This Week in Virology

Jake Scott, an infectious diseases physician and clinical associate professor at Stanford, dives into the troubling landscape of anti-vaccine rhetoric in the U.S. He dismantles misconceptions pushed by figures like RFK Jr., clarifying childhood vaccine doses and vaccine development impacts. Scott highlights the role of VAERS in public health and explains why saline placebo narratives are flawed. He also shares insights from his Senate testimony and stresses the need for clear science communication to combat misinformation.

Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease clinician and weekly commentator, discusses intriguing findings, including how the shingles vaccine may lower dementia rates. He critiques FDA claims linking COVID vaccines to children's deaths, updates on the measles epidemic, and shares insights on rising respiratory viruses like RSV and H3 influenza. Griffin also highlights the benefits of one-dose HPV vaccination and addresses long COVID symptoms, including neurodegenerative changes and effective treatments like celiac plexus blocks.

TWiV explains the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of pre-mRNA splicing, and engineering bacteriophage to deliver proteins to the human intestine. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV Immune 100 live at the Incubator Spliced segments of adenovirus mRNA (PNAS) An amazing sequence in adenovirus mRNA (Cell) Nobel Prize for mRNA splicing (Nobel) A predominant undecanucleotide in adenovirus late mRNAs (Cell) Splicing RNA with Phillip A. Sharp (ASM) Protein production in the gut by engineered phage (Nat Biotech) Engineered phage T4 (Curr Op Virol) Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Can You Identify These Lines from Classic SciFi Novels? Kathy – Saturday Morning Physics, Photograph 51 and JCE article Rich – Wikipedia:Wiki Science Competition 2025 in the United States Jolene – Data visualization workshop Vincent – Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death by Nick Lane Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and then decry appointment of the Louisiana State surgeon general as deputy chief of the CDC, the 3 children’s deaths during this fall’s pertussis outbreak, the Marburg virus outbreak in Ethiopia, results of the phase 1 safety trial for the novel poliovirus vaccines nOPV1 and nOPV3, and the first human death from H5N5 influenza virus infection in the US this fall, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, effectiveness of the cell or egg based flu or the mRNA vaccines, immunogenicity and efficacy of updated COVID-19 vaccines, where to find PEMGARDA, how to access and pay for Paxlovid, long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, immune and cognitive dysfunction during long COVID and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Anti-science Movement: Deputy director of CDC (X:Louisiana Office of the Surgeon General) CDC’s new deputy director is vocal critic of vaccines, advocated for ivermectin (CIDRAP) Whooping cough cases on the rise in Texas (FOX4: KDFW) Third infant in Kentucky dies of whooping cough as national cases stay high for second year in a row (CIDRAP) More than 25,000 whooping cough cases reported this year as Kentucky records 3rd infant death (ABC News) Vaccination Coverage and Exemptions among Kindergartners (CDC: SchoolVaxView) Effects of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes on community rates of HPV‐related disease and harms from vaccination (Cochrane Library) Marburg Outbreak in Ethiopia: Current Situation (CDC: Marburg Virus Disease) Safety and immunogenicity of novel live attenuated type 1 and type 3 oral poliomyelitis vaccines in healthy adults in the USA: a first-in-human, observer-masked, multicentre, phase 1 randomised controlled trial (LANCET: Infectious Diseases) Washington state resident believed to be the first to die from a rare strain of bird flu (AP News) Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan) Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola) Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins) Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg) Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada) Measles (WHO) Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health) Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola)) Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola)) Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC) Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC) Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM) Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America) Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine) Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView) Superior Effectiveness and Estimated Public Health Impact of Cell- Versus Egg-Based Influenza Vaccines in Children and Adults During the US 2023–2024 Season (Infectious Diseases and Therapy) Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety of Modified mRNA Influenza Vaccine(NEJM) ACIP Recommendations Summary (CDC: Influenza) Types of Influenza Viruses (CDC: Influenza (flu)) Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season (FDA) RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection) Vaccines for Adults (CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV)) Economic Analysis of Protein Subunit and mRNA RSV Vaccination in Adults aged 50-59 Years (CDC: ACIP) Estimating Risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in US Medicare-Enrolled Older Adults Following Medically Attended Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease (CID) FDA Requires Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) Warning in the Prescribing Information for RSV Vaccines Abrysvo and Arexvy: FDA Safety Communication (FDA) Brag Sets Off a Chain Reaction — Dr. Oz Takes the Bait, But Fumbles the Math, and Starts Unraveling Mid-Interview (Atlanta BlackStar) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses) COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC) COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain) Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1 (bioRxiV) Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 JN.1-adapted vaccines against COVID-19-associated hospitalisation and death: a Danish, nationwide, register-based, cohort study (LANCET: Infectious Diseases) Immunogenicity of JN.1- and KP.2-Encoding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Against JN.1 Subvariants in Adult Participants (OFID) SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and myositis in Norway and Sweden (Rheumatology) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD) Infusion center (Prime Fusions) CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC) NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH) Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool) Help your eligible patients access PAXLOVID with the PAXCESS Patient Support Program (Pfizer Pro) Understanding Coverage Options (PAXCESS) Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society) Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV) Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society) What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC) Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC) Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org) Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID) Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center) The answers: Long COVID Digitally Assessed Long COVID Symptomatology Is Associated With Lymphocyte Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Altered Immune Potential (OFID) Evaluation of Interventions for Cognitive Symptoms in Long COVID (JAMA Neurology) Reaching out to US house representative Letters read on TWiV 1274 Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

The hosts delve into the groundbreaking 1953 paper by Watson and Crick, unraveling the double helix structure of DNA. They also discuss the intriguing connection between Epstein-Barr virus and systemic lupus erythematosus, highlighting how EBV can reprogram autoreactive B cells. Key findings reveal a higher frequency of EBV-positive B cells in lupus patients, suggesting a model where EBV infects these cells, driving autoimmune responses. Insightful debates on Rosalind Franklin's contributions to DNA research round out an educational and thought-provoking discussion.

Dr. Daniel Griffin, a clinical virologist, dives into critical updates on infectious diseases. He discusses alarming CDC changes regarding vaccines and autism, the detection of wild poliovirus in Germany, and the first human case of H5N5 in the U.S. The Marburg outbreak in Ethiopia raises concerns about its impact, while avian flu devastates elephant seal populations. Griffin also highlights rising measles cases in North America and offers insights into RSV vaccination strategies, long COVID treatments, and the importance of continued vaccinations.

X.J. Meng is a veterinary virologist known for his work on hepatitis E virus (HEV), while Kylene Kehn-Hall focuses on Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). They discuss HEV's zoonotic transmission from animals like pigs and the challenges of understanding its chronic infection risks. Kylene dives into RVFV's mosquito transmission, its severe effects on livestock and humans, and the intricate immune evasion tactics of the RVFV NSs protein. The conversation highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research in tackling emerging viral threats.

In this episode, Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease clinician, shares vital insights from the ASTMH meeting. He discusses increasing H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks and the resurgence of measles, emphasizing vaccination’s importance. The conversation also covers early flu season trends, comparing high-dose and standard flu vaccine effectiveness, and recent RSV patterns. Dr. Griffin highlights the importance of staying vigilant about COVID-19 and outlines key public health actions, including the necessity of children's vaccinations to combat long COVID.

The podcast dives into the legacy of James D. Watson, highlighting his contributions and controversies in DNA research. It discusses alarming trends in bird flu outbreaks and the impact of budget cuts on global influenza surveillance. The panel explores significant findings linking HPV to cancers through groundbreaking studies. A fascinating human challenge study on influenza sheds light on infection dynamics and shedding patterns. Finally, the hosts recommend intriguing topics like a pandemic-themed board game and the environmental effects of whiskey fungus.

Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease clinician and researcher, offers a wealth of insights on viral infections. He discusses concerning links between in utero SARS-CoV-2 exposure and neurodevelopmental issues in children. The benefits of HPV vaccination in enhancing viral clearance are explored, alongside the troubling rise in measles cases among vaccinated healthcare workers. He also highlights the effectiveness of Paxlovid in reducing COVID-related hospitalizations and the role of vaccination in preventing long COVID in adolescents, making a strong case for science in healthcare.