This Week in Virology

TWiV reveals a novel H5N1 reassortant virus in Cambodia, circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 in more countries, circulation in the blood of humans of infectious parvovirus B19 coated with active proteases, and B cell receptor dependent enhancement of dengue virus infection.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

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• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• MicrobeTV Fundraiser
• Novel H5N1 in Cambodia (medRxiv)
• More cVDVP2 circulation (polioeradication.org)
• Infectious parvovirus B19 with proteases (Nat Comm)
• B cell receptor enhancement of dengue disease (PLoS Path)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Brianne – See How Many Lives Vaccines Have Saved Around the World based on Lancet study Dickson – 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Kathy – 450 Million year old arthropods preserved in fool’s gold. Primary article Pyrite video Vincent – ‘We need to be ready for a new world’: scientists globally react to Trump election win

Jack – Coronavirus vaccine update

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin apprises us about the first case of highly pathogenic influenza in Canda, children dying of influenza infection and novel genetic reassortments of the virus, the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, number of mpox infections, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, how scientific mistrust has affected COVID-19 vaccine administration, resolution of the FDA hold on Novovax’s combination influenza and COVID vaccine, where to find PEMGARDA, how Paxlovid SAVES you money, when to use steroids to treat COVID-19 and how trace amounts of cytokines elicted during SARS-CoV-2 infection negatively impact cardiac function.

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• Bird flu flew into British Columbia Canada (Global News Canada)
• H5N1 in British Columbia (CIDRAP)
• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza flies commercial and domestic (USDA)
• Countdown till the end of Marburg outbreak (WHO Rwanda)
• First kid’s death due to flu (CIDRAP)
• Influenza weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
• H5N1 novel reassortments in migratory birds in China (Emerging Infectious Diseases)
• Serologic evidence of recent infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A (MMWR)
• Seriously? 50,000 mpox cases in African outbreak (CIDRAP)
• 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)
• Science trust: behind COVID 19 vaccine acceptance (Vaccine X)
• Vaccine mistrust levels are not budging (Healthday)
• FDA clinical hold lifted on Novavax’s combination COVID-flu vaccine(Reuters)
• 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)
• Real-world effectiveness of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and molnupiravir  (CMI: Clinical Microbiology and Infection)
• Alleviation of COVID-19 Symptoms and Reduction in Healthcare Utilization Among High-Risk Patients Treated With Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (CID)
• 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)
• Secondary bacterial infection follows COVID-19 (Nature Communications)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 cardiovascular symptoms are associated with trace-level cytokines that affect cardiomyocyte function (Nature Medicine)
• Letters read on TWiV 1166
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV notes the passing of virologist Diane Griffin, first H5N1 influenza virus in US pigs, Innate immune control of influenza virus interspecies adaptation via IFITM3, and antiviral trained innate immunity in alveolar macrophages after SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces secondary influenza A virus disease.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

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• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• MicrobeTV Fundraiser
• Diane Griffin passes (Johns Hopkins)
• Diane Griffin on TWiV 453
• First H5N1 influenza virus in US pigs (CIDRAP)
• IFITM3 controls interspecies influenza virus infection (Nat Comm)
• Trained innate immunity by alveolar macrophages (Immunity)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Angela – See a giant ‘ghost particle’ detector and more — October’s best science images Brianne – October 27 APoD: Bat nebula Dickson – Nikon Small World Contest 2024 winners Kathy – AAAS 150th anniversary video, celebrating scientists and Pew’s 2024 annual Trust in Science survey findings Rich – Cats Basically Are a Liquid After All, Study Confirms Alan – HHMI’s Beautiful Biology site Vincent – EcoHealth Alliance Fights Back

Hunter – Don’t stop me now: Queen’s Brian May on saving badgers — and the scientific method Anne – Reasons to be cheerful

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin informs us about the World Health Organization research and development plan to combat endemic pathogens including hepatitis C virus, RSV and dengue virus, another case of mpox in Britian, the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, if there is a benefit to additional COVID vaccinations after the initial series, ISDA guideline for using anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody therapy for prophylaxis, where to find PEMGARDA, a reminder of how and when to use steroids to treat COVID-19, if and how do severe secondary bacterial infections develop following SARS-CoV-2 infection, and if COVID-19 associates with a risk of autoimmune and autoinflammatory connective tissue disorders.

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• Is the WHO the world’s NIH: endemic pathogens initiative (eBioMedicine)
• Another two cases of mpox in Britian (Reuters)
• How to stop Marburg virus (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
• Marburg Virus fact sheet (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
• Influenza weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView)
• RSV NETwork (CDC RSV)
• 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)
• Symptom reduction after additional vaccine dose during Omicron (OFID)
• IDSA Guideline update for SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody pemivibart pre-exposure prophylaxis (CID)
• 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)
• Secondary bacterial infection follows COVID-19 (Nature Communications)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence-based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Autoimmune and autoinflammatory connective tissue disorders following COVID-19 (JAMA Dermatology)
• Letters read on TWiV 1164
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

From the 2024 International Hepatitis B virus meeting in Chicago, TWiV speaks with Mala Maini and John Tavis about their careers, the replication and transmission of HBV, and the HBV Foundation.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit

Guests: Mala Maini and John Tavis

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• Immunobiology and pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus infection (Nat Rev Immunol)
• HBV Foundationhttps://www.hepb.org/
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin informs us about “walking pneumonia”, the phase of the polio supplemental immunization campaign in Gaza, mpox circulation, the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, the beginning of influenza season, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, contrasting public health concerns between the US and the UK, if mRNA boosters affect mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection, where to find PEMGARDA, a reminder of how and when to use steroids to treat COVID-19, if antiviral therapy prevents long COVID and viral sequalae in healthy young marines.

Become a patron of TWiV!

• Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections increasing (CDC)
• Polio vaccination campaign restarts (Reuters)
• North Gaza polio campaign postponed (Reuters)
• 1St clade 1b mpox in UK (GOV.UK)
• UK imports mpox (CIDRAP)
• Clinical trial of MVA-BN for children (Bavarian-Nordic)
• How to stop Marburg virus (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
• Marburg Virus fact sheet (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
• Laboratory confirmed influenza associated hospitalizations 2010-2023 (CDC)
• Influenza weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView)
• Mucosal nirsevimab levels in breakthrough bronchiolitis (LANCET Infectious Diseases)
• RSV NETwork (CDC RSV)
• Respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• UK public health data tracker (UKHSA)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Repeat COVID-19 mRNA vaccination contributes to mucosa immunity (Science Translational Medicine)
• XBB.1.5 mRNA booster vaccination limited mucosal immunity (Science Translational Medicine)
• I repeat: COVID mRNA booster vaccinations suboptimal respiratory mucosal immunity (Science Translational Medicie)
• Facial Palsy after COVID-19 vaccination? (Emerging Infectious Diseases)
• 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)
• 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)
• Viral and symptom rebound following monoclonal antibody therapy (JID)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir reduces COVID-19 hospitalization and prevents long COVID (Scientific Reports)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• Time to Sustained Recovery Among Outpatients With COVID-19 Receiving Montelukast vs Placebo (JAMA Network Open)
• 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)
• Clinical and functional assessment of SARS-CoV-2 sequelae among young marines
• (LANCET: Regional Health Americas)
• Letters read on TWiV 1162
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV reviews continuing expansion of poliovirus type 2, removal of influenza B/Yamagata from the vaccine, Nobel Prize for miRNAs, protective immune response with a adenovirus-associated virus vector expressing a computationally designed hemagglutinin, and viral gene drive during herpes simplex 1 infection in mice.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

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• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• Continued expansion of type 2 poliovirus (reliefweb)
• No more polio case map at polioeradication.org
• B/Yamagata removed from flu vaccine (NPR)
• Nobel Prizes for miRNA (ScienceInsider)
• AAV-vectored influenza vaccine (J Virol)
• Herpesvirus type 1 gene drive in mice (Nat Commun)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Brianne – Virus and Vaccines Information Page from NIH All of Us Research Program Kathy – For a Pivotal Vaccine: Trial, Error and Two Young Lives Rich – October 17 2024 APOD: The Clipper and the Comet Alan – Opening a deep-sea vent with a crowbar Vincent – The expanding world of neuroscience

Jason – Solar eclipse on Mars and Polaris Program and their Harmony of Resilience Ryan – New York’s childhood vaccine coverage remains high

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin informs us about mpox circulation, the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, new recommendations for the RSV and pneumococcal vaccines by the CDC, the beginning of influenza season, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, contrasting public health concerns between the US and the UK, what the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is when indoors, the difference between NVX-CoV2327 and BNT162b2 for adolescents, why 65 years and older should get a second boost of the COVID-19 vaccine, where to find PEMGARDA, a reminder of how and when to use steroids to treat COVID-19, the clinical trial for evaluating how novel treatments of COVID-19 affect long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Become a patron of TWiV!

• Grim marker: mpox over a 1000 deaths in Africa (CIDRAP)
• Global trend of mpox outbreak 2022-2024 (WHO)
• Second time mpox is a global public health emergency (Reuters)
• Mpox variant in Germany (Reuters)
• Epidemiological analysis of confirmed mpox cases in Burundi (EuroSurveillance)
• The 63rd case of Marburg virus infections in Rwanda (CIDRAP)
• How to stop Marburg virus (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
• Marburg virus fact sheet (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
• FDA approves RSV vaccine ABRYSVO for 18-59 individuals of increased risk (Pfizer)
• Respiratory syncytial virus infection-NET (CDC)
• New  pneumococcal vaccine recommendations…..it’s a virus? (CDC Newsroom)
• Recommending PREVNAR 20, 20 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for 50 and over (Pfizer)
• And one more, CAPVEXIVE, pneumococcal 21 valent conjugate vaccine (Merck)
• Penumococcoal 21-valent conjugate vaccine CAPVEXIVE(MerckVaccines.com)
• Influenza surveillance: Key updates (CDC)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• What is happening across the pond? (UKHSA data dashboard)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission when indoors (JID)
• NVX-CoV2327 vs BNT162b2 vaccines in adolescents (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)
• Second dose of 2024-2025 COVID19 vaccine recommended for 65 and older (CDC Newsroom)
• 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)
• Viral and symptom rebound following monoclonal antibody therapy (JID)
• 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)
• ASH living guidelines on use of anticoagulation for thromboprophylaxis in patients with COVID-19: executive summary, Dr. Daniel Griffin (Blood Advances)
• Novel treatments for acute COVID-19 should account for long COVID (JID) The persistence of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) after SARS-CoV-2 infection (Journal of Infection)
• Letters read on TWiV 1160
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

Vincent travels to the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm to meet up with Niklas Björkström and Joakim Dillner to review their research on the endometrial immune system, and the plan to eliminate cervical cancer in Sweden.

Guests: Niklas Björkström and Joakim Dillner

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• Endometrial immune system variation (Sci Immunol)
• Immune defense in the womb (News from Karolinska)
• HPV vaccination and screening for elimination (Nat Comm)
• Cervical cancer elimination strategies (Int J Cancer)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin informs us about mpox circulation and new vaccine approval, the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, and the largest outbreak of whooping cough in a decade before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, immunity among those over 65th following the 3rd dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, where to find PEMGARDA, a reminder of how and when to use steroids to treat COVID-19, how well the SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test performed, what do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, the effect of remdesivir on survival and readmission of hospitalized patients, if cognitive impairment following virus infection impairs one’s driving and how long COVID affects Chinese society.

Become a patron of TWiV!

• Undiagnosed MPXV infections are high in men who have sex with men (BMC Infectious Diseases)
• WHO, now a vaccine approval agency, Jynneos for teens  (CIDRAP)
• Mpox outbreak global trends (WHO)
• How to stop Marburg virus (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
• Marburg virus fact sheet (Rwanda Biomedical Centre)
• Largest whooping cough outbreak in US in a decade (NPR)
• 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)
• Insurance relates to effectiveness and waning of immunity following 3rd dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine? (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)
• How well do you test: performance of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid detection test (eBioMedicine)
• 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-associated survival outcomes among immunocompromised patients (CID)
• Remdesivir Effectiveness in Reducing the Risk of 30-day Readmission in Vulnerable Patients (CID)
• Measurement of circulating viral antigens post-SARS-CoV-2 infection (CMI: Clinical Microbiology and Infection)
• DUCI: driving under cognitive influence of COVID-19 (Neurology)
• Long COVID facts and findings: (LANCET: Regional Health Western Pacific)
• Letters read on TWiV 1158
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]