Raphaëlle K

Raphaëlle K

@raph-klitting.bsky.social

Researcher/Virologist - Emerging Viruses Unit - National Reference Center for Arboviruses Main interests: 🦠 Emerging virus genomics (arbos+), ecology, 🍫, environmentalism, blobs, nature sports, filling boxes (or anything that can contain stuff)

54 followers56 following17 posts

5) This last result indicates that the risk of a large resurgence on La Réunion is low due to population immunity. And this prediction proved accurate: only a handful of local cases were reported this year on the island despite sustained chikungunya virus circulation elsewhere in the Indian Ocean 😉

3) We show that epidemic dynamics were associated with climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation, which shape mosquito density and activity), but that climate alone cannot account for the decline in transmission at the end of the epidemic.

4) Finally, we demonstrate that the gradual build-up of population immunity was, in theory, sufficient to push – on its own – the effective reproduction number below 1, bringing the outbreak to an end.

A quick run-down of the main points: 1) We confirm that this second major circulation event most likely stemmed from a new single introduction, after more than ten years with no autochthonous cases reported on the island.

2) We find that virus spread was highly “intermixed”, with frequent movements between residential areas (even distant ones), driven by human mobility and population density. (see also a very nice animation by @sdellicour.bsky.social available here :https://github.com/sdellicour/chikungunya_reunion)

>> Finally, we show that the population immunity resulting from both the current and the 2005-2006 epidemic is sufficient to explain the decrease in transmission rate leading to the end of the epidemic. 📉

>> We find that virus dispersal events were on average more likely between geographically close locations with, however, frequent dispersal between distant residential areas, at least partly due to human mobility 🚗

We analyse more than more than 3,000 time-stamped and geo-referenced near-full chikungunya genomes representing more than 5% of confirmed cases, to assess the epidemiological and dispersal dynamics of the virus. In brief 👇

Raphaëlle K reposted

Our latest study dedicated to the massive 2024-2025 chikungunya virus outbreak on Réunion island is now available as a preprint on medRxiv: doi.org/10.64898/202.... With more than 54,000 confirmed cases this is the second major chikungunya outbreak on the island, following the 1° one 20 yrs ago. 1/9

doi.orgUnravelling the epidemiological and dispersal dynamics of the 2024-2025 chikungunya virus outbreak on Reunion islandReunion island just experienced a massive chikungunya virus outbreak in 2024-2025, with more than 54,000 confirmed cases. This is the second major chikungunya outbreak on the island, following the fir...

Raphaëlle K reposted

🚨 New preprint alert! We have developed a targeted amplicon sequencing panel for Aedes aegypti. We believe it is a powerful and cost-effective tool for studying #mosquito #population #genetics. Curious how it matches up to WGS? Check out our preprint to find out! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

biorxiv.orgA targeted amplicon sequencing panel for cost-effective high-throughput genotyping of Aedes aegyptiThe mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary vector for several medically significant arboviruses, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Studying the genetic diversity of Ae. aegypti is ...

Raphaëlle K reposted

I don't know if this is just a reflection of the times that we find ourselves in, but our Research Programmer position received just under a thousand applications (984, to be precise!) in the first week of posting - we had to pull it down as a result... The Postdoc position is still open!

Kristian G. Andersen@kgandersen.bsky.social

Are you looking for a Postdoc or Research Programmer position? Want to work as part of highly collaborative infectious disease programs that have direct relevance to global health? Well, we got you covered! Learn more 👇 andersen-lab.com/about/

Raphaëlle K reposted

@cnrsecologie.bsky.social regrette profondément l'adoption de cette loi à la vision court-termiste & ses conséquences graves sur l’environnement, qui méprise santé & bien-être de la population & le rôle des espèces sauvages dans la prod. agricole. La communauté scientifique n'a pas été entendue.

Le Parlement a définitivement adopté mardi la proposition de loi agricole Duplomb-Menonville, comprenant entre autres une mesure décriée de réintroduction sous conditions d'un pesticide néonicotinoïde, et présentée comme une réponse à la colère agricole de 2024.

Raphaëlle K reposted

“The studies targeted by NIH include both relatively low-risk, routine work and higher risk experimentation that is essential for developing new drugs and vaccines, several researchers told ScienceInsider” 🧪 #IDsky www.science.org/content/arti...

science.orgExclusive: NIH suspends dozens of pathogen studies over ‘gain-of-function’ concernsTrump executive order leads to pauses on U.S.-funded research into TB, influenza, COVID-19, and other diseases, dismaying some scientists

Raphaëlle K reposted

In 2019, NIAID proposed an ambitious scientific network focused on pandemic preparedness, research, and response - the "CREID Network". Ten centers kicked off just as the pandemic was taking off, playing critical roles throughout. We were just notified the whole network is terminated. Reason? 👇

Super happy to see the communication of the wonderful team of the french NRC in Réunion island on the current CHIKV epidemic out today ! #IDSky Highlights on the epidemic lineage: -ECSA-2 -linked to central African strains -E1-A226V -emergence in early August 2024 For more details 👇👇

Eurosurveillance journal@eurosurveillance.org

Our new issue is out 🗞️ bit.ly/EUS3022 Featuring a paper on re-emergence of #chikungunya virus on Réunion Island in 2024 The virus lineage causing the current epidemic has the ability to circulate in Aedes albopictus mosquitoes 🦟, a common vector in Southern Europe #IDSky #EpiSky #MedSky

Raphaëlle K reposted

We have updated estimates for the Mpox outbreak in Sierra Leone. We estimate that the G.1 lineage started to diversify in SL around 16 November, suggesting 1-2 months of circulation before detection. G.1's estimated growth corresponds to a doubling time of ~2 weeks: virological.org/t/genomic-ep...

virological.orgGenomic epidemiology of Mpox virus in Sierra LeoneThis post has been updated to include new sequences, new analysis, and revised estimates. Background Sierra Leone confirmed its first Mpox case on January 10, 2025, with the Minister of Health declar...

Raphaëlle K reposted

Our consortium's paper on Mpox in West Africa is finally out today: "Genomics reveals zoonotic and sustained human Mpox spread in West Africa" rdcu.be/emGKq. Extremely fortunately to get to work with such an exceptional team of African public health scientists, and our partners!

rdcu.beGenomics reveals zoonotic and sustained human Mpox spread in West AfricaNature - Genomics reveals zoonotic and sustained human Mpox spread in West Africa

Raphaëlle K reposted

Raphaëlle K reposted

Working with an interdisciplinary team, we have developed a website to communicate how the White House's proposed cuts to health research would cause losses of $16B and 68,500 jobs. Find out how your community may be impacted. Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org a 🧵

Raphaëlle K reposted

If even Jeffrey Goldberg is saying "there's too much preemptive obeying for my taste" then the winds are indeed shifting.

Chris Geidner@chrisgeidner.bsky.social

A fantastically important postscript to this piece: David Graham asks Jeffrey Goldberg about possible retaliation, and Goldberg gives a perfect answer — with perfect swipes. www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

Raphaëlle K reposted

Raphaëlle K reposted

Well worth a read. Not because of the content - it's total horseshit - but because it's a prime example of what happens when you mix anti-science, conspiracism, arrogance, and a total lack of expertise. Maybe one day NYT OpEds will engage with the actual science 🤷‍♂️. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/o...

nytimes.comOpinion | We Were Badly Misled About Covid (Gift Article)The same dangerous mistakes. The same lack of candor.

Raphaëlle K reposted

Do you know what’s great about vaccines? We can stop outbreaks in the first place, so we don’t have to discuss half-witted hypotheticals about the precise circumstances we’d rather have kids exposed to a deadly, disabling virus…

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

RFK Jr: "It used to be that everybody got measles. And the measles gave you lifetime protection against measles infection. The vaccine doesn't do that ... it used to be that very young kids were protected by breast milk. Women who get vaccinated do not provide that level of immunity."

Raphaëlle K reposted

Frustrating to see science communicators posting videos about how a person with measles infects 18 others on average, without mentioning this is in a *fully unvaccinated* population. Measles can spread quickly in under vaccinated pockets of the population, but we don’t need to overstate risk. 1/

Raphaëlle K reposted

Raphaëlle K reposted

When an epidemic hits, how long does it take to get going with common epidemic analysis tasks? A couple of weeks ago, we asked representatives from over a dozen UK organisations and universities who work actively on epidemic analysis and modelling how long the below tasks would take them.... 1/

Raphaëlle K reposted

WHO Africa has shared info on the unidentified illness in DRC in its weekly bulletin. It highlights the “significant public health threat” and “urgent action needed”. As of 15 Feb, 419 cases and 45 deaths (CFR 10.7%) identified. Ebola and Marburg have been ruled out.

Raphaëlle K reposted

Join us in embedding the Global South, emerging talent and equity firmly within health security and the 100 Day Mission!

At the @munsecconf.bsky.social, we w/ @cepivaccines.bsky.social, @nti.org, & @foreignpolicy.com, met with rising biosecurity leaders from the Global South & top decision-makers to identify actions to improve biosecurity & the #100DaysMission. Together they’ve crafted an exciting declaration. More ⤵️