Polio-like paralysis, Pithovirus sibericum and other virology topics: An interview with Dr. Vincent Racaniello
On the Saturday, March 8 airing of Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, Vincent Racaniello Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University appeared to discuss some of the latest topics about viruses and viral disease from Virology Blog with me (Listen below).
Pithovirus sibericum
Image/Virology Blog
Racaniello went over the situation in California concerning numerous cases of paralysis striking children in California. He discussed the enterovirus 68, which was isolated in a least two children, and some of the both infectious and non-infectious etiologies that can cause acute flaccid paralysis.
We also delved into the recently published study that implicates dromedary camels as the source of Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in humans.
Finally, Dr Racaniello went over the recent discovery of the huge virus, Pithovirus sibericum that was isolated from 30,000 year old Siberian permafrost.
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