This Week in Virology

TWiV discusses an outbreak of influenza H5N1 that killed over half of the great cats at a Washington sanctuary, origin and cross-species transmission of bat coronaviruses in China, and the diverse and abundant phages that enter cells via receptors encoded on conjugative plasmids. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, 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 ASV 2025 H5N1 virus kills great cats at Washington sanctuary (CNN) Macroevolution of bat coronaviruses in China (Nat Comm) EcoHealth Alliance funding suspended (Science) Conjugative plasmids support diverse and abundant phages (Nat Comm) Letters read on TWiV 1181 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Rich – Pareidolia (wiki) Jolene – Pathways to Science database Vincent – Wendy Carlos and Switched-On Bach Listener Picks Arjan – Gutsick Gibbon’s YouTube channel Alan – 2024 Nobel Prize Lectures in Chemistry 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 expert in infectious diseases, shares critical insights on the recent surge of norovirus outbreaks and H5N1 avian influenza cases. He reviews statistics on RSV, influenza, and COVID-19, and discusses the usefulness of the WastewaterScan dashboard. Griffin also highlights the promising results of Molnupiravir in reducing mortality rates and points listeners to Columbia University's long COVID treatment center. This engaging session balances serious topics with an emphasis on community health measures and ongoing vaccine research.

The discussion kicks off with the controversial demand to revoke the polio vaccine, sparking debates on public health. Researchers reveal that Wuhan lab samples lack close relatives to SARS-CoV-2. Exciting advancements are presented in using AI to uncover hidden RNA viruses, showcasing machine learning's role in virology. A study reveals critical biomarkers for identifying respiratory virus phases, enhancing diagnostics. The episode also touches on the dynamics of immune responses and the whimsical comparison of ravens and crows, packed with anecdotes.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin deep dives into the whooping cough epidemic and bird flu in big cats, and in conjunction with your host Vincent Racaniello discusses the recent case of paralytic poliomyelitis in Israel, measles outbreaks and HHS campaign for vaccine safety campaign before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, if the COVID mRNA vaccine is effective against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization in children, where to find PEMGARDA, information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, how long COVID effects one’s activities, personality and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Highest level of whooping cough cases in a decade (NBC News) Provisional pertussis surveillance report (CDC) Polio moves into Israel (Jerusalem Post) Polio today (GPEI) Measles- the let’s get real vaccination campaign (CDC) Measles fact sheet (CDC) Measles- near you (CDC) Let’s get real about childhood vaccines (HHS) The FACTS about childhood vaccines (HHS) Tigers and cougars dying from bird flu, oh my! (NY Times) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView) Burden of all-cause mortality following Influenza-associated hospitalizations (CID) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC) COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain) Initial effectiveness of mRNA-1273 against SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization in young children (OFID) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD) Fusion center near you….if in NY (Prime Fusions) CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC) NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH) Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society) Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool) Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV) Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society) What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC) When your healthcare provider is infected/exposed with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC) Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC) Steroids, dexamethasone at the right time (OFID) Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org) Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID) Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center) Long COVID and significant long COVID–associated activity limitation among adults (CDC: MMWR) 2024 Update of the RECOVER-Adult Long COVID Research Index (JAMA Network) About 8% of US adults have ever had long COVID, survey finds(CIDRAP) Real-world effectiveness and causal mediation study of BNT162b2 on long COVID risks in children and adolescents (eClinicalMedicine) Personality and neuropsychiatric symptoms in individuals diagnosed with long COVID(BMC Infectious Diseases)Post-COVID Condition Risk Factors and Symptom Clusters and Associations with Return to Pre-COVID Health (CID) Letters read on TWiV 1178 38:11 Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

In this enlightening discussion, researchers Kirsty Short, Erik Karlsson, and Rebecca Cox share their fascinating journeys in the world of influenza research. They delve into the creation of a 'School for Influenza' in Brisbane, emphasizing the importance of networking in science. The trio explores the interplay between diabetes and viral infections, highlighting the health risks involved. Erik details vital viral surveillance in Cambodia's ecosystems while discussing the significance of traditional markets in maintaining public health. Their insights underline the crucial role of science communication in combating misinformation.

In this discussion, Dr. Daniel Griffin, an expert in infectious diseases, tackles urgent health concerns, including a mysterious respiratory illness in the Congo that turns out to be severe malaria. He elaborates on the importance of childhood vaccinations against polio and measles, criticizing misinformation campaigns. The conversation also covers the alarming emergence of H5N1 avian flu and its implications for public health. Additionally, Dr. Griffin provides insights into long COVID's effects on cancer patients and recent data demonstrating vaccination benefits in reducing hospitalizations.

TWiV reviews the appearance of poliovirus in Europe, mystery disease in DRC, global burden of Chikungunya, viruses of parasitic nematodes that induce antibody responses in vertebrate hosts, and picobirnaviruses, do they infect eukaryotes or prokaryotes? Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode ASV 2025 Write your senators about RFK Jr Support science education at MicrobeTV Poliovirus in Europe (WHO) DRC mystery disease (Reuters) Global burden of chikungunya (BMJ Global Health) RNA viruses of parasitic nematodes (Nat Micro) Picobirnaviruses encode bacterial lysins (PNAS) Prokaryotic ribosome binding site in picobirnavirus genome (Virology) Letters read on TWiV 1175 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Alan – Sondehub and radiosonde hunting Jolene – Book “10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People” By David Yeager Vincent – Dr. Vinay Prasad “Sabotaging RFK Jr’s Confirmation Will Increase Vaccine Hesitancy” & “Doctors Criticizing RFK Jr. Paved the Way for His Ascendancy” Listener Picks Syl – Foldscope Jennifer – minutiae 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 expert in infectious diseases, unpacks the mysterious respiratory illness in the Congo, questioning if it could be malaria. He discusses the setbacks facing poliovirus eradication in Europe, stressing disease control over mere virus tracking. The conversation also touches on avian influenza linked to raw milk and the halted use of the mpox antiviral, Tecovirimat. Griffin reviews the latest SARS-CoV-2 statistics, vaccine efficacy comparisons, and resources for long COVID treatment at Columbia University.

TWiV reviews nominees to head NIH, FDA, and CDC, cervical cancer decline following HPV vaccination, local dengue in Texas, human isolate of H5N1 virus is transmissible and virulent in animal models, and shared mechanisms of immune evasion among animal and bacterial viruses. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, Brianne Barker, and Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Bhattacharya nominated to head NIH (Science) Makary nominated to head FDA (Science) Weldon nominated to head CDC (Chief Healthcare Exec) Cervical cancer declining following vaccination (JAMA Net) Local dengue case in Texas (Texas HHS) H5N1 human isolate transmissible and virulent (Nature) H5 current situation (CDC) Global H5N1 cases (Our World in Data) Conserved immune evasion in animal and bacterial viruses (Cell) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Pale Blue Pod Kathy – PhysicsGirl recent Instagram post, ScienceAdvisor signup free daily sci news distillation, Semi-conducting hydrogels, Bot that can pick up things with a soft touch, “Pigeonbot II”, a drone called LisRaptor, zapping forever chemicals like PFAS with light and here Rich – Vendee Globe Jolene – Center for the Improvement of Mentored Research Experiences Vincent – These two ancient human relatives crossed paths 1.5 million years ago 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 specializing in infectious diseases, shares vital insights on respiratory viruses like influenza and RSV. He discusses the importance of early oseltamivir treatment and the role of flu vaccinations in preventing secondary infections. The conversation evolves to SARS-CoV-2, revealing intriguing links between COVID-19 and long-term health effects in newborns and adults. Griffin also highlights the benefits of remdesivir in reducing hospital readmissions and new therapies for managing long COVID symptoms, making this an essential listen for health enthusiasts.