# Viral Load The disease podcast for a diseased world! Hosts: Brett Bayles (a professor) & Andy Pupa (not a professor) gleefully explore the weird and wacky world of diseases on a changing planet. Page: Feed: --- ## RFK Jr.'s Tylenol Files _2025-09-29_ Send a text In this episode, Dr. Brett (PhD, Epidemiology) and Andy break down the viral claim by President Trump and RFK Jr. that Tylenol during pregnancy causes autism. They cut through the noise: What the White House actually said (nothing close to confirmation) What the JAMA studies show (associations, not causation) What RFK Jr. and Trump’s framing gets wrong What the evidence does suggest —… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/17921962-rfk-jr-s-tylenol-files.mp3) ## Polio Part 2: Managing Misinformation _2025-01-01_ Send a text In this episode, we tackle the dangers of celebrity-driven vaccine misinformation, focusing on figures like Alicia Silverstone, who may still be Clueless. We also explore the continued influence of Andrew Wakefield, whose discredited study sparked the anti-vaccine movement, and the legal efforts of RFK Jr.'s lawyer to challenge vaccine mandates. This episode highlights the real-world… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/16365867-polio-part-2-managing-misinformation.mp3) ## Polio Part 1: Paralysis Analysis _2024-12-17_ Send a text In this episode, we explore the concerning potential for the return of polio, a disease that once terrified the world before vaccines brought it to the brink of eradication. What's behind the recent reports of poliovirus in wastewater and isolated cases? And how do vaccine gaps, global health inequities, and misinformation play a role in its possible resurgence? Stay tuned next week as… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/16292714-polio-part-1-paralysis-analysis.mp3) ## Hendra Virus: We can't stop here. This is bat country _2024-12-10_ Send a text Australia's got a reputation for dangerous creatures, but Hendra takes it to a whole new level. This week, we dive into the bat-sh\*t crazy world of the Hendra virus—an outbreak that started in horses and quickly spread to humans in a way that’s both horrifying and weird. We’ll unpack how a bunch of flying friends with a taste for fruit can turn a quiet day in the outback into a… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/16252128-hendra-virus-we-can-t-stop-here-this-is-bat-country.mp3) ## The Real RFK Jr.: Department of Health and Human Services _2024-11-27_ Send a text In this episode, we venture boldly into the unsettling future of American healthcare as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. steps into the most controversial cabinet role of the new administration: Secretary of Health and Human Services. With a track record of questioning vaccine safety and promoting alternative health narratives, RFK Jr.'s appointment signals a seismic shift in the way the U.S. may… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/16182035-the-real-rfk-jr-department-of-health-and-human-services.mp3) ## Disease X: Navigating the Conspiracy Theory Maze _2024-02-28_ Send a text Dive into the mystery of Disease X, the hypothetical pathogen poised to trigger the next global pandemic. Amidst a sea of conspiracy theories, from government cover-ups and the New World Order to clandestine experiments, we sift through the noise to uncover the truth. Join the guys as they navigate the tangled web of misinformation to reveal the reality behind Disease X and its… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/14590610-disease-x-navigating-the-conspiracy-theory-maze.mp3) ## Origins of HIV/AIDS _2024-02-13_ Send a text Delve into the complex origins of HIV in our latest episode, unraveling the web of misinformation surrounding this global health crisis. Join us as we uncover the truth behind the virus, challenging misconceptions and shedding light on its historical context. . . . . . . . . . Sources https://www.ecohealthalliance.org/2017/12/world-aids-day… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/14495270-origins-of-hiv-aids.mp3) ## Epidemic Enigma: Bird Flu Prophesies & 5 Strange Diseases _2024-01-29_ Send a text Dive into the ominous with some of the world's weirdest diseases. An is it finally the year of the Bird Flu? In this Viral Particle or Mini-sode. Uncover the eerie stories behind 5 peculiar diseases.. Join us on this unsettling journey through pandemic prophecies and the strange afflictions that haunt our disease ridden world. [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/14397488-epidemic-enigma-bird-flu-prophesies-5-strange-diseases.mp3) ## Artificial Intelligence & Human Health: Rise of the Disease Machines _2024-01-15_ Send a text Is it a system that creates a world where Instagram models and regular folks become indistinguishable . A revolutionary solution to blank page syndrome ? An epic tale of an artificial boy's quest for humanity? Or perhaps we are just talking about a complex machine that will ultimately out smart and overthrow man. Tune in to this week's episode to learn Just what AI is and how just… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/14310308-artificial-intelligence-human-health-rise-of-the-disease-machines.mp3) ## [Try Before You Buy, Risk-Free (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/ImDn9sVr9eRl) _2024-01-15 · **Sponsored**_ Free trial hosting plus refunds processed in 12-24 hours, guaranteed. ## Time-Traveling Pathogens: Update from Siberia _2023-08-18_ Send a text This week the guys jump back to a topic that started it all in 2019 (episode 1). We're talking zombie viruses and melting permafrost. What are scientists finding beneath the thawing ground? Listen to this week's episode to find out! . . . . . sources… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/697522/episodes/13426781-time-traveling-pathogens-update-from-siberia.mp3)