Viral Load

Send a text Leprosy probably brings to mind skin falling from the bone and people cast away into quarantined colonies. It is among the most stigmatized diseases in history, that I can think of. In this episode, we cover the past, present, and future of this ancient foe. . sources https://www.who.int/health-topics/leprosy#tab=tab_1 https://www.seeker.com/where-do-leper-colonies-still-exist-20151078...

Send a text The search continues for the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19—and the pathway that it took to leap from animals to humans, resulting in 129 million infections and more than 2.8 million deaths....and counting. The World Health Organization recently released a report from a team of international researchers that traveled to China to investigate four possible origin scenarios. Tu...

Send a text Brett and Andy dive into the hot topics in the world of diseases for this viral particle (minisode). In an homage to the My Favorite Murder pod, each host chooses a recent disease story and presents without the other knowing what the subject matter will be. Tune in to find out the terrifying facts the guys uncovered this week. . . . . sources . . https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandso...

Send a text On part 2 of our STI saga we sat down with occupational therapist and real life love doctor Karen McCarthy PhD. We discuss dating in the age of apps and the stigma of the gifts that keep on giving.  For dating advice and more info on our guest head over to www.karenmccarthcoaching.com. 

Send a text In the words of the late Charles Bukowski, "Sex is kicking death in the ass while singing." Join us as we embark on a journey of sex, pathogens, and in our first episode, we explore the world of sexually transmitted infections. sources -  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16341329/ , https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis) , https...

Send a text Tuberculosis  is one of the deadliest diseases in the world infecting over 100 Million people annually. Every episode we end by asking listeners to send in any episode suggestions they'd like to hear about in the future. Well ask and the disease guys will deliver! Tulane University student Anna Ryu has done amazing work with the Borgen project and wanted to shed some light on ways...

Send a text Out with the old and in with the new! The 2020 dumpster fire is over and COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out. So, only one question remains: what new disease horrors does 2021 have in store for us? . . . sources  . . https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine.html https://www.newscientist.com/article/2261805-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-pfiz...

Send a text This week we're continuing our nephrotic odyssey with a special interview with a kidney failure survivor and recent kidney transplant recipient Joe Mcguiggin. Joe pulls back the curtain on what it's like to be a recovering addict with kidney failure and we learn about a lesser-known disease that caused his kidney failure. Check out Joe's interview on WCVB 5 which include...

Send a text We’re dipping our toes in the sea of non-communicable diseases. Join us as we venture into the surprisingly strange world of chronic kidney disease. We’ve got science, a special guest, and Snapple facts that will leave you thirsty for more. What do mangrove forests and cargo ships have to do with kidney disease in Bangladesh? Tune in to find out! And you thought only infectious disease...

Send a text We may not all agree on side dishes or which dessert is best, but the one thing we do know: Thanksgiving and diseases go together like turkey and gravy.  On this episode of Viral Load, we cover the diseases, both past & present, of the Thanksgiving holiday (or the last Thursday in November for the rest of the world). Sources: . https://www.poison.org/articles/2014-oct/happy-and-saf...

Send a text Take a trip down memory road (or trail?) with us. We're discussing the disease-riddled icon computer lab mainstay, 'The Oregon Trail' . . . sources PLAY THE GAME  *** https://classicreload.com/oregon-trail.html *** https://oregontrailcenter.org/pioneers-talk https://apnews.com/article/24e7fbf1d0e84f05a069e8c4c3fcc78f https://historicoregoncity.org/2019/04/02/doctors-and-...

Send a text We know what you're thinking "2020 has been less than optimal".  Well try and find solace in the fact that you aren’t waking up today only to find yourself buried alive.  On this particle we discuss the devastating Yellow Fever Outbreak in Savannah Georgia in 1820. As well as the possible origin of an insectoid monster that has been terrorizing West Africa for over  700...

Send a text In honor of Halloween, we’ve put together a spooktacular sampler of some of the diseases that are the real reason for the season! First, we explore the pathogen-riddled, Irish origins of Dracula. Then, we discuss Cotard Syndrome, otherwise known as the “Walking Corpse Syndrome”. . . . . sources  . .

Send a text I know what your thinking 2020 has been a piece of cake and you have nothing to worry about. Well you're in luck this week we dive into the stagnant waters of your nightmares and bring you Naegleria  the brain eating amoeba!  Sources:  https://www.popsci.com/story/science/brain-eating-amoeba-rare-infection/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/naegleria-infection/symptom...

Send a text COVID-19 knows no bounds! After prancing around Parliament with Boris Johnson COVID decided to hit the big time and took a romp in the White House rose garden. Donald Trump President of the United States tests positive for COVID-19. On this episode we chronicle the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S and examine how exactly we ended up with a super spreader event at the white house. . . . . ....

Send a text What is the Million Death Study? How has Africa navigated COVID-19 relatively unscathed and for God’s sake can someone give us some Happy Science news? All that and more on this week’s Viral Particle mini-sode.  . . . Sources  . https://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/their-own-hands-kibera-kenyas-largest-slum-tames-covid-19#slideshow-0 https://www.vogue.com/article/david-avido-free-mask-...

Send a text What is the flu? What does the flu do? Are there any flu socks? Is anyone listening to me? What happens when the world is up in flames, a Pandemic continues to rage on and Flu Season comes a knockin'? Buckle up kids because like it or not we're all strapped into the 2020 rollercoaster and we're about to find out.  . . sources  . . https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a...

Send a text On this Viral Particle minisode, we discuss the drastic rise in domestic violence globally since the shutdown and we celebrate vultures, the unsung heroes of the public health world. . . . . sources  https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/09/10/910737751/the-women-of-peru-are-suffering-from-a-shadow-pandemic https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/vulture https://www.atlasobscu...

Send a text Are birds real? Do crows really remember faces? How hard is a Sentinal chicken's day at work? And what the hell does any of that have to do with West Nile Virus? Tune into this week's episode of Viral Load to find out.  . . . sources  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3967162/ https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/statsmaps/cumMapsData.html https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/dead...

Send a text Earthquakes, Hurricanes, COVID, and now wild fires. 2020 you're incorrigible. On this viral particle we check in on the California wildfires and cap it off with a simple case study about a man and his socks. . . . sources . . https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/man-hospitalized-after-sniffing-his-socks-too-long/ https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Fire-evacuees-dur...

Send a text What is the worst disease no one has ever heard of? Nipah! Ever heard of it? Join Andy and Brett as they discuss the Nipah virus, the inspiration for the 2011 blockbuster hit Contagion, bat urine, and date palm wine. All fun facts that are sure to make you a hit at your next Zoom cocktail hour. . Sources  . . . . . . https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/nipah/index.html Spiropoulou CF. Nipah Virus...

Send a text It's been 8 months since the first case of the virus formally known as the Novel Coronavirus was found in Wuhan China. That number has grown in 8 months to over 20 Million cases. How do we escape this warped reality that is COVID-19? The answer just might be Operation Warp Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . sources  https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/basics/test-approve.html Fact sheet: expla...

Send a text What do you get when you cross totalitarianism with a pandemic? If you guessed "one helluva story", we owe you a La Croix! COVID-19 has finally arrived in North Korea...or has it? Join Andy and Brett as they traverse the demilitarized zone, on this week's extra-large viral particle. References: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/25/world/asia/north-korea-coronavirus-kim-jon...

Send a text Remember to stop and smell the roses. Unless of course those roses are in fact Oleanders, Love Beans, Corpse Flowers, or any number of vegetable seed roots. Better yet take a picture you'll last longer. Are there plants around us everyday that can be made into weapons of terrorism? Have we found the perfect plant that when placed on the tip of an umbrella is capable of taking down...

Send a text 2020 the year of COVID-19, Murder Hornets, locust swarms, social injustice and...it's not over yet. What if we told you the death toll didn't stop with COVID-19? What if as predicted by some in the scientific community the shutdown had unintended consequences of epic proportions? No we aren't talking about suffocation from wearing a mask while shopping at Wal-Mart or get...