This Week in Virology

Vincent Racaniello

4.8 (2K)
SCIENCE
UPDATED WEEKLY

TWiV is a weekly netcast about viruses - the kind that make you sick. Professors Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler and science writer Alan Dove and guests deconstruct viruses, how they cause illness, and dissect the latest research.

1 DAY AGO

The birds and the Bs

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 ignored Listener Picks Peter – Local graffiti in Sydney Vivian – The Peoples’ Hospital by Dr. Ricardo Nuila 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.

1h 52m
2 DAYS AGO

Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

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’ diseases (NY Times) Pivotal decision that led to a resurgence of polio (NY Times) Can polio return due to lagging vaccination? (NY Times) NoroSTAT Data Table (CDC Norovirus) The discovery of the 27-nm Norwalk virus: an historic perspective (JID) Why the “Ferrari of viruses” is surging through the northern hemisphere (Science) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) Norovirus at Chipotle, $25million food fine (NY Times) Chipotle food issues: 2015 settlement with the justice department (Chipotle News) Purcel anyone? Hand sanitizers increase norovirus risk? (Canadian Medical Association Journal) Visualization by immune electron microscopy of a 27nm particle associated with acute infectious nonbacterial gastroenteritis (Journal of Virology) Winter vomiting disease (JID) ACIP: expanded recommendations for pneumococcal conjugate vaccines(CDC: MMWR) Presumptive bird flu case in San Francisco (SF. Gov) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView) Antiviral medications for treatment ofnonsevere influenza(JAMA Network: JAMA Internal Medicine) Xofluza (GoodRx) 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) 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) Symptom evolution in individuals with ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 and post COVID-19 syndrome after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination versus influenza vccination (Journal of Infection) Neurological post-COVID syndrome is associated with substantial impairment of verbal short-term and working memory (Scientific Reports) Letters read on TWiV 1184 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

46 min
JAN 12

More than 2024 viruses

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, Funner, Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words Rich – Mark Rober on PBS Newshour Brief But Spectacular (Wiki; Testing The World’s Smartest Crow) Vincent – How Glenn Gould Broke Classical Music 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.

1h 50m
JAN 11

Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

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 uptake (Communications Medicine) First case of new mpox variant in France (Reuters) First “Bird flu” death in US (NY Times) Emerging threat of H5N1 to human health (NEJM) Don’t feed your pets raw food (County of Los Angeles Public Health) Oregon, nationwide raw pet food recall (CIRAP) Raw cat food avian flu, is this like raw milk? (CIDRAP) Human metapneumovirus surging in China (The Guardian) Viral video of viral chaos: human metapneumovirus in Chinese hospital (The Economic Times) Human metapneumovirus in China (NY Times) Acute respiratory infections including human metapneumovirus in northern hemisphere (WHO) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Weekly surveillance report: clift 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) The effect of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir on short- and long-term adverse outcomes from COVID-19 among patients with kidney disease (OFID) Paxlovid tied to lower risk of hospital stay, heart problems, death in adults with kidney disease and COVID (CIDRAP) 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) Chronic urticaria, vitiligo, alopecia areata, and herpes zoster following COVID-19 infection (Journal of Dermatology) Impact of extended-course oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in established Long COVID: (Communications Medicine) Letters read on TWiV 1182 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

31 min
JAN 5

Seek and ye shall find, coronaviruses and phage

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.

1h 53m
JAN 4

Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

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

38 min
12/29/2024

Dark matter and warning signs

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

1h 48m
12/28/2024

Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

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

1h 1m

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4.8

out of 5

1,997 Ratings

Spread of microbes by leaf blowers

11/17/2024

podcast7

This week, not for the first, time I listened to your mini rants about the noise of leaf blowers, but have you considered the potential for these damnable devices to spread dangerous microbes in addition to the health harming noise and 2.5 particulate both from the inefficient engines and the material being blown? Consider the composition of the vast amounts of particulate and how much is from sources such as fecal mater. Studies show this stuff remains in the air up to 3 days. Speaking of transferring h1 n1 from birds to pigs you say “if it gets in their snout”, is this a way that can happen? I would like to hear your thoughts on the potential spread of disease by these machines. I live in a condo development surrounded by more of same and the lawn maintenance contractors employ them nearly all day everyday.
Thank you!

08/23/2024

ALittleChaotic

The 16 August 2024 episode really helped us with a new case, in the family home, of COVID-19. The recent Long Covid episode was enlightening for a work situation. Just pressed pause and made another donation. TWIV is lifesaving.
Excellent episode on KATALYST for Ops Leaders

01/25/2024

ShawnCycle

I really liked a recent episode that described Katie’s KATALYST framework for Transformational leadership. It describes 8 competencies that Operational Excellence and other Transformational leaders should aspire to get better at. Many of these I found myself agreeing with during the episode and realized that I have focused on them without crystallizing them as Katies has done. I can see using this frame work to improve myself and as a coaching mechanism for my team and leaders that I coach. Clearly I might be biased since Katie also referred to our upcoming episode together, but I really liked this episode with that reference not with standing. I’m looking forward to how Katie connects and explores this topic in future episodes. If you’re newly looking into this podcast, I would highly recommend it to anyone trying to get better as a leader.
New listener

07/19/2024

rcamp0222

I’m a new listener. Was excited at first but realized it is mainly big government leftist talk masquerading as virus information. I’m out.