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.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the recent increase in norovirus outbreaks, human cases of H5N1 avian influenza, before reviewing the recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, how effective Molnupiravir is and provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Norovirus: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) Adolescent with Influenza A H5N1 infection (NEJM) Highly pathogenic avian Influenza A ( H5N1) virus infections in humans (NEJM) Emerging threat of H5N1 to human health (NEJM) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) In-hospital outcomes of healthcare-associated Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Omicron) versus healthcare-associated Influenza (CID) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView) RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC) COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain) 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) Real clinical effectiveness of Molnupiravir against 30-day mortality (OFID) 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)Post-COVID Condition Risk Factors and Symptom Clusters and Associations with Return to Pre-COVID Health (CID) Letters read on TWiV 1180 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 RFK Jr’s demand to revoke polio vaccine, Wuhan lab samples do not include close relatives to SARS-CoV-2, using artificial intelligence to discover the RNA virosphere, and biomarkers that discriminate early and late phases of respiratory virus infections from a SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Angela Mingarelli Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV ASV 2025 RFK Jr lawyer wants revocation of polio vaccine (CNN) Wuhan lab has no samples close to SARS-CoV-2 (Nature) Using AI to discover RNA virosphere (Cell) SARS-CoV-2 human challenge reveals biomarkers (Nat Comm) Does this challenge study pass the smell test? (TWiV 863) Letters read on TWiV 1179 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Angela – Science’s 2024 breakthrough of the year, Lenacapavir  “the long shot”.  NEJM papers with Lenacapavir trials: one and two. Kathy – Bach Toccatta and Fugue on floor piano Rich – Never Cry Wolf Vincent – Common Raven and American Crow Listener Pick Jaan – Meute (one, two, three) Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

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

At the School for Influenza in Brisbane, TWiV speaks with Kirsty, Erik and Rebecca about their careers and their research. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guests: Kirsty Short, Erik Karlsson, and Rebecca Cox Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV Diabetes, obesity, and COVID-19 severity (Diab Care) Rice farming and zoonosis in Cambodia (One Health) Influenza correlates of protection (mBio) 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 continues his discussion of whether the mysterious respiratory illness in the Congo is malaria, and in conjunction with your host Vincent Racaniello discusses how routine childhood immunizations especially that against poliovirus are threatened by Robert F Kennedy Jr and Aaron Siri, the origin of the SAR-CoV-2 virus and retraction of Didier Raoult’s research, then returns to discussing the first case of severe disease following H5N1 infection in humans and the state of California’s “bird flu emergency”, the benefit of the measles vaccine, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, how vaccination reduced hospitalization of children between 5-17 years, the ACIP recommendation for the immunocompromised, where to find PEMGARDA, information for Columbia Unversity Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, long COVID in cancer patients and the physical malaises of long COVID. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Mystery disease in DRC kills mostly children (ALJAZEERA) Malaria—mysterious disease in DRC? (ALJAZEERA) Mysterious disease in DRC is severe malaria (ALJAZEERA) Confirmed first severe human H5N1 case (CIDRAP) California declares bird flu emergency (Reuters) RFK’s lawyer asks FDA to revoke approval of the polio vaccine (NY Times) NO WAY! Vaccination promotes survival and health? (LANCET) 10.6 million cases of measles this year alone! (WHO) 20% rise in measles…..(NY Times) No Sars-CoV-2 relatives in Shi Zhengli’s freezers (Nature) Controversial COVID study that promoted unproven treatment retracted after four-year saga (Nature) Influenza weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) 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) BNT162b2 XBB Vaccine for COVID-19 Among Children 5-17 Years ofAge (JAMA Network) ACIP recommendations for those over 65 years and those under 6 months who are immunocompromised (CDC MMWR) 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) Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 in cancer patients: Two cohorts in UK and Hong Kong(Cancer Medicine) Skeletal muscle adaptations and post-exertional malaise in long COVID (Cell: Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism) Letters read on TWiV 1176 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 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.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin deep dives into whether the mysterious respiratory illness in the Congo is malaria, and in conjunction with your host Vincent Racaniello discusses the failure of the poliovirus eradication campaign with virus circulation detected throughout Europe and how we should focus on disease control not virus circulation, then returns to discussing avian influenza in raw milk and the early stoppage of the mpox antiviral Tecovirimat  before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, if there is a difference in protection against the development of severe disease between an mRNA or a protein based vaccine, where to find PEMGARDA, and information for Columbia Unversity Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode IIs the mysterious disease in the Congo, malaria? (AP News) State of global health, year-end remarks by WHO director-general (WHO) Really, progress towards poliomyelitis eradication? (CDC MMWR) Increases in confirm cases ¹ control of poliomyelitis (WHO) Polio European Union and United Kingdom, is that 1 global entry? (Science) Is the WHO the global CDC?  polio vaccination guidelines (WHO) Do you feed your cats raw milk? (Public Health LA county) Is there avian influenza in the zoo near you? (Maricopa) Don’t feed your cat raw milk (CIDRAP) Holy Cow! H5N1 in cows! (microbeTV) Tecovirimat no improvement in Mpox resolution or pain(NIAID NIH) Interim results from STOMP study of  Tecovirimat (SIGA) Trial stops enrollment after Tpoxx fails (CIDRAP) Is Tecovirimat really first-in-class mpox therapy? (Viruses) Influenza weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) 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) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain) Relative effectiveness of homologous NVX-CoV2373 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccinations in South Korea (Vaccine) Phase III trial results! Comparative efficacy and safety of COVID-19 (BMC Infectious Diseases) 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) Stop playing favorites with COVID-19 in healthcare settings (Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology) Steroids, dexamethasone at the right time (OFID) Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org) Remdesivir Effectiveness in Reducing the Risk of 30-day Readmission in Vulnerable Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 (CID) Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID) Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center) Letters read on TWiV 1174 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 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.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin summarizes influenza and RSV circulation in the US, the benefit of administering oseltamivir early and if influenza vaccination reduces secondary household infections, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, how 1st or 2nd trimester SARS-CoV-2 infections may shorten newborn telomeres, what are B1 cells, if IgG4 responses are critical for protection elicited by mRNA vaccines, if there is a difference in protection against the development of severe disease between an mRNA or a protein based vaccine, where to find PEMGARDA, if remdesivir reduces readmission of vulnerable patients once hospitalized for COVID-19, information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, if transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation ameliorates musculoskeletal pain and fatigue during long COVID, do antihistamines reduce post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection and how long can SARS-CoV-2 antigens be detected in blood. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Influenza weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Influenza vaccines protect against secondary infections in households (JAMA Network) Benefit of early oseltamivir therapy for influenza A (CID) RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection) 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) Maternal infection of SARS-CoV-2 during 1st and 2nd trimesters newborn telomere shortening (Journal of Translational Medicine) What is a B1 cell? (Wikipedia) Pre-COVID and post-COVID vaccination on long COVID (Journal of Infection) Delayed Induction of Noninflammatory SARS-CoV-2 Spike-Specific IgG4 Antibodies after  BNT162b2 Vaccination in Children (The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal) Relative effectiveness of homologous NVX-CoV2373 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccinations in South Korea (Vaccine) Phase III trial results! Comparative efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines (BMC Infectious Diseases) 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) Remdesivir Effectiveness in Reducing the Risk of 30-day Readmission in Vulnerable Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 (CID) Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID) Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center) Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for fibromyalgia-like syndrome in patients with Long-COVID(Scientific Reports) Mitigating the risks of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) with intranasal chlorpheniramine (BMC Infectious Diseases) Measurement of circulating viral antigens post-SARS-CoV-2 infection (CID) Letters read on TWiV 1172 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