Heather McSharry, PhD
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pathogenscribe.bsky.social
Heather McSharry, PhD
@pathogenscribe.bsky.social
Virologist turned science writer. She/her. Fighting science misinformation with a podcast/blog. Infectiousdose.com
My views are my own & do not represent any organization
Pinned
New #InfectiousDose episode is LIVE — in recognition of AMR Awareness Week:

A Prescription for Pestilence: The global spread of antimicrobial resistance

How we build superbugs. How they spread. Why this crisis is accelerating.
www.infectiousdose.com/post/a-presc...
A Prescription for Pestilence: The Global Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance
Explore how modern medicine, agriculture, global systems and our individual choices fuel drug-resistant microbes. A clear, compelling look at the growing antimicrobial resistance crisis.
www.infectiousdose.com
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Utah, South Carolina confirm more measles as CDC call suggests US elimination status in jeopardy

Today the South Carolina Department of Health reported 5 new cases in Spartanburg County.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...
November 18, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
📣 Attention #AMRSymposium2025 attendees!

We’re looking for research on resistance development, cross-sector transmission, mitigation strategies, and more. Submit to the Canadian Journal of Microbiology by Jan 31, 2026 ▶️ https://ow.ly/ZrN950Xnk7e

#OneHealthAMR2025 #AMR #WAAW
November 19, 2025 at 5:45 AM
New #InfectiousDose episode is LIVE — in recognition of AMR Awareness Week:

A Prescription for Pestilence: The global spread of antimicrobial resistance

How we build superbugs. How they spread. Why this crisis is accelerating.
www.infectiousdose.com/post/a-presc...
A Prescription for Pestilence: The Global Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance
Explore how modern medicine, agriculture, global systems and our individual choices fuel drug-resistant microbes. A clear, compelling look at the growing antimicrobial resistance crisis.
www.infectiousdose.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:19 PM
New episode drops tomorrow, midnight!
Superbugs aren’t sci-fi villains — we’re cultivating them.
Hospitals are seeing “routine” infections turn untreatable.
Farm use, global travel, broken surveillance… it’s all fueling the rise.
💊🦠🔥
#InfectiousDose #AMRAwarenessWeek
November 18, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
The wild form of the poliovirus has been found in wastewater samples in Germany. The discovery comes more than 30 years after the last cases of wild-type poliovirus was reported in the country. www.reuters.com/business/hea...
www.reuters.com
November 15, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
I purposely gave my email address to The Epoch Times. Know your enemy and all that.

They are *relentless*. My inbox has been *inundated* with a constant flow of propaganda dressed up as news.

This is what we are up against. If you repeat a lie enough it becomes a truth to some.
November 15, 2025 at 3:51 PM
New episode is out now! 🎙️🦟

Rift Valley fever is surging across Mauritania & Senegal—and now The Gambia. Hundreds sick, dozens dead.

What’s happening, why now, and what it means for the region?
Listen here 👇
www.infectiousdose.com/post/rift-va...
#RiftValleyFever #GlobalHealth
Rift Valley Fever: When the Rains Bring Life and Loss
Rift Valley fever outbreak 2025: how the virus spreads from livestock to people in Mauritania, Senegal, and beyond.
www.infectiousdose.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:55 PM
📢New episode drops tomorrow night at midnight!
The largest Rift Valley fever outbreak in years is unfolding across Mauritania and Senegal — fueled by rain, livestock, and mosquitoes.
🎧 on any podcast player or the website: infectiousdose.com
ALSO👇👇

#RiftValleyFever
Home | Infectious Dose
Infectious Dose is a science-forward podcast by virologist-turned-science-writer Heather McSharry, PhD, breaking down vaccine myths, viral threats, and public health headlines — one episode at a time.
infectiousdose.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:47 PM
US repubs look for 1 reason to vote for someone. Like abortion. & nothing else matters. They vote. US dems do the opposite. Look for 1 reason to not vote for someone. One criticism & nothing else matters, no vote. Candidate A is great but not perfect? Fuck em. Maybe let’s stop doing that.
November 10, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
It funded science too. Grand Rapids pertussis vaccine trials moved forward in the 1930s because of WPA funding for nurses and technicians.
you ever think about the works progress administration? I sure do. I wish that was a thing now. I would be so glad to contribute my labor to like. A random ass local bridge
November 7, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Yes on Prop 50 wins, Mamdani wins, Spanberger wins, Sherrill wins, Colorado passes tax on rich to fund school meals!

This is the beginning of the Democratic comeback and hopefully the dawn of a new populist and progressive era.
November 5, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Endless lies 🤥 - brought to you by corporations who won’t pay a living wage
November 5, 2025 at 2:54 PM
🚨 OUT NOW: Travel Bugs & Holiday Hugs🎙️
✨ How to stay healthy on the road without panic, shame, or turning into a hazmat ninja.
• What to pack in your health kit
• RSV, norovirus & long COVID basics
• Airplane air myths
🎧 Listen:
www.infectiousdose.com/post/travel-...
#TravelHealth #InfectiousDose
Travel Bugs & Holiday Hugs: Staying Healthy on the Road
SummaryHoliday travel is stressful enough without adding surprise stomach bugs or mid-flight fevers to the mix. In this episode of Infectious Dose, we get practical — not paranoid — about staying heal...
www.infectiousdose.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:42 PM
We survived #MonthoftheMacabre 👻🦠
Can we survive holiday travel season? 😬✈️
New #InfectiousDose drops tomorrow at midnight with practical, calm, science-based tips for staying healthy on the road.

Masks & hand sanitizer at the ready.
www.infectiousdose.com
Home | Infectious Dose
Infectious Dose is a science-forward podcast by virologist-turned-science-writer Heather McSharry, PhD, breaking down vaccine myths, viral threats, and public health headlines — one episode at a time.
www.infectiousdose.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
I corrected falsehoods about Teflon spread by Moms Across America & MAHA allies here: www.instagram.com/p/DQfZm9mjnp...

PTFE (Teflon) is biologically inactive & has been studied & regulated for food contact & in your body.

That’s why it’s not a health concern for cookware or surgical procedures.
dr.andrealove on Instagram: "@danielleshine.dietitian and I were all set to post our usual Halloween content until this truly horrifying (yet predictable) colla…"
@danielleshine.dietitian and I were all set to post our usual Halloween content until this truly horrifying (yet predictable) collaboration between die-hard MAHA influencers Moms Across America, Courtney Swan, MAHA Mommas, and the MAHA Mom Coalition dropped.Yikes. The sheer amount of misinformation packed into one post is genuinely frightening, and far too dangerous to ignore. Swipe through to see our evidence-based corrections–WITH receipts.Beware of people like this: so deeply entrenched in misinformation, pseudoscience, and conspiracy that they’ve lost sight of reality. They thrive in groups and, like a cult, are always recruiting new members.The content they produce is harmful: it’s filled with falsehoods that influence other people’s choices about health and nutrition. Deliberately discrediting qualified experts like dietitians is a calculated tactic to create distrust of evidence-based science and healthcare–a hallmark of medical conspiracism the wellness industry thrives on. Spreading misinformation about health and nutrition is reckless, dangerous, and causes preventable illness and death. When people forgo credible health interventions in favor of pseudoscience, they die more often and faster. That’s true for infectious diseases, cancer, and nutrition. MAHA influencers distract with fake risks of tap water, Wi-Fi, and cooking utensils, while their figurehead, RFK Jr, is destroying evidence-based science and public health right in front of us. Creating blanket fear of “chemicals” that don’t pose a risk to you doesn’t improve health. The truth? MAHA is not about health or safety. RFK Jr. is firing experts, gutting research and regulation, defunding food and healthcare support, and undoing decades of progress in disease prevention. That’s the real nightmare.
www.instagram.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Honored to be quoted here talking about war powers and the lawless strikes in the Caribbean.
November 3, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Vaccines didn’t just save lives—they shaped society! From ancient variolation to mRNA, discover key breakthroughs, hidden heroes, and why vaccine innovation matters more than ever. Are you ready for the next chapter?
👉 scienceagenda.net/blog/vaccine-discovery-process-history-challenges-milestones/
The Vaccine Discovery Process: History and Milestones
Explore the vaccine discovery process from ancient practices to mRNA vaccines. Learn how scientists overcame challenges to save lives.
scienceagenda.net
October 29, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Has this guy met his OWN WIFE?

He'll find her in his own house!
Vance says it is "totally reasonable and acceptable" for people to not want to live next door to people who speak a different language than they do
October 29, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Updated peer-reviewed evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of immunizations against Covid-19, RSV, and influenza during the 2025–2026 season @nejm.org @jakescottmd.bsky.social @stanforddeptmed.bsky.social
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Updated Evidence for Covid-19, RSV, and Influenza Vaccines for 2025–2026 | NEJM
Changes in the vaccine advisory process in the United States have disrupted immunization guidance, which reinforces the need for independent evidence review to inform decisions regarding immunizati...
www.nejm.org
October 29, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Let me be very clear. It is not enough that RFK Jr. was forced to admit today that no causal relationship between Tylenol and autism has been shown.

We know that while disinformation spreads like wildfire on social media, corrections most often die on the vine.
October 29, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Seeking a three year postdoc in the field of ocean biogeochemistry and productivity using mechanistic models and synthesis of observations. Note the short fuse for applications. Please help distribute. All nationalities welcome to apply! 🌊

www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPG117/p...
Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Liverpool
Looking for a new job opportunity in academia? Check out this job opening for a Postdoctoral Research Associate on jobs.ac.uk!
www.jobs.ac.uk
October 29, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
If you and your children are not ready for a particular book, that is okay. It is not okay to limit the access to books, stories, and experiences for other families. Every book is not for everyone, but every book is for someone.

bookriot.com/the-day-the-books-disappeared-school-visit-cancelation/
Why Did These Authors Have Their School Visit Canceled? They Were Talking About Their Book About Book Bans.
Country Club Elementary School in California's Bay Area canceled an author visit moments before it began. Why? It covered book bans.
bookriot.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by Heather McSharry, PhD
Me: “Wellness becomes the entry point into the alt-right world” www.wissenschaftskommunikation.de/wellness-bec...

"...it’s about optimising your life – you are going to be a super CEO and you are going to be this really impressive individual, even though there’s no evidence on how to achieve..."
“Wellness becomes the entry point into the alt-right world”
Topics such as health and longevity are extremely popular on social media, as demonstrated by the success of the ‘Huberman Lab’ podcast. Timothy Caulfield, professor of health law and science policy, ...
www.wissenschaftskommunikation.de
October 29, 2025 at 7:36 PM
The #MonthOfTheMacabre ends with an epic debut… 👁️🔥
Welcome to Outbreak After Dark, the new monthly ritual within #InfectiousDose... & I have cohosts! Sam & Kate join me for drinks & snacks & real science that's darker, weirder, & sometimes just gross.
🎧 Ep 1: Ocularium
👇
October 29, 2025 at 8:08 PM