BK. Titanji

Fiji is experiencing an alarming HIV outbreak at a time when we have more tools than ever to diagnose, treat and prevent HIV. It is a warning that progress against HIV is not self-sustaining and to end the epidemic we cannot become complacent bktitanji.substack.com/p/hiv-is-not...

As always thanks for the questions. This session is now closed. See you next month.

Get your fall/winter vaccines! For the next 24h, drop any infectious disease and/or vaccine related questions in response to this post, and I will do my best to answer them. Answers are for information only, NOT medical advice. #AskAnIDDoc October 2026 edition.

Great news to see the clinical trial for BDBV Ebola launch. The trial is called Tumami which means hope in Swahili. an adaptive platform with a ring vaccination approach. It is starting with Ervebo the Zaire virus vaccine but BDBV targeted vaccines will be added later.

It took me a lot of time to put this together. I share it to residents & medical students when I'm rounding. The feedback has been very positive. I wanted something that could be foldable, fit into a pocket etc. Born out of my frustrations on antibiotics decisions residents make esp on night float.

Why have we made it safer for some people to seek adventure in dangerous places, while so many who call those places home still struggle to access basic healthcare? A bit of medical history, some infectious diseases, and reflections on the unequal privilege of adventure. substack.com/home/post/p-...

The saga continues. I wish I lived in a world where the lives of vulnerable children mattered more than chasing a funding expiration deadline to secure money for an unethical study. Great reporting on guinea Bissau Hep B study from rollling stone www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

This is deeply sad news and a big loss for the scientific community and public at large. Helen Branswell was a stellar health reporter who was thorough and communicated with a rare clarity. I spoke to her for stories through the years. She will be missed. www.statnews.com/2026/10/13/h...

"Conflating this accident with Russian bioweapons research activities is not helpful because this was a public-health lab where this incident happened. The idea that all public-health labs are secretly working on bioweapons is just nonsense." www.nature.com/articles/d41...

When members of the IRB that reviewed a study are resigning in protest because they recognize the unethical design of the study and the avoidable harm it will cause, maybe it is a sign to no proceed with said study. Great reporting in the guardian. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

I'm still beating this drum. bktitanji.substack.com/p/plague-is-...

Kenya has reported its first case and death from Ebola in an individual who traveled to Kenya from the DRC. The ongoing outbreak in the DRC has killed 4000+ people and remains a threat for the region. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

The barbarity of the death penalty cannot be overstated. Two wrongs never make a right. The death penalty should be abolished. www.yahoo.com/news/us/arti...

The mysterious death of a scientist at a plague institute in Siberia has sparked “next pandemic” panic. I wrote about what we know, what we don’t, why plague is not the Black Death in 2026 and the real outbreaks we ignore while worrying about hypothetical ones. bktitanji.substack.com/p/plague-is-...

The confirmed #measles count in Pennsylvania has topped 1,000. Important to note that confirmed cases make up only a portion of all cases, especially given infections among PA's Amish community probably do not come to public health's attention in many cases. app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrI...

AFluDiary Blog `About that Russian `Lab Leak' Story' afludiary.blogspot.com/2026/10/abou... #Plague

In people with HIV virologically suppressed on 1 pill a day BIC/TAF/FTC a switch to ISL/LEN 1 pill weekly was not inferior. Having a one pill a week treatment option for people with HIV provides an important option. PS-Does not cover HBV. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

People were upset when the government tried to position AIDS as an equal-opportunity disease in the 1980s. They’re at it again with an HIV plan that doesn’t mention the key populations at higher risk, incl gay men, trans women, Black & Latino people, sex workers, PWID, homeless. What’s the point?

This story moved me deeply. The women and girls of Afghanistan deserve the freedom to education. Their resilience and determination are inspiring but it is hard to not feel that they have been largely abandoned by the global community. www.bmj.com/content/394/...

A space to watch closely. Weakening common rule especially those around consent practices and compliance could be quite damaging for translational research. www.science.org/content/arti...