This TWiV episode covers a range of critical topics in virology and public health policy, including concerning political interventions in scientific recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines and the immediate open-access mandate for NIH-funded research, alongside significant cuts to scientific journal subscriptions and international aid. The hosts then delve into two research papers: one exploring how host IL1 genetics influence Epstein-Barr virus reactivation during SARS-CoV-2 infection and its link to objective pulmonary long COVID symptoms (but not self-reported ones); and another investigating the enhanced antiviral capacity of bat innate immunity, specifically highlighting their rapid interferon response, resistance to viral antagonism, and unique interferon-stimulated genes like GBP1, which help them host diverse viruses without succumbing to disease.
This Week in Virology (TWiV) 1233: Long COVID and Big Bats
0:00 Podcast Introduction & Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit host a special July 4th episode from various US locations, discussing current events and virology research.
1:02 Weather Report from Austin: Rich Condit provides an update on a tropical storm's remnants, bringing much-needed rain but also severe flooding and fatalities west of Austin, emphasizing caution around dry riverbeds.
3:32 Support for Science Programs: The hosts encourage listener donations to MicrobeTV to support their ad-free science programs, emphasizing their commitment to providing "real science, no lies, no misinformation."
3:46 "No Kings Day" Reflection: Vincent declares July 4th "No Kings Day," quoting William Panipacker on societal division and expressing concern about presidential overreach.
4:37 American Society for Virology (ASV) 2025 Conference Update: Details are shared about the upcoming ASV conference in Montreal (July 14-17, 2025), including registration reminders and a planned TWiV meet and greet.
6:14 FDA Director Overrides Scientists on COVID Shots: The head of the FDA's biologics division, an oncologic surgeon, allegedly overruled scientific advisors to issue less stringent COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, citing unproven "rare harms" in low-risk populations, despite evidence to the contrary.
8:38 NIH-Funded Science Now Open Access: As of July 1st, NIH-funded research must be immediately free to read, a policy accelerated by Trump, creating chaos for journals previously relying on 6-12 month paywalls. This change is part of a broader trend pushing back against high academic publishing costs.
17:04 Trump Cuts Journal Subscriptions: The Trump administration has ended some agencies' subscriptions to Springer Nature journals, possibly including NIH, due to perceived disagreements with published content.
18:40 GAVI Funding Made Up: The UK and the Gates Foundation have covered the US's $1.3 billion shortfall to GAVI, the Global Vaccine Alliance, after RFK Jr. withheld the US donation.
19:24 USAID Defunding Concerns: A Lancet article models that US defunding of USAID could lead to 14 million infectious disease deaths worldwide by 2030, particularly affecting children, highlighting the human tragedy and geopolitical risk of such cuts.
20:55 Research Paper 1: Long COVID and EBV Reactivation:
20:55 Background: Discussion of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpesvirus infecting 90-95% of adults, establishing latency and periodically reactivating, with implications for various diseases including multiple sclerosis and its potential link to long COVID.
23:41 Study Design: Researchers studied a cohort of 687 adults with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and long COVID symptoms, using objective measures like chest X-rays and pulmonary function tests alongside self-reported symptoms.
98% of the cohort were EBV seropositive. Higher EBV reactivation (measured by antibodies) was observed in ICU patients compared to long COVID or naive groups, potentially stress-related.
EBV reactivation was more frequent in women but associated with severe COVID in men.
Recent EBV reactivation correlated with objective pulmonary pathology (on X-ray or function tests) and higher EBV DNA load in blood, but not with self-reported long COVID symptoms.
An association was found between four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL1 gene cluster and recent EBV reactivation, suggesting genetic predisposition.
People with these IL1 SNPs were more likely to experience EBV reactivation during SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Elevated CD8 T-cells were found in those with recent EBV reactivation and high-risk IL1 genotypes.
41:50 Discussion: EBV's presence in the respiratory tract might explain its role in pulmonary impairment. The study's strength lies in its data-driven approach and focus on objective measures.
46:43 Background: Bats host a wide range of zoonotic viruses (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, Nipah, Rabies) without getting sick, raising questions about their unique immune responses.
48:45 Study Focus: Investigates the innate immune system in two diverse bat species (big brown bat and black flying fox), focusing on interferon-beta signaling and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) like IFIT1 and GBP1.
51:41 Interferon Beta Efficacy: Recombinant bat interferon-beta effectively inhibits viral reproduction (VSV, MERS-CoV) in bat cells, often performing better than human interferon in human cells, indicating a more robust antiviral state.
57:04 Rapid Jack-Stat Pathway Response: The interferon signaling pathway (Jack-Stat) is intact and functions rapidly in bat cells, with STAT proteins translocating to the nucleus within 5 minutes in some bat species.
1:00:41 Resistance to Viral Antagonism: Bat cells resist MERS-CoV's ability to suppress interferon signaling, maintaining STAT protein levels even post-infection, which differs from human cells.
1:04:15 Unique ISGs & Duplications: Bat cells induce similar ISGs to humans but also show loss of some human ISGs, novel induced genes, and duplication of some immune genes, potentially contributing to their resistance.
1:06:00 GBP1 Differences: Bat GBP1 proteins show differential antiviral activity against various viruses, including a bat-derived poxvirus, with one bat species (Epticus) exhibiting a unique motif essential for its potent antiviral function.
1:11:05 Discussion on Bat Virus Harboring: The rapid and robust interferon response in bats helps limit viral pathology, allowing viruses to circulate within bat populations without causing severe illness or persistent infection, similar to rhinovirus or flu circulation in humans.
1:17:38 Anti-Vax Criticism: Listeners comment on the RFK Jr. ASIP panel, comparing it to "witches around a cauldron."
1:18:24 Measles Shot Timing: A listener inquires about the optimal timing for the first measles shot (Twiv 1117 is recommended, confirming around 12 months as optimal).
1:19:54 Economic Impact of Vaccine Preventable Diseases: A listener questions if healthcare companies are countering anti-vax movements due to the potential financial burden of widespread outbreaks.
1:21:38 Protecting from Unvaccinated: A listener asks how fully vaccinated seniors can protect themselves from the unvaccinated (recommendations include vaccination and masks).
1:23:04 Trust in Healthcare & Privacy: A listener shares a paper on trust in healthcare and its impact on access, noting that government actions (like sharing immigrant health data) erode public trust.
1:25:07 Rabies Warning: A listener shares a BBC article about a person dying from rabies after a scratch from a stray puppy in Morocco, reiterating the importance of prompt post-exposure prophylaxis.
1:26:30 Twitter/X Links: Tips are provided for viewing X.com content without logging in.
1:27:17 "Nobelitis": The concept of "Nobelitis" or "Nobel disease" is highlighted, describing Nobel laureates who embrace scientifically unsound ideas later in life.
1:28:38 Vaccine Hesitancy & Game Theory: An article suggests vaccine hesitancy might be a predictable outcome of misaligned incentives, rather than moral failure (the hosts express skepticism about applying game theory to complex human decisions).
1:30:11 Historical Vaccine Ad: A 1897 ad for "Headquarters for vaccine" (likely smallpox) is shared, highlighting its daily fresh supply.
1:31:56 Combating Vaccine Misinformation: A listener praises TWiV 496 as a resource against vaccine misinformation and shares an anecdote-based approach comparing personal experiences with COVID illness vs. vaccine side effects, emphasizing alignment with scientific consensus.
1:38:13 Rich's Pick: "Unraveling Mendel’s final mysteries: A genomic retelling of pea genetics" – a Cell summary and Nature original article detailing the molecular genotypes of Mendel's seven pea characteristics, based on sequencing 700 pea plants.
1:44:06 Alan's Pick: Nature's 2025 "Scientist at Work" photo competition winners, showcasing stunning images of field biology research.
1:44:06 Vincent's Pick: "Signs of AI-generated text found in 14% of biomedical abstracts last year" – a Nature article discussing the increasing use of AI in scientific writing, identified by specific linguistic patterns.