communication embargo is lifted. This is a matter of public safety.
drrubin.substack.com/p/fda-recall...
drrubin.substack.com/p/fda-recall...
FDA recall roundup (1/25/25)
Since federal agencies have had a pause on communications, what has the FDA recalled since then?
drrubin.substack.com
January 26, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Thanks for stepping in to fill this role.
Today I started to build a library of interesting and brilliant accounts to follow. I would like to direct my followers to one of the most important and perhaps underrated people I have found on BlueSky: @sherifink.bsky.social
January 26, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Today I started to build a library of interesting and brilliant accounts to follow. I would like to direct my followers to one of the most important and perhaps underrated people I have found on BlueSky: @sherifink.bsky.social
As a 'quad-demic' rages & we have the highest wastewater readings for Influenza, RSV, & Norovirus in the last 2 years, I would like to revisit the attempt to tell people that increased infection rates were due to 'Immunity Debt'. The evidence never supported it. lilscience.substack.com/cp/155699252
Immunity Debt: The Conspiracy Theory Elevated to Popular Pseudoscience That Is Making Children Sick
It is time to retire this dangerous and misleading concept and focus on the real science
lilscience.substack.com
January 25, 2025 at 5:43 PM
As a 'quad-demic' rages & we have the highest wastewater readings for Influenza, RSV, & Norovirus in the last 2 years, I would like to revisit the attempt to tell people that increased infection rates were due to 'Immunity Debt'. The evidence never supported it. lilscience.substack.com/cp/155699252
Infectious disease roundup for the week just posted on Substack. Link is in my bio.
January 25, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Infectious disease roundup for the week just posted on Substack. Link is in my bio.
Viruses can cause cancer, and the SARS-CoV-2 virus demonstrates many of the same properties and activities of cancer causing viruses. Will we find a link between increased rates of #cancer and #COVID? Here I provide a brief review of what we know so far:
lilscience.substack.com/p/long-covid...
lilscience.substack.com/p/long-covid...
Long COVID Series Part 4.3: Is there evidence for a link between Cancer and COVID-19?
Because SARS-CoV-2 disrupts immune system function, which is important for fighting off cancer this review is under the umbrella of SARS-CoV-2 and the immune system (Part 4).
lilscience.substack.com
January 12, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Viruses can cause cancer, and the SARS-CoV-2 virus demonstrates many of the same properties and activities of cancer causing viruses. Will we find a link between increased rates of #cancer and #COVID? Here I provide a brief review of what we know so far:
lilscience.substack.com/p/long-covid...
lilscience.substack.com/p/long-covid...