What are the benefits and risks of using topical insect repellents to prevent malaria?
Malaria is arguably the most important parasitic disease in the world and the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group has produced more than 60 relevant reviews. These were added to in August 2023 with a new review of the effects of topical repellents. We asked lead author, Juan Carlos Gabaldon from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Spain to tell us about the findings in this podcast. (Source: Podcasts from The Cochrane Library)
Source: Podcasts from The Cochrane Library - January 8, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Cochrane Source Type: podcasts
TWiV 1075: Fit viruses, parasites, sick chickens
For the last episode of 2023, TWiV describes how ancient chicken remains reveal the increase of fitness and virulence of Marek’s disease virus, and the diversity and dissemination of Leishmania virus in the pathogenic protozoan Leishmania braziliensis. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Kathy Spindler, Brianne Barker and Angela Mingarelli Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Become a member of ASV (asv.org) Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) The ...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - December 31, 2023 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts
Cat parasite Toxoplasma tricked to grow in a dish
In this episode:00:48 A new way to grow a tricky parasite in the labToxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes the zoonotic disease toxoplasmosis, has a complex, multi-stage life cycle. Some of these stages will only grow in the intestines of cats, making it difficult to study. Now, a team has found a way to grow one of these stages in vitro for the first time, which they hope will help researchers learn more about this parasite, estimated to have infected around 30% of the world’s population.Research Article: Antunes et al.08:50 Research HighlightsThe tiny VR goggles designed for mice, and how a squirt of water could g...
Source: Nature Podcast - December 13, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
TWiV 1047: Long COVID and avian flu in ferrets
TWiV explains a study of postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 years, and respiratory droplet transmission of human-isolated avian H3N8 influenza virus between ferrets. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) 4:20 Postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 years (Nat Med) Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) (WHO) Respiratory droplet transmission of H3N8 viru...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - September 24, 2023 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts
TWiV 1039: Landmines for phages, a mouthful of redondoviruses
TWiV describes how a viral capsid protein activates a bacterial innate immune system that interferes with protein synthesis, and human-associated redondoviruses that infect the commensal protozoan Entamoeba gingivalis. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Jolene Ramsey Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) Anti-phage defense via capsid detection (Nature) Redondoviruses infect commen...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - August 27, 2023 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts
Disrupting snail food-chain curbs parasitic disease in Senegal
In this episode:00:45 A sustainable solution for schistosomiasis controlSchistosomiasis is a serious parasitic disease that affects millions of people, who become infected when they come into contact with contaminated water. To prevent the spread and reinfection of this disease, researchers trialled an environmental intervention that removed plants from lakes in Senegal. These plants act as food for freshwater snails – intermediate hosts for the disease. Results showed that this reduced disease levels, and that the plants could be composted to increase agricultural yields, suggesting this approach could be used to improv...
Source: Nature Podcast - July 19, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Year in review 2022: Best of online news, and podcast highlights
On this week’s show: A rundown of our favorite online news stories, and some of our favorite moments on the podcast this year
This is our last show of the year and it’s a fun one! Dave Grimm, our online news editor, gives a tour of the top online stories of the year, from playful bumble bees to parasite-ridden friars.
Then, host Sarah Crespi looks back at some amazing conversations from the podcast this year, including answers to a few questions she never thought she’d be asking. Highlights include why we aren’t just shooting nuclear waste into space, and how mapping ant diversity is like mapping the early univer...
Source: Science Magazine Podcast - December 22, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Science Magazine Source Type: podcasts
Year in review 2022: Best of online news, and podcast highlights
On this week’s show: A rundown of our favorite online news stories, and some of our favorite moments on the podcast this year
This is our last show of the year and it’s a fun one! Dave Grimm, our online news editor, gives a tour of the top online stories of the year, from playful bumble bees to parasite-ridden friars.
Then, host Sarah Crespi looks back at some amazing conversations from the podcast this year, including answers to a few questions she never thought she’d be asking. Highlights include why we aren’t just shooting nuclear waste into space, and how mapping ant diversity is like mapping the early univer...
Source: Science Magazine Podcast - December 22, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Science Magazine Source Type: podcasts
Massive Facebook study reveals a key to social mobility
00:47 The economic benefits of social connectionsBy looking at data gathered from billions of Facebook friendships, researchers have shown that having more connections with people from higher income groups could increase future incomes by 20%. They also show how such connections can be formed, and how schools and other institutions could help to improve peoples’ opportunities in the future.Research Article: Chetty et al.Research Article: Chetty et al.News and Views: The social connections that shape economic prospectsLink to the data11:06 Research HighlightsHow balloons could help measure quakes on Venus, and the parasit...
Source: Nature Podcast - August 3, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Community views on mass drug administration for filariasis: a qualitative evidence synthesis
Alongside quantitative evidence on the effects of healthcare interventions, it ' s important to have qualitative evidence on people ' s views about these interventions, particularly if they are delivered at the population level. This is the case with mass drug administration for filariasis, which is a parasitic disease that can result in swollen limbs and disability and, in February 2022, the Cochrane Infectious Diseases group, based at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK, published a qualitative evidence synthesis on community views about this intervention. (Source: Podcasts from The Cochrane Library)
Source: Podcasts from The Cochrane Library - July 12, 2022 Category: General Medicine Authors: Cochrane Source Type: podcasts
Five years in the coldest fridge in the known Universe
00:46 The very cool experiment looking for a proposed particlePhysics tells us that when matter is created, antimatter should be as well. But while the Universe is full of matter, there’s surprisingly little antimatter to be found. To try and understand this imbalance, a team have built a detector kept just above absolute zero which they are using to look for a hypothesised, ultra-rare type of particle decay that could create matter without antimatter.Research article: The CUORE CollaborationNews and Views: Cryogenic mastery aids bid to spot matter creation09:43 Research HighlightsSubsidence of coastal cities makes them ...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 6, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
TWiV 862: COVID-19 clinical update #100 with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In COVID-19 clinical update #100, Daniel Griffin, from Accra, Ghana, reviews the challenges in evaluating Omicron severity, over 800 deaths in children, Pfizer vaccine EUA application for under 5 year olds, false positives from soft drinks, Novavax vaccine EUA application, childhood experiences and vaccine hesitancy, fourth vaccine dose in Israel, effects of antivirals and monoclonals against Omicron, and multiple factors associated with PASC. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Omicron severity challenges (NEJM) Children and COVID data (AAP) ...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - February 5, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts
TWiV 859: COVID-19 clinical update #99 with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In COVID-19 clinical update #99, Daniel Griffin discusses Omicron disease severity, neurologic manifestations in children, testing outcomes during multiple infections, boosters improve VE and VD, booster efficacy for ED and UC encounters, vaccines induce cross-protective T cell memory, and indications for monoclonal antibody therapy.C Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Omicron disease severity (MMWR) Neurologic manifestations in children (Pediatric Neurol) Respiratory virus interference (Emerg Inf Dis) Hospitalization by vaccination status (C...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - January 29, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts
TWiV 856: COVID-19 clinical update #98 with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In COVID-19 clinical update #98, Daniel Griffin reviews COVID-19 in South Africa, recognition of Omicron by ancestral T cells, booster effectiveness against disease, infection and vaccination in pregnant women, early Remdesivir to prevent progression to severe disease, management of hospitalized adults, Tocilizumab in hospitalized patients, vaccination and long COVID, and the true toll of the pandemic. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 853 (58 MB .mp3, 48 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode COVID-19 in South Africa (pdf) Ancestral T cells recogn...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - January 22, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: Ivermectin, what the science says
Ivermectin is a cheap, widely available, anti-parasitic drug that has been proposed by many as a possible treatment for COVID-19. Dozens of trials have been started, but results have been far from clear, with inconsistent results further confused by high profile paper retractions. Nonetheless many countries have recommended the use of Ivermectin, despite WHO advice to the contrary.Now a group of researchers have found suspect data in another influential paper which claimed a Ivermectin caused a 90% reduction in fatality. The paper, published at the end of 2020, has since been withdrawn pending investigation. In this episod...
Source: Nature Podcast - August 6, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
