When will the 2009 swine-origin influenza virus become a seasonal strain? While prediction is very hard, especially of the future (at least according to Yogi Berra), examining past pandemics can be informative. The 1968 pandemic began with the emergence of a novel H3N2 influenza virus in Hong Kong in July 1968. First isolates (stars) were …
Today I lectured on viral vaccines in the Immunology course at the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University. I used poliovirus and influenza virus vaccines to illustrate general principles of immunization. My thanks to the engaged students who asked excellent questions! Here is a video of my lecture. Thanks to ScreenFlow, I was able to …
The New York Times has published an editorial entitled “The Swine Flu, as of Now” which presents their views of the current influenza pandemic. The piece covers the number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths; the distribution of vaccines, and lists those most at risk for severe disease. It begins with a positive view: So far, …
So far in my experiments to understand inhibition of rhinovirus replication by ZnCl2 I’ve found that at a concentration of 0.1 mM, viral plaque formation is inhibited but not sufficiently to be able to select resistant mutants. Attempts to use higher concentrations of the metal have consistently failed. When I initially I tried higher concentrations …
Each year I teach basic virology to medical, dental, and nursing students here at Columbia University Medical Center. You can find all the lecture videos, slides, and readings here at virology blog: virology.ws/course.
X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a rare neurologic disease caused by a defect in a gene required for normal ABCD1 transporter function. The lack of this function leads to progressive demyelination, severe neurologic disease and death in males, often in childhood. ALD disease progression can be controlled by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in those patients …
