Geneviève writes:

Hi Daniel and Vincent,

I love your podcast and really appreciate all the info you provide.  I have a question about avian flu transmission to pets.  I like to walk my dog along the shore and on occasion we may encounter a dead seagull or duck.  I try to avoid these situations, but my dog is very curious and has such a good sense of smell (he’s a hound) that he will usually detect something before I do and is eager to explore any carcass he may find.  Should I be concerned that he may contract a virus from an encounter such as this?  Would it be prudent to avoid the shoreline during an outbreak?  How would I even know if avian flu is prevalent in shorebirds or waterfowl in my area, southern New England? 

Many thanks,

Geneviève

Harry writes:

I’ve followed your weekly podcasts since 2020 and always learn something new and interesting. Thanks to you for doing this for everyone, and to Vincent “Black & Yellow = Racaniello”  for making it possible!

I learned on your new podcast that Paxlovid is now packaged for persons with various types of renal impairment. But what about those of us on Eliquis for paroxysmal AFib? My cardiologist says to take remdesivir, which is sometimes hard for me get and difficult to take compared to taking a pill orally. I’ve found several conflicting guidelines on taking paxlovid while on Eliquis. One says just stop taking Eliquis for a few days, as I have done several times for medical procedures. Another one says to cut the dose in half to 2.5 mg for a few days. What do you advise if I catch Covid? Other than taking Eliquis and blood pressure meds I’m generally quite healthy for a 78 year old man.

Thanks again for all the work you do to help people all over the world understand how to stay healthy!  (I contribute in a very small way to Microbe TV via Patreon as another way to say thanks.)

Harry 

Ellen writes:

Dear Daniel,

My husband and I, both close to 80, got the senior flu vaccinations in mid-November. Given the current rampaging flu, especially in the South where we are, and the vaccines waning effectiveness (such as it is at around 50%), should we try to get a supplementary flu vaccination now? Is it allowed or prohibited in any way? Will Medicare or insurance companies pay for it? Is it expensive otherwise?

Thanks for all you do for all of us,

Ellen

Asheville, NC

Chris writes:

Daniel,

As a former molecular virologist (PhD, Fred Hutch) I enjoy TWIV and the clinical update every week. 

As a non-clinician I have a question about detecting dengue. In fall of 2019, I returned from East Africa (Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania) with my wife. About 48 hours upon arriving home I got a fever of 103 and ultimately ended up I the ER for 3 days with a fever exceeding 104, crushing pain in joints and shin bones, but no rash. Our small town tested for flu, RSV, malaria …the usually suspects, but waited on Dengue because of no rash, then days later finally sent out blood for Dengue.

Days later at home got the results as no malaria, but a perplexing Dengue response. I had no IgM, but a low level IgG response. No IgM tells me I may have been infected prior (in Cuba), but the low IgG makes me wonder if it was just some cross-reactivity. 

Now to my question. Is there a clinically available test that would definitively confirm a previous Dengue infection. I’d be fine paying out of pocket to know as we love traveling but have avoided more tropical locales.

We’d love to travel the tropics without rolling the ADE dice.

Any feedback appreciated! 

Chris

Anonymous writes:

Hello Dr. Griffin,

Thank you for the work you and the rest of the MicrobeTV team do. Your podcasts are a vital tool for spreading accurate scientific information. In TWiV 1188 Clinical Update, you mentioned the ongoing TB outbreak in Kansas City, and I wanted to share some information that I have as an employee at CDC. For my safety and job security, I need to remain anonymous, so I apologize for the odd email address. 

For the past several months, CDC has been supporting contact tracing in this outbreak, with boots on the ground in Kansas City. Based on what I have heard from trusted colleagues, the case investigations there are so backlogged and understaffed, the investigators are still following up on exposures from one year ago. Since the new administration began, all external communication and all travel was suspended, effectively ending this federal support in controlling the outbreak. At this time, there is no clear timeline for if and when CDC staff would be able to return to support response operations in Kansas. 

It is up to you whether you want to share this information with your listeners. But I thought people should hear about the real harms caused by this administration’s policies.

– A dedicated listener at CDC