This Week in Virology

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.

Exploring the potential of Gardasil-9 for HPV-positive women, the discussion reveals its efficacy in reducing persistent virus and lesion progression. The hosts also dive into groundbreaking research on human monoclonal antibodies against the monkeypox virus, highlighting their role in protecting against lethal diseases. In lighter moments, they touch on fascinating topics like civet coffee chemistry and the thoughtful integration of humanism in medicine.

Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease clinician, provides an insightful clinical update on various viral infections. He discusses how mRNA vaccines may enhance cancer therapies and reveals new meta-analysis findings on COVID-19, RSV, and influenza vaccines. Dr. Griffin also highlights rising measles cases and H5N1 outbreaks in poultry. He addresses long COVID treatments, vaccine effectiveness against severe illness, and the limitations of wastewater surveillance for RSV, all while encouraging public health awareness.

Discover how SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines may enhance cancer treatment outcomes and prolong survival for patients receiving immunotherapy. The discussion delves into the mechanism of immune checkpoint inhibitors and the promising findings from recent studies. Learn how mRNA vaccines can reactivate cold tumors, offering new hope for treatment strategies. Additionally, explore how antigenic cartography could shape future influenza vaccines and pandemic preparedness while featuring unique listener anecdotes and valuable health insights.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello are distressed by the continuing government shutdown, first locally acquired chikungunya virus infection, President Trump’s suggestion for removing aluminum from vaccines, H5N1 isolation from backyard birds and turkey farms, and the suggestion of establishing an alternative to the CDC’s MMWR and asymptomatic measles infections 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, the quarantining in the US due to measles, access to anti-influenza antiviral, where to find PEMGARDA, how to access and pay for Paxlovid, can you be retreated with Paxlovid, long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, if colchicine is effective for 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 New York health officials confirm state’s first locally acquired case of chikungunya virus (AP News) Trump Rattles Vaccine Experts Over Aluminum (NY Times) Aluminum-Adsorbed Vaccines and Chronic Diseases in Childhood (Annals of Internal Medicine) Three large turkey farms in Minnesota hit with H5N1 avian flu (CIDRAP) Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) Jeffrey Lee McLean (California.No) California mpox cases raise concerns. But health officials say the risk remains low (AP News) ‘Alternative’ to CDC’s Flagship Journal in the Works (MEDPAGE TODAY) Measles without rash during acute febrile illness surveillance in Tanzania, 2023-2024 (CID) Frustration grows amid measles outbreak quarantines across several states (NBC News) More Than 100 Cases of Measles Reported in Utah and Arizona (NY Times) Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan) Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola) Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins) 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 recommendations from NYP (jpg) 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) ACIP Recommendations Summary (CDC: Influenza) American Academy of Pediatrics Flu and Children (CDC: Influenza (flu)) Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season(FDA) Roche to sell flu pill for $50 to cash-paying US patients (Reuters) RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) 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) Evidence to Recommendations Framework (EtR): RSV Vaccination in Adults Aged 50–59 years (CDC: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases) Efficacy and safety of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines (Cochrane Library) Estimated Vaccine Effectiveness for Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Related Acute Respiratory Illness in Older Adults (CID) 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) 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 Effectiveness of Colchicine for the Treatment of Long COVID(JAMA Internal Medicine) Reaching out to US house representative Letters read on TWiV 1264 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 ongoing measles outbreak in the US raises public health concerns, fueled by vaccination gaps. Experts discuss the need for a hepatitis C vaccine and delve into how genetic variations impact antibody responses. A study links varicella zoster reactivation to increased dementia risk, suggesting that vaccination can significantly reduce this risk, especially in older adults and women. Hosts highlight innovative uses of AI in bioinformatics and share fun recommendations, including a live reef camera and neck pain relief exercises.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello are dismayed by the government shutdown, the firings at the CDC including EIS agents, H5N1 isolation from backyard birds and its stability in raw milk and cheese, 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, the quarantining of college students in the US due to measles, Japan’s declaration of a national influenza outbreak, effectiveness of the influenza and COVID vaccines, where to find PEMGARDA, how to access and pay for Paxlovid, can you be retreated with Paxlovid, long COVID treatment center, results from PLATCOV studies- still no antiviral activity attributed to ivermectin, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, long COVID in pediatrics, patient reported outcomes from the STOP-PASC clinical trial, contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research and the listener reminder that measles vaccine in those with interferonopathy may result in severe adverse affects. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials (NY Times) CDC walks back hundreds of firings as US shutdown persists (Yahoo News/ Reuters) CDC battered by government shutdown firings, while some are rescinded (STAT 10) Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) Flurry of H5N1 activity noted in commercial poultry, wild birds(CIDRAP) H5N1 influenza virus stability and transmission risk in raw milk and cheese(Nature Medicine) Hundreds of U.S. students quarantined amid measles outbreaks (NBC 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) Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola)) 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) Japan sees early flu activity, with school closures(CIDRAP) Japan Declares Nationwide Flu Outbreak Following Early Surge in Cases (insightscare) ACIP Recommendations Summary (CDC: Influenza) American Academy of Pediatrics Flu and Children (CDC: Influenza (flu)) Effectiveness of influenza vaccination to prevent severe disease (CMI: Clinical Microbiology and Infection) Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season(FDA) RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) 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) Evidence to Recommendations Framework (EtR): RSV Vaccination in Adults Aged 50–59 years (CDC: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases) Efficacy and safety of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines (Cochrane Library) 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 NVX-CoV2373 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccination in South Korean Adolescents (The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal) Trump gets Covid vaccine and flu shot during second checkup of the year (NBC News) 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) Pharmacometrics of high-dose ivermectin in early COVID-19 from an open label, randomized, controlled adaptive platform trial (PLATCOV)(eLife) Antiviral efficacy of oral ensitrelvir versus oral ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir in COVID-19 (PLATCOV) (LANCET: Infectious Diseases) 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 Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir and Symptoms in Adults With Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (JAMA Internal Medicine) Longitudinal patient-reported outcome trajectories in Long COVID: Findings from the STOP-PASC Clinical Trial (OFID) Reaching out to US house representative Severe Adverse Reaction to Measles Vaccine Due to Homozygous Mutation in the IFNAR2 Gene: A Case Report and Literature Review (Journal of Clinical Immunology) Letters read on TWiV 1262 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.