David writes:
HI, twivniks,
With regard to diarrhea virus diseases, I may have missed this point on TWiV 1199 (or in an earlier epitope), so if I have forgive me.
If the purpose of the host immune response-induced diarrhea is to flush the virus quickly to protect the host, maybe the purpose of the second phase-viral protein induced diarrhea is to flush the newly replicated virus into the environment to prevent it from getting trapped in the GI.
Just a thought.
Love your work and miss Dickson.
Best regards,
Dave
David J. Spector, Ph. D
Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology
Penn State Hershey
Michael writes:
Dear TWIVers,
My condolences on the loss of Dr Dickson Despommier.
I am an epidemiologist and the majority of works the past 2 decades has been in Alzheimer’s disease, which about as far away as one may get from the viral level. I started listening to TWIV during the beginning of the COVID pandemic and still listen to TWIV and I also appreciate Dr Griffin’s clinical update.
One of the concerns raised within the new leaders of the US Dept of Health and Human services regarding a vaccine for poultry is viral reassortment. I was wondering if you might address this topic. RFK Jr.’s (Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.) head of the US DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) made some comments that were reported by CBS News. CBS News refers to refers to an interview on Fox News with RFK Jr but I could not find it.
I want to pull out some of RFK Jr’s quotes from the CBS News website:
RFK Jr. warns vacinating poultry for bird flu could backfire.
By Alexander Tin
Mary 6, 2025
www.cbsnew.com/news/rfk-jr-vaccinating-poultry-bird-flu-could-backfire/
Quote 1:
“There’s no indication that those vaccines actually provide sterilizing immunity and all three of my health agencies, NIH, CDC, and FDA, the acting heads of those agencies have all recommended against the use of the bird flu vaccine,”
Question: I am not aware of any vaccine that provides sterilizing immunity, is this correct?
Quote 2:
Kennedy said without sterilizing immunity would amount to “turning those birds into mutant factories,” resulting in worrying genetic changes to the virus. “That could actually accelerate the jump to human beings,”
Question: Wouldn’t this be a concern of any vaccination in any population, including humans?
Quote 3:
“We’ve in fact said, at the USDA, that they should consider maybe the possibility of letting it run through the flock so that we can identify the birds and preserve the birds that are immune to it.”
Questions and Comment: Comment: the CBS News site reports that the USDA had a different opinion under Biden. Question: wouldn’t this, “letting it run through the flock,” be as bad as the concern raised about the lack of sterilizing immunity from vaccines? I am not aware of naturally acquired immunity providing sterilizing immunity, do you know of examples and how common this might be?
Michael
TWIV listener since 2020, not very long but one has to start somewhere.
Matthew writes:
I was wondering how measles could spread to — let us say — West Texas. I came up with this hypothetical question that I cannot find an answer to.
I am immune to measles. I travel to an area of the planet where measles is spreading and infecting unvaccinated people. (1) Can I acquire the virus, return to the US and spread the virus? (2) Even though the virus cannot replicate in any of my cells?
Thank you. From, Matthew, citizen virologist and contributor to microbe.tv.
Brian writes:
Dear Twivers,
Although there is much that is merely chaotic and destructive with Musk’s gutting programs, the ending of the President’s Malaria Initiative is probably deliberate.
At least 120,000 Africans, mostly children, will die in the next 12 months from malaria. A leaked USAID memo puts the extra death toll above 160,000. These children would survive, except for Mr. Musk’s actions.
I find it important to explain that malaria is a very difficult vaccine target. It is a protozoan. SARS has 30 thousand base pairs, malaria around 25 million. When injected via mosquito bite, the Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite homes in the liver, reaching it in as little as an hour. The only widely tested vaccines target the sporozoite’s surface proteins. They require continuously repeated injections for antibody protection. Memory B cells simply do not have time to differentiate into antibody-secreting plasmablasts in the brief window of time before the sporozoite enters the liver, sheds surface proteins, and divides.
But you can stop a malaria infection in its tracks with inexpensive medicines. You can prevent malaria infections with bed nets and a compound mosquitoes avoid, and with discrete applications of insecticides to the walls where mosquitoes live.
In 2005 the George W. Bush administration established the President’s Malaria Initiative. Its goal: reduce malaria mortality by 50 percent in Africa in 10 years. The initiative, run by USAID, exceeded its goal. In a decade, malaria mortality was reduced over 60% in Africa. Africa. The program provided bed nets, insecticides, and antimalarial drugs to treat children and pregnant women who had gotten the disease. They are the ones likely to die.
Perhaps 800,000 Africans died annually from malaria in the early 2000s. By 2019 that had fallen to less than 300,000. Half a million people, mostly children, saved every year mostly because of the USAID program. At a cost of about half a billion dollars a year. Getting local people into rural areas with carefully applied resources. The key thing is that African people are eager for solutions.
I did some research, ran a very small development project, started a cooperative, in a couple of West African countries. I talked to women who had lost all or most of their children, most to malaria. They were the saddest people I’ve ever met. People in areas where malaria is endemic want solutions.
The President’s Malaria Initiative that cut malaria deaths so dramatically has been stopped. Ended. By this administration. But here I take issue with the idea that this is a random act of cruelty. This is not President Trump’s idea. It’s Musk’s. He’s the juggernaut attacking USAID. Mr. Musk is South African. He has had malaria! He knows what USAID does, as do most South Africans. He knows thousands of African children will die each month, going forward.
Apply Occam’s razor. Martin Luther King said South African apartheid was the world’s worst racism. It is the simplest explanation for Mr. Musk’s actions. I live in the SF Bay Area, where Musk still has a cult following. They object to this conclusion. They don’t understand apartheid.
The estimates of predicted deaths are robust. During Covid, anti-malaria services were reduced some, and malaria deaths increased 80,000. Those services are ended. 120,000 extra deaths is conservative.
Thank you for all you do.
Brian
Sergio writes:
Hello Twivers. I was so sad to read about Dickson’s passing. I am an agronomist interested in plant pathogens and that is how I started following TWiV when I was doing my Master in Japan. Then I was amazed about his interest in vertical farming and bought his book on the matter when I did my postdoc in Sweden. Now I am back to Bolivia lecturing microbiology to Biotech students. I just wanted you (and everybody who knew him) to know how big was his impact on my career. I hope my short message helps all of you overcome the pain of losing such a charming and interesting person. My condolences to all of you.
Sergio Daniel Moreira Ascarrunz
Ph.D. in Biocontrol Science
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Ryan writes:
Please be advised Trump will directly overturn vaccine laws all to hold on to RFK Jr supporters.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday prohibiting federal funds from going to K-12 schools and universities that require COVID-19 vaccinations. In Iowa, that shouldn’t be a problem — the state has already outlawed mandatory vaccinations for the virus. Trump’s order instructs the departments of Education and Health and Human Services to issue guidelines to comply with the order and create plans to “end coercive COVID-19 vaccine mandates.” “That solves that problem,” Trump said after signing the order. As in Iowa, the order will likely have a minimal impact. No states currently require COVID-19 vaccinations for students at K-12 public schools, and at least 21 states have passed laws banning vaccine mandates
Richard writes:
It appears all we can do is watch, continue to point out the problem, and circle the wagons.Thank you for continuing to supply the best scientific information on infectious disease.
Rich Schoenbaum
Charles writes:
Hello All;
Here is a pick I think people should read, not that it will be enjoyable.
Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not)
It is a similar perspective as microbe.tv and other medical research sites have.
Thanks,
Charles