This Week in Virology

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello ponder the nomination of Casey Means for Surgeon General by President Trump, how mRNA vaccines may enhance effectiveness of check point inhibitor cancer therapies, if viral infection associates with cardiac disease, H5N1 isolation from backyard birds and turkey farms, and the effectiveness of the COVID-19, RSV and influenza vaccines...

TWiV explains studies showing that SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines improve life span of cancer patients on checkpoint immunotherapy, and broad immunity conferred by a vaccine central in A(H5) influenza antigenic space. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Support scie...

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello are distressed by the continuing government shutdown, first locally acquired chikungunya virus infection, President Trump’s suggestion for removing aluminum from vaccines, H5N1 isolation from backyard birds and turkey farms, and the suggestion of establishing an alternative to the CDC’s MMWR and asymptomatic measles infections befo...

TWiV reviews continuing US measles outbreak, host and genetic variations that regulate antibody responses to hepatitis C virus, and varicella-zoster reactivation and the risk of dementia. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Brianne Barker , and Angela Mingarelli Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education  at M...

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello are dismayed by the government shutdown, the firings at the CDC including EIS agents, H5N1 isolation from backyard birds and its stability in raw milk and cheese, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins meas...

TWiV covers a MacArthur Award for Jason McLellan, 2025 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, first treatment for Huntington’s Disease, structure of an archael dsDNA virus from head to tail, and discovery of a Legionella phage that explains a determinant of human disease. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , and  Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron...

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello chat about Jane Goodall’s death and the Nobel prize in Physiology/Medicine for understanding immune system control before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, if 2 doses of the influenza vaccine...

TWiV reviews experiments to understand infection, pathogenesis, and transmission of avian H5N1 influenza virus in goats, and identification of a cellular receptor for tick-borne encephalitis virus. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , and  Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education  at MicrobeTV P...

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello chat about the ongoing Ebola outbreak in DRC, increases in screwworm diagnoses, a pertussis death in Mississippi before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, monoclonal antibody therapy against R...

From ESCV 2025, Vincent speaks with Elke Wollants about a project to identify SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses in toilet waste from airplanes. Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guest:  Elke Wollants Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education  at MicrobeTV Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology  (KU Leuven) Virologi...

TWiV explains experiments to create genetically modified chickens that are resistant to avian influenza infection, and discovery of combination antiviral therapy for HTLV-1 infection. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , and  Rich Condit Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education  at MicrobeTV Creating avian inf...

Vincent travels to Thessaloniki, Greece to attend the 27th meeting of the European Society for Clinical Virology, where he speaks with Pamela Vallely, ESCV President, and Piotr Kramarz, Chief Scientist, European CDC, about the activities of ESCV and ECDC. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guests:  Piotr Kramarz  and  Pamela Vallely Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV!...

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello lament the anti-vaccine, anti-science composition of the ACIP, US cases of Chagas disease, the Ebola vaccination campaign in the DRC, the death of an infant in LA due to measles complications (SSPE), before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwat...

Vincent travels to Waterville Valley, NH to attend the Harvard virology retreat, where he speaks with Aaron Schmidt, Ben Gewurz, and Tatum Sass about their careers and their research on influenza virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and CAR-T cells. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello Guests:  Aaron Schmidt ,  Ben Gewurz , and  Tatum Sass Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Li...

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello discuss the continued Legionnaire’s outbreak in Harlem, invasive Asia longhorned tick and associated disease, potential Ebola outbreak in the Congo, Florida ending childhood vaccine mandates, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan...

TWiV re-issues our 100th episode which featured a discussion of viruses with David Baltimore, an exemplary scientist and Vincent’s exemplary mentor, who passed on 6 September 2025. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , and  Rich Condit Guest:  David Baltimore Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education  at Microbe...

TWiV reviews a study showing that the 2009 influenza pandemic virus disrupted biennial respiratory syncytial virus epidemics in northern Stockholm, and development of broad-spectrum synthetic carbohydrate receptors that inhibit viral entry of coronaviruses, filoviruses, and paramyxoviruses. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit ,  Kathy Spindler , and Angela Mingarelli Subscribe (...

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello is shocked by COVID vaccine restrictions and uncertainties such as pharmacy stock, the ACIP meeting roster and whether it guidance is legal, 3 new ACIP members all anti-vaccine, ending of childhood vaccine mandates in Florida, the continued Legionnaire’s outbreak in Harlem, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on th...

TWiV reviews the major shakeup in CDC leadership, herpes simplex virus infection doubles the risk of dementia, and the prototypic crAssphage is a linear phage-plasmid. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Rich Condit ,  Brianne Barker , and  Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education  at MicrobeTV CDC director...

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello are dismayed about the recent attack on public health the firing of the director of the CDC as well as resignation of 3 others members of the agency’s leadership, the continued Legionnaire’s outbreak in Harlem, suspension of Ixchiq the Chikungunya virus attenuated infectious vaccine, the first US case of New World screwworm before...

Stanley Plotkin joins TWiV to recount his career as a vaccinologist, having participated in the development of vaccines for polio, rabies, and rubella, and his thoughts on the current anti-science, anti-public health, and anti-vaccine climate. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler Guest:  Stanley A. Plotkin Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron...

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello discusses outbreaks of  Vibrio vulnificus  and Legionnaire’s disease in Harlem, the role of the American Association of Pediatrics defining immunization practices, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, effective of the high and low does infl...

TWiV reviews fradulent science becoming an industry, FDA may not authorize Pfizer COVID vaccine for young kids, Kennedy won’t push strict pesticide regulations conserved betacoronavirus sequences recognized by human T cells, and Bispecific antibodies protect against herpes recurrent disease. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , and  Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts ,  RSS ,  em...