This Week in Virology

TWiV explains studies which reveal that Inhibition of CXCL10 and IFN-γ mitgates myocarditis associated with SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination, and identification of a bacteriophage T7 protein that antagonizes the DNA restriction system of the host by mimicking B form DNA. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV ASV 2026 Understanding mRNA vaccine-associated myocarditis (Sci Transl Med) T7 protein overcomes DNA restriction of host (J Mol Biol) Structure of T7 protein that mimics DNA (Mol Cell) Letters read on TWiV 1283 Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Jolene – Book series Dinosaur Therapy, Dinosaur Philosophy, & Dinosaur Friendship Vincent – One Plus One Equals One: Symbiosis and the evolution of complex life by John Archibald Listener Picks Terry – Arcadia by Tom Stoppard Greg – Charctic Interactive Sea Ice Graph | National Snow and Ice Data Center 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.

Calling out “Happy Christmas to all and to all a good-night,  Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello discuss high path influenza in dairy herds in Wisconsin and Marburg virus in Ethiopia before Dr. Griffin then deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, the slightly higher association of COVID-19 infection with death than following influenza infection, benefit of passive infant immunization with niresevimab, association of COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity protection against severe disease in vulnerable populations, where to find PEMGARDA, how to access and pay for Paxlovid, long COVID treatment center, effect of remdesivir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir on COVID-19 associated mortality, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, 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 USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a Dairy Herd in Wisconsin (USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) Update: Genetic Sequencing Results for Wisconsin Dairy Herd Detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza(USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) Marburg Outbreak in Ethiopia: Current Situation (CDC: Marburg Virus Disease) Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan) Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola) Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins) 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) Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) USrespiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView) In call with clinicians, CDC recommends flu vaccines widely(CIDRAP) Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season (FDA) Increased 30-day Mortality Risk in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Compared to Seasonal Influenza (International Journal of Infectious Diseases) RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health) USrespiratory 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) Nirsevimab vs RSVpreF Vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Related Hospitalization in Newborns (JAMA) RSV Immunization Frequently Asked Questions(American Academy of Pediatrics) 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) Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1 (bioRxiV) Association between COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity and protection against infection and severe disease in clinically vulnerable patient populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (Clinical Microbiology and Infection) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUAfor 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) The effect of remdesivir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir on mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the Omicron era: an emulated target trial (Clinical Microbiology and Infection) 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) Anticoagulationguidelines (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 Long-COVID research just got a big funding boost: will it find new treatments? (Nature) Reaching out to US house representative Letters read on TWiV 1282 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.

Vincent travels to Tegernsee, Germany for the Sixth Ringberg Symposium on Giant Viruses, where he talks with John Archibald, Susana Coelho, and Tom Delmont about their work on – you guessed it – giant viruses. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guests: John Archibald, Susana Coelho, and Tom Delmont Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Transposable elements shaping Ectocarpus genome (Genome Biol) Mirusviruses link herpesviruses to giant viruses (Nature) Mirusviruses predicted to reproduce in nuclei (Nat Micro) Persistent mirusvirus infection in the marine protist Aurantiochytrium (Nat Com) 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, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello protest Vinjay Prasad, head of CBER FDA Nov memo stating administration of the COVID-19 vaccine resulted in 10 children’s deaths, but are cautiously delighted by the December memo from those in CBER who dispute this data-less claim, how in 31 states pertussis vaccination rates have declined before Dr. Griffin then deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, of clinical outcomes of oseltamivir versus baloxavir for treating influenza infection, number deaths associated with COVID-19 hospitalizations and disease associated economic burden, where to find PEMGARDA, how to access and pay for Paxlovid, long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, how the German government is committed to research into 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 Industry laments Prasad vaccine memo (Politico) Scoop: FDA vaccine chief’s memo cited 10 pediatric Covid-19 vaccine deaths—but the agency’s own analysis found 0–7 (Inside Medicine) Whooping cough cases soar as vaccination rates drop (NBC News) Marburg Outbreak in Ethiopia: Current Situation (CDC: Marburg Virus Disease) Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan) Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola) Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins) 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) Hundreds quarantined as South Carolina measles outbreak accelerates (Washington Post) Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) USrespiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView) In call with clinicians, CDC recommends flu vaccines widely (CIDRAP) Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season (FDA) Comparison of clinical outcomes of oseltamivir versus baloxavir in outpatients with influenza: a retrospective cohort analysis (International Journal of Infectious Diseases) RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health) USrespiratory 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) Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1 (bioRxiV) Effectiveness of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccines in Children in the United States — VISION, August 29, 2024–September 2, 2025 (CDC:MMWR) Mortality following recovery from COVID-19 hospitalization: A long-term cohort study (International Journal of Infectious Diseases) COVID hospitalization tied to 69% higher risk of death for up to 2 years (CIDRAP) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUAfor 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) Comparison of work productivity losses in the United States among employees with COVID-19 at high-risk of severe disease who were untreated or treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Journal of Medical Economics) 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) Anticoagulationguidelines (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 Long-COVID research just got a big funding boost: will it find new treatments?(Nature) Reaching out to US house representative Letters read on TWiV 1280 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 considerations and perspectives on phage therapy, and the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of hepatitis b virus. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV Immune 100 live at the Incubator ASV 2026 WHO global expert committee: no link between vaccines and autism (News-Medical) Considerations on phage therapy (Nat Comm) What is TATFAR? (CDC) History of phage therapy (one, two) JAMA Viruses that (can) make you well (TWiV 1153) The InVinceable TWiV (TWiV 145) Blumberg Nobel Lecture 1976 Particles associated with Australia antigen in patients (Nature) HBV vaccination remains vital for saving lives (Hep B Foundation) Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Rich – Scientist’s cat, again, helps discover new virus Alan – Wormtalk video on politicization of screwworm spread Jolene – Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis Vincent – Scoop: FDA vaccine chief’s memo cited 10 pediatric Covid-19 vaccine deaths—but the agency’s own analysis found 0–7 Listener Picks David – Astronomy Picture of the Day Eric – Jesse Welles (United Health) 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.