TWiV reveals isolation from bats in Laos of a SARS-CoV-2 like virus with a spike protein that allows entry into human cells, and exploration of a herpesvirus vector for immunization of vampire bats against rabies virus.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit and Amy Rosenfeld
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Download TWiV 809 (70 MB .mp3, 117 min)
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Links for this episode
- SARS-CoV-2 like viruses from Laotian bats (Res Sq) 1:44
- Herpesvirus in rabies endemic vampire bats (Nat Comm) 37:04
- Letters read on TWiV 809 1:33:52
- Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!
Weekly Picks 1:19:48
Dickson – George Carlin: “Stuff”
Amy – The best of me by David Sedaris
Rich – You could have a secret twin (but not the way you think)
Alan – Nuclear powered Gameboy
Vincent – No, Vaccinated People Are Not ‘Just as Likely’ to Spread the Coronavirus as Unvaccinated People by Craig Spencer
Listener Picks
Michael – The tangled history mRNA vaccines
Fernando – 1493 by Charles Mann
Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees
Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv
The first paper on sarbecoviruses found in Laos is exceptional. I’m a little disappointed, however, that the TWiV crew did not connect the dots between the Mekong/Lancang River ecosystem where these horseshoe bats were found and the list of 38 species found in the four Wuhan markets discussed in TWiV 776: “Yes! We have no pangolins.”
I find it very hard to read about masked palm civets and wonder why no one discusses “nocturnal arboreal mammals” that inhabit the same trees that horseshoe bats perch feed from. It is even more perplexing considering the connection between palm civets and SARS-1.
So informative re vectors, hosts and early viral spread. Many thanks to all.