Ep 76 Chickenpox: There's always a 'but'

Ep 76 Chickenpox: There's always a 'but'

Ah, chickenpox, that pesky old childhood illness. And that’s all it is, right? Just a mild, routine infection that we all used to catch until the vaccine came around? Not quite. In this episode, we learn that, when it comes to the varicella-zoster virus, not everything is as it seems. We explore the complex nature of this virus, how it can make you kinda sick and then how it can make you really, really sick. After that, we dive into the evolutionary origins of this virus and the different infections it causes (spoiler alert: shingles as a viral survival strategy?!). And finally we trace its human history from discovery to vaccine to where we stand with chickenpox and shingles today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episoder(281)

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Special Episode: Dan Egan & The Devil’s Element

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Ep 151 Stethoscope: Lub dub

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Ep 149 Poison Control Part 2: Call me maybe

In last week’s episode/love song to poison control centers, we journeyed through the history of these centers, from idea to institution. This week, we pick up where we left off by taking stock of the ...

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Ep 148 Poison Control Part 1: Who you gonna call?

Ep 148 Poison Control Part 1: Who you gonna call?

If you’ve ever called poison control, you probably already have a deep appreciation for the voice on the other end of the line who provides solid answers, emanates calm, and empowers you to take whate...

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Special Episode: Ben Goldfarb & Crossings

Special Episode: Ben Goldfarb & Crossings

Roads are essential to our modern lives, so much so that they largely exist in the background of our minds. When we do think of roads, we’re either complaining about traffic or celebrating them for en...

6 Aug 202454min

Ep 147 Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease: Sympathy for the Devil

Ep 147 Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease: Sympathy for the Devil

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