Isaac Bogoch
@isaacbogoch
Infectious Diseases physician and scientist, with thoughts on Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine, HIV Prevention, Public Health, Biosecurity, and Global Health issues.
Remember Zika virus? Travellers have recently returned from Bali with this mosquito-borne infection. While most people experience a mild, self-limited illness, Zika infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects in the developing fetus. tinyurl.com/4fy8ythh
The potential for rVSV-ZEBOV (Ervebo) to cross-protect against Bundibugyo ebolavirus was the basis for our modelling study in the preprint below. Clinical studies to evaluate this are now underway. Smart move by the WHO.
There was just a locally acquired case of dengue fever reported in Virginia, USA. The climate is becoming more suitable, the compatible mosquito species (Aedes) is already there, and we’ll likely see more cases across a wider area. Link: tinyurl.com/2pu4xrc5
New World screwworm has returned to the U.S. after more than 40 years, threatening livestock & wildlife (including potentially billions in economic losses). This is a solvable "one health" issue. Link: tinyurl.com/y3k8hc7p, with Jason Andrews and J. Scott Weese.
Long-acting HIV tablets have the potential to transform treatment and prevention. In this Phase 3 trial, a single once-weekly tablet of islatravir–lenacapavir maintained HIV suppression as effectively as daily oral therapy. Incredible. tinyurl.com/44v7d3zc
West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitoes in Toronto and other parts of Ontario. Most infections cause no symptoms or only mild illness, but in rare cases, the virus can cause serious illness affecting the nervous system. Bring out the bug spray.
Case detection & contact tracing could cut Bundibugyo Ebola deaths by ~60%. If a vaccine with modest efficacy were available, ring vaccination may offer modest benefit, while community vaccination could have greater impact. Preprint w/ great colleagues: tinyurl.com/ykp7aw2d
Hantaviruses are a rare but potentially severe infection in travellers & migrants. We describe 17 cases reported to the GeoSentinel Network between 2002–2025 from multiple continents. Just published in the J. Travel Medicine with an excellent group of colleagues. ➡️https://tinyurl.com/bdh7s2jm
A Danish cohort study of adults aged 65 and older demonstrated that COVID-19 vaccines continued to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death. The data are from this past winter. Link: tinyurl.com/tbskb5sa by Hansen et al.
Encouraging to see a coordinated global & local response to the Ebola virus outbreak. Cases are just over 900. Uganda has not had a confirmed case since June 5. Sustained support for local & global response efforts will be key to ending this outbreak. tinyurl.com/yzdbvfxj
Mass gatherings like the World Cup can facilitate the introduction of infections & spur outbreaks. But context matters. A recent preprint suggests the overall risk is (mostly) low. Still, it's always best to be prepared. Great write-up by @kakape.bsky.social. tinyurl.com/23cw2mx7
Screwworm has now reached Texas, breaching the barrier designed to keep it from moving north of Panama. These larvae can devastate livestock. Human cases are less common but can be severe & disfiguring. We recently saw a case in Toronto in a traveller returning from Costa Rica.
Canada is taking significant steps to support the Ebola outbreak response in Central Africa. New funding will support medical & public health efforts, support frontline teams, and protect communities. 🇨🇦 Link: tinyurl.com/2tyzfk5u
Canada taking more stringent steps to reduce the risk of Ebola virus importation. Travel is not banned, but those arriving from impacted countries will isolate for 21 days. Link: tinyurl.com/nhfphu5s, by Lauren Pelley & Jennifer La Grassa
There are currently no licensed Ebola virus vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain causing the current outbreak in DRC and Uganda. A team at Oxford is working on a dedicated vaccine candidate, which should be ready for testing shortly. Link: tinyurl.com/3cwjat8p
Locally acquired ascariasis (an intestinal worm infection) is vary rare in Canada, but it can occur. We report on a locally acquired case from Northern Ontario in @CMAJ. Great work by Dr. Foote. www.cmaj.ca/content/198/...
Hantavirus (Andes virus) modelling with @jasonandrews.bsky.social: Long incubation & ~subclinical shedding in some may limit symptomatic screening, as transmission can occur before symptom onset. Longer isolation with periodic testing may reduce spread. Preprint: tinyurl.com/3n74863m
2/ We published on the risk for international dissemination during the large 2018-2019 Ebola virus outbreak in that region in @jtravmed: link: tinyurl.com/3feutfmy
A tablet to prevent COVID infections in close contacts: Ensitrelvir reduced the risk of transmission among household contacts with covid in this Phase 3 study from Japan. This could be extraordinarily helpful in Long Term Care among vulnerable people. tinyurl.com/3dfnman5
Ontario's Infection Prevention & Control guidelines for suspected cases of Hantavirus include airborne precautions with fit-tested N95 masks & eye protection.
2/ In North America, an underpowered clinical trial did not demonstrate a clear benefit of ribavirin for hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Importantly, this involved a different hantavirus strain than the Andes virus in South America.
1/ A 2011 laboratory study suggested that ribavirin may have both therapeutic & post-exposure potential against Andes hantavirus. Outbreaks are tragic, but they also create a narrow window to empirically & ethically evaluate whether these approaches can actually work in humans.
A Chilean study from ~20 years ago found that 3.4% of household contacts exposed to Andes virus (hantavirus) became infected, with the highest risk among sexual partners. Viral RNA was detectable in blood 5-15 days before symptom onset. tinyurl.com/337h9jxf by Ferres et al.
Canada's published risk assessment on the Hantavirus outbreak: "At this time, ANDV is not considered to be a pathogen with pandemic potential." Link: tinyurl.com/ycpveenz
Clear recommendations from the European CDC on the management of passengers disembarking from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak. Link: tinyurl.com/p6kfp4h5
Re: human spread of hantavirus, here’s a description from the 2018 Argentina outbreak: “high viral titers in combination with attendance at massive social gatherings or extensive contact among persons were associated with a higher likelihood of transmission.” www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
WHO has a good overview of confirmed & suspected Hantavirus cases tied to a cruise. Hantavirus endemic to South America has some evidence of human-to-human spread; historical data demonstrates less efficient transmission. Awaiting deeper epi analysis. tinyurl.com/48nkzp5d
1/ In today’s mostly vaccinated populations, Paxlovid does not seem to reduce hospitalization or death from COVID in higher-risk adults. Earlier trials (EPIC-HR) showed ~90% risk reduction, but this was in unvaccinated high-risk patients. tinyurl.com/yc2fj8k5