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viroLOGICAL

Florian Krammer & Podcastwerkstatt

Florian Krammer is a virologist and vaccine developer. In his podcast viroLOGICAL he will talk about viruses on a weekly basis – from historical pandemics to current developments.
A Podcastwerkstatt Original – produced between New York and Vienna.

Photocredit: Medical University of Vienna/feelimage

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  • 21 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 21 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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  • Wednesday · 16 min

    #31 – Canine Distemper: the Dog Virus That Threatens Whole Species

    Canine distemper virus is a paramyxovirus and a close relative of measles virus. Florian Krammer explains why the disease is so dangerous for unvaccinated dogs: in puppies between three and six months the case fatality rate is around 80 percent, and roughly 50 percent in adult dogs with no immunity. Once the virus reaches the central nervous system, the outcome is usually fatal. What makes it especially troubling is its host range: wolves, foxes, red pandas, lions, tigers, elephants, bears, raccoons and badgers can all be infected, which turns distemper into a conservation problem. An outbreak in the Serengeti killed around 20 percent of the lion population in 1993, and the related phocine distemper virus killed roughly 18,000 harbour seals in the North Sea in 1998. Humans don't get sick, probably in part because of cross-protection from measles immunity. Good vaccines have existed since the 1960s but need regular boosting. General information about canine distemper virus: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/canine-distemper +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • September 2 · 15 min

    #30 – Dabie Bandavirus: the Tick Virus From Asia

    Recorded in Sapporo, this episode is about a virus causing severe disease across Asia: SFTS virus, officially named Dabie bandavirus. It spreads mainly through the Asian longhorned tick, and in rare cases directly between people via blood and bodily fluids. Florian Krammer explains why the fatality rate of 10 to 30 percent is so alarmingly high, why it's almost exclusively older people in rural parts of China, Japan and South Korea who fall ill, and what lies behind the unwieldy name: severe fever with a dramatic drop in blood platelets. There's also a fascinating American relative, Heartland virus, discovered in Missouri in 2009 and now detected in more than a dozen US states. No vaccine exists and the available drugs barely help, which leaves proper tick protection as the only real defence. Meta-analysis of SFTSV epidemiology: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11261768/ SFTSV review paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12325320/ Information about Heartland virus from the US CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/heartland-virus/hcp/clinical-diagnosis/index.html Retrospective analysis of the 1996 cluster in Jiangsu: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0006603 +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • August 26 · 21 min

    #29 – Cytomegalovirus: the Quiet Lifelong Passenger

    This time it's a herpes virus that almost all of us carry: human cytomegalovirus (CMV). Florian Krammer explains why this large DNA virus with over 200 proteins is so hard to pin down, how it deposits its genome as an episome inside immune cells and stays hidden there for decades. In healthy people the infection usually goes unnoticed, but in transplant patients or pregnant women it can cause serious harm, from organ inflammation to birth defects. The episode also covers reactivation under stress (including astronauts on the ISS and long COVID), associations with cancer, Alzheimer's and immune ageing, and why decades of vaccine development have so far come up short. US CDC information about CMV: https://www.cdc.gov/cytomegalovirus/about/index.html Review article about CMV vaccines (slightly outdated, January 2025): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11684802/ Nature article about CMV (and herpesvirus) reactivation in COVID-19 and Long COVID patients: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42557313/ +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • August 19 · 24 min

    #28 – Mumps: Why the Vaccine Is Faltering and Cases Are Rising

    This time it's a virus that has circulated in humans for millennia: mumps virus. Florian Krammer explains why this paramyxovirus is related to measles and the dangerous Nipah virus, how the infection unfolds, and why it's usually mild but can cause serious complications including inflammation of the testicles, brain, or pancreas. The episode traces the history from Hippocrates to its identification as a viral disease in 1934, along with the story of how Merck researcher Maurice Hilleman developed the vaccine still used today from a swab of his own sick daughter. The MMR vaccine brought mumps close to elimination, but vaccine hesitancy, waning immunity, and viral evolution are pushing case numbers back up worldwide. The Maurice Hilleman biography mentioned in this episode: https://nihlibrary.overdrive.com/media/134323 Picture of a child with the typical mumps swelling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumps#/media/File:Mumps_PHIL_130_lores.jpg US CDC mumps information page: https://www.cdc.gov/mumps/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • August 12 · 17 min

    #27 – Summer Update: What's Happening in Virology Right Now

    A summer update with four current stories from the world of virology. First stop is Switzerland, where thousands of cows fell ill from a newly discovered orthobunyavirus of the Simbu group, closely related to Schmallenberg virus but with little risk to humans. Next comes a sobering update on the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which with over 4,000 cases is now the second-largest in history, though first clinical trials of treatments and vaccines have begun. There's also a new and probably harmless Andes virus case in a traveller in Europe, unrelated to the earlier cruise ship outbreak. And finally the most controversial item: researchers from Stanford and the Arc Institute used artificial intelligence to generate working viruses (harmless bacteriophages), sparking a major debate about biosecurity and the lack of regulation. Informations about the new orthobunyavirus in Switzerland: https://www.ivi.admin.ch/en/neues-orthobunyavirus-der-simbu-serogruppe-bei-rindern-entdeckte Bundibugyo ebola outbreak update: https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html Information about the new Andesvirus case in France/Spain: https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/en/news/andes-hantavirus-implementation-epidemiological-investigations-and-contact-tracing-following Science article about the AI bacteriophage: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aec2657 +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • August 5 · 18 min

    #26 – Travel Viruses: West Nile Fever – Now in Central Europe Too

    The final part of the summer series on vacation viruses is one you can catch without going anywhere: West Nile virus. Florian Krammer explains why this flavivirus is closely related to Japanese and St. Louis encephalitis virus, how it mysteriously showed up in New York in 1999 - most likely via mosquitoes on a container ship and spread across the entire US within a few years. It has since reached Austria too, mainly in the east (Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland). Birds are the real reservoir, while humans and horses are dead-end hosts. The good news: 80% of infections are symptomless. The bad news: in rare cases the virus invades the nervous system, and then the fatality rate is around 10%. A striking detail: the very CCR5 mutation that protects against HIV raises the risk of severe West Nile disease. There's no vaccine for humans, only mosquito protection helps. West Nile virus information from the US CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/index.html West Nile virus information from the WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/west-nile-virus +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • July 29 · 13 min

    #25 – Travel Viruses: Oropouche Virus From the Amazon

    Part three of the summer series on viruses you can pick up on vacation. After Italy and Scandinavia, it's off to the tropics. Oropouche virus causes Oropouche fever and is spread not by mosquitoes but mainly by tiny midges — the same bloodsuckers that transmit bluetongue disease. Florian Krammer explains why it's related to more dangerous viruses like Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and Rift Valley fever virus, how it moves between a rainforest cycle (involving sloths, monkeys and birds) and a more troubling urban human-to-human cycle, and why the symptoms often come in two waves — they fade, then return after seven to ten days. Most infections are mild, but in rare cases it can cause meningitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, or serious harm to an unborn child. There's no vaccine and no treatment — avoiding bites is the only protection. Oropouche virus review: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11945866/ US CDC Oropouche overview: https://www.cdc.gov/oropouche/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • July 22 · 11 min

    #24 – Travel Viruses: Scandinavia, Mosquitoes and Sindbis Virus

    Part two of the summer series on viruses you might pick up on vacation — this time heading north. Sindbis virus is transmitted by ordinary Culex mosquitoes and causes a disease known variously as Pogosta disease, Ockelbo disease, or Karelian fever. Florian Krammer explains why it's closely related to chikungunya (you could call it the chikungunya of the north), how migratory birds spread it across Eurasia and Africa, and why most infections go unnoticed — there are 20 to 40 asymptomatic cases for every symptomatic one. Those who do get sick often develop stubborn arthralgia in the wrists, ankles and fingers that can last six to eight months, sometimes years. Curiously, larger outbreaks in Finland seem to occur roughly every seven years — the last one in 2021. No vaccine, no antiviral treatment: mosquito repellent and long sleeves are the only defence. Nice review about Sindbis virus: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12758272/ ECDC fact sheet about Sindbis virus: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/sindbis-fever/facts +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • July 15 · 10 min

    #23 – Travel Viruses: Pappataci Fever and Toscana Virus

    The first of a short series on viruses you might encounter while travelling: Pappataci fever is transmitted by sandflies and caused by viruses like Toscana virus, Naples virus, and Sicilian sandfly fever virus. Florian Krammer explains where the Italian name comes from, why these tiny 3-millimetre flies are poor fliers and therefore stay close to the ground, and why up to 25% of people in affected regions carry antibodies without ever having felt sick. Most infections are mild, but Toscana virus is neurotropic and can, in rare cases, cause meningitis or encephalitis. There's no vaccine and no treatment — insect repellent and long trousers are your only defence. Link to Italian study showing an increase in neuro-invasive Toscana virus cases in 2022/2023: https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.2.2400203 ECDC information about Toscana virus (a little outdared): https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/toscana-virus-infection +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • July 8 · 23 min

    #22 – Marburg Virus: Why This Infection Is So Dangerous

    In this episode of viroLOGICAL, Florian Krammer explains the Marburg virus, a filovirus closely related to Ebola that causes severe hemorrhagic fever. He discusses how the virus is structured, how it enters cells, how it is transmitted from animals and between humans, and why infection is associated with very high mortality. The episode also covers the typical course of the disease, historical outbreaks from Europe to Africa, the role of bats as a natural reservoir, and why—despite its severity—Marburg virus is unlikely to cause a pandemic due to limited human-to-human transmission. Washington Post article about bats and Marburg virus in caves in Uganda: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/12/13/feature/these-bats-carry-the-lethal-marburg-virus-and-scientists-are-tracking-them-to-try-to-stop-its-spread/ Article about a US tourist who got infected in one of the bat caves: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/ebola/american-traveler-survived-marburg-fever-cdc-says Nature article about animals feeding on Marburg virus infected bats: https://www.nature.com/articles/d44148-025-00221-2 US CDC information about Marburg virus: https://www.cdc.gov/marburg/about/index.html Video of bats and snakes in a cave in Uganda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw_sHKXtBZs +++++ Support viroLOGICAL on Steady: You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

    • Transcript
  • July 1 · 16 min

    #21 – Cancer Vaccines: How the Immune System Learns to Recognize Tumors

    This time it's not about a virus, but about one of the most exciting developments in modern medicine: therapeutic cancer vaccines based on mRNA. Florian Krammer explains the basic principle — how a patient's tumor is sequenced, how the mutated genes (so-called neoantigens) are turned into a personalized vaccine, and how that vaccine trains the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Two recent trials show just how promising the approach is: a BioNTech vaccine against the notoriously aggressive pancreatic cancer, and a Moderna/Merck vaccine against melanoma, which now has five-year data. The vaccines aren't on the market yet and remain expensive to produce, but the direction is clear. Links to the original and follow up publications for the pancreatic cancer vaccine: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06063-y https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08508-4 Links to the original and follow up publications for the melanoma vaccine (unfortunately partially behind paywalls): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38246194/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42223134/ +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

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  • June 24 · 19 min

    #20 – Alongshan Virus: a New Tick-Borne Virus in Europe

    A new tick-borne virus has just been detected in Austria for the first time and antibodies found in two people suggest it can infect humans here too. Florian Krammer explains what makes the Alongshan virus so unusual: it belongs to the Jingmen viruses, a group of segmented flaviviruses that are built almost like a hybrid between a flavivirus and an influenza virus. The episode traces how the virus was first discovered in China in 2019, how it has since turned up in ticks across Europe — from Finland to Switzerland, France, Germany and now Austria and what a recent study from the Medical University of Vienna actually found. The takeaway: a fascinating, strange virus with many open questions, but not a cause for concern for now. Scientific article about Alongshan virus in Inner Mongolia: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1805068 Scientific article about recent Alongshan virus detection in Austria: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(26)00059-5/fulltext +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

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  • June 17 · 38 min

    #19 – HIV (2/2): From Death Sentence to Manageable Disease

    The second part of the HIV series covers everything that happened after the virus was discovered: the intense stigma of the early years, the US government's years of inaction under Reagan and the activism that drove the development of treatments and public awareness. Florian Krammer explains how a near-certain death sentence became a manageable chronic condition, what PrEP is and how it works, and how a handful of people (the "Berlin patients") were actually cured of HIV. The episode closes with the current situation: why UNAIDS estimates that the withdrawal of US funding could lead to millions of additional infections and deaths worldwide. Information about PrEP by the US CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/prevention/prep.html US CDC information about lenacapavir: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7435a1.htm General US CDC Information about HIV: https://www.cdc.gov/hivnexus/hcp/guidelines/index.html Movie Dallas Buyers Club (highly recommended): https://www.imdb.com/de/title/tt0790636/ +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

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  • June 10 · 40 min

    #18 – HIV (1/2): How It All Began

    The first of a two-part series on HIV starts with the virus itself and its history. Florian Krammer explains why HIV is one of the most cunning viruses we know: it infects the very cells of the immune system, permanently writes itself into our DNA, and hides from immune detection. The episode also covers how the virus is transmitted, why around one percent of Europeans are naturally protected from infection, how HIV likely jumped from primates to humans, and how it was discovered in the early 1980s - including the myth of "Patient 0." Part 2 will turn to stigma, activism, treatments, and the current situation. Review article about the origins of HIV-1 and HIV-2: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2935100/ Review/perspective article about the discovery of HIV by Gallo and Montagnier: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp038194 WHO HIV and AIDS information page: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids

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  • June 3 · 20 min

    #17 – Hepatitis E: Why Undercooked Pork Can Be Risky

    To wrap up the hepatitis series, this episode covers the final letter: hepatitis E. A virus that's harmless for most people, often going completely unnoticed, but can be life-threatening for pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. Florian Krammer explains why hepatitis E is both a human and a zoonotic virus, how it spreads through contaminated water and undercooked pork, and why it remains so little known despite around 20 million infections every year. Plus: a virus that looks different in blood and in stool, a vaccine that never made it to market outside China, and short updates on the Andes and Ebola outbreaks. Link to WHO information about HEV: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-e https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7384095/ +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

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  • May 27 · 38 min

    #16 – The Ebola Outbreak Nobody Was Ready For

    An Ebola outbreak is currently unfolding in the Democratic Republic of Congo — caused not by the well-known Ebola Zaire, but by Bundibugyo Ebola virus, a species for which no licensed vaccines or proven treatments exist. This episode covers the basics of Ebola viruses, how they spread, why they cause such severe disease, and what makes this particular outbreak so difficult to contain: it was detected late, it's happening in an active conflict zone, US support has largely been withdrawn, and the medical countermeasures simply aren't there yet. A global pandemic is unlikely given the transmission routes, but for the local population, this is already a serious tragedy. DRC case tracking [French] https://sante.gouv.cd/epidemie/ebola-bundibugyo-2026 Review about neglected filoviruses (including Bundibugyo): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4931228/ WHO Bundibugyo outbreak overview: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON603 +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

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  • May 20 · 32 min

    #15 – Mold in the Body: What Is Aspergillosis?

    We all inhale mold spores every day — for most people, that's not a problem. But for those with a weakened immune system or pre-existing lung conditions, it can become life-threatening. In this episode, Florian talks with Prof. Helmut Salzer, Head of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at Kepler University Hospital in Linz, about Aspergillus and the three forms of aspergillosis: invasive, chronic, and allergic. Around four million people are affected worldwide every year, with more deaths than influenza causes annually. Yet the disease remains largely under the radar. Incidence and mortality of severe fungal infections: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309923006928?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=9fe2bbf82d07b654 Latest international guidelines on chronic pulmonary aspergillosis: https://publications.ersnet.org/content/erj/47/1/45.full.pdf ECMM – the umbrella organization of European mycological societies, focusing on the diagnosis, treatment and research of fungal infections: https://www.ecmm.info/ GAFFI – a scientific society dedicated to the research and practical application of fungal disease: https://gaffi.org/ +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

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  • May 13 · 32 min

    #14 – Hantavirus on a Cruise Ship: How Dangerous Is the Andes Virus?

    Andes virus is the only known hantavirus that can spread from person to person and that's exactly what makes the current outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius so unprecedented. This episode covers the basics of hantaviruses, how Andes virus works, and why it causes such severe disease with a case fatality rate of 20–40%. It also traces the events on the Hondius from its departure in Ushuaia to the evacuation in Tenerife, and addresses the open questions that are making experts uneasy: How efficiently does Andes virus transmit between humans? Why is there no treatment? And why is developing a vaccine so difficult? Nice overview of cases so far by Ian Mackay on Twitter: https://x.com/MackayIM/status/2054080783724544375/photo/1 Statement of the International Hantavirus Society: https://zenodo.org/records/20134326 Three scientific articles describing past human-two-human transmission of Andes virus: 1996: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042682297989765?via%3Dihub 2014: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7101103/ 2018/19: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2009040 +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

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  • May 5 · 21 min

    #13 – SARS-CoV-1: the Outbreak That Almost Became a Pandemic

    Before SARS-CoV-2, there was SARS-CoV-1 - a closely related coronavirus that caused a serious outbreak in 2002–2003 with a case fatality rate of around 10%. Unlike its successor, SARS-CoV-1 only became transmissible after symptoms appeared, which made it possible to identify and isolate infected people even without PCR tests. The virus spread from China to Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, and Vietnam via superspreader events before a global effort managed to contain it by June 2003. The likely origin: horseshoe bats at wet markets in Guangdong, with palm civets and raccoon dogs as intermediate hosts. Review about the origins of SARS-CoV: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7120088/pdf/978-3-540-70962-6Chapter13.pdf SARS outbreak at the Amoy Gardens residential towers: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa032867 Science article about superspreaders and the Metropole hotel in Hong Kong [unfortunately behind a paywall]: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.339.6125.1272 +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

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  • April 29 · 16 min

    #12 – Zoonosis From the Sea: Covert Mortality Nodavirus

    A virus previously known only from shrimp farms and fish is now linked to a serious eye disease in humans. Covert Mortality Nodavirus (CMNV) has been detected in over half of fish samples and nearly two-thirds of crab samples tested at markets and a new study in Nature Microbiology (March 2026) connects it to a persistent form of viral uveitis that can permanently damage the optic nerve and lead to severe vision loss. The biggest risk factors: working with raw fish and seafood, especially with skin injuries, and eating raw fish. The first reported cases are from China, but the virus appears to be globally distributed. Nature Microbiology study describing the link between eye infections and CMNV [unfortunately behind a paywall]: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-026-02266-x CMNV description from the World Organization for Animal Health: https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2023/03/a-woah-cmnv-disease-card.pdf +++++ You can support the podcast via our German Steady page: https://steady.page/virologisch/ Questions, feedback or topic suggestions? Feel free to contact us at: virological@podcastwerkstatt.com +++++ Krammer laboratory information Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/ Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness https://soap.lbg.ac.at/ Ignaz Semmelweis Institute https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/ +++++ Conflict of interest statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company. I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico). My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines. My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense. My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.

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