TWiV 1351: Ancient Viral Sword and Shield

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 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.

TWiV reviews a landmark paper reporting the first generative design of complete viral genomes using AI, producing 16 viable bacteriophages that overcame antibiotic-resistant bacteria where natural phages could not, and a study suggesting that recombinant shingles vaccination reduces the risk of cardiovascular events. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, 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 Recombinant shingles vaccination reduces risk of cardiovascular events (Nat Med) AI design of bacteriophages (Science) AI-designed viral genomes (Science) Letters read on TWiV 1355 Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Picks of the Week Brianne – The Generative AI Learning Penalty: Evidence from Chinese Secondary Education Kathy – Ballista spider’s web to trap aggressive ants here and here Vincent – Microbecharmer from Sarah Listener Pick Shirley – The Measles-Stricken Mother Who Lost Her Newborn Son Torsten – The battle over Covid’s origins has come for Bob Garry: A Top Virus Scientist Stared Down Covid Lab-Leak Proponents. Now His Life’s Work Is at Stake 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 remember Dolly Parton and her patronage of science, especially development of the COVID-19 vaccines, if the shingles vaccine protect against cardiovascular events as well as dementia, the continued national cyclosporiasis and screwworm outbreaks, size of the Ebola outbreak in the Congo, the death of 2 children in Pennsylvania from measles and the economic cost of the measles outbreak, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into how to determine the case fatality rate of measles as well as measles outbreaks, recent statistics RSV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections, approval of new mRNA COVID-19 vaccines by the FDA, access and how pay for Paxlovid, where to go for answers about long COVID-19, clinical guidelines for treating long COVID, B-cells-autoimmunity- long COVID, enrolling in a long COVID trial and the use of the COVID antiviral drug to “sop up” chronic virus shedding 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 Dolly Parton adapts her song Jolene as she receives Covid-19 vaccine she helped fund (YouTube) Dolly Parton’s major contributions to vaccines and public health (the bmj) Recombinant shingles vaccination and the risk of cardiovascular events (Nature Medicine) Surveillance of Cyclosporiasis (CDC: Cyclosporiasis) Infectious DiseaseOutbreaks (Michigan: Health & Human Services) Cyclosporiasis Cases in North Carolina (North Carolina: Division of Public Health) Cyclospora Infection (Cyclosporiasis) (NYC Health) Missouri Communicable Disease Report (2026) (Missouri Health) TWiP 285: Why is cyclospora hard to contain: Parasitologists explain the 2026 US outbreak (microbeTV:TWiP) Dashboard SCREWWORM.Gov (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) CDC Activates Emergency Operations Center for New World Screwworm Response (CDC Newroom) FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Generic Drug to Prevent New World Screwworm in Cattle(FDA) History of Ebola Outbreaks (CDC: Ebola) Democratic Republic of the Congo (OCHA) 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) Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg) 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) Two more kids die. And one more theater show. (Your Local Epidemiologist) RFK Jr. says Shapiro’s office may have fabricated measles deaths (Politico) ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. SPEAKS OUT ABOUT VACCINES (Lancaster Patriot) Coroner says baby with measles in Pennsylvania died of a ruptured spleen (NBC News) Chapter 13: Measles (CDC: Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-preventable Diseases) Challenges in measuring measles case fatality ratios in settings without vital registration (Emerging Themes in Epidemiology) High attack rates and case fatality during a measles outbreak in groups with religious exemption to vaccination (The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal) Oz: MMR vaccine ‘is not a lethal vaccine’ (The Hill) RFK Jr: Secretary of Measlesland (Substack: Beyond the Noise) ‘Brady Bunch’ episode fuels campaigns against vaccines and Marcia’s miffed (MPRNews) Use of Nowcasting to Estimate Real-Time Transmission Trends During a Measles Outbreak — South Carolina, October 2025–March 2026 (CDC:MMWR) Fighting measles is expensive. See what it cost to contain 10 cases (Washington Post) ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ (Netherlands Heart Journal) 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) 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) Heterogeneity of Airborne Virus Transmission in the Built Environment: A Narrative Review (Pathogens and Immunity) 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) 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 A distinct effector B cell population drives autoantibody production in SARS-CoV-2 infection (Immunity) Rapid recruitment for a remote long COVID clinical trial (LANCET:Infectious Diseases) Insights from a double-blind, randomized, direct-to-participant intervention trial for Long COVID (medrxiv) Nirmatrelvir–ritonavir targeting viral persistence in post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) in the USA (RECOVER-VITAL): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial (LANCET: Infectious Diseases) Reaching out to US house representative Letters read on TWiV 1354 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 explores how bacteriophages enable bet-hedge against bacterial immune defenses, and how transgenic mice engineered to produce human antibodies yielded potent anti-EBV candidates targeting gp350 and gp42, a promising step toward Epstein-Barr therapeutics. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Brianne Barker, and Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV Dolly Parton, and advocate for science (Nature) Phage bet-hedging (Nat Micro) EBV monoclonal antibodies (Cell Rep Med) Letters read on TWiV 1353 Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Picks of the Week Brianne – Did life on Earth emerge once or twice? Rich – Cassini Approaches Saturn (Wiki on Cassini) Jolene – Dolly Parton’s rewrite of Jolene song for vaccines on CBS news (Youtube) Vincent – Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Listener Pick John – Dolly Parton Sings Vaccine, Vaccine 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 disheartened by the suggested change in federal vaccine recommendations, how Florida rolled back 4 childhood vaccine school requirements, results from a clinical trial suggesting that IPV can be used for outbreak control in IPV only countries, the continued national cyclosporiasis and screwworm outbreaks, size of the Ebola outbreak in the Congo, the death of 2 children in Pennsylvania from measles and the economic cost of the measles outbreak before Dr. Griffin deep dives into the use of monoclonal antibodies and remdesivir to treat Bundibugyo virus infection, measles outbreak, recent statistics RSV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections, access and how pay for Paxlovid, , where to go for answers about long COVID-19, clinical guidelines for treating 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 Request for Information: Categories Used in Federal Vaccine Recommendations and the Role of Shared Clinical Decision-Making (Federal Register) HHS Seeks Public Input on Federal Vaccine Recommendation Categories and Shared Clinical Decision-Making (US Department of Health and Human Services) HPV Vaccination and Risk of Head and Neck Cancers: A Large Real-World Cohort Study (International Society for Infectious Diseases) Monkeypox Virus Surveillance — United States, 2024–2025 (CDC: MMWR) Clinical Trials (ClinicalTrials.gov) Effect of inactivated poliovirus vaccine on nasal mucosal immunity and pharyngeal shedding following novel oral poliovirus vaccine type 2 challenge: A randomized, open-label trial (JID) IPOL package insert (FDA) Florida Prepares to Roll Back School Vaccine Requirements (NOTUS) Florida’s Department of Health removes 4 vaccines from required list for public schools (CIDRAP) Surveillance of Cyclosporiasis (CDC: Cyclosporiasis) Infectious Disease Outbreaks (Michigan: Health & Human Services) Cyclosporiasis Cases in North Carolina (North Carolina: Division of Public Health) Cyclospora Infection (Cyclosporiasis) (NYC Health) Missouri Communicable Disease Report (2026) (Missouri Health) TWiP 285: Why is cyclospora hard to contain: Parasitologists explain the 2026 US outbreak (microbeTV:TWiP) Dashboard SCREWWORM.Gov (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) CDC Activates Emergency Operations Center for New World Screwworm Response (CDC Newroom) Ebola virus (AP News) What to know about the outbreak of a rare kind of Ebola (AP News) Congo’s Ebola outbreak is on track to surpass the deadliest one in history, WHO chief says (AP News) A look at major Ebola outbreaks and when the disease was first identified (AP News) Mobile gold miners in eastern Congo complicate health workers’ efforts to contain Ebola (AP News) How Congo is battling an Ebola outbreak complicated by aid cuts, armed rebels and anger (AP News) Here’s data showing Congo’s Ebola outbreak is on track to surpass history’s largest (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) A case of Bundibugyo virus disease treated with monoclonal antibodies and remdesivir (Nature Medicine) Post-Exposure Prophylaxis with a monoclonal antibody cocktail Following Bundibugyo Ebolavirus Exposure in Adults and Children (Nature Medicine) 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) Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg) HAP’s Latest News Pa. Launches New Measles Dashboard (Hospital + HealthSystem Association of Pennsylvania) Measles (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) Pennsylvania Department of Health Confirms Two Measles-Associated Deaths (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) Do vaccinated cases transmit measles? A systematic review and meta-analysis (Expert Review of Vaccines) County, district and community-level measles transmission in the United States in 2013−2025 (Nat Medicine) Quantifying the cost of measles outbreak in the U.S. and how costs scale with outbreak size (Vaccine) Each measles case in 2025 US outbreak cost almost $60,000, study estimates, or $134 million total (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) 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) Cardiac outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection versus BNT162b2 vaccination in adolescents and young adults: a cohort study of 4 million individuals (Vaccine) mRNA COVID vaccine linked to lower risk of myocarditis in teens, youngadults (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) Trump Officials Falsely Connect Covid Vaccines to Miscarriage (NY Times) 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 1352 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.