Pathogen News and Research

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Understanding how cholera bacteria resist phage predation

When we think of cholera, most of us picture contaminated water and tragic outbreaks in vulnerable regions. But behind the scenes, cholera bacteria are locked in a fierce, microscopic war-one that could shape the course of pandemics.

22 May 2025

New discovery may help explain why some people infected with CHIKV develop severe joint pain

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that has been identified in more than 110 countries around the world. The virus typically causes flu-like symptoms, but it can also trigger chronic, severe joint pain in some people.

20 May 2025

WHO member states adopt landmark Pandemic Agreement

Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) today formally adopted by consensus the world's first Pandemic Agreement.

20 May 2025

Scientists discover how EBV-infected immune cells migrate and invade the brain

Many people are infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and most are unaware of it. However, EBV can sometimes cause cancer, and this pathogen also appears to play an important role in multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases.

19 May 2025

Evolution of malaria protein family offers new drug targets

Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM) have shown that the evolution of a family of exported proteins in the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum enabled it to infect humans.

19 May 2025

USPSTF urges universal syphilis screening in pregnancy to prevent congenital infections

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) reaffirms its recommendation for universal syphilis screening in pregnancy, citing strong evidence for early detection and prevention of congenital syphilis. Despite ongoing disparities and rising rates, early screening and treatment remain essential to improving outcomes for mothers and infants.

18 May 2025

Electromagnetic waves disrupt SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and lower infectivity

Researchers demonstrated that specific electromagnetic wave frequencies can disrupt the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein structure in virus-like particles, leading to reduced infectivity in cell models. This proof-of-concept study suggests new avenues for non-chemical viral inactivation methods.

18 May 2025

Wildlife trade, not bats, likely moved the ancestors of SARS-CoV-2 to humans

New genetic analyses reveal that the bat virus ancestors of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 likely circulated in Western China or Northern Laos just years before human outbreaks. Their rapid appearance thousands of kilometers away suggests wildlife trade, not bat migration, was the likely transmission path.

8 May 2025

Researchers target weakness in pathogens causing tropical diseases

Researchers are zeroing in on the Achilles’ heel of pathogens that cause Chagas disease, sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis.

8 May 2025

Study uncovers how co-infection by two bacteria suppresses immune response

The incidence of infection by Mycobacterium abscessus, is increasing in patients with cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other chronic pulmonary diseases, leading to an accelerated lung function decline.

8 May 2025

New AI approach speeds up antiviral discovery for human enterovirus 71

Artificial intelligence algorithms have now been combined with traditional laboratory methods to uncover promising drug leads against human enterovirus 71 (EV71), the pathogen behind most cases of hand, foot and mouth disease.

6 May 2025

New rifamycin drugs fight antibiotic-resistant lung infections more effectively

Researchers have developed next-generation rifamycin analogs that effectively kill both replicating and nonreplicating Mycobacterium abscessus while minimizing drug-drug interactions. Lead candidates UMN-120 and UMN-121 showed superior efficacy to current treatments in mouse models and retained potency against M. tuberculosis.

5 May 2025

Machine learning uncovers promising drug leads against human enterovirus 71

Artificial intelligence algorithms have now been combined with traditional laboratory methods to uncover promising drug leads against human enterovirus 71 (EV71), the pathogen behind most cases of hand, foot and mouth disease.

29 Apr 2025

Measles could return to endemic status if US vaccination rates fall further

Declining childhood vaccination rates in the United States could lead to a resurgence of measles and other previously eliminated infectious diseases. Simulation models predict that even current vaccination rates may be insufficient to prevent measles from becoming endemic within 20–25 years.

27 Apr 2025

COVID-19 lowers sperm count and motility, new study confirms

SARS-CoV-2 infection is linked to significant declines in sperm quality, including reduced sperm count, motility, and increased DNA fragmentation, as shown in both cross-sectional and longitudinal observations.

24 Apr 2025

New biosensor offers fast detection of H5N1 in farm air

As highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza continues to spread in the U.S., posing serious threats to dairy and poultry farms, both farmers and public health experts need better ways to monitor for infections, in real time, to mitigate and respond to outbreaks.

24 Apr 2025