This Week in Virology

TWiV explains projected effects of removing school-entry vaccination requirements on measles transmission in Florida and evidence that HLA class I escape drives the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in human populations.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Brianne Barker
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Links for this episode
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Effects of removing Florida school vaccination mandates (PNAS)
HLA escape drives SARS-CoV-2 evolution (PNAS)
The other landscape of SARS-CoV-2 evolution (PNAS)
Letters read on TWiV 1369
Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!
Picks of the Week
Brianne – Astronomers Discover the First Green Star
Rich – Inside the Johns Hopkins Psilocybin Playlist by Marc Shapiro (2020)
Alan – The Wreck of the Mentor, by Eric Jay Dolin
Vincent – The Apollo 11 Code is Open Source (and its’ hilarious)
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 discouraged by the continuous attack on vaccines especially the birth dose of the hepatitis B virus vaccine, effects of the 2026 changes in immunization schedule, the global burden of vaccine preventable diseases including pertussis and measles, expansion of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in Kenya,  increase in rabies diagnosis in the US and screwworm cases before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics RSV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections, measles including an 8% increase in confirmed cases in 1 week in the US and its history especially the Faroe Island outbreak in 1846, warnings of congenital measles,  effect of Fluvoxamine and Metformin to combat fatigue 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
Kennedy’s Vaccine Plan Could Cause Surge in Hepatitis B, Study Finds(NY Times)
Projected Effect of 2026 Federal Changes to the Childhood Immunization Schedule on Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infections in the United States (Annals of Internal Medicine)
Highlights from the Meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization (WHO)
The Effect of Pertussis Vaccination During Pregnancy on Pertussis and Diphtheria Immunity in Children at 3 and 4 Years of Age (JID)
Effectiveness of Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine in Children Aged 6 Months–6 Years During a Statewide Pertussis Outbreak — Alaska, May–November 2024 (CDC: MMWR)
Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for Ages 18 Years or Younger (AAP)
Global, regional and national burden of pertussis in 1990–2023: a Global Burden of Disease study (Nature Medicine)
Is Rabies Making a Comeback? (NY Times)
Dashboard SCREWWORM.Gov (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
CDC Activates Emergency Operations Center for New World Screwworm Response (CDC Newroom)
Epidemiological Alert: Myiasis caused by Cochliomyia hominivorax in the Americas Region, 16 October 2026 (PAHO)
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)
Kenya confirms first Ebola case after man who travelled from Congo dies (Reuters)
Kenya reports second Ebola case, family member of first patient (Reuters)
Kenya confirms third Ebola case as health officials race to contain outbreak (Africanews)
Is Ebola under control in Kenya after nine cases confirmed? (BBC)
Nigeria confirms imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease (WHO: African region)
As Ebola epidemic rages, Congo bets on high-stakes ‘hope’ vaccine trial (Science)
US measles cases grow by 8% in 1 week, for a total of 4,410 (CIDRAP)
Amish Families Pushed to Undo a Vaccine Law. Then Measles Arrived. (NY Times)
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis after Measles Outbreaks, the Philippines, 2007–2022(CDC: Emergin Infectious Diseases)
Observations Made During the Epidemic of Measles on the Faroe Islands in the Year 1846 (Amazon)
“The Sombre Aspect of the Entire Landscape” — Epidemiology and the Faroe Islands (NEJM)
Guidance for measles in pregnancy and congenital measles (Pennsylvaina Department of Health)
Pennsylvania raises alarm on congenital measles (CIDRAP)
C.D.C. Ignored Request From States to Validate a New Measles Test (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)
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)
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)
Ensitrelvir for Covid-19 Postexposure Prophylaxis in Household Contacts (NEJM)
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)
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
Effect of Fluvoxamine and Metformin for Fatigue in Patients With Long COVID (Annals of Internal Medicine)
Reaching out to US house representative
Letters read on TWiV 1368
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 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.