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PODCAST

Infectious Dose

Infectious Dose

Infectious dose is the shot of science you need to protect yourself from misinformation. Heather McSharry, PhD, an expert in viral pathogenesis, brings her blog to the airwaves to help bridge the dangerous gap between the science of infectious diseases and public misperception. On the podcast website, infectiousdose.com, all episodes have corresponding blog posts with the information contained in the episode along with links or PDFs for all sources used. To prevent unwelcome surprises, episodes with

science life sciences

All Episodes

27:31

Episode 42 - Outbreak After Dark: A Consumption...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/12/24

This month’s Outbreak After Dark is a special holiday episode — and a heavier one.In A Consumption Christmas Carol , we reimagine Dickens’ classic ghost story through the real epidemic that haunted Victorian London: tuberculosis. Long before antibiotics, TB shaped daily life, art, poverty, and policy — romanticized in parlors, devastating in tenements, and deadly across all social classes. Guided by familiar spirits of past, present, and yet to come, we trace how tuberculosis was misunderstood,

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27:57

Episode 41 - ACIP Undone: Proof, Policy, and Panic...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/12/17

Show Notes — ACIP Undone: Proof, Policy, and Panic Over a Hepatitis B VaccineThis episode unpacks everything you need to know about hepatitis B and the life-saving vaccine that helps prevent chronic liver disease and liver cancer later in life. From the biology of the virus to the science behind the birth dose, we explore how this vaccine works, why it’s given so early, and what’s at stake now that ideology is overriding evidence in U.S. vaccine policy. We also confront a dangerous shift in public

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19:38

Episode 40: Vaccine Safety 9 - The FDA Memo That...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/12/10

A leaked FDA memo sparked headlines claiming the COVID vaccine killed children — but the memo included no evidence, no data, and no scientific analysis. In today’s episode, Heather unpacks what the memo actually said, why experts across the field immediately rejected its conclusions, and how vaccine safety is truly evaluated. She explains the real risks of COVID in kids, from MIS-C to long COVID, and why misinformation from inside federal agencies threatens public trust and puts families at risk

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19:50

Episode 39: Cold Comfort - What Winter Rituals Got...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/12/03

There’s more to your favorite winter rituals than nostalgia.In this episode, we dive into how centuries of winter traditions—across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas—offered accidental protection against infectious diseases. From citrus in stockings to cloves in mulled wine, from kimchi to candlelight, we trace how ancient practices around food, air, warmth, and cleaning helped communities stay healthier in the harshest season. Learn how: Spices like cinnamon, ginger, and clove helped

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20:51

Episode 38: OAD 2 - Pilgrims and Plagues

Infectious Dose ·

2025/11/26

In this Outbreak After Dark episode, we revisit Thanksgiving’s origin story through the lens of infectious disease. Heather, Sam, and Kate dive into the epidemics that devastated Indigenous nations before the Pilgrims ever arrived, the microbial mismatches between Old World and New, and the narratives that still distort how we talk about “the First Thanksgiving.” It’s a campfire conversation that blends history, science, myth-busting, and respect for the communities whose histories were altered by

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30:12

Episode 37: A Prescription for Pestilence - The...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/11/19

This week’s episode dives into the roots of the global antimicrobial resistance crisis. How did routine cuts, UTIs, and pneumonias become untreatable? What systems helped superbugs evolve — and why is the problem accelerating worldwide?We explore the science, the policies, the failures, and the future of drug-resistant microbes in A Prescription for Pestilence: The Global Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance. NOTE: All cited references are linked in the blog post for this episode at

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26:32

Episode 36: Rift Valley Fever - When Rains Bring Life...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/11/12

Rift Valley fever is back — and it’s hitting harder than it has in years. In this episode, we trace the 2025 outbreak from Mauritania to Senegal, explore how the virus hides between rainy seasons, and reveal what scientists have learned from unexpected hotspots in Tanzania. From mosquitoes and livestock to people and policy, this is Rift Valley fever: when the rains bring life and loss.Don't miss today's (Nov 12, 2025) free webinar on RVF: The World Health Organization is hosting a free EPI-WIN

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29:38

Episode 35: Travel Bugs & Holiday Hugs - Staying...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/11/05

Headed into holiday travel season? This episode of Infectious Dose is your go-to guide for staying healthy on the road — without panic, shame, or disinfecting your entire row like you're filming a CSI episode. We talk practical prevention for planes, airports, road trips, and cruises, including how to avoid RSV, norovirus, and long COVID, what to pack in your health kit, why snacks matter, and how to travel with kids without losing your mind — or your mask. Smart tips, real science, and relatable

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31:09

Episode 34: Outbreak After Dark 1 - Ocularium

Infectious Dose ·

2025/10/29

Welcome to Outbreak After Dark, a new monthly ritual within Infectious Dose, where the science stays real but the stories get darker, weirder, and yes—sometimes just plain gross.In this Halloween premiere, Ocularium, Heather is joined by cohosts Kate and Sam, to share true “medical horror” stories about parasites that call the eye home: Loa loa, Onchocerca volvulus, Acanthamoeba, and Thelazia gulosa. 🍂 Grab your themed snacks and cider, settle by the fire, and prepare to see infectious disease in

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15:36

Episode 33: The Sleep Lecture - A Case of...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/10/22

What if you couldn’t wake up—and your mind kept trying to lecture its way out of the dark?In this week’s Month of the Macabre episode, “The Sleep Lecture,” a neurologist begins a talk on encephalitis lethargica—the mysterious “sleepy sickness” that swept the world a century ago—only to discover she’s become part of her own subject. Based on true clinical records and modern research, this immersive narrative blurs the line between dream and science, between consciousness and coma. Listen with the

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15:00

Episode 32: The R@VN - A Requiem for Antivaxxers

Infectious Dose ·

2025/10/15

In this special Month of the Macabre episode, Infectious Dose steps into gothic territory with a haunting reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven—rewritten for the age of science denial.The R@VN follows a man who built his fame on rejecting vaccines and mistrusting public health—until a disease he dismissed returns to claim him. As paralysis sets in, his smart-home AI, the Rational Autonomous Virtual Nexus (R@VN), becomes both witness and judge, speaking in clinical tones that sound increasingly

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20:02

Episode 31: Salem 1692 - The Grain, the Gallows, and...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/10/08

In 1692, the people of Salem believed the Devil walked among them.But centuries later, scientists and historians would wonder: could the culprit have been something far more earthly—a hallucinogenic fungus lurking in their daily bread? This Month of the Macabre episode of Infectious Dose examines the ergotism theory behind the Salem witch trials, blending science, history, and haunting “found tapes” that may hit too close to home. From convulsive fits and crawling skin to the toxic fungus Claviceps

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34:20

Episode 30: Pneumonia Noir - A Mystery Written in Fog...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/10/01

Step into the shoes of a 1970s CDC outbreak detective as a mysterious cluster of fatal pneumonia cases pulls you into the shadows of a crumbling city hotel. In this immersive Month of the Macabre episode, you’ll chase clues through fog-filled ballrooms and forgotten ventilation shafts, racing to stop an invisible killer before it spreads. Along the way, the case, inspired by a real investigation, reveals just how crucial—and fragile—our public health defenses can be. Pair this one with The Andromeda

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37:16

Episode 29: Surveillance, Research Rules, and...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/09/24

Our public health safety net is unraveling. In this episode, we explore why infectious disease surveillance — once our invisible safety net — is quietly vanishing, and what that means for early outbreak detection. Dr. Jim Alwine breaks down common misunderstandings around gain-of-function research and explains how fear-driven narratives like the lab leak theory have warped public perception and policymaking. We also examine how recent regulatory changes are limiting the ability of U.S. scientists to

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62:12

Episode 28: From Evidence to Power - Organizing for...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/09/17

Organizer–sociologist Jon Shaffer, PhD, (Defend Public Health / University of Vermont) joins Heather to talk about turning evidence into local, winnable public-health protections. We dig into why “apolitical” public health backfires, how real teams (not one-off mobilizations) build durable power, and practical, nonpartisan roles for scientists and clinicians—even if you only have an hour a month. Though this moment really deserves more from each of us.In this episode: • Why public health is

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23:35

Episode 27: Neuro Invasion - The Silent Siege of West...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/09/10

West Nile virus is back in the headlines, with new human cases in the U.S. and steady activity in Europe. In this episode of Infectious Dose, Heather tracks the current outbreak season through CDC and ECDC surveillance and state-level reports, explores how the virus cycles between birds and mosquitoes, and examines what happens when you get infected. Most infections are silent, but for a small fraction, West Nile unleashes a devastating attack on the nervous system. With no proven treatments and no

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40:09

Episode 26: Not Smarter, Just trained - How I Sort...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/09/03

This week, Heather pulls back the curtain on how she figures out what’s true. From gut checks and trusted sources to the brutal training of grad school and the constant practice of science writing, she shares the habits that help her navigate conflicting claims—like the current confusion around COVID vaccine access. You don’t need a PhD to think like a scientist, just the right process.

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14:37

Episode 25 1/2: Booster Dose - New COVID Vaccine...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/08/28

Heather brings you a bonus mini Booster Dose episode to explain everything you need to know about the new changes in FDA-approved access to fall COVID shots, who’s eligible by brand/age, what counts as “underlying,” off-label/insurance realities, why ACIP mainly affects coverage (not labels), a brief CDC leadership update, and practical protections—documentation, ventilation, high-filtration masks, testing, and an antiviral plan.

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52:58

Episode 25: Classroom Contagions - A Back-to-School...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/08/27

Back-to-school season means new teachers, new friends…and a whole new round of germs. From runny noses to strep throats, pinkeye to flu, classrooms are a breeding ground for illness once the school bell rings. In this episode of Infectious Dose, Heather breaks down the most common fall outbreaks in kids, when to keep children home, and the prevention strategies that actually make a difference.You’ll also hear about the role vaccines play in keeping kids healthy, what to do if masks aren’t welcome

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31:55

Episode24: No Boat Big Enough - The Rise of Vibrio...

Infectious Dose ·

2025/08/20

In this gripping episode, we dive into the world of Vibrio vulnificus—a flesh-eating bacterium once confined to warm southern waters, now making deadly appearances from Florida to Cape Cod.We begin with real-life cases from the 2025 surge across the U.S., then uncover the science behind this microscopic killer: how it invades, how it spreads, and why it’s rising globally. From wound infections to raw oysters, climate change to coastal vulnerability—this is a public health warning. Because with

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