The Wild Types is an interview show about scientists hosted by Ushma Neill and Richard White. Ushma interviewed me for episode #2. The show name doesn’t refer to the fact that all scientists are wild (some are; I am not) but the genetic term referring to the strain or organism that is compared with mutants. As …
Jonas Salk, who lead the team that developed the first poliovirus vaccine, was born 100 years ago today, 28 October 1914, in New York City. Numerous sites across the country have convened symposia in his honor. Last week City College of New York, where Salk earned a bachelor’s degree, held a centennial celebration. The photo shows Salk’s …
This morning I received this email from President Lee Bollinger: Dear fellow members of the Columbia community: As you may have seen in the media, Dr. Craig Spencer is being treated for Ebola at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. Dr. Spencer, an emergency department physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, recently returned from a humanitarian mission …
I have received many questions about whether immunizing with Reston virus could protect against infection with Ebola virus. Usually the question comes together with the statement ‘because Reston virus does not cause disease in humans’. I can think of two reasons why a Reston virus vaccine is not a good idea. There have been very few …
Could Reston virus be a vaccine for Ebola virus? Read More »
When the first case of Ebola virus infection was detected at the Firestone Liberia, Inc. rubber tree plantation in March of this year, the company needed to prevent the virus from spreading among their 8,500 employees. The company established an incident management system, developed procedures for early detection of infection, enforced infection control guidelines, and …
How Firestone controlled Ebola virus disease in Liberia Read More »
I received this question about Ebola virus infection via email: Can you become infected if infected droplet lands on your skin even if there is no abrasion on the skin? I am now hearing this, which surprises me. The virus can enter through the actual skin and does not need mucus membrane to enter? The …
