This Week in Virology

Deep dive into why HPV virus-like particle vaccines uniquely block infection through long-lived immune responses. Exploration of post-attachment antibody mechanisms and how polyclonal responses neutralize HPV. Examination of evidence that prior respiratory viral infections can reprogram lungs and accelerate tumor growth. Discussion of how vaccination and targeting neutrophil-driven pathways might reduce infection‑linked cancer risk.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello talk about the resignation of a member of the advisory committee for immunization practices and the irony of his rationale that a judge slandered him, vaccinating dairy cattle against H5N1, illnesses resulting from drinking raw milk and the US norovirus outbreak, which is not cruise related, then Dr. Griffin deep dives into the measles outbreak in South Carolina and Utah, recent statistics RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, where to find PEMGARDA, safety data of the RSV vaccine for high risk young adults, recognition of unrecognized COVID-19 deaths (but weren’t we not allow to call it a COVID-19 in 2020?), retraction of and how the ANTIBIOTIC azithromycin is NOT an antiviral drug, how to access and pay for Paxlovid, long COVID patients with neurocognitive symptoms 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 Confusion abounds over future of US vaccine advisory committee (The Guardian) Key Adviser Quits Federal Vaccine Panel (NY Times) Vaccinate the vacca? …..Why We Must Vaccinate US Dairy Cattle Against HPAI H5N1(JID) Largest Animal Health Emergency in US History Continues as HPAI Hits Indiana Hard (Hoosier AG Today) Indiana: More than 350,000 birds killed in massive avian flu outbreak (CIDRAP) 5 children receive E. Coli from raw milk; TN dairy farm responds (Local 3 News) Quick takes: Measles spike in Utah, 5 kids ill from raw milk, CDC director uncertainty (CIDRAP) Increasing Predominance of Norovirus GII.17 over GII.4, United States, 2022–2025 (Emerging Infectious Diseases) Wastewater for norovirus (WasterWater Scan) 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) 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) 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) Weekly surveillance report: clift 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) 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) Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health) Immunogenicity and Safety of the AS01E-adjuvanted Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Prefusion F Protein Vaccine in Adults Aged 18–49 Years at Increased Risk of RSV Disease Compared with Adults Aged ≥60 Years  (CID) 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) Respiratory viral infections prime accelerated lung cancer growth (Cell) Association between COVID-19 vaccination and sudden death in apparently healthy younger individuals: A population-based case-control study (PLoS Medicine) Applying machine learning to identify unrecognized COVID-19 deaths recorded as other causes of death in the United States (Science Advances) RETRACTED work: Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin as a treatment of COVID-19: results of an open-label non-randomized clinical trial (International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents) Antibiotic used in COVID patients tied to increased signs of antibiotic resistance (CIDRAP) Empiric azithromycin alters the upper respiratory microbiome and resistome without anti-inflammatory benefit in COVID-19 (Nature Microbiology) COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Pregnancy and Risk of Infection in Early Childhood (Pediatrics) 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 Outcomes of Patients with Neurocognitive Symptoms Attending a Long COVID Clinic: A Longitudinal Cohort Study (Journal of General Internal Medicine) Outcomes of Patients withNeurocognitive Symptoms Attending a Long COVID Clinic: A Longitudinal Cohort Study (Journal of General Internal Medicine) Long COVID Treatment Guide (rthm) Reaching out to US house representative Letters read on TWiV 1308 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.

A deep dive into how Rep motors package AAV genomes using cryo-EM, revealing helicase transitions and DNA-threading mechanisms. A separate strand follows influenza hitching a ride in myeloid cells to infect cardiomyocytes and trigger interferon-driven heart damage. Brief news and science picks break up the technical discussions.

Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease clinician who does weekly clinical updates, covers bird flu die-offs, the FDA’s new adverse event system, and court rulings affecting immunization policy. He reviews measles outbreaks and trackers, unusual RSV timing and vaccine expansion, influenza and COVID trends, links between respiratory infections and cancer, and resources for long COVID and public advocacy.

They cover a newly described Sunshine virus infecting carpet pythons and experiments that trace infection, pathology, and transmission. They explain a genomic method to tell natural spillovers from lab passage and apply it to influenza, Ebola, coronaviruses, and SARS‑CoV‑2. Discussion touches on lab‑passage signatures, historical controls, and implications for interpreting outbreak origins.

Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease clinician who gives weekly clinical updates on respiratory viruses and patient care. He digs into global polio circulation and vaccination advice. Measles outbreaks and vaccination gaps in the US are highlighted. Discussions include zoonotic spillover without prior adaptation, RSV and flu trends, wastewater surveillance, Paxlovid access, and the shrinking of long COVID clinics.

They discuss a study linking shingles vaccination with slower biological aging and the methods used to measure that effect. They dig into virus naming and classification to clear up scientific naming confusion. They explore a mucosal vaccine strategy in mice that broadens respiratory protection and the immune mechanisms behind it.

Daniel Griffin, infectious disease clinician who provides weekly clinical updates, tackles rising measles outbreaks and the hidden costs of declining MMR coverage. He covers H5N1 in California elephant seals, current influenza strain choices, RSV and testing trends, COVID hospital data and pediatric vaccine access, plus the latest on long COVID trials and how to counter misinformation.

They discuss LCMV seroprevalence in pregnant women and newborns, testing methods, maternal-to-cord antibody transfer, and public health precautions to reduce rodent exposure. They also cover giant DNA viruses that encode a functional translation initiation complex, structural and genetic evidence for viral translation factors, and how those proteins drive late viral protein synthesis and impact particle assembly.

Daniel Griffin, infectious diseases clinician and researcher who provides regular clinical updates, tackles vaccine policy battles and outbreak responses. He covers the Pakistan vaccine-derived polio situation, rising measles and Candida auris surveillance, and current RSV, flu, and COVID trends. He also discusses pregnancy vaccination timing, travel health tips, and practical access to treatments like Paxlovid and baloxavir.