Outbreak News Radio

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports that the coronavirus has taken a hold upon Yemen saying "Unfortunately, it is no longer anything but obvious that the virus is circulating widely across the whole of Yemen". "Five years of fighting had caused Yemen's healthcare system to collapse in large parts... Now COVID-19 has made that collapse complete, with many hospitals closing for fear of the virus"...

Earlier this week, scientists with The Scripps Research Institute announced the discovery of antibodies in the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients that provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2 in small animals. The study was published this week in the journal, Science. Here to discuss this research is Elise Landais, PhD. Dr Landais is Principal Scientist with the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody...

Robert Desowitz, PhD was a scientist, researcher and you may know him best as the author of several very informative and entertaining books like New Guinea Tape Worms and Jewish Grandmothers and Who Brought Pinta to the Santa Maria? Dr. Desowitz left us on Mar 24, 2008. Being such a fan of his books made me decide to learn more about his life and work. Joining me today to talk about Bob Desowitz i...

In this clip from the NEWS TALK with Brandon & Bob on YouTube, we look at the recent EPA approval of Oxitec's genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquito for release in the Florida Keys. What is it and how does it work? What are the criticisms and concerns? We exam these questions in this short podcast.

On the recent episode of NEWS TALK with Brandon and Bob, I spend a few moments reminding the public about the swimming risks in warm, fresh water and the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri.

In this clip from the NEWS TALK with Brandon and Bob show, we discuss a myriad of issues concerning the COVID-19, or coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic like where to get your information, what data is useful and what do we know now that we didn't know before. Brandon Jones and Robert Herriman give you an update on the news, providing commentary and analysis, always welcoming your feedback and thoug...

Approximately 2,000 US cases of malaria are diagnosed annually. Without appropriate treatment, about 15 percent become severe. Mortality from untreated severe malaria (particularly cerebral malaria) approaches 100 percent. On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Artesunate for Injection to Amivas, a Maryland company specializing in treatments for rare and neglected tropical dis...

There has been reports of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infections in both domestic felines and large zoo cats in recent weeks. While these infections were characterized as human to feline transmission, what do we know about feline to feline or feline to human transmission? My guest today, University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher, Peter Halfmann, PhD, joins me to discuss the study...

On today's podcast, I had the honor of talking to E.B. Fred Professor of Natural Sciences Emeritus at UW–Madison and author of the book, Robert Koch--A Life in Medicine and Bacteriology, Thomas Brock, PhD about the titan of microbiology, Robert Koch.  In this show, I asked the 93-year-old microbiologist about Koch's life prior to microbiology, his relationship with Louis Pasteur and several of Koc...

On today's podcast, I want to take a look at a couple of much talked about issues when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic at this point in time--the diagnostic testing (both PCR and antibody, or serology testing) and the death rates associated with the viral illness. I am joined today with friend of the show and the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Michael...

On today's podcast, I want to look at some different issues involving the coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19 pandemic to include the varying fatality rates in certain countries, US pandemic preparedness and what we should be doing moving forward. Joining me to look at these issues and more is Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD.

This week, March 15-21 is National Poison Prevention Week 2020. What is poison control and what is the role of Poison control centers? Joining me today to answer these questions and more is Dr. Mazda Shirazi. Dr Shirazi is associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, a clinical toxicologist and serves as the medical director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Cente...

Locally acquired cases of Chagas disease are exceedingly rare in the United States. Only 28 autochthonous infections were documented from 1955 to 2015. A recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) describes the first locally transmitted Chagas disease case in the state of Missouri. Joining me to talk about this unusual case is George Turabelidze, MD, PhD. Dr Turabelidze is with the Divisi...

Results were recently published in a study in  the Journal of Clinical Microbiology that show  limitations of currently available diagnostic tests for early-stage Lyme disease, and highlight the need for more research toward improved diagnostics and treatments. Joining me today to discuss the study and the findings is Liz Horn, PhD. Dr Horn is the Principal Investigator with the Lyme Disease Bioba...

Today is World Aspergillosis Day, a day to raise awareness about a fungal infection that kills more than one million people globally each year. Joining me now to talk about aspergillosis, a new kind of antifungal drug and World Aspergillosis Day is Marco Taglietti, M.D. Dr Taglietti is the president and chief executive officer of SCYNEXIS and an infectious disease expert.

When their is a global infectious disease outbreak, one action governments take is traveler screenings--we saw it during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and we are seeing it with the current COVID-19 outbreak. So, how effective are traveler screenings? My guest today addresses this issue in a recent study published in eLife. Joining me is Katelyn Gostic, PhD. Dr Gostic is with the Dept. of Ecology & Evolu...

In this October 2016 interview, I speak to University of Florida Associate Professor of Veterinary Entomology, Dr. Phil Kaufman about the screwworm and the situation in the Florida Keys that year. Kaufman talked about the biology of screwworm, the pathology demonstrated on an infected mammal, treatment, the devastating effects on the Key deer and prevention and control methods employed by federal...

While sifting through the archives I stumbled across several old radio interviews that I never published as podcasts. This interview from March 2014 with founding dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr Peter Hotez was on the spread of the neglected tropical disease, the parasitic disease, Leishmaniasis and its spread in the Middle East and East Africa du...

The COVID-19 outbreak is spreading and growing rapidly since first seen less than two months ago, prompting many governments, including the United States, to ban or significantly restrict travel to and from China. While travel bans are frequently used to stop the spread of an emerging infectious disease, what do we know about their effectiveness? Joining me today to look at this question is Lauren...

Nipah virus is one of the deadliest viruses, which can kill up to 90 percent of those infected. In fact, the World Health Organization has placed Nipah virus on its 10 "most wanted" list of emerging viruses. Joining me today to talk more about Nipah virus and her research is Emily Gurley, PhD. Dr Gurley is an Associate Scientist with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Its been about a month since my last podcast on the novel coronavirus and I thought it was time to revisit the topic as it becomes a bigger global issue. Joining me to talk about coronaviruses and the 2019 novel coronavirus is Rodney Rohde, PhD. Dr Rohde is a Professor Research Dean and Chair of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program (CLS) in the College of Health Professions of Texas State Unive...

Recently, scientists have detected Marburg virus in fruit bats in Sierra Leone, marking the first time the deadly virus has been found in West Africa. The article was published in the journal, Nature Communications last week. Joining me today to discuss Marburg virus and the discovery in Sierra Leone is Tracey Goldstein, PhD. Dr Goldstein is a Professor in the Department of Pathology, Immunology a...

In 2019, we saw one of the worst years on record for dengue worldwide. Numbers were up in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Joining me today from London to look at the past year in dengue, the progress with vaccines and 2020 and beyond is Kamran Rafiq. Kamran is the Co-Founder and Communications Director of the International Society for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ISNTD). The ISNTD are spearheading...

One Health is a term used frequently in recent years. If you're not familiar with the term, you've come to the right place. Joining me to discuss One Health and a recent resolution passed by the US Senate is Cheryl M. Stroud, DVM, PhD. Dr Stroud is the Executive Director of the One Health Commission.

Wuhan City, China has been a focus for infectious disease and public health experts over the past month due to a pneumonia outbreak where the etiology is not quite clear. News keeps trickling in on this outbreak, but there is still a lot unknown. Hoping to shed some light on this outbreak today is Daniel Lucey, MD, MPH. Dr Lucey is a Senior Scholar with the O'Neill Institute for National and Globa...