Moving beyond metagenomics to find the next pandemic virus
I was asked to write a commentary for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences to accompany an article entitled SARS-like WIV1-CoV poised for human emergence. I’d like to explain why I wrote it and why I spent the last five paragraphs railing against regulating gain-of-function experiments.
Towards the end of 2014 the US government announced a pause of gain-of-function research involving research on influenza virus, SARS virus, and MERS virus that “may be reasonably anticipated to confer attributes to influenza, MERS, or SARS viruses such that the virus would have enhanced pathogenicity and/or tra...
Source: virology blog - March 14, 2016 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Commentary Information aerosol transmission benefits coronavirus ferret gain of function H5N1 influenza MERS metagenomics moratorium pathogenicity pause risks SARS viral viruses Source Type: blogs
TWiV 377: Chicken with a side of Zika
On episode #377 of the science show This Week in Virology, the TWiVniks review the past week’s findings on Zika virus and microcephaly, and reveal a chicken protein that provides insight on the restriction of transmission of avian influenza viruses to humans.
You can find TWiV #377 at microbe.tv/twiv, or you can listen below.
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Download TWiV 377 (70 MB .mp3, 95 min)
Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - February 21, 2016 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology amniotic fluid ANP32A avian influenza H5N1 host protein host restriction larvicide microcephaly ocular defects pyriproxifen RNA polymerase semen species restriction TORCH viral virus viruses zika v Source Type: blogs
1977 H1N1 influenza virus is not relevant to the gain of function debate
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The individuals who believe that certain types of gain-of-function experiments should not be done because they are too dangerous (including Lipsitch, Osterholm, Wain-Hobson,) cite the 1977 influenza virus H1N1 strain as an example of a laboratory accident that has led to a global epidemic. A new analysis shows that the reappearance of the 1997 H1N1 virus has little relevance to the gain-of-function debate.
Human influenza viruses of the H3N2 subtype were circulating in May of 1977 when H1N1 viruses were identified in China and then Russia. These viruses spread globally and continue to circulate to this day. Th...
Source: virology blog - August 20, 2015 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Uncategorized 1977 H1N1 bioweapon ferret gain of function GOF influenza laboratory accident moratorium transmission vaccine trial viral virology virus Source Type: blogs
Post Ebola syndrome, and choice of search terms
On the BBC news recently was an interview with a survivor of Ebola, which made reference to "post Ebola syndrome". A search of the web finds a lot of news items mentioning this term, a short Wikipedia page and an article from Medecins Sans Frontieres. According to that MSF article, joint pain, eye problems and depression, among other things, can follow Ebola.Another item found by a web search for "post Ebola syndrome" is this blog post on the H5N1 blog. It refers to an editorial in Lancet Infectious Diseases (the link in the blog post goes to the Lancet but here is the PubMed record):Sequelae after Ebola virus ...
Source: Browsing - July 23, 2015 Category: Databases & Libraries Tags: Ebola literature searching Source Type: blogs
TWiV 336: Brought to you by the letters H, N, P, and Eye
On episode #336 of the science show This Week in Virology, the TWiVsters explore mutations in the interferon pathway associated with severe influenza in a child, outbreaks of avian influenza in North American poultry farms, Ebolavirus infection of the eye weeks after recovery, and Ebolavirus stability on surfaces and in fluids.
You can find TWiV #336 at www.twiv.tv. (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - May 10, 2015 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology acute respiratory distress avian influenza ebolavirus H5N1 H5N2 H5N8 high pathogenicity avian influenza IFN interferon IRF7 poultry severe influenza uveitis viral Source Type: blogs
Gaza: H5N1 Influenza and Population Density
A recent ProMED posting (Avian influenza (80): Palestinian Auth (GZ) HPAI H5N1, spread, RFI) states that, “The Gaza strip is one of the most dense[ly] populated territories on earth.” Sadly, this talking point is inaccurate, but obsessively repeated in the media for the sole purpose of de-legitimizing Israel. The population density of Gaza is 5,046 inhabitants per sq km. Compare this to Boston (5,115 per sq km). Indeed, the Israeli town of Sderot, the prime target for bombs and missiles from Gaza, boasts 5,367 inhabitants per sq km. Needless to say, scores of other regions and cities in Asia are far more crowde...
Source: GIDEON blog - April 15, 2015 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Dr. Stephen Berger Tags: Epidemiology ProMED Source Type: blogs
TWiV 321: aTRIP and a pause
On episode #321 of the science show This Week in Virology, Paul Duprex joins the TWiV team to discuss the current moratorium on viral research to alter transmission, range and resistance, infectivity and immunity, and pathogenesis.
You can find TWiV #321 at www.twiv.tv. (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - January 25, 2015 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology aerosol transmission apocalypse aTRIP ferret fouchier gain of function H5N1 influenza virus kawaoka moratorium National Academy of Sciences nsabb pause rhetoric viral Source Type: blogs
Avian influenza in East Yorkshire
I imagine this post will get a lot of editing! I will put new information (added since I first posted) in bold. Last updated at 1822 on 17th November 2014.According to the BBC, a duck farm in East Yorkshire has had a confirmed case of bird flu. At the time of writing, the BBC are reporting that it is not H5N1, but not what it is. BBC World News this morning (Monday, as shown on BBC2) was reporting that there is a current outbreak in Hekendorp in the Netherlands.The government has updated its avian influenza advice today (17th November).This next paragraph is dependent on my Dutch being good, ...
Source: Browsing - November 17, 2014 Category: Databases & Libraries Tags: avian influenza Source Type: blogs
WHO on Ebola virus transmission
The World Health Organization has issued a situation assessment entitled ‘What we know about transmission of the Ebola virus among humans‘. WHO is rather later entering the transmission discussion which began on 12 September 2014 with the suggestion that Ebola virus transmission could go airborne. But WHO is a big organization and moves slowly; nevertheless their voice may reassure those who are not convinced by what virologists have to say. Here are the salient points (voiced here and by many others in the past few weeks).
The Ebola virus is transmitted among humans through close and direct physical contact ...
Source: virology blog - October 7, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Uncategorized aerosol airborne droplet ebola virus ebolavirus transmission viral virology Source Type: blogs
What we are not afraid to say about Ebola virus
In a recent New York Times OpEd entitled What We’re Afraid to Say About Ebola, Michael Osterholm wonders whether Ebola virus could go airborne:
You can now get Ebola only through direct contact with bodily fluids. If certain mutations occurred, it would mean that just breathing would put one at risk of contracting Ebola. Infections could spread quickly to every part of the globe, as the H1N1 influenza virus did in 2009, after its birth in Mexico.
Is there any truth to what Osterholm is saying?
Let’s start with his discussion of Ebola virus mutation:
But viruses like Ebola are notoriously sloppy in replicating, me...
Source: virology blog - September 19, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information aerosol transmission airborne transmission ebola virus evolution hemorrhagic fever Michael Osterholm mutation viral Source Type: blogs
Promoting Health, Science, and Public Trust through Laboratory Safety
As you may know from recent news reports, there have been lapses in safety practices at federal laboratories involving potentially lethal microbes such as avian flu (H5N1) and anthrax, including an incident involving discovery of 60-year old smallpox vials in an FDA laboratory building located on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, MD. Such lapses, which undermine public confidence in biomedical research and could put people’s health at risk, remind us of the need for constant attention to biosafety standards.
Scientists can never become complacent in routine safety practices—one mistake could h...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus: Rock Talk Blog - August 27, 2014 Category: Research Authors: Sally Rockey, Francis Collins, Lawrence Tabak, and Amy Patterson Tags: Rock Talk biosecurity General Source Type: blogs
The value of influenza aerosol transmission experiments
A Harvard epidemiologist has been on a crusade to curtail aerosol transmission experiments on avian influenza H5N1 virus because he believes that they are too dangerous and of little value. Recently he has taken his arguments to the Op-Ed pages of the New York Times. While Dr. Lipsitch is certainly entitled to his opinion, his arguments do not support his conclusions.
In early 2013 Lipsitch was the subject of a piece in Harvard Magazine about avian influenza H5N1 virus entitled The Deadliest Virus. I have previously criticized this article in which Lipsitch calls for more stringent H5N1 policies. More recently Lipsi...
Source: virology blog - July 5, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Commentary Information aerosol avian H5N1 ferret fouchier gain of function influenza kawaoka transmission viral virus Source Type: blogs
TWiV 291: Ft. Collins abuzz with virologists
Vincent, Rich, and Kathy and their guests Clodagh and Ron recorded episode #291 of the science show This Week in Virology at the 33rd annual meeting of the American Society for Virology at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado.
You can find TWiV #291 at www.twiv.tv. (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - June 29, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology adenovirus airborne transmission american society for virology asv avian influenza H5N1 Colorado State University ferret oncoprotein pandemic polymer transformation viral Source Type: blogs
Reconstruction of 1918-like avian influenza virus stirs concern over gain of function experiments
The gain of function experiments in which avian influenza H5N1 virus was provided the ability to transmit by aerosol among ferrets were met with substantial outrage from both the press and even some scientists; scenarios of lethal viruses escaping from the laboratory and killing millions proliferated (see examples here and here). The recent publication of new influenza virus gain of function studies from the laboratories of Kawaoka and Perez have unleashed another barrage of criticism. What exactly was done and what does it mean?
According to critics, virologists should not be entrusted to carry out gain of function studie...
Source: virology blog - June 20, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information 1918 pandemic aerosol transmission avian influenza ferret gain of function H5N1 viral virus Source Type: blogs
An Outbreak of Outbreaks
By Melinda Moore, Andrew M. Parker, and Courtney Gidengil Lately, stories about outbreaks seem to be spreading faster than the diseases themselves. An outbreak of measles in Ohio is just part of an 18-year high of U.S. cases. Meanwhile, polio continues to circulate in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, while spreading to other countries, like Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Syria, leading […] (Source: The Health Care Blog)
Source: The Health Care Blog - June 11, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: THCB Anti-vaxxers CDC H5N1 Measles MERS Outbreak Polio public health risk Source Type: blogs
