TWiV 1327: Influenza viruses in the MIST

Political interference in U.S. science, specifically through proposed Office of Management and Budget rules, threatens to dismantle peer review and institutional autonomy, potentially stifling essential research. Amidst these systemic challenges, virological studies continue to yield critical insights into disease transmission and gut health. Controlled human challenge experiments with influenza demonstrate that viral expulsion is highly heterogeneous and linked to symptom severity, with saliva acting as a primary source of infectious particles. Simultaneously, research into the gut microbiome reveals that specific phage-infected *Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron* exacerbates Crohn's disease by increasing sphingosine production, which inhibits beneficial *B. obium* and disrupts intestinal barriers. These findings underscore the complex ecological interactions within the human body and the necessity of maintaining independent, expert-led scientific inquiry to address ongoing public health crises like the measles outbreak in Bangladesh.