Robert Herriman Podcasts

It's not a worm, it's a fungus among us. Today's topic is ringworm. Joining me today is Regents Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Texas State University and author of an article published in The Conversation last year, but a topic still worth discussing.

In this news video, I look at the new discovery of the parasite that causes canine schistosomiasis in waters in Southern California.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that norovirus infections are sweeping the United States. While all regions have seen an uptick, the Northeast region is being hit particularly hard. So what is norovirus and how can you protect yourself? Joining me today to look at these questions and more is Adriana Glenn, PhD. Dr. Glenn is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at George Washington University.

In this "worms and germs" educational video, I look at dengue fever.

A recent case report details a case of neurocysticercosis in a Florida man. It is believed he ate undercooked bacon to contract the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium and later autoinfected himself through poor hand hygiene.

In this news video, I look at the recently reported case/death from plague in New Mexico.

In this commentary, I address the question, Is God a She?

In a follow-up to yesterday's news video, I look at the projected cost to Brazil this year due to arboviruses.

In 2016, Robert Toulson-Burke traveled with some friends to southeast Asia for a vacation-an exciting thing for sure-however things went bad over there as the young man died from dengue hemorrhagic fever. Joining me today to tell Bob's story is his mother, Jayne Toulson-Burke. Jayne is also an ambassador for the World Mosquito Programme and is fully passionate with teaching others about the dangers and risks of dengue.

In 2024 to date, dozens of measles cases have already been reported from multiple states herein the US, according to the CDC. And cases are increasing worldwide as the World Health Organization announced recently reporting more than 300,000 cases in 2023, a 79% increase from the year prior. My guest today writes about measles and immune amnesia: The risk associated with measles infection is much greater than the sum of its observable symptoms. The immune memories that you have acquired are priceless, built over many years and from countless exposures to a menagerie of germs. Measles virus is especially dangerous because it has the ability to destroy what’s been earned: immune memory from previous infections. Joining me today to talk about measles, the importance of vaccination and immune amnesia is Ashley Hagen, MS. Ashley is the Scientific and Digital Editor for the American Society for Microbiology and host of ASM's Microbial Minutes and Meet the Microbiologist.

In this news video, I look at the latest with the dengue epidemic in Brazil , to include the situation with the Qdenga (dengue vaccine) rollout.

A few weeks ago, Alaska health officials reported the first fatality due to an Alaskapox infection, the first such known case. On today's show, we'll dive into the ABC's of Alaskapox with Bradley Perkins, MD. Dr. Perkins is the Chief Medical Officer at Karius. In addition, he is a former top CDC official who led the anthrax bioterrorism investigation. He was also a leading expert in the more recent monkeypox, or mpox outbreak. Outbreak News Today https://outbreaknewstoday.substack.com/

Glaucoma affects over 3 million people in the United States and is often called the “silent thief of sight” because it robs people of vision slowly and without early symptoms. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, a great time to emphasize the importance of regular eye check-ups for early detection of glaucoma and other eye diseases. Joining me today to discuss the ABC’s of glaucoma and the importance of this awareness month is Dr. Laura Sperazza. Dr. Sperazza is the Director of Vision Rehabilitation Services at Lighthouse Guild. Lighthouse Guild https://lighthouseguild.org/

The 9th annual Human Freedom Index (HFI) was released last month by authors from the Cato Institute in the US and the Fraser Institute in Canada. The Human Freedom Index is the most comprehensive freedom index so far created for a globally meaningful set of countries and jurisdictions, representing 98.8 percent of the world’s population. Joining me today to look at the most recent HFI is Fred McMahon. Mr. McMahon is an economist, a Fraser Institute Resident Fellow and holder of the Dr. Michael A. Walker Chair in Economic Freedom. The Human Freedom Index 2023 https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/human-freedom-index-2023-web-15684.pdf

My guest today asks the question, "What will the new year bring to our shores, our cities, and our homes? ", concerning emerging pathogens in an article recently published in Today’s Clinical Lab. Well, let’s see what he has to say about this topic today here on the show. Joining me today in Rodney Rohde, PhD. Dr. Rohde is the Chair of the Medical Laboratory Science Program (MLS) in the College of Health Professions at Texas State University.

Virology blog (http://www.virology.ws/) was the first science website I followed, its been quite a few years now and it was an inspiration to me in using the internet to disseminate information on infectious diseases and up-to-date outbreak news. Because of my guest today, I saw real value in this type of reporting or blogging. He is a pioneer in science communication online, podcasting and generally disseminating very important and useful information. In addition, he is a world renown virologist, particularly in the research of poliovirus. Please welcome to the show, Professor of Microbiology & Immunology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, Earth’s Virology Professor–Vincent Racaniello, PhD.

Back in early July, I had the opportunity to talk with the Libertarian Party Presidential candidate, Dr Jo Jorgensen https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tneXpIfRyDCdldzlATSvY?si=nY5saQDLQKa8vxsKUSIt_g. On today's show, Dr Jorgensen's running mate, Spike Cohen, joined me to discuss a variety of issues. Cohen talked about how the Jorgensen/Cohen ticket would do specific things to reduce the scope and size of government. In addition, many people have run on abolishing the IRS in the past. In this interview, Spike talked about a unique idea of funding the few functions the government is allowed. I also asked him about some current issues that are flooding the 24/7 cable news air time--the coronavirus pandemic and the BLM protests.

So what is anthrax? How do animals and people get it? and What is it's "dark history"? Joining me today to look at this serious bacterial pathogen is Stephen Berger, MD. Dr Berger is co-founder of GIDEON Informatics (Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network) and he is the Emeritus Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Tel Aviv School of Medicine.

In this video, I do a review of the raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis. I look at disease in animals and humans, geography, raccoon latrines, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Worldwide, 50 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Million of these people are right here in the US. Lewy body dementia is the third most common cause of dementia, experts estimate, after Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, accounting for 5 to 10 percent of cases. This will be the focus of today’s show. Joining me today to discuss Lewy body dementia is James E. Galvin, MD, MPH. Dr. Galvin is a Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is also Director and Principal Investigator for the Lewy Body Dementia Research Center of Excellence in South Florida.

In a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) produced updated recommendations for the human treatment and prophylaxis of Yersinia pestis, the agent of plague . Joining me today to discuss plague and the updated recommendations is Christina Nelson, MD. Dr. Nelson is with the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the CDC and she served as co-chair for the steering committee and the Plague Clinical Guidelines Team. Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/indrr_2021.html

My guest today focuses her research on why diseases occur and how those diseases influence wildlife populations. One example is chronic wasting disease, or CWD, a fatal condition that is now affecting cervid populations, including deer, elk and moose throughout Michigan and other states. This will be the topic of this podcast. Joining me now is Sonja Christensen, Ph.D. Dr. Christensen is an assistant professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Joining me on the show is public health scientist, infectious disease expert and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, or CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota, Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH. Dr. Osterholm, who has been a guest on the podcast and radio show several times, joined me to discuss his mentors and intellectual heroes, some of the unique and interesting public health roles over the years, the great work being at CIDRAP and a number of public health issues like the current issues with vaccine-preventable diseases, the government dysfunction and health crisis in Venezuela and his constant concern with pandemic influenza, among other topics.

Benjamin Rush is considered one of the most important of the Founding Fathers and a man of deep Christian faith. In 1791, Rush penned the essay, “A defense of the Bible as a Schoolbook”. Joining me today to discuss Benjamin Rush, the essay and the influence of the Bible in American schools of the past and the Founders is Stephen A Flick, PhD. Dr Flick is writer, speaker and head of the Christian Heritage Fellowship.

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal, and treatment is typically supportive. It causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa. Currently, there is no validated treatment in humans that prevents death following symptomatic rabies, however my guest today and his colleagues at the Uniformed Services University (USU) have made a significant breakthrough which may have changed that. Joining me today to discuss this rabies therapy is Brian Schaefer PhD, Dr Schaefer is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Uniformed Services University (USU) in Bethesda, MD. He also holds secondary appointments as Professor in the following USU graduate (Ph.D.) programs: Emerging Infectious Diseases; Molecular and Cell Biology; and Neuroscience.