They're back! Infectious Diseases Clinicians and show hosts Drs. Vivian Vega and Jackie Sherbuk reflect on the last few weeks since Episode 4. In the face of devastating storm surge from Hurricane Helene, and severe wind and flooding from Hurricane Milton, the Tampa Bay Area and its medical centers experienced a back to back punch, separated by only two weeks. This left some hospitals flooded, beaches seriously eroded, streets filled with debris, power outages lasting as much as 5-7 days, and countless people with immersed or damaged homes. Vivian and Jackie open the show by discussing how their lives were affected by evacuation orders, "hurricane call," and the stress of--in the words of a local weatherman--"stalking the turtle." That is, stressfully following daily hurricane forecasts without knowing if its slowly changing track would take it over the Tampa Bay Area. Now that the storms have passed, the recovery will likely take weeks to months. And diseases directly related to storm waters and flooding, such as Vibrio vulnificus and mosquito-borne illnesses, will likely be on the rise.

Next, as Florida begins to experience cooler weather in the wake of the storms, the duo go on to discuss the coming respiratory virus season. First, acknowledging the renewed thread of COVID-19, Vivian reviews the "alphabet soup" of influenza virus strains, how to decipher the H's and N's of flu season, and what is meant by "antigenic shift" and "angenic drift."

For some historical context, the Drs. Vega and Sherbuk review the 1918 outbreak of the "Spanish Flu" in Philadelphia related to a War Bonds parade. And they then move on to discuss the impact of RSV in both babies and adults during the fall respiratory virus season. Fortunately, an RSV vaccine is available. Also covered are non-pharmacologic interventions to avoid the spread of respiratory infections, such as mask wearing, handwashing, and isolating yourself if you are sick. Lastly, the show closes with some recent ID news about Pertussis (Whooping cough), continuing Listeria outbreaks from meat products, and the McDonalds Quarter Pounder outbreak related to slivered onions.

Dr. Vega would like to give a special thank you to her good friend Mr Job Meiller for his musical contributions for our podcast.

Thanks also to Dr. Ana Velez, our artistic contributor, for her painting used in our episode thumbnail.

For our fourth episode, show hosts Dr. Vivian Vega and Dr. Jackie Sherbuk candidly admit that they've been spending a LOT of time thinking about "not-so-forgotten infectious diseases." These are syndromes that the public may not hear about everyday, but that are still very important to the medical community and to the public at large. Although it was the first human contagion ever successfully eradicated, Smallpox as a disease still looms large, not just as a potential agent of bioterrorism, but as a cousin (orthopoxvirus) to Monkeypox (Mpox), which is currently experiencing a deadly outbreak in Africa. In fact, the American Mpox vaccine given to many at-risk U.S. individuals in the 2022 outbreak was originally created as a Smallpox vaccine. Vivian shares the fascinating tale of the last ever case of Smallpox which unexpectedly took the life of an unlikely victim. Both hosts share information on the typical presentation of Smallpox in its victims and its distinct characteristics. The eradication of Smallpox still is considered one of the great accomplishments of Medicine.

Next, Vivian and Jackie discuss another feared but not forgotten infectious illness, Polio. Once endemic, this waterborne illness once affected tens of thousands of victims across the U.S., and led to the closure of parks, swimming pools, schools, and other public places. This devastating illness was vanquished by the discovery of effective, easy to administer, and inexpensive vaccines. Even so, many victims lived out their lives in an iron lung, including Paul Alexander, a courageous American man who lived out the remaining 72 years of his life in such a device, passing away earlier this year. Despite the great accomplishments in the eradication of Polio, this small RNA virus is still endemic in a handful of countries, and a case prompting the mass vaccination of children was just reported in Gaza in late August 2024.

In their ID news segment, there is plenty to discuss, including more information about the Listeria outbreak involving Boar's Head meat products, the Mpox Public Health Emergency declared by the WHO in Africa, and "Triple-E" (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) and West Nile virus cases being reported in areas of the U.S.

Dr. Vega would like to give a special thank you to her good friend Mr Job Meiller for his musical contributions for our podcast.

Thanks also to Dr. Ana Velez, our artistic contributor, for her painting used in our episode thumbnail.

In our third episode, show hosts Dr. Vivian Vega and Dr. Jackie Sherbuk kick things off by discussing the latest news from the world of infectious diseases. Important topics highlighted include a Listeria outbreak linked to deli meat, a progress report on long acting medications for HIV prevention, and an update on bird flu (H5N1 Influenza) associated with poultry and dairy cattle.

With summer clearly in full swing, our main topic this episode is Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis, or PAM. Guest expert and Infectious Diseases clinician Dr. Sandra Gompf, Professor of Medicine at the University of South Florida, shares her experiences as head of Amoeba-Season.com. For more than 10 years, her organization has been dedicated to raising awareness about amoebic brain infections associated with fresh water exposure. Dr. Gompf identifies the organism that causes most infections--Naegleria fowleri, and the risk factors, recreational situations, and mechanisms by which most victims (mainly young children) are exposed. Although, as our episode title suggests, PAM is 99% fatal--encouraging stories of survival have emerged from cases where early diagnosis of the disease permitted prompt treatment. Our guest provides important information sites for parents and clinicians and how some communities and health care facilities are being proactive in making sure diagnostic and therapeutic resources are in place during the warmest summer months. Dr. Gompf also shares her own personal story about PAM, and offers information on treatment options and the simple and inexpensive ways for families to enjoy aquatic activities while making this condition 100% preventable.

For more information, visit Amoeba-season.com

Vivian would like to express her deep appreciation to Nathalia Estrada and Chrissy Derado for their musical contributions this episode.

Thanks also to Dr. Ana Velez, our artistic contributor, for her painting used in our episode thumbnail.