This Week in Virology

TWiV explains a study which shows that influenza A virus infection induces immune dysregulation in the placenta and fetus without vertical transmission in nonhuman primates, and development of an epigenetic silencer therapy to transcriptionally inactivate viral DNA in chronic hepatitis B.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker
Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email
Become a patron of TWiV!
Links for this episode
Support science education at MicrobeTV
Helen Branswell, 69 (STAT)
Influenza A virus and fetal immune dysregulation (Sci Adv)
Epigenetic silencing for hepatitis B (Nat Biomed Eng)
Letters read on TWiV 1367
Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!
Picks of the Week
Brianne – A healing touch for coral bleaching
Kathy – Saturday Morning Physics especially The Science of Survey Research
Rich – Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
Vincent – Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees
Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv
Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello are crestfallen to learn of the 6th measles death in Pennsylvania and more than 9000 deaths from Ebola, an enterovirus/Coxsackievirus outbreak at the University of Pennsylvania, decimation of the HIV services following withdrawal of PEPFAR and USAID, role of gut microbes in vaccine adverse events such as fever, continued raw milk consumption, and thermostable nanoparticles for mRNA vaccine delivery before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics RSV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections, measles, development of a rapid diagnostic for measles, how long COVID effects sleep cycles and the microbiome, 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
Hand, foot, and mouth disease cases spike at Penn this fall (The Daily Pennsylvanian)
HIV service delivery after the PEPFAR and USAID HIV funding withdrawal in Uganda and Zimbabwe: an interrupted time-series study (LANCET: Global Health)
The human gut microbiome primes fever after vaccination (Science)
Escape to 11,100’ in Rustic Luxury (HaydenBackcountry)
Consumption of Unpasteurized (Raw) Milk and Milk Products by Pregnant People and Children: Policy Statement (Pediatrics)
Raw milk poses serious infection risks with no added health benefits, pediatrician group warns (CIDRAP)
The Science and the Stakes of Raw Milk Consumption with Pam Ruegg, Nicole Martin, and Daniel Griffin (Dairy Digressions)
First Birth Cohort Eligible for Chickenpox Vaccine Had a Sharp Drop in Shingles Cases (Epic Research)
Accelerated discovery of thermostable mRNA–lipid nanoparticle vaccines using data-efficient AI (Nature: Biotechnology)
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 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)
Congo’s Ebola infections surpass 9,000, government report shows (Reuters)
I’ve Worked in Congo for Decades. I’ve Never Seen an Ebola Crisis Like This (NY Times)
Pennsylvania reports its 6th measles death, in a Franklin County resident (CIDRAP)
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis after Measles Outbreaks, the Philippines, 2007–2022 (CDC: Emerging Infectious Diseases)
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)
Made in Africa: New measles rapid diagnostic tests mark breakthrough for vaccination efforts (GAVI: The Vaccine Alliance)
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 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)
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)
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
Characterizing sleep disturbance phenotypes in long COVID: an EHR-based study from a safety-net hospital (Academia Medicine and Health)
Sputum and oral microbiota profiles are associated with long COVID severity and phenotype post-hospitalisation: a UK multicentre, prospective cohort study (European Respiratory Journal)
Microtesla magnetic therapy for cognitive impairment in long COVID: a randomized pilot study (Brian Communications)
Reaching out to US house representative
Letters read on TWiV 1366
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 daniel@microbe.tv
Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

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 twiv@microbe.tv
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 daniel@microbe.tv
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 twiv@microbe.tv
Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.