This Week in Virology

TWiV reviews polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, viruses with zoonotic potential in farmed fur animals, low HPV vaccination in North Texas associated with high rates of cervical cancer, a large flavivirus genome that does not encode error correction machinery, and antiphage defense through inhibition of virion assembly. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, and Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Polio vaccination in Gaza (Reuters) Zoonotic viruses in farmed fur animals (Nature) HPV vaccination and cancer rates (JAMA Net Open) 40 kb RNA genome without error correction (PNAS) Stopping the phage tape measure protein (Nat Commun) Tail assembly interference (Nat Commun) Letters read on TWiV 1151 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Digital nature pics winners 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Alan – Adorable story about a Nigerian paralympian couple who are both polio survivors Jolene – Capsid assembly model with self-assembling pentamers in 3D print model (plus three more models now available if search self assembling virus) and Wonderlab article about exhibit using this to teach about viral patterns in Bloomington Indiana Science museum Vincent – The collapse of bat populations led to more than a thousand infant deaths 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 dives into West Nile virus in New Jersey, poliovirus vaccination campaign in Gaza and Afghanistan, California dengue virus infections, children dying from flu, mpox vaccination procurement and antiviral usage, flu circulation in US, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, finding a new wasterwater dashboard, if the monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine is effective against circulating SARS-CoV-2 isolates, the need for nasal mucosal IgA in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, where to find PEMGARDA, does administration of molnupiravir reduce symptoms in the vaccinated, when to use convalescent plasma, how molnupiravir treatment leads to better outcomes 3 and 6 months after treatment, a reminder of how and when to use steroids to treat COVID-19, what do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, if vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 does protect against long COVID, and if those taking the anti-diabetic drug metformin have higher or lower incidences of long COVID. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode West Nile virus in New Jersey (CBSNews) Poliovirus vaccination 90% coverate (Reuters) Suspension of poliovirus eradication by the Taliban (apnews) California dengue cluster (CIDRAP) Children dying of influenza (CIDRAP) 199 children deaths from flu (CDC) Bavarian Nordic mpox vaccine (Yahoo finances) Prequalification of MVA-BN mpox vaccine (WHO Int) Speed doses of mpox vaccine (CIDRAP) GAVI rapidly secures 500K doses of mpox vaccines for Africa(GAVI) Expanded access to teconvirimat for mpox treatment in US 2022-2023(NEJM Evidence) FluView (CDC) Human to human transmission of bird flu in Missouri? (NY Times) Bird flu isolated from humans in Missouri similar to that found in cattle (CNN) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain) Effectiveness of Updated 2023–2024 (Monovalent XBB.1.5) COVID-19 Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB and BA.2.86/JN.1 Lineage (CID) Early, robust mucosal secretory IgA but not IgG response to SARS-CoV-2 spike in oral fluid is associated with faster viral clearance and COVID-19 symptom resolution (JID) Suggestion for the use of a new preventive COVID-19 agent (IDSA) IDSA Guidelines on the Treatment and Management of Patients with COVID-19 (IDSA) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD) 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 Lierpool) Molnupiravir outcomes 3 and 6 months after treatment (LANCET Infectious Diseases) Antivirals and post-COVID-19 conditions (LANCET Infectious Disease) 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) Metformin use in adults with diabetes and incidence of long COVID (Diabetes Care) Letters read on TWiV 1150 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

From the annual meeting of the American Society for Virology, Kathy and Brianne speak with Mary Estes about her career and the research of her laboratory on viruses that infect the gastrointestinal tract, including rotavirus and norovirus. Hosts: Kathy Spindler and Brianne Barker Guest: Mary Estes Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Diarrhea induced by rotavirus NSP4 (Science) Minimal infective dose of rotavirus (Arch Virol) mRNA release from rotavirus particles (Nat Struct Biol) Norovirus vaccine (Clin Ther) Timestamps by Jolene. 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 dives into “pandemic potential” viruses isolated from farmed fur animals, how the mRNA and pox vectored vaccines against mpox spar against each other, how telehealth does managing mpox, and if prophylactic use of the anti-RSV monoclonal for infants is cost-effective before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, if viral load correlates to one vaccination status, where to find PEMGARDA, does administration of molnupiravir reduce symptoms in the vaccinated, when to use convalescent plasma, how molnupiravirs treatment leads to better outcomes 3 and 6 months after treatment, a reminder of how and when to use steroids to treat COVID-19, what do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, if vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 does protect against long COVID, and if SARS-CoV-2 during Omicron alters ones’ micriobiota. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Lending you the viruses in my fur (Nature) mRNA or vaccinia based mpox vaccine (Cell) Virtual outpatient management of mpox (OFID) NYC: mpox vaccination finder (NYC) Vaccine, mpox/COVID-19 near you (NYC) Expensive or not expensive anti-RSV monoclonal therapy for infants (American Academy of Pediatrics) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC) COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain) Association of vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 viral load phase 3 (JID) IDSA Guidelines on the Treatment and Management of Patients with COVID-19 (IDSA) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD) Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov) 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 outcomes 3 and 6 months after treatment (LANCET Infectious Diseases) Antivirals and post-COVID-19 conditions (LANCET Infectious Disease) 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) Long COVID following infection with Omicron: oral microbiota changes(American Journal of Medicine) Letters read on TWiV 1148 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

TWiV reviews multi-country outbreak of Mpox, first face covering ban in Nassau County NY, case of polio in India, more in US accept vaccine misinformation, other wartime diseases in Gaza besides polio, a new scientist run virus genome database, Mpox epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness in England, and metabolic immaturity and breastmilk bile acid metabolites determine heightened newborn vulnerability to norovirus diarrhea. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Multi-country Mpox outbreak (WHO) Face covering ban in Nassau County (NBC) Polio case in India (Business Standard) More acceptance of vaccine misinformation (EurekAlert) War in Gaza not just causing polio (Jerusalem Post) Scientist run virus genome database (Science) Mpox epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness (Emerg Inf Dis) Newborn vulnerability to norovirus diarrhea (Cell Host Microbe) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Viral adaptation to climate change Rich – “Understanding the biology of monkeypox virus to prevent future outbreaks” by B. Moss Vincent – We can now watch Grace Hopper’s famed 1982 lecture on YouTube 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 clinical expert in infectious diseases, shares critical insights on seasonal influenza vaccine recommendations and the global efforts surrounding polio vaccination campaigns. He discusses COVID-19 updates, including the use of convalescent plasma and when to administer steroids. The conversation also covers the complexities of long COVID management, highlighting the impact of vaccination on preventing long-term symptoms. Dr. Griffin emphasizes global health initiatives, such as securing mpox vaccines for Africa, to reduce food insecurity in affected regions.

TWiV reviews a case of polio in Gaza, more Mpox, COVID-19 boosters, effectiveness of Ebola virus vaccine, measles cases across the US, an endogenous retroviral envelope protein that regulates human cardiomyocyte development, and submergence of an encephalitic alphavirus caused by receptor shifts. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Gaza baby has polio (Times Israel) Monkeypox virus clade Ib in Thailand (CIDRAP) Updated COVID-19 vaccines (FDA) Effectiveness of Ebola virus vaccine (Lancet Inf Dis) Measles cases in Georgia, Oregon (CIDRAP) Retrovirus protein regulates cardiomyocyte development (Cell Stem Cell) Receptor shifts govern submergence of encephalitis arbovirus (Nature)   Letters read on TWiV 1145 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Kathy – Googlegangers and AWWW clip Rich – RP FLIP (floating instrument platform) Alan – Big labs are bad for careers Vincent – So You’re Underwater: Why Do You See That Circle of Light Above You? 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 discusses Dr. Fauci’s case of West Nile virus, polio vaccine campaign develops in Gaza, disease that associates with Oropouche virus, mpox: vaccines, clinical trial for mpox antiviral and the WHO strategic preparedness and response plan before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, how to obtain free COVID tests, EUA for updated Novavax COVID vaccine, ISDA support of and where to find PEMGARDA, breakthrough infections when administering PEMGARDA, when to use convalescent plasma, what do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, if nirmatrelvir/ritonavir is effective at preventing hospitalization of high risk patients, incidence of mental illness in the vaccinated and unvaccinated, the effect of amubarvimab/romlusevimab on long COVID outcome, having an evidence based approach to long COVID and how fibrin drives thromboinflammation and neuropathology in COVID-19. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Fauci recovering at home from West Nile Virus infection (STAT News) Gaza: poliovirus RNA in sewage water (GPEI) Bombs and polio…..cease fire, Oh my!  (Guardian) The variant type 2 poliovirus in Gaza  (United Nations: The Question of Palestine) 25 years polio free?  (Facebook) 2 doses of nOPV2= 1.2M vaccines=640,000 children (CNN) More polio……India, two-year-old child in Tikrikilla, Meghalaya (Business Standard) Sloth fever……Oropouche virus (USA Today) Oropouche virus disease import into US (MMWR) Gabon’s first case of mpox (CIDRAP) Declaration of mpox (Gabonese Republic Ministry of Health and Social Affairs) What about vaccines? (Bavarian Nordic) LC16 replicating smallpox vaccine (WHO) Historical smallpox vaccination against mpox clade II (Eurosurveillance) FDA approves Emergent Bio’s smallpox vaccine for mpox (Reuters) Mpox: epidemiology and vaccinology (Emerging Infectious Disease) Tecovirimat for MPOX? (STOMP) UGH! The WHO has a strategic preparedness and response plan to contain mpox outbreak (WHO) WHO preparedness plan prepares to lunch (CIDRAP) Working blindly against new mpox isolate (Reuters) CDC monkey pox response: TRANSMISSION ? (CDC Newsroom) The mpox (Africa CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Evidence for mpox respiratory transmission(LANCET Microbe) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC) COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain) Four free COVID tests! (ASPR: Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response) Great, more SARS-CoV-2 testing! (CIDRAP) EUA for updated Novavax COVID-19 vaccine (FDA) Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society) IDSA suggests new preventive COVID-19 agent (IDSA) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD) Breakthrough from pemivibart/permgarda (bioRxiv) CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC) Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov) NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH) Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society) Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool) Effectiveness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir preventing hospitalization of high risk patients (Current Therapeutic Research) 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) COVID-19, mental illness vaccinated and unvaccinated (JAMA Psychiatry) Post acute COVID- 19 outcomes amubarvimab/romlusevimab versus placebo (eClinical Medicine) Postacute sequelae of COVID: an evidenced based approach, Dr. Daniel Griffin (OFID) Fibrin drives thromboinflammation & neuropathology in COVID-19 (Nature) Letters read on TWiV 1144 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

This week, experts dive into the WHO's declaration of Mpox as a public health emergency, highlighting its impacts and calls for antivirals. They discuss monkeypox's clade 1b and its higher mortality risks, as well as cross-species transmission. The rampant spread of SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife communities raises concerns for future zoonotic outbreaks. A fascinating look at how the rice gall dwarf virus manipulates plant defenses also reveals complex interactions among plants, insects, and pathogens. As always, intriguing anecdotes and scientific insights are shared!

Dr. Daniel Griffin, a seasoned medical professional in infectious diseases, provides a clinical update on current health challenges. He delves into the global transmission of mpox, comparing the effectiveness of vaccination and antiviral therapies. Griffin also reviews the latest stats on SARS-CoV-2, discussing the approval of updated COVID vaccines and their economic impact. He highlights the nuances of long COVID in children, addresses treatment options like convalescent plasma, and offers insight into the realities of healthcare workers' struggles during the pandemic.