This Week in Virology

TWiV explains studies which reveal that Inhibition of CXCL10 and IFN-γ mitgates myocarditis associated with SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination, and identification of a bacteriophage T7 protein that antagonizes the DNA restriction system of the host by mimicking B form DNA. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV ASV 2026 Understanding mRNA vaccine-associated myocarditis (Sci Transl Med) T7 protein overcomes DNA restriction of host (J Mol Biol) Structure of T7 protein that mimics DNA (Mol Cell) Letters read on TWiV 1283 Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Jolene – Book series Dinosaur Therapy, Dinosaur Philosophy, & Dinosaur Friendship Vincent – One Plus One Equals One: Symbiosis and the evolution of complex life by John Archibald Listener Picks Terry – Arcadia by Tom Stoppard Greg – Charctic Interactive Sea Ice Graph | National Snow and Ice Data Center 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.

Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease clinician and researcher, dives into pressing viral concerns, from a new high path influenza case in Wisconsin to the Marburg outbreak in Ethiopia. He highlights the alarming rise of measles cases across North America and discusses the effectiveness of current influenza antivirals. Key insights include the higher mortality rates linked to COVID-19 compared to influenza, and the promising data on nirsevimab for RSV prevention in infants. The importance of vaccination remains a recurring theme throughout their insightful chat.

Vincent travels to Tegernsee, Germany for the Sixth Ringberg Symposium on Giant Viruses, where he talks with John Archibald, Susana Coelho, and Tom Delmont about their work on – you guessed it – giant viruses. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guests: John Archibald, Susana Coelho, and Tom Delmont Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Transposable elements shaping Ectocarpus genome (Genome Biol) Mirusviruses link herpesviruses to giant viruses (Nature) Mirusviruses predicted to reproduce in nuclei (Nat Micro) Persistent mirusvirus infection in the marine protist Aurantiochytrium (Nat Com) Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! 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 protest Vinjay Prasad, head of CBER FDA Nov memo stating administration of the COVID-19 vaccine resulted in 10 children’s deaths, but are cautiously delighted by the December memo from those in CBER who dispute this data-less claim, how in 31 states pertussis vaccination rates have declined before Dr. Griffin then deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, of clinical outcomes of oseltamivir versus baloxavir for treating influenza infection, number deaths associated with COVID-19 hospitalizations and disease associated economic burden, 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, how the German government is committed to research into 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 Industry laments Prasad vaccine memo (Politico) Scoop: FDA vaccine chief’s memo cited 10 pediatric Covid-19 vaccine deaths—but the agency’s own analysis found 0–7 (Inside Medicine) Whooping cough cases soar as vaccination rates drop (NBC News) Marburg Outbreak in Ethiopia: Current Situation (CDC: Marburg Virus Disease) 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) Hundreds quarantined as South Carolina measles outbreak accelerates (Washington Post) Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) USrespiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView) In call with clinicians, CDC recommends flu vaccines widely (CIDRAP) Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season (FDA) Comparison of clinical outcomes of oseltamivir versus baloxavir in outpatients with influenza: a retrospective cohort analysis (International Journal of Infectious Diseases) RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health) USrespiratory 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) 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 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccines in Children in the United States — VISION, August 29, 2024–September 2, 2025 (CDC:MMWR) Mortality following recovery from COVID-19 hospitalization: A long-term cohort study (International Journal of Infectious Diseases) COVID hospitalization tied to 69% higher risk of death for up to 2 years (CIDRAP) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUAfor 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) Comparison of work productivity losses in the United States among employees with COVID-19 at high-risk of severe disease who were untreated or treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Journal of Medical Economics) 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) Anticoagulationguidelines (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 Long-COVID research just got a big funding boost: will it find new treatments?(Nature) Reaching out to US house representative Letters read on TWiV 1280 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.

TWiV reviews considerations and perspectives on phage therapy, and the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of hepatitis b virus. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Jolene Ramsey 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 ASV 2026 WHO global expert committee: no link between vaccines and autism (News-Medical) Considerations on phage therapy (Nat Comm) What is TATFAR? (CDC) History of phage therapy (one, two) JAMA Viruses that (can) make you well (TWiV 1153) The InVinceable TWiV (TWiV 145) Blumberg Nobel Lecture 1976 Particles associated with Australia antigen in patients (Nature) HBV vaccination remains vital for saving lives (Hep B Foundation) Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Rich – Scientist’s cat, again, helps discover new virus Alan – Wormtalk video on politicization of screwworm spread Jolene – Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis Vincent – Scoop: FDA vaccine chief’s memo cited 10 pediatric Covid-19 vaccine deaths—but the agency’s own analysis found 0–7 Listener Picks David – Astronomy Picture of the Day Eric – Jesse Welles (United Health) 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.

Dr. Daniel Griffin, a physician and infectious disease expert, shares critical insights on recent health developments. He discusses the alarming rise in norovirus infections and the infant botulism outbreak linked to contaminated formula. The controversy surrounding the CDC's recommendation on hepatitis B birth doses is examined, alongside the implications of rising measles cases and responses from various states. Additionally, Griffin highlights the significance of RSV and COVID vaccines, along with alarming statistics on pediatric flu deaths, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance in public health.

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.