This Podcast Will Kill You

In last week’s episode, we explored the mysterious world of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the ongoing quest to determine what causes this autoimmune disease. While it’s likely that no one single factor leads to the development of MS, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has long been suspected to play a role in this and many other autoimmune diseases and has also been shown to be involved in several cancers. But why? How is this virus implicated in so many diseases? How does it infect us? What does it do once it’s in our bodies? Dr. Micah Luftig, Associate Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University, helps to answer these questions and many more about this surprising virus. Not only does Dr. Luftig share his expert knowledge in all things EBV in this interview, he also sheds some light on what a career in academia is like and drops some great advice on how to feel out whether a research career might be right for you. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like many autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis so clearly illustrates how detection and description of a disease only gets us so far when it comes to prevention, treatment, and cure. In the over 150 years since the first comprehensive description of multiple sclerosis, a great deal of progress has been made to understand the what and how of this disease, but many mysteries still abound, especially surrounding the why. In this episode, we explore what we do know about how this disease works, including a discussion about two recent headline-making scientific articles implicating a certain virus in disease onset or progression. We then trace its history all the way from an ice skating saint to a sympathetic sister, and we end the episode by taking measure of the global status of this disease. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ended our myxoma virus episode on a bit of a cliffhanger, briefly alluding to the emergence of another deadly rabbit virus on the global scene. In this follow-up bonus episode, we take a closer look at this recent arrival, rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), and what its rapid spread around the world has meant for both invasive European rabbits in Australia as well as native rabbit species around the world. Dr. Robyn Hall (@Virologica), veterinary virologist, epidemiologist, and Team Leader of the Rabbit Biocontrol Team at CSIRO in Australia, walks us through how this virus earned the nickname “bunny Ebola”, where it seems to be having the most impact, and what the sudden appearance of a new type of RHDV has taught us about viral evolution and ecological cascades. Then, once we fill up on RHDV facts, we talk favorite viruses, life as a veterinary virologist, and so much more! Tune in wherever you get your podcasts. And check out our website for links to where you can learn more about this fascinating and deadly virus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Invasive rabbits so numerous they form a “gray blanket” across the land. A killer virus, intentionally released to keep the bunnies at bay. An ensuing evolutionary arms race with no end in sight. It sounds more like the premise of a bad sci fi movie rather than a textbook case of biocontrol. But truth, especially in this case, is stranger and even more fascinating than fiction. If this is the first you’re hearing about myxoma virus and its place in the long history of European rabbits in Australia, get ready for a gripping story filled with rabbit facts, discussions about what drives pathogens to be deadly or benign, and philosophical musings about the situational difference between pest, pet, and keystone species. That’s right, we’re heading deep down the rabbit hole with this one.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our episode last week ended on a hopeful note, a rare occurrence for this podcast, and it was due in large part to the incredible decline in reported cases of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) over the past decade. In this bonus episode, we explore one of the major reasons behind this drop in HAT: the new medication fexinidazole, developed through a partnership between the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a non-profit organization dedicated to developing new treatments for neglected diseases and Sanofi, a French healthcare company. We are thrilled to be joined by two researchers from DNDi, Dr. Nathalie Strub-Wourgaft and Dr. Wilfried Mutombo Kalonji, who share their insights into the challenges associated with bringing a medication all the way from its development stage, to testing it in the field, and finally ensuring that access is provided for those who need it most. We also chat about how this treatment works, the impact that COVID-19 has had on screening efforts for sleeping sickness, the lessons learned from fexinidazole’s development, and so much more. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts! And when you’re finished with the ep, check out this beautiful video from DNDi chronicling the story of fexinidazole: A doctor’s dream: A pill for sleeping sickness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here on the podcast, we’re no strangers to multi-host parasites with complicated life cycles, intricate ecologies and dense human histories. But human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) might require the most unpacking yet. In this episode, we do a deep dive into the tsetse fly-transmitted HAT, whose other name, sleeping sickness, doesn’t quite capture just how deadly this parasitic infection can be. First, we ask how these two trypanosomes cause the signs and symptoms they do, especially the strange sleep disruptions that gave this neglected tropical disease one of its names. Then, after a brief detour discussing the fascinating ability of tsetse flies to give live birth, we explore the many political and ecological factors that set the stage for the devastating HAT epidemics of the early 20th century. We wrap up the episode with a look at the current global status of HAT, and with new, effective, and easy-to-administer drugs on the scene along with a downward trend in cases, we’re certainly hopeful for the future elimination of this disease. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blood tests and liver function results can only tell us part of the story when it comes to the impact that hepatitis B has on people living with the virus. Far too often overlooked is how stigma and discrimination, which we only briefly touched upon in our last episode, contribute to the substantial global burden of disease. In this bonus episode, Dr. Chari Cohen, Senior Vice President of the Hepatitis B Foundation, comes on the pod to chat about the different forms stigma and discrimination can take, how we can get a better sense of their impact, and the key tools in the fight against them. We also seized this opportunity to pick Dr. Cohen’s brain about what it’s like to run a public health non-profit, how much of the job is accurately reflected in the job title, and advice for someone who might be interested in pursuing a career in public health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we’re dipping a toe back into the vast waters of hepatitis viruses, this time with a focus on hepatitis B. The hepatitis B virus, though second to be named, was first to be discovered, and effective vaccines and treatments have been available for decades. Yet the global prevalence of this virus remains staggering, with nearly 300 million people chronically infected and 1.5 million new infections annually. So what’s going on? In this episode, we weave our way through the complicated biology of this virus and its deadly potential, the strange history of its identification that shows that you don't have to be looking for something to find it, and the current status of this virus that underlines how safe, effective tools for disease prevention are only as good as our delivery infrastructure. We are also so excited to be joined by Dr. Su Wang, Medical Director for the Center for Asian Health & Viral Hepatitis Programs at the Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center and outgoing President of the World Hepatitis Alliance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chances are you know someone with endometriosis, or perhaps you’re affected yourself. But despite its incredibly high prevalence, endo remains almost criminally understudied, undertreated, and underacknowledged. In this episode, we aim to shed light on many aspects of endometriosis, first by examining the “what” and “how” of this disease: what’s actually going on inside your body with endometriosis and how does it cause the symptoms that it does? Then we turn our sights to the why, exploring not only the possible evolutionary origins of this disease but also the deep historical roots contributing to the struggle many people still face today in obtaining a diagnosis. We discuss how although hysteria is no longer a valid medical diagnosis, it has left its mark on medicine in the form of implicit bias that leaves many people feeling unlistened to and unbelieved. We then wrap up the episode with a look at endometriosis by the numbers and some current research that leaves us feeling slightly more hopeful about the growing awareness of this disease and the need for effective treatments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s episode, we cover a bacterium whose recent emergence and rapid spread has been largely an epidemic of our own making. Clostridium difficile isn’t your typical pathogen - in many cases it’s not even considered a pathogen, just a normal member of our gut microbiota. But when something disrupts our gut microbiota, like antibiotics, C. difficile is given the freedom to spread its wings, wreaking deadly havoc on our bodies especially when it refuses to leave. We explore the characteristics of this bacterium that make it such a terrifying public health threat, delve into its recent-but-not-as-recent-as-you-might-think history, and chat about the current status of C. diff before asking the question, “what can poo do for you?” That’s right, we’re taking this opportunity to talk about one of our all-time favorite medical interventions, fecal microbiota transplantation. Helping us navigate the ins and outs of fecal transplants is Dr. Majdi Osman, Chief Medical Officer at OpenBiome, a nonprofit stool bank that aims to expand access to safe fecal microbiota transplantation and fund research into the human microbiome. By the end of this episode, we think you’ll find yourself in awe at the healing powers of poop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.