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Infectious dose is the shot of science you need to protect yourself from misinformation. Heather McSharry, PhD, an expert in viral pathogenesis, brings her blog to the airwaves to help bridge the dangerous gap between the science of infectious diseases and public misperception. On the podcast website, infectiousdose.com, all episodes have corresponding blog posts with the information contained in the episode along with links or PDFs for all sources used. To prevent unwelcome surprises, episodes with limited, mild profanity are marked as explicit. *Podcast intro and outro music are adapted from Heather Nova’s song, I Miss My Sky. Used with permission.
Episodes
Wednesday May 21, 2025
Wednesday May 21, 2025
Invasive meningococcal disease strikes fast—and often without warning—especially in close-contact environments like college dorms and military barracks. While it’s rare, the consequences can be devastating: death within hours, or lifelong complications like limb loss and brain damage. In this episode Heather explains all about how Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium that many carry unknowingly, transforms from harmless passenger to lethal invader. With rising case numbers and low vaccine uptake, especially for serogroup B, understanding the risks and protections has never been more urgent.
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