Influenza virus may be transmitted among humans in three ways: by direct contact with infected individuals; by contact with contaminated objects (called fomites, such as toys, doorknobs); and by inhalation of virus-laden aerosols. The contribution of each mode to overall transmission of influenza is not known. But something that most of us touch on a …
Influenza virus is infectious for days on banknotes Read More »
Host: Vincent Racaniello On episode #57 of the podcast “This Week in Virology”, Vincent visited Scotch Plains – Fanwood High School and talked about viruses with high school biology students. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV057.mp3″] Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #57 (68 MB .mp3, 94 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV in iTunes, by …
Why is the incidence of infection with 2009 H1N1 influenza highest among 5-24 year olds, and lowest in those over 65 years of age? Were the oldsters previously infected with a related influenza virus, or is there another explanation? The sera of individuals born in the early part of the 20th century have antibodies that …
Being older is a good defense against 2009 H1N1 influenza virus Read More »
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Cliff Mintz On episode #56 of the podcast ‘This Week in Virology”, Vincent, Dick, Alan, and Cliff answer questions from listeners on swine influenza origins, transmission, virulence, and vaccines, HIV and AIDS, and more. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV056.mp3″] Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV …
My interminable 2.5 hour commute this morning was made tolerable by listening to the Quackcast #35 from Mark Crislip, “Flu vaccine efficacy and 18 taradiddles”. In this excellent and highly recommended episode, Dr. Crislip addresses the contention that the influenza virus vaccine is worthless. To make it even easier for you to listen to this …
Earlier this year an influenza virus animation spread on YouTube just after the emergence of swine-origin influenza H1N1. I invited readers to criticise the animation which contained several errors. A much better depiction of influenza virus animation has been created by XVIVO. It’s not only more beautifully rendered, but is scientifically much more accurate. A …
