This Week in Virology

For the last episode of 2023, TWiV describes how ancient chicken remains reveal the increase of fitness and virulence of Marek's disease virus, and the diversity and dissemination of Leishmania virus in the pathogenic protozoan Leishmania braziliensis. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Kathy Spindler, Brianne Barker and Angela Mingarelli Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Become a member of ASV (asv.org) Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) The New City by Dickson Despommier Ancient chickens and Marek's disease virus (Science) Diversity and dissemination of Leishmania virus and L. braziliensis (Nat Comm) Letters read on TWiV 1074 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Addictive Mandelbrot video and Gore slams COP28 summit Angela – 10 top-trending health questions you had for Dr. Google in 2023 Brianne – Tomato lost in space has been found Kathy – Earthquakes of the 20th Century Vincent – Animator Chris Georgenes especially Tricycle animation study Listener Picks Jason – Spot-on, quick booster explainer and "Inverse" vaccine Slashdot's summary. the full article, primary research article Meika – Iceland earthquake site Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the outcomes of SARS-CoV-2, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infection in pediatric communities under the age of 18 years, the treatment of infants with the human monoclonal anti-respiratory syncytial virus antibody to prevent hospitalizations, most recent statistics on the circulation of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 virus in the US, how the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic affected school attendance and child healthcare, how exposure length influenced transmission of SARS-CoV-2, how the durability of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response to protect against virus re-infection, if administration of oral antiviral therapy affected viral rebound in either the unvaccinated or vaccinated populations, as well as a reminder of the ineffectiveness of antibiotics for treating COVID-19 and the effect of vaccination on post-COVID conditions in children between 5-17 years old. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Pediatric outcomes SARS-CoV-2, flu, RSV (JAMA Peds.) SARS-CoV-2 vs Flu (Wired) Anti-RSV antibody treatment for infants (NEJM) Respiratory disease surveillance (CDC) RSV surveillance (CDC) RSV national trend (CDC) Influenza/flu surveillance (CDC) COVID-19 hospital admissions (CDC) COVID-19 national trend (CDC) COVID-19 wastewater testing (biobot) COVID-19 school attendance (JPEIDS) COVID-19 pandemic effects children health care (JPEIDS) Digitally measuring transmission (Nat) Antibody titers and re-infection (CMI) Oral antiviral and SARS-CoV-2 rebound (MMWR) Rebound after antiviral controlled trial (MMWR) Vaccination and antiviral therapy (OFID) Antivirals and hospitalization (JMV) Antivirals molnupiravir (JMV) Convalescent plasma and the immunocompromised guidelines (IDSOciety) Steroid and the cytokine storm (OFID) Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org) Unnecessary antibiotics (NEJM) Vaccination and long COVID (OFID) RSV vaccination (MMWR) Antivirals and chronic kidney disease (CID) Early administraton of molnupiravir versus ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (Lancet) Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB Letters read on TWiV 1074 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 explains a study showing that ost traits shape virome composition and virus transmission in wild bats, rodents, and shrews, and development of a gB nanoparticle vaccine that elicits a protective neutralizing antibody response against Epstein-Barr virus. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Kathy Spindler Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Become a member of ASV (asv.org) Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) The New City by Dickson Despommier Brett Lindenbach passes (Yale Medicine) Virome of small mammals (Cell) Epstein-Barr virus nanoparticle vaccine (Cell Host Micr) Letters read on TWiV 1073 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Summary of Global Climate Action at COP 28 and Notable Deaths 2023: Music Kathy – Two APODS Winter solstice, 183 Days in the Sun and the Same color illusion Vincent – The American Academy of Microbiology discusses gain-of-function research of concern (GOFROC) and enhanced potential pandemic pathogens (ePPP) Listener Picks Gregory – Climate Change – A revised prediction – Steven Chu John – Detergent packs are kinda wishy-washy (Technology Connections) Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses the annual economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus in adults in the US, recombinant or standard-dose influenza vaccine in adults under 65 years of age, maternal vaccine effectiveness against influenza-associated hospitalizations and emergency department visits in iInfants, influenza positive tests reported to CDC by US clinical laboratories, update on COVID-19, risk of severe maternal morbidity associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, COVID-19 rapid antigen tests with self-collected vs health care worker–collected nasal and throat swab specimens, optimal timing of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment after COVID-19 symptom onset or diagnosis: target trial emulation, long-term outcomes following hospital admission for COVID-19 versus seasonal influenza: a cohort study, and risk of arrhythmias following COVID-19: nationwide self-controlled case series and matched cohort study. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode RSV economic burden, US (J Inf Dis) Recombinant or standard dose influenza vaccine (NEJM) Maternal vaccine effectiveness against influenza in Infants (JAMA Ped) Weekly influenza surveillance report (MMWR) COVID data tracker (hospital admissions, national trend) Risk of severe maternal morbidity associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection (J Inf Dis) COVID-19 rapid antigen tests with nasal and throat swab specimens (JAMA Net Open) Optimal timing of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Nat Comm) Long-term outcomes following hospital admission for COVID-19 vs influenza (Lancet) Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB Letters read on TWiV 1072 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

Vincent visits the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany to speak with Matthias Fischer about his career and his research on giant viruses, virophages, and their protist hosts. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guest: Matthias Fischer Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) C. roenbergensis giant virus (PNAS) Virophage at origin of large DNA transposons (Science) Host genome integration and giant virus-induced reactivation of virophage mavirus (Nature) Invasion of protist genomes by DNA viruses (PNAS) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses monkeypox and chickenpox co-infection in southern Nigeria, vaccine effectiveness against influenza A, SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers in maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, and breast milk, COVID-19 rapid antigen tests with self-collected vs health care worker–collected nasal and throat swab specimens, four methods for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A virus activity in schools, efficacy and safety of Baricitinib for the treatment of hospitalized adults with COVID-19, a synbiotic preparation (SIM01) for post-acute COVID-19 syndrome in Hong Kong, consistent absence of cerebrospinal fluid biomarker abnormalities in patients with neurocognitive post-COVID complications, and risk of new-onset long COVID following reinfection with SARS-CoV-2. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Monkeypox and chickenpox co-infection in southern Nigeria (JID) Vaccine effectiveness against influenza A (CID) SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers in maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, and breast milk (JOP) COVID-19 rapid antigen tests with self-collected vs health care worker–collected nasal and throat swab specimens (JAMA) Four methods for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus activity in schools (JAMA) Efficacy and safety of Baricitinib for the treatment of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 (EJMR) A synbiotic preparation (SIM01) for post-acute COVID-19 syndrome in Hong Kong (The Lancet) Consistent absence of cerebrospinal fluid biomarker abnormalities in patients with neurocognitive post-COVID complications (JID) Risk of new-onset long COVID following reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 (OFID) Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB 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 European Society for Clinical Virology meeting in Milan, Vincent speaks with Eeva Broberg about her career and her work at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Heli Harvala Guest: Eeva Broberg Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Global Scholar Travel Awards (ASV) Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Emerging echovirus 30 in Europe (Emerg Inf Dis) RSV surveillance (Eur Resp J) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses developmental impairment in children exposed during pregnancy to maternal SARS-COV2, vagus nerve dysfunction in the post-COVID-19 condition, and humoral immunity to an endemic coronavirus is associated with postacute sequelae of COVID-19 in individuals with rheumatic diseases, incidence and burden of long COVID in Africa. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Developmental impairment in children exposed during pregnancy to maternal SARS-COV2 (IJID) Vagus nerve dysfunction in the post-COVID-19 condition (CMI) Humoral immunity to an endemic coronavirus is associated with postacute sequelae of COVID-19 in those with rheumatic diseases (STM) Incidence and burden of long COVID in Africa (Nature) Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB 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

On this all-bacteriophage episode, TWiV explains the 'vampire phage', and and how mammalian cells internalize phage particles and utilize them to enhance cell growth and survival. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Global Scholar Travel Awards (ASV) Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) The New City by Dickson Despommier Gerd Sutter passes (LMU) Avian influenza A (H5N1) Cambodia (WHO) CWD expands in Montana (CIDRAP) National Wastewater Surveillance System (CDC) Vampire phage paper (ISME J) UMBC phage hunters (UBMC) Vampire viruses prey on other viruses (Conversation) Phage internalized by mammalian cells (PLoS Biol) Phage uptake by mammalian cells (iScience) Phage-mammalian cell interactions (Ann Rev Virol) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Biden skips climate summit (NY Times) Rich – Lilium electric VTOL jet Alan – The Far Land, by Brandon Presser Jolene – Bacteriophage T4 infection watercolor painting by David Goodsell Vincent – Using narratives and storytelling to communicate science with nonexpert audiences Listener Picks Darach – It depends t-shirt Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses a microbiologist who was harassed during COVID pandemic sues university, use of inactivated poliovirus vaccine for poliovirus outbreak response, safety and immunogenicity of bivalent rsvpref vaccine coadministered with seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine in older adults, coffee as a dietary strategy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, enrollment of pediatric patients in COVID-19 interventional trials, vaccination, immunity, and the changing impact of COVID-19 on infant health, COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against post- COVID -19 condition among 589722 individuals in Sweden, repeated Omicron exposures override ancestral SARS-CoV-2 immune imprinting, protection conferred by COVID-19 vaccination, prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, or hybrid immunity against Omicron-associated severe outcomes among community-dwelling adults, the Novavax heterologous COVID booster demonstrates lower reactogenicity than mRNA vaccines, T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination are elevated in B cell deficiency and reduce risk of severe COVID-19, oral VV116 versus placebo in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in China, and how COVID-19 convalescent plasma therapy decreases inflammatory cytokines, therapeutic heparin in non-ICU patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the ACTIV-4a trial. Click arrow to play Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Microbiologist who was harassed during COVID pandemic sues university (Nature) Use of inactivated poliovirus vaccine for outbreak response (The Lancet) Safety and immunogenicity of bivalent RSVpreF vaccine coadministered with Influenza vaccine (CID) Coffee as a dietary strategy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection (BMC) Enrollment of pediatric patients in COVID-19 interventional trials (JAMA) Vaccination, immunity, and the changing impact of COVID-19 on infant health (PNAS) COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against post- COVID -19 condition (BMJ) Repeated Omicron exposures override ancestral SARS-CoV-2 immune imprinting (Nature) Protection conferred by COVID-19 vaccination, prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, or hybrid immunity against Omicron-associated severe outcomes (CID) Novavax heterologous COVID booster demonstrates lower reactogenicity than mRNA (JID) T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination reduce risk of severe COVID-19 (STM) Oral VV116 vs placebo in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in China (The Lancet) COVID-19 convalescent plasma therapy decreases inflammatory cytokines (MS) Therapeutic heparin in non-ICU patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the ACTIV-4a trial (Chest) Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB Letters read on TWiV on TWiV 1066 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