TWiV #63 - Melting pot virus

On episode #63 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Rich talk about US government contract for freeze-dried smallpox vaccine, red squirrels in the UK threatened by poxvirus, and Marseillevirus, another DNA virus from amoebae built for comfort and speed.

Host links Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit

• US Government awards contract to Bavarian Nordic for freeze-dried smallpox vaccine (pdf and clinical trial)
• UK red squirrels threatened by poxvirus: news article one and two,epidemiologyand experimental infection
• Another huge virus from amoebae (Wired article, PNASarticle, review article)
• Discussion on rabies bait vaccine at virology blog, and status of the program
• Viral diseases of humans (pdf)