This Week in Virology

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TWiV 1157: Superworm liquefaction and a pandemic prophylactic Oct 13, 2024

Show notes

TWiV reviews Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, cryo-EM based discovery of a parvovirus causing black wasting disease in farmed beetles, and a mosaic nanoparticle experimental vaccine that elicits cross-reactive sarbecovirus responses in pre-vaccinated animals.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker

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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
Marburg virus disease, Rwanda (WHO)
Suspected German Marburg case tests negative (Politico)
Cryo-EM discovery of insect parvovirus (Cell)
Mosaic sarbecovirus nanoparticle experimental vaccine (Cell)
Letters r ead on TWiV 1157
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Brianne – ASM Lesson Plans Alan – A City on Mars, and this blog by a ham radio operator hit by Hurricane Helene Vincent – How to Win A Nobel Prize

Listener Pick

Laura – Science of Public Communication (original article)

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.

TWiV 1156: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Oct 12, 2024

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin updates us about polio SIA campaign in Gaza, the durability of protection following administration of GSK's recombinant antigen RSV vaccine, mpox in an Ugandan jail, the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety of different COVID-19 vaccine platforms, disease severity in those not previously vaccinated with those vaccinated but not infected, where to find PEMGARDA, 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 COVID-19 doubles the risk for heart attacks, stroke and death and if COVID-19 affects the regions of the brainstem.

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Links for this episode

Polio: second round of vaccination in Gaza (Reuters)
Season 3 for GSK RSV vaccine protection (CIDRAP)
Positive data for Arexvy, the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine (GSK)
Mpox convicted felon: in Ugandan prison (Reuters)
How to stop Marburg virus (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
Marburg virus fact sheet (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
CDC summary of the "Rwanda Marburg Situation" (CDC)
700 doses of a Marburg vaccine from the Sabin Vaccine Institute to Rwanda (CIDRAP)
USAID mobilizes Marburg outbreak response in Rwanda (United States Agency International Development)
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)
PICOBOO: immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety of different COVID-19 vaccine (Journal of Infection)
COVID-19 in previously unvaccinated compared with previously uninfected vaccinated (JID)
New preventive COVID-19 agent (ISDA)
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)
COVID Data tracker (CDC
Differences in COVID-19 outpatient antiviral treatment (MMWR)
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)
COVID-19 is a coronary artery disease with genetic interaction with ABO blood type (AHAIASA Journals)
COVID-19 doubles risk of heart attack, stroke and death (EurekaAlert!)
QTL mapping at 7T in COVID-19: brainstem and outcomes (Brain)
Letters read on TWiV 1156
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 1155: Spillover in stall A Oct 06, 2024

Show notes

TWiV reviews mask effectiveness against respiratory infections, EEE death in NY State, viruses with zoonotic potential in farmed fur animals, and genetic tracing of market wild life and viruses at the Huanan Seafood Market, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit

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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
Review confirms mask effectiveness (original article)
EEE death in Ulster County NY (CBS News)
EEE on TWiV 1145
Viruses of farmed fur animals (Nature)
Tracing of wildlife and viruses at COVID-19 epicenter (Cell)
Letters read on TWiV 1155
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Rich – Immunize.org, Vaccineinformation.org, National Network of Immunization Coalitions Alan – Birdcast Vincent – A universal framework for inclusive 15-minute cities

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.

TWiV 1154: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Oct 05, 2024

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, the lack of immune durability following pertussis vaccination, recommendations for maternal vaccination and antibody therapy to protect against infant RSV, vaccine security for Mpox, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, how to put on and take off PPE to avoid contamination, where to find PEMGARDA, a reminder of how and when to use steroids to treat COVID-19, what do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, the lack of immune durability elicited by mRNA vaccine and the finding of how SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts memory, cognition and reduces grey matter volume.

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Links for this episode

Rwanda: Marburg virus disease (WHO)
Passport required?…..Marburg virus commutes to Germany (CIDRAP)
Outbreak of whooping cough/pertussis…..no lifelong immunity following vaccination? (Bloomberg
Protection of infants by maternal antibodies against RSV by either vaccination or nirsevimab (MMWR)
WHO recommendations for RSV: maternal vaccination and antibody shot (Reuters)
Ziresovir for RSV hospitalized infants (NEJM)
Crawling to effective anti-RSV countermeasures (NEJM)
The $800 million pledge for African mpox response (Reuters)
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)
Doffing your PPE– contact precautions (CID)
mRNA vaccination does not elicit durable immune response (Nature Medicine)
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 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)
Mechanisms of long COVID and therapeutics (Cell)
Post hospitalization cognitive deficits and grey matter reduction 1 year after COVID-19 (Nature Medicine)
Letters read on TWiV 1154
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 1153: Viruses that (can) make you well Sep 29, 2024

Show notes

From the Viruses of Microbes meeting in Cairns, Australia, TWiV speaks with Krystyna and Rob about their research on using bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Jolene Ramsey

Guests: Krystyna Dabrowska and Rob Lavigne

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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
Viruses of Microbes 2024
Immune responses to phages (Front Immunol)
Engineering bacteriolytic enzymes (Front Immunol)
100 cases of phage therapy (Nat Micro)
Synthetic biology potential of bacteriophages (Nat Micro)
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.

TWiV 1152: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Sep 28, 2024

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin deep dives into the durability of the antibody response following mpox vaccination, vaccine security, global mpox circulation, the origins of SARS-CoV-2, including a list TWiV episodes and combatting scientific misinformation, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, 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 remdesivir + dexamethasone lowers mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and the finding of how SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts memory and cognition.

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Links for this episode

Waning vaccine protection against mpox…..isn't this the way the humoral immune response works? (CIDRAP) 1:46
Uncontrollable mpox outbreak in Africa (Reuters) 4:10
Antibodies elicited by the Jynneos vaccine against mpox contract after 6-9 months….can you believe? (medrxiv) 4:45
Mpox vaccine for adolescents approved (Pharmaceutical Technology) 14:05
Clade 1b mpox visiting India (CIDRAP) 15:05
Mpox clade 1b in Kerala (ANI South Asia's Leading Multimedia News Agency) 15:13
US government orders $63M worth of small pox/mpox vaccine (Reuters) 15:34
Mpox donations boosting global supply (US Department of Health and Human Services)
1 million mpox vaccine doses for Africa….with love from US government (CIDRAP) 15:55
Speed doses of mpox vaccine (CIDRAP)
Mpox vaccine donations (UNICEF) 17:35
Bavarian Nordic mpox vaccine (Yahoo finances)
Early epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic Huanan seafood market (Science) 23:07
Wildlife trade likely source of SARS-CoV-2 (Science) 23:16
Zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2 (Science) 23:20
Surveillance at the Huanan Seafood market (Europe PMC) 25:03
TWiV shout outs…..all for the SARS-CoV-2 spill over from nature 25:31
- TWiV 1019: Eddie Holmes on SARS-CoV-2 origins
- TWiV 1017: From Nature, not a lab
- TWiV 995: Viral origin stories
- TWiV 940: Eddie Holmes in on viral origins
- TWiV 876: Spillover market with Michael Worobey
- TWiV 762: SARS-CoV-2 origins with Robert Garry
- TWiV 760: SARS-CoV-2 origins with Peter Daszak, Thea Kølsen Fischer, Marion Koopmans
- TWiV 774: Kristian Andersen, Robert Garry, and the deleted SARS-CoV-2 sequences
Genetic tracing of market wildlife and viruses at Huanan Market (Cell) 18:56
Combatting scientific misinformation (microbeTV: TWiV) 34:14
COVID-19 deaths (CDC) 35:20
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)
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 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)
Lower mortality risk associated with remdesivir + dexamethasone versus dexamethasone for hospitalized COVID-19 patients (CID) 39:17
Changes in memory and cognition during the SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study (eClinical Medicine) 42:25
Letters read on TWiV 1152 48:18
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 1151: Hotel California for Phage Sep 22, 2024

Show notes

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.

TWiV 1150: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Sep 21, 2024

Show notes

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

TWiV 1149: Mary Estes, a gutsy virologist Sep 15, 2024

Show notes

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

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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.

TWiV 1148: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Sep 14, 2024

Show notes

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

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