This Week in Virology

TWiV travels to Porto, Portugal for the annual meeting of the European Society for Clinical Virology, where he speaks with Catherine and Corinne about their work on the Andes virus outbreak on the MV Hondius.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Catherine Houlihan and Corinne Guerts van Kessel

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Support science education at MicrobeTV
• Transient Andes RNA detection in asymptomatic healthcare worker (Eurosurveill)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. 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, Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello discuss their continuing struggle to understand the ongoing outbreak of cyclospora, decimation of US public health including 30% or greater loss of personnel from the CDC, continuing measles outbreaks here and aboard, a mumps outbreak in San Diego and a Hib death in Montana, criminalization of pediatricians in Texas, dengue associated death in Florida, Ebola in Kenya, a new Legionnaires outbreak, screw worm cases, and a hearing in Florida to end requirements of four vaccines including Hib and chickenpox, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics RSV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections, the continued measles outbreak in Pennsylvania, US, Canada, statistics on vaccine preventable disease mortality in children, effectiveness of adjuvanted high dose influenza vaccine and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Smallpox History and Decisive Actions of George Washington (CDC: Emerging Infectious Diseases)
• Christina Jewett (NY Times)
• Caroline Hopkins Legaspi (NY Times)
• F.D.A. Found Cyclospora During Taylor Farms Inspection in Mexico (NY Times)
• Suspected plague incident leaves 1 dead, 200 under quarantine in Siberia (CIDRAP)
• Dozens quarantined in Siberia after plague institute lab worker dies (Reuters)
• Russia tells WHO there are no plague cases in Siberian city (Reuters)
• 30% effective workforce loss across CDC (AFGE Local 2883)
• CDC Leadership (CDC: About CDC)
• CDC Leadership 2025 (CDC)
• They Fought Outbreaks Worldwide. Now They’re Fighting for New Lives. (NY Times)
• ‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill Scientific Mission(NY Times)
• San Diego State football hit by mumps outbreak with 14 confirmed cases ahead of Pac-12 opener (CBS Sports)
• Texas Pediatricians Face Paxton Investigations for Vaccinating Children (NY Times)
• Montana DPHHS reports pediatric death from complications of invasive Hib infection (NBC: Montana)
• Florida announces Oct. 8 hearing on plan to end rules for four vaccines (WUSF: NPR Health News Florida)
• Legionnaires’ Disease (NYC: Health)
• 2 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease at Queens apartment complex prompt NYC Health Department probe (CBS News)
• Dashboard SCREWWORM.Gov (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
• CDC Activates Emergency Operations Center for New World Screwworm Response (CDC Newroom)
• Kenya Records Ebola Case for First Time (NY Times)
• Ebola DRC (X)
• Ebola dashboard (ebola.fyi)
• EBOLA: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2026 (WHO)
• Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak Democratic Republic of the Congo (WHO: Democratic Republic of Congo)
• Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation (CDC:Ebola)
• Hochul Declares a Measles Emergency as Cases Rise in Rural New York( NY Times)
• Pediatric Deaths during Measles Outbreak, Jerusalem, Israel, 2025–2026 (CDC: Emerging Infectious Diseases)
• Small quantity lipid-based nutritional supplementation and measles vaccination coverage in children aged 6−23 months: a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial (Nature Medicine)
• Measles Outbreak in Amish Country Forces Some to Rethink Vaccines (NY Times)
• Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)
• Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
• Big outbreak, bright lights…Measles Dashboard (South Carolina Department of Public Health)
• Utah measles outbreak response (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Utah Measles Dashboard (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Measles (VDH: Virginia Department of Health)
• Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins)
• HAP’s Latest News Pa. Launches New Measles Dashboard (Hospital + HealthSystem Association of Pennsylvania)
• Measles (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
• Measles Dashboard (New York State: Department of Health)
• Governor Hochul Declares State Disaster Emergency in Response to Ongoing Measles Outbreak (New York State: Department of Health)
• Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Measles (WHO)
• Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
• Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts(ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
• Measles and rubella weekly monitoring report (2025) (Government of Canada)
• Measles Cases and Outbreaks (CDC: Rubeola)
• Laboratory Testing for Measles (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Clinical Diagnosis Fact Sheet (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Serology Testing (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Annual flu vaccines are far from ideal — this is why (Nature)
• Virology’s most wanted: the influenza virus (Nature)
• Early flu spike closes schools, clinics move up vaccinations (The Asahi Shimbun)
• Flu season could kick off ‘incredibly’ early — what scientists are watching (Nature)
• Near real-time data on the human neutralizing antibody landscape to influenza virus as of the summer of 2026 to inform vaccine-strain selection (Summary results)(Jbloomlab)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Vaccine-Preventable Infectious Disease Mortality Among Children in the Post-vaccine Era: Persistent Burden and Emerging Temporal Trends (Cureus Journal of Medical Science)
• Flu vaccine recommendations: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee March 12, 2026 Meeting Announcement (FDA)
• WHO updates all 3 viral strains to be included in fall flu shots (CIDRAP)
• FDA vaccine advisers recommend adding subclade K to fall shots (CIDRAP)
• Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
• OPTION 2: XOFLUZA $50 Cash Pay Option (xofluza)
• Adjuvanted and high-dose influenza vaccines had comparable effectiveness against test-confirmed influenza outcomes including hospitalizations in overall and high-risk older adults in the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 seasons  (International Journal of Infectious Diseases)
• Influenza vaccine effectiveness against influenza A-associated hospitalization and severe in-hospital outcomes among adults in the United States, 2024–2025 (CID)
• RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Vaccines for Adults (CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV))
• Economic Analysis of Protein Subunit and mRNA RSV Vaccination in Adults aged 50-59 Years (CDC: ACIP)
• RSV Immunization Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season (JAMA)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Moderna Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Updated 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccines (Moderna)
• Novavax’s Partnership Strategy Continues to Deliver with XFG-adapted Nuvaxovid™ Approvals in the U.S., EU and Japan for 2026-2027 Vaccination Season (novavax)
• Pfizer and BioNTech Receive U.S. FDA Approval for XFG-adapted COVID-19 Vaccine (Pfizer)
• FDA approves new COVID vaccines (CIDRAP)
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) (CDC: Covid)
• Temporary Cessation of DMARD Therapy and COVID-19 Supplemental Dose Vaccine Immunogenicity in Patients With Inflammatory Arthritis (JAMA Internal Medicine)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Help your eligible patients access PAXLOVID with the PAXCESS Patient Support Program (Pfizer Pro)
• Understanding Coverage Options (PAXCESS)
• Prophylactic vs Therapeutic Anticoagulation in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 (JAMA: Open Network)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers: Long COVID Reaching out to US house representative
• Letters read on TWiV 1364
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

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

TWiV explains a study testing how 16 hypothesized social and environmental drivers impact disease outbreaks, concluding that infectious disease spillover and emergence are multi-causal, and that no one-size-fits-all strategy can prevent epidemics and pandemics, and an analysis of Myotis bats, which shows that their remarkable longevity and immunity are linked through pleiotropic adaptations to viruses and aging-related disease.

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
• Virus Appreciation Day (Day of the Year)
• Anthropogenic fingerprint on emerging infectious diseases (Nature)
• Longevity and virus-driven adaptations in Myotis bats (Nature)
• Letters read on TWiV 1363
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Picks of the Week

Angela – Birds. Alan – Halloween t-shirts from my local animal shelter. Vincent – A Thousand Brains by Jeff Hawkins

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, Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello continue their ongoing exasperation over 5 deaths in Pennsylvania associated with measles infections, the absurdity of RFK Jr.’s statement that AI is better informed than physicians, the outbreak of cholera, more deaths by raw milk products, spread of dengue virus in Florida, Ebola in DRC, refusal to acknowledge the benefits of the HBV vaccine birth dose, how TORCH agent infections impact neurodevelopment and may lead to increase chances of autism diagnosis, Legionnaires disease and screw worm cases, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on RSV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections, the continued measles outbreak in Pennsylvania, US, and Canada, modeling predictions of the outcome for repealing measles vaccination requirements to enter school in Florida, reactogenicity of different COVID vaccines and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• A.I. Is ‘Better Informed’ Than Doctors, Kennedy Tells Industry-Backed MAHA Summit (NY Times)
• WHO reports latest global trends in cholera, meningitis and plague (WHO)
• WHO: Global cholera deaths rose by 30% in2025 (CIDRAP)
• E. coli Outbreak Linked to Raw Milk Cheese (CDC: E. coli infection)
• CDC confirms multistate outbreak of E coli linked to raw milk cheese (CIDRAP)
• Dengue: Current Year Data (2026) (CDC: Dengue)
• Florida counties declare emergency over wildly unusual dengue outbreak (Washington Post)
• Critical role of hepatitis B birth dose vaccination in preventing mother-to-child transmission (CID)
• Effectiveness of timely hepatitis B birth dose vaccination to prevent mother-to-child transmission in Ethiopia (CID)
• Congenital TORCH Infections and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes (JAMA Pediatrics)
• Infections at birth substantially increase the risk of autism and intellectual disability, study finds (CIDRAP)
• UN Declaration on Pandemic Readiness May Head to General Assembly for Approval (Health Policy Watch)
• Legionnaires’ Disease (NYC: Health)
• Dashboard SCREWWORM.Gov (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
• CDC Activates Emergency Operations Center for New World Screwworm Response (CDC Newroom)
• Ebola dashboard (ebola.fyi)
• EBOLA: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2026 (WHO)
• Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak Democratic Republic of the Congo (WHO: Democratic Republic of Congo)
• Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation (CDC:Ebola)
• Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)
• Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
• Big outbreak, bright lights…Measles Dashboard (South Carolina Department of Public Health)
• Utah measles outbreak response (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Utah Measles Dashboard (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Measles (VDH: Virginia Department of Health)
• Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins)
• HAP’s Latest News Pa. Launches New Measles Dashboard (Hospital + HealthSystem Association of Pennsylvania)
• Measles (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
• Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Measles (WHO)
• Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
• Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
• Measles cases top 900 in Pennsylvania as CDC confirms 2nd death (CIDRAP)
• Pennsylvania Department of Health Confirms Fifth Measles-Associated Death, Provides Statewide Update on Outbreak as Cases Reach 943 in 39 Counties (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
• Measles and rubella weekly monitoring report (2025) (Government of Canada)
• Projected effects of removing school-entry vaccination requirements on measles transmission in Florida (PNAS)
• Measles Cases and Outbreaks (CDC: Rubeola)
• Laboratory Testing for Measles (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Clinical Diagnosis Fact Sheet (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Serology Testing (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Flu vaccine recommendations: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee March 12, 2026 Meeting Announcement (FDA)
• WHO updates all 3 viral strains to be included in fall flu shots (CIDRAP)
• FDA vaccine advisers recommend adding subclade K to fall shots (CIDRAP)
• Weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView)
• OPTION 2: XOFLUZA $50 Cash Pay Option (xofluza)
• Immunogenicity and safety of an MF59-adjuvanted cell-derived higher-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine (aQIVc) in adults aged 50 years or older: a phase 3 randomised controlled trial (LANCET: Infectious Diseases)
• RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Vaccines for Adults (CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV))
• Economic Analysis of Protein Subunit and mRNA RSV Vaccination in Adults aged 50-59 Years (CDC: ACIP)
• RSV Immunization Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season (JAMA)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Moderna Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Updated 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccines (Moderna)
• Novavax’s Partnership Strategy Continues to Deliver with XFG-adapted Nuvaxovid™ Approvals in the U.S., EU and Japan for 2026-2027 Vaccination Season (novavax)
• Pfizer and BioNTech Receive U.S. FDA Approval for XFG-adapted COVID-19 Vaccine (Pfizer)
• FDA approves new COVID vaccines(CIDRAP)
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) (CDC: Covid)
• The platform trial in COVID-19 priming and BOOsting (PICOBOO): The reactogenicity of nine licensed COVID-19 vaccines delivered in immunocompetent adults (Vaccine)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Help your eligible patients access PAXLOVID with the PAXCESS Patient Support Program (Pfizer Pro)
• Understanding Coverage Options (PAXCESS)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers: Long COVID
• Loss of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 in striatum of long COVID and relationship to neuropsychiatric symptoms (eBioMedicine)
• Reaching out to US house representative
• Letters read on TWiV 1362
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

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

TWiV explains discovery of a previously unknown mechanism of RNA-guided DNA recognition for genetic control that possibly predates the emergence of CRISPR pathways, and the possibility that Alzheimer’s Disease neuropathology evolved as a host defense response to microbial infection in the brain.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Support science education at MicrobeTV
• Bob Tesh dies (Galv News)
• Comment on propsed changes to NIH peer review (NIH)
• NIH peer review proposed changes (Forbes)
• Ancient RNA guided DNA recognition (Science)
• Noncontiguous geometric triplex (Science)
• p-tau has anti-herpes virus activity (Nat Neurosci)
• Letters read on TWiV 1361
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Picks of the Week

Brianne – APoD September 14: Origins of Elements Alan – Redshirts, by John Scalzi Vincent – Prone to Bruise by David Molesky he’s at Spring/Break till 9/28

Listener Pick

Anne – Nikon Small World in Motion Competition

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, Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello frustration continues over the increasing number of measles infections, Kennedy’s undermining of vaccines, perpetuation of autism- vaccine, autism-tylenol myths, an outbreak of hepatitis A virus in the US, the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, changes in reporting of virus infection and vaccine recommendations, Legionnaires disease and screw worm cases, and before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics RSV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections, economics of a measles outbreak in Chicago, what defines reactogenicity of the mRNA COVID vaccines, the on-going delay by HHS of COVID shots for children, neuropsychiatric symptoms of long COVID and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• CDC adds 177 cases to US measles total but has yet to confirm deaths in Pennsylvania (CIDRAP)
• Kennedy questions vaccine safety at Children’s Health Defense event (CIDRAP)
• Trump says some routine immunizations will be split into five separate shots. Vaccine experts say it won’t work (CNN)
• Multistate Hepatitis A Outbreak Potentially Linked to Frozen Clams (CDC: Hepatitis A)
• Cumulative Incidence and Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (JAMA Pediatrics)
• Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder (CDC: Autism Spectrum Disorder)
• Study uncovers no evidence of autism epidemic, despite claims (CIDRAP)
• Florida confirms a death from dengue as the state struggles with one of its worst recent outbreaks (AP News)
• Legionnaires’ Disease (NYC: Health)
• Dashboard SCREWWORM.Gov (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
• CDC Activates Emergency Operations Center for New World Screwworm Response (CDC Newroom)
• Democratic Republic of Congo (AP News)
• Ebola virus (AP News)
• Congo begins Ebola vaccinations for health workers in the epicenter of the outbreak (AP News)
• Ebola dashboard (ebola.fyi)
• EBOLA: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2026 (WHO)
• Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak Democratic Republic of the Congo(WHO: Democratic Republic of Congo)
• Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation (CDC:Ebola)
• Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)
• Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
• Big outbreak, bright lights…Measles Dashboard (South Carolina Department of Public Health)
• Utah measles outbreak response (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Utah Measles Dashboard (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Measles (VDH: Virginia Department of Health)
• Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins)
• HAP’s Latest News Pa. Launches New Measles Dashboard (Hospital + HealthSystem Association of Pennsylvania)
• Measles (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
• Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
• Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Measles (WHO)
• Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
• Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
• Pennsylvania asks CDC for emergency assistance amid RFK Jr. clash over measles(The Hill)
• Pennsylvania measles-associated deaths climb to four as outbreak grows (Reuters)
• Pennsylvania asks for CDC measles help amid Kennedy dispute (Reuters)
• Republican senator faults Trump vaccine policy for US measles deaths as panel weighs health nominees (Reuters)
• US CDC works on standard definition for measles deaths as cases rise (Reuters)
• Cost of a Measles Outbreak in an Urban Shelter (JAMA Open Network)
• Measles outbreak in Chicago shelter cost nearly $9 million, CDC estimates (CIDRAP)
• World’s most contagious virus hits major US airport as officials warn of possible exposure (FoxNews)
• Measles Cases and Outbreaks (CDC: Rubeola)
• Laboratory Testing for Measles (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Clinical Diagnosis Fact Sheet (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Serology Testing (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Flu vaccine recommendations: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee March 12, 2026 Meeting Announcement (FDA)
• WHO updates all 3 viral strains to be included in fall flu shots(CIDRAP)
• FDA vaccine advisers recommend adding subclade K to fall shots(CIDRAP)
• Weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView)
• OPTION 2: XOFLUZA $50 Cash Pay Option (xofluza)
• Immunogenicity and safety of an MF59-adjuvanted cell-derived higher-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine (aQIVc) in adults aged 50 years or older: a phase 3 randomised controlled trial (LANCET: Infectious Diseases)
• RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Vaccines for Adults (CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV))
• Economic Analysis of Protein Subunit and mRNA RSV Vaccination in Adults aged 50-59 Years (CDC: ACIP)
• RSV Immunization Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season (JAMA)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Moderna Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Updated 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccines (Moderna)
• Novavax’s Partnership Strategy Continues to Deliver with XFG-adapted Nuvaxovid™ Approvals in the U.S., EU and Japan for 2026-2027 Vaccination Season (novavax)
• Pfizer and BioNTech Receive U.S. FDA Approval for XFG-adapted COVID-19 Vaccine (Pfizer)
• FDA approves new COVID vaccines (CIDRAP)
• Baseline interferon signaling in monocytes and antibody-mediated innate activation are associated with reactogenicity to mRNA vaccines (Science Translational Medicine)
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET)(CDC: Covid)
• CDC inaction delays COVID shots for low-income children (CIDRAP)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Help your eligible patients access PAXLOVID with the PAXCESS Patient Support Program (Pfizer Pro)
• Understanding Coverage Options (PAXCESS)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers: Long COVID
• Loss of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 in striatum of long COVID and relationship to neuropsychiatric symptoms (eBioMedicine)
• Reaching out to US house representative
• Letters read on TWiV 1360
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

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

Roberto Cattaneo and Kalpana Yadav join TWiV at the 2026 meeting of the American Society for Virology to discuss how the absence of measles virus receptors in the brain selects for hyperfusogenic variants that spread neuron-to-neuron and cause subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a rare but fatal long-term neurological sequela of measles infection.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Roberto Cattaneo and Kalpana Yadav

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Support science education at MicrobeTV
• How measles virus adapts to the brain (Ann Rev Virol)
• Measles virus F50S change in neuronal spread (J Virol)
• Measles virus collective infectious unit and SSPE (J Virol)
• Measles virus brain tropism acquisition (PLoS Path)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. 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, Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello are angered by the continuous reporting of measles deaths in the US and around the world, the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, changes in reporting of virus infection and vaccine recommendations, establishing an NIH research center on vaccine harms, Legionnaires at Yankee stadium and the first time in more than half a century reporting of an equine screwworm case, and how HHS may prevent more than half of US children from getting the COVID-19 vaccine this season before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics RSV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections, efficacy and safety of the 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine, and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

 

• Unvaccinated Woman Likely Died of Measles Complications, Pa. County Coroner Says NY Times)
• Confirmed death of an 18-year old due to complications of measles (Facebook: Mifflin County Coroner’s Office)
• CDC’s new tracking method for measles deaths puzzles experts (CIDRAP)
• Kennedy to deliver keynote for anti-vaccine group he once led (STATNews)
• Exclusive: New NIH research center on vaccine harms takes shape (Science)
• US pediatricians report seeing fewer patients because of immigration enforcement worries (CIDRAP)
• Surgeon General Nominee Pledges Support for Vaccines in Senate Hearing (NY Times)
• CIDRAP Op-Ed: HHS is asking what to call vaccine recommendations. You have 4 days to weigh in. (CIDRAP)
• 21,000 Unvaccinated Children Are Not a Minor Problem, But a Warning Sign (GPEI)
• Researchers file First Amendment challenge to NIH grant screening (Science)
• Cooling towers at Yankee Stadium test positive for Legionnaires’ in new cluster (NBC News)
• Legionnaires’ Disease (NYC: Health)
• Dashboard SCREWWORM.Gov (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
• CDC Activates Emergency Operations Center for New World Screwworm Response (CDC Newroom)
• Texas ranch horse becomes nation’s first confirmed equine New World screwworm case (Houston Chronicle)
• Quick takes: Cautious optimism on Ebola, rare New World screwworm in a horse, HIV alert in Fiji (CIDRAP)
• Ebola dashboard (ebola.fyi)
• EBOLA: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2026 (WHO)
• Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak Democratic Republic of the Congo (WHO: Democratic Republic of Congo)
• Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation (CDC:Ebola)
• Notes from the Field: The First 100 Days of Five Ebola Outbreaks — Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and West Africa, 2007–2026  (CDC: MMWR)
• Notes from the Field: Characteristics and Monitoring of the 2026 Outbreak of Ebola Disease Caused by Bundibugyo Virus — Democratic Republic of the Congo, August 2026 (CDC:MMWR)
• Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)
• Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
• Big outbreak, bright lights…Measles Dashboard (South Carolina Department of Public Health)
• Utah measles outbreak response (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Utah Measles Dashboard (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Measles (VDH: Virginia Department of Health)
• Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins)
• HAP’s Latest News Pa. Launches New Measles Dashboard (Hospital + HealthSystem Association of Pennsylvania)
• Measles (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
• Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
• Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Measles (WHO)
• Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles (CDC: Measles Rubeola)
• Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
• Measles in Bangladesh (microbeTV: TWIV)
• Suspected measles cases kill nearly 1,000 as Bangladesh struggles to contain outbreak (AP News)
• Measles Cases and Outbreaks (CDC: Rubeola)
• Laboratory Testing for Measles (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Clinical Diagnosis Fact Sheet (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Serology Testing (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Flu vaccine recommendations: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee March 12, 2026 Meeting Announcement (FDA)
• WHO updates all 3 viral strains to be included in fall flu shots (CIDRAP)
• FDA vaccine advisers recommend adding subclade K to fall shots (CIDRAP)
• Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
• OPTION 2: XOFLUZA $50 Cash Pay Option (xofluza)
• Early Antiviral Therapy in Pediatric Outpatients and Risk of Influenza-Related Hospitalization (Pediatrics)
• RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Vaccines for Adults (CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV))
• Economic Analysis of Protein Subunit and mRNA RSV Vaccination in Adults aged 50-59 Years (CDC: ACIP)
• RSV Immunization Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season (JAMA)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Moderna Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Updated 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccines (Moderna)
• Novavax’s Partnership Strategy Continues to Deliver with XFG-adapted Nuvaxovid™ Approvals in the U.S., EU and Japan for 2026-2027 Vaccination Season (novavax)
• Pfizer and BioNTech Receive U.S. FDA Approval for XFG-adapted COVID-19 Vaccine (Pfizer)
• FDA approves new COVID vaccines (CIDRAP)
• Covid Vaccines Delayed for Half of U.S. Children (NY Times)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season (JAMA)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Help your eligible patients access PAXLOVID with the PAXCESS Patient Support Program (Pfizer Pro)
• Understanding Coverage Options (PAXCESS)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers: Long COVID
• Reaching out to US house representative
• Letters read on TWiV 1358
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

 

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

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

Paul Bieniasz joins TWiV to discuss his lab’s discovery that the coronavirus nuclease NSP15 cuts viral RNA into oligonucleotides that are reinserted elsewhere in the viral RNA, generating insertion mutations at a frequency above 10⁻³ per genome, including new furin cleavage sites at the spike S1/S2 junction.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler   Guest: Paul Bieniasz

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Support science education at MicrobeTV
• Genetic innovation in coronaviruses driven by a viral nuclease (bioRxiv)
• Letters read on TWiV 1357
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Picks of the Week

Kathy – Jurassic Museum of Asturias Alan – Grand Central Winter, by Lee Stringer Vincent – How to Choose REAL Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A Practical Guide and How to Tell if Your Olive Oil is Fake! Quick Kitchen Tip!

Listener Pick

Shirley – I Told You So! by Matt Kaplan

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, Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello delve into dengue virus infections in Florida, recent human rabies infections in the US, proposed changes in biomedical funding including “converting” the Department of War into NIAID, the continuing controversy over the deaths of 2 children in Pennsylvania from measles, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics RSV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections, approval of new mRNA COVID-19 vaccines by the FDA, and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Dengue in Florida: Florida Arbovirus Surveillance (Florida Health)
• Nationwide Increase in Reported Human Rabies Exposures: Rabies Post-exposure Prophylaxis Administration (CDC: Health Alert Network)
• NIH proposes major revamp of how it scores research grant proposals (Nature)
• Revealed: inside the US military’s plan to tap huge sums from the NIH (Nature)
• Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years — National Immunization Survey-Teen, United States, 2025 (CDC:MMWR)
• Dashboard SCREWWORM.Gov (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
• CDC Activates Emergency Operations Center for New World Screwworm Response (CDC Newroom)
• Ebola dashboard (ebola.fyi)
• EBOLA: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2026 (WHO)
• Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak Democratic Republic of the Congo (WHO: Democratic Republic of Congo)
• Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation (CDC:Ebola)
• Notes from the Field: Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Ebola Disease Caused by Bundibugyo Virus — Uganda, 2026 (CDC: MMWR)
• Notes from the Field: Characteristics and Monitoring of the 2026 Outbreak of Ebola Disease Caused by Bundibugyo Virus — Democratic Republic of the Congo, August 2026 (CDC:MMWR)
• Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)
• Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
• Big outbreak, bright lights…Measles Dashboard (South Carolina Department of Public Health)
• Utah measles outbreak response (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Utah Measles Dashboard (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Measles (VDH: Virginia Department of Health)
• Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins)
• HAP’s Latest News Pa. Launches New Measles Dashboard (Hospital + HealthSystem Association of Pennsylvania)
• Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
• Measles (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
• Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Measles (WHO)
• Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
• Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
• Pennsylvania Department of Health Confirms Two Measles-Associated Deaths (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
• One of two measles-related deaths of unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania was an infant (CNN)
• Kennedy suggests measles deaths fabricated by PA governors (X)
• Measles Cases and Outbreaks (CDC: Rubeola)
• The CDC hasn’t added 2 deaths to its measles database Why? (Washington Post)
• Trump’s new CDC director ordered delay in counting 2 measles-related deaths (CNN)
• Commissioner Josh Parsons: Important information about measles (X)
• Laboratory Testing for Measles (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Clinical Diagnosis Fact Sheet (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• Measles Serology Testing (CDC: Measles (Rubeola)
• The Measles-Stricken Mother Who Lost Her Newborn Son (The Atlantic)
• What We Know About Pennsylvania’s Two ‘Measles-Associated’ Deaths (FactCheck.org)
• What Obstetric Health Care Providers Need to Know About Measles and Pregnancy (Obstetrics & Gynecology)
• Measles and Pregnancy: Immunity and Immunization—What Can Be Learned from Observing Complications during an Epidemic Year(Journal of Pregnancy)
• Measles in pregnancy (cmaj: Canadian Medical Association Journal)
• Physician’s Handbook on Medical Certification of Death (CDC: National Center for Health Statistics)
• CIDRAP Op-Ed: ‘Died with, not from’ was a real COVID problem. It’s the wrong framework for measles. (CIDRAP)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Flu vaccine recommendations: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee March 12, 2026 Meeting Announcement (FDA)
• WHO updates all 3 viral strains to be included in fall flu shots (CIDRAP)
• FDA vaccine advisers recommend adding subclade K to fall shots (CIDRAP)
• Weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView)
• OPTION 2: XOFLUZA $50 Cash Pay Option (xofluza)
• Early Antiviral Therapy in Pediatric Outpatients and Risk of Influenza-Related Hospitalization (Pediatrics)
• RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Vaccines for Adults (CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV))
• Economic Analysis of Protein Subunit and mRNA RSV Vaccination in Adults aged 50-59 Years (CDC: ACIP)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Moderna Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Updated 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccines (Moderna)
• Novavax’s Partnership Strategy Continues to Deliver with XFG-adapted Nuvaxovid™ Approvals in the U.S., EU and Japan for 2026-2027 Vaccination Season (novavax)
• Pfizer and BioNTech Receive U.S. FDA Approval for XFG-adapted COVID-19 Vaccine (Pfizer)
• FDA approves new COVID vaccines (CIDRAP)
• COVID-19 vaccination and risk of post-COVID-19 cardiovascular disease: a population-based cohort and target trial emulation study (EHJ-QCCO)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Help your eligible patients access PAXLOVID with the PAXCESS Patient Support Program (Pfizer Pro)
• Understanding Coverage Options (PAXCESS)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers: Long COVID
• Reaching out to US house representative
• Letters read on TWiV 1356
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

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