Episodes

Join us for an episode on lone star ticks and alpha gal syndrome. Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to the Infectious Science Podcast, we hope you enjoyed this episode. You can find more cool science content on infectiousscience.org. Please leave us a review and share this episode with others who may be interested, and don’t hesitate to ask us questions or tell us which topics you want to hear covered in future episodes.

A parasite that eats living flesh sounds like a monster movie plot until you realize it has a scientific name, a documented history, and a very real comeback story. We’re talking about the New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax), a fly whose larvae infest wounds in humans and animals, driving pain, infection, and massive losses in livestock operations. Through a One Health lens, we trace how this single species ties together ranching economics, wildlife reservoirs, and the fact that diseas...

This episode, we’re talking ergotism, a fungus-driven poisoning linked to contaminated grains like rye. It’s a vivid One Health case study where weather patterns, crop disease, and human biology collide in ways that were historically interpreted as supernatural, but that we now know are due to the razor thin edge between medicine and poison in the alkaloids nature can produce. We walk through how ergot infects rye, how it survives across seasons, and why insects help spread it. Then we get into...

A virus rarely “comes out of nowhere.” More often, we build the bridge it crosses. We’re talking One Health through two vivid case studies, Machupo virus and Zika virus, and the shared thread connecting them: land use change and the human decisions that reshape ecosystems faster than they can adapt. First, we break down Machupo, a New World arenavirus that causes Bolivian hemorrhagic fever. We walk through how spillover happens from a rodent reservoir, why the early symptoms can look like so ma...

A parasite that senses you coming. An “egg” that waits for the right moment. A life cycle designed to turn a host into a nursery. Space pathogen sci-fi stories hit so hard because they borrow from real evolutionary tricks, and in this episode we put that biology under a microscope as we dissect out some of our sci-fi favorites. We start with the Alien franchise and unpack what makes xenomorph horror feel believable: host detection, parasite-like behavior, and uncomfortable parallels on Earth lik...

Parasites spark equal parts fascination and fear—and they reveal how closely our health is tied to animals, food, water, and the places we live. We take you from the “heirlooms” we inherited from primate ancestors to the “souvenirs” picked up through agriculture and travel, then unpack what parasites actually do to the human body and why some symptoms are red flags while others are everyday noise. Along the way, we fact-check the social media wellness trend pushing “parasite cleanses,” and expla...

Ice doesn’t just melt; it remembers. As permafrost thaws, we unpack what really ‘wakes up’ in the soil—and what that means for human health, animals, crops, and culture. We bring a One Health lens to a noisy topic, cutting through “zombie virus” headlines to explain why most human viruses don’t survive freeze–thaw cycles, and how a 2016 Siberian outbreak became a case study in climate, ecology, and policy colliding. We explore the icy regions of the map—Russia, Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and An...

The average primary care visit lasts about 18 minutes. Complex symptoms, multiple conditions, and a maze of electronic forms don’t fit neatly into that window—and neither do the emotions that come with being sick. We sat down with advocates including a medical writer who was part of ACT UP, a sickle cell advocacy leader and a humanities scholar turned epidemiologist to unpack how patients, families, and clinicians can turn limited time into better outcomes with clearer language, smarter tools, a...

Curious how AI can make healthcare feel more human instead of less? We sit down with medical writer and AI adoption strategist Dr. Núria Negrão, who went from bench science to building practical ways for clinicians, researchers, and communicators to use generative tools without losing accuracy or empathy. From HIV educations roots to today’s most promising AI workflows, we trace what’s working now and where the next breakthroughs may land. We unpack the real bottlenecks: clinicians stuck typing...

The climate isn’t just warming—it’s reorganizing the rules of biology. We explore how rising temperatures, deforestation, wildfire smoke, and thawing permafrost are reshaping the risk landscape for malaria parasites, heat-trained fungi, spillover-prone viruses, and resilient bacteria. From Kenyan highlands that became friendlier to Anopheles mosquitoes, to urban heat islands that may condition fungi to tolerate our body temperature, to the sobering lesson of Siberia’s anthrax outbreak after unus...

Imagine a toxin so potent that a few nanograms can shut down a muscle—and yet, in the right hands, it eases migraines and calms spasms. We take you from the sausage-linked origins of botulism to the science of spores, food safety, infant risks, wound contamination, and the carefully controlled medical use of botulinum toxin. Along the way, we unpack how this anaerobic bacterium survives heat, why improperly canned foods can become dangerous, and what really happens at the neuromuscular junction ...

War is a vector of disease. The battlefield isn't just a place where bullets fly—it's where pathogens thrive and evolve. Throughout human history, war and disease have been inseparable companions, creating perfect storms of contagion that affect soldiers and civilians alike. Our journey begins in the Boer War concentration camps where measles swept through malnourished populations. We explore how the densely packed, unsanitary conditions created an environment where this highly contagious vi...

The cutting edge of infectious disease control isn't just about vaccines or treatments—it's increasingly about data. Dr. Stephen Molldrem, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Bioethics and Health Humanities, takes us deep into the world of pathogen genomics and the remarkable ethical questions that emerge when we sequence disease-causing microorganisms. What happens when genetic analysis can potentially reveal who infected whom with HIV? Why do some communities welcome these technologie...

A hidden killer lurks in the humble dust of forgotten cabins and outbuildings across America. World-renowned virologist Dr. Thomas Ksiazek takes us behind the scenes of the landmark 1993 Four Corners outbreak, where hantavirus first emerged on the national stage, claiming lives with a swift and devastating pulmonary syndrome unlike anything seen before in North America. With over four decades on the frontlines of viral discovery and outbreak response, Dr. Ksiazek shares the detective story of h...

Measles isn't just a childhood rash—it's a potentially devastating illness that can reset your entire immune system. In this eye-opening conversation, our team explores why this ancient virus still demands our attention in 2025. When we began recording this episode, a troubling measles outbreak was unfolding in Texas, with two unvaccinated children already having lost their lives. We dive into the history of this disease, tracing its evolution from cattle plague to human pathogen and explain...

What if your Google searches could predict disease outbreaks before traditional surveillance methods? That's exactly what happened during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic when researchers discovered online search patterns matched CDC data – but delivered results much faster. Welcome to the fascinating world of infodemiology, where digital footprints become powerful tools for public health. In this eye-opening conversation with experts Dr. Heather Duncan and Dr. Patrick Murphy, we explore how researchers ...

Unravel the intricate stories behind ancient mummies and their connection to various pathogens in our latest podcast episode of this season. This engaging discussion leads listeners through a fascinating exploration of how the health of past civilizations reveals untold secrets about diseases that shaped their societies. We explore the different types of mummies—both anthropogenic and spontaneous—and what their preservation tells us about historical health crises. From the chilling preservation...

Unlock the secrets of the brain's most enigmatic conditions with Dr. Mauro Montalbano, our esteemed guest from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He takes us on a journey through his lab's cutting-edge research into neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS. You'll gain a deep understanding of the sinister role played by protein aggregates, particularly amyloid beta and tau proteins, and their prion-like behavior that drives the progression of Alzheimer's disease....

This episode tackles the alarming rise of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, exploring our hidden epidemic and the multitude of factors leading to this increase. We delve into the impact of COVID-19, the necessity for comprehensive sex education, the influence of cultural norms, and the importance of destigmatizing conversations around sexual health. Tune in to learn about: • One Health and its relevance to STIs • How the COVID-19 pandemic affected public health servic...

Gain a deeper understanding of the intricate connections between humans, animals, and the environment as we explore the One Health concept. Picture the harmony of adding a curious chameleon to our office or the joy of raising a lamb on a farm, and discover how these experiences underscore the vital interplay between species. Together, we unravel the complexities of zoonotic diseases, emphasizing the crucial balance needed to maintain a healthy ecosystem, while sharing compelling personal stories...

Could tuberculosis truly shape our understanding of beauty? Prepare to unravel the eerie yet intriguing connection between this historical disease and the evolution of beauty standards across centuries. With Christina and Camille at the helm, we guide you through the pale, waif-like ideals of the 17th and 18th centuries, deeply entwined with TB’s impact. Drawing from Carolyn Day’s insightful work “Consumptive Chic,” we discuss how TB's haunting image inspired Victorian fashion and even shaped mo...

Happy Halloween from the Infectious Science Podcast team! Join us as we dive into the parallels between medical and folkloric narratives. In this episode we explore how rabies inspired the werewolf myth. We dissect how rabies causes neurological symptoms and explore how forms of education and storytelling around disease have shifted over time. We hope this episode has you howling with laughter as you learn something new! Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to the Infectious Science Podcast, w...

Antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals have revolutionized modern medicine, saving countless lives and transforming our approach to infectious diseases. In this episode of our podcast, we delve into the differences between these powerful tools of modern medicine. We explore their discovery, impacts, and the pressing issue of evolving resistance. We dive into where we get antibiotics, how they work and why responsible antibiotic use is so important to prevent antibiotic resistance. We highligh...

Unlock the mysteries of Hansen's disease with us as we welcome acclaimed dermatopathologist, Dr. Mara Dacso. Through her journey from medical school in Galveston to her significant work in Baton Rouge, Dr. Dacso shares her extensive knowledge on leprosy, often termed the "great mimicker". Learn how the varied clinical presentations—from minor skin patches to severe systemic reactions—pose challenges for diagnosis and why it's crucial to consider leprosy in differential diagnoses. We'll also t...