This Week In Virology With Vincent Racaniello

The entire TWiV team comes together to pay tribute to Dickson Despommier, then reviews antibodies to H5N1 virus in veterinarians working with dairy cattle, Elisabeth Bik donates prize money for data integrity analyses, measles outbreak in Texas, and use of an alternative genetic code by human microbiome phages. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, Brianne Barker, Daniel Griffin, Angela Mingarelli, 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 Livestream tribute to Dickson (Office Hours) Dickson’s Wikipedia page Dickson’s obituary (NY Times) Dickson websites: trichinella.org, thelivingriver.org, fordhamopolis.com, despommierphotoart.com Alan’s tribute to Dickson (alandove.com) H5N1 seroprevalence (MMWR) Elisabeth Bik donates prize money (Science) Measles outbreak in Texas (Texas DSHS) Human microbiome phages use alternative genetic code (Nat Comm) Letters (mostly not)

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello reminiscence about Dickson before discussing discharging Ebola patients, another announcement of emergency measures to control polio spread and the third nOPV2 vaccination campaign in Gaza in less than 6 months, the measles outbreak in the US, vaccination campaign for chickens against high pathogenic avian flu before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, an update of Paxlovid administration provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, and where to go for answers to your long COVID questions. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode In memory of Dickson (NY Times) All Ebola patients discharged in Uganda (DG Alerts) Uganda discharges Ebola patients (WHO Uganda) Emergency measures to stop polio…..isn’t this the same plan as last year? (GPEI))

TWiV reviews a facility accident that killed monkeys, new bird blu genotype found in Nevada dairy cattle, Argentina plans to leave WHO, yellow fever on the rise, dynamics of HPV infections in women, and Epstein-Barr virus protein targets B cell receptor for degradation. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, 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 Accident kills monkeys at SC research supply facility (Science) D1.1 Genotype in Dairy Cattle in Nevada (APHIS) Argentina to leave WHO (CIDRAP) Yellow fever on the rise (CIDRAP) HPV dynamics in women (PLoS Biol) EBV protein degrades B cell receptor (PNAS) Letters read on TWiV 1193 Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Angela – Mitochondrial swap from cancer to immune cells thwarts anti-tumour defences (one, two) Alan – A little adventure game Vincent –  The Staggering Success of Vaccines Listener Picks John – Percy Lavon Julian

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello discuss confirmation of Robert F Kennedy as HHS sectary, mpox, Ebola, how the American people support vaccine development and administration, the measles outbreak in the US-Texas, Georgia and influenza: the number of human infections, high avian flu in mammals, house cats and dairy cows before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, an update of Paxlovid administration provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, how long COVID varies between children and adults and if viral infection reduces telomere length in sperm. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Confirmation of RFK, Jr as HHS sect (NY Times) Did you know mpox in NY?….(Reuters) Mpox in sex workers in the Congo and in NY (CIDRAP)

TWiV reviews freezes and unfreezes of US government grants, how prior COVID-19 vaccination prevents over-reaction of the innate immune response during infections, and how bat genomes illuminate adaptations to viral tolerance and disease resistance. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Alan Dove Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV ASV 2025 NIH freezes (ScienceAdviser) Is your research on Trump’s hit list? (ScienceInsider) Prior COVID-19 vaccination tames innate responses (Sci Transl Med) Bat genomes illuminate viral tolerance and disease resistance (Nature) Letters read on TWiV 1191 Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Alan – NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center dashboards Vincent –  He created a hummingbird paradise in his backyard Listener Picks Christiane – Contact your members of Congress about the Pause in Federal Grant Funding Charles – What’s trending in the world of pseudoscience Intro music is by 

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello discuss changes in access to public health information and aid mechanisms such as the return of MMWR, the largest tuberculosis outbreak in the US ever, lack of USAID in fighting Marburg and Ebola outbreaks in Africa, discussing if avian influenza virus is airborne, how eggs are effected and the emergence of second spillover into dairy cattle, how the difference between nOPV2 and Sabin OPV2 is a minor reduction in the association of vaccine associated paralytic poliomyelitis before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, an update of Paxlovid administration provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, how children may be affected by long COVID and if SARS-CoV-2 and other inflammatory syndromes increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Subscribe

TWiV notes the HHS communication pause, and describes research showing that rotavirus viroporin activity is necessary for intracellular calcium signals that contribute to viral pathogenesis, and control of human orthrflavivirus vaccine challenge by T cells in the absence of neutralizing antibodies. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV ASV 2025 Rotavirus viroporin activity, calcium waves, and pathogenesis (Sci Adv) T cells control human orthoflavivirus challenge (Nat Micro) Letters read on TWiV 1189 Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – The Perfect Cacio e Pepe Recipe, According to Science (primary article here) Kathy – Dragonflies Loop-the-Loop Alan – My Beloved Monster, by Caleb Carr Vincent –  Why Did the FDA Ban Red Dye #3 Listener Picks Anne – Japan’s 65-Foot Towering Snow Walls Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello discuss changes in access to public health information, the Marburg and Ebola outbreaks in Africa, the largest tuberculosis outbreak in the US ever, the politicization of polio vaccine campaigns in Pakistan, effect of high pathogenic influenza in animals and on the economy before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, trials and devices to relieve some neurological complications of long COVID and the ramifications of long COVID in children, healthcare workers and adults.  Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode No morbidity and mortality in the US this week? (NPR) More support for Marburg outbreak in Tanzania (Reliefweb) Tanzania confirming sec

TWiV explains a new blood test for head and neck cancer, Japanese regulators approve tecovirimat for mpox, an entry receptor for enterovirus D68, and anti-herpetic tau preserves neurons via a DNA sensing pathway in Alzheimer’s disease. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Kathy Spindler, Brianne Barker, 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 Entry receptor for EV-D68 (Cell Host Microbe) Anti-herpetic tau preserves neurons in Alzheimers (Cell Rep) Letters read on TWiV 1187 Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Angela – Good genes are nice, but joy is better Brianne – Beaker Hair Clip Kathy – Pareidolia explained by street artist David Zinn TEDx talk   Also visit zinnart.com Alan – Screwworm is coming back in the Americas Vincent –  Dr. Jay Bhattacharya Was Nice to Someone During a Debate. That Doesn’t Erase the Consequences of His Misinformation Listener Picks Sarah – The Extremophil

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and co-host Vincent Racaniello lament about the public changes from withdrawing from the WHO to health and scientific communication pauses by the Trump Administration after a brief discussion of Marburg in Tanzania and mpox in England before reviewing cats and bird flu, the recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, and where to go for answers to your long COVID questions. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Tanzania confirms Marburg virus outbreak (Reuters) Clade Ib mpox in England (Reuters) Withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WhiteHouse) Fees costs behind withdrawing from WHO ….is that what we are suppose to believe? (Sky News) Sorry to see you go, US? (WHO) Where are the updates? (CDC Health Alert Network) Pause in health

TWiV explains Guillain-Barré Syndrome associated with RSV vaccines, outbreaks of metapneumovirus in China and India, editors resign to protest Elsevier’s use of AI in publishing, global distribution and diversity of wild bird associated pathogens, and broadly inhibitory anti-neuraminidase antibody from human memory B cells. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV ASV 2025 GBS with RSV vaccine (FDA) Increase in respiratory infections in China (ECDC) Elsevier journal editors resign (Retract Watch) Wild bird associated pathogens (Med) Broad anti-neuraminidase antibody (Cell Host Micr)   Letters read on TWiV 1185 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Dear Reviewer 2 Rich – National Data Buoy Center Alan – BBC audio program on the World Morse Code Championships Vincent – These are the 20 most-studied bacteria — the majority have been ig

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses current and past outbreaks of “vaccine” preventable diseases including whooping cough, polio and measles with your co-host Vincent Racaniello and the recent increase in norovirus outbreaks, if alcohol-based hand sanitizers aid in the spread of norovirus before reviewing the recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, if “long COVID” like symptoms occurs after influenza and how long COVID may associate with neurological complicates that control verbal memory. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Notable infectious diseases in US (CDC NNDSS) Get your Tdap: whooping cough case increase (California Department of Public Health) Resurgence of measles among preschool aged children 1989-1991 (CDC: MMWR) Adults vulnerable to ‘childhood’ di

TWiV reviews some of their favorite virology stories from 2024. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV ASV 2025 SARS-CoV-2 origins (TWiV Special) TWiV 1163: Hepadnaviridae in the heartland TWiV 1117 Pol dances with the RNA that brought it HPV vaccine success (TWiV 1083, 1151, 1159, 1173) Monkeypox (TWiV 1095, 1119, 1143, 1145, 1147) Influenza H5N1 virus (VTWiV 1113, TWiV 1131, TWiV 1173) Influenza B/Yamagata removed from vaccine (TWiV 1161) Fiasco of poliomylelitis eradication (TWiV 1091, TWiV 1125, TWiV 1105, TWiV 1151, TWiV 1145, TWiV 1147, TWiV 1161, TWiV 1143) Protective immunity isn’t just bout antibodies (TWiV 1089, 1105, 1115, 1135, 1165) Closing the toilet lid doesn’t help (TWiV 1083) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Scientists put vampire bats on treadmills to learn about metabolism Kathy – Says Who?: A Kinder, F

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses how vaccination and vaccine hesitancy affects public health and disease spread in terms of mpox, the first human death from H5N1 in US, why one should not feed their pets raw pet food and the metapneumonia outbreak in China before reviewing the recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, how nirmatrelvir-ritonavir/Paxlovid reduces adverse outcomes of COVID in patients with kidney disease, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, SARS-CoV-2 infection affects skin conditions including shingles and if long antiviral treatment affects long COVID. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Mpox vaccination hesitancy, previous immunisation coverage, and vaccination readiness in the African region (eClincial Medicine) Global prevalence and correlates of mpox vaccine acceptance and upt

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

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 Illne

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 Tocc

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) Measl

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, R