Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Breakthrough bat organoid platform sheds light on behavior of zoonotic viruses

Did you know that more than 75% of new infectious diseases affecting humans originally come from animals? Bats, in particular, are natural hosts to some of the world's most dangerous viruses, including those responsible for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), MERS-CoV, influenza A, and hantavirus outbreaks.

15 May 2025

New genetic database sheds light on Brazil’s ancestry and disease risks

Since the human genome was first sequenced in 2003, the world's scientific community has been racing to decipher this "book" written in an alphabet of four letters.

15 May 2025

Researchers identify key cells behind peanut allergy prevention

A decade ago, a clinical trial in the U.K. famously showed that children who were exposed to peanuts in the early months of life had reduced risk of developing a peanut allergy compared with children who avoided peanuts.

15 May 2025

New WHO report reveals the deeper health impacts caused by COVID-19 pandemic

WHO published its World health statistics report 2025, revealing the deeper health impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on loss of lives, longevity and overall health and well-being.

15 May 2025

SLIRP protein identified as key regulator of immune responses

Even after the COVID-19 pandemic, various new infectious diseases continue to emerge, posing ongoing viral threats that demand robust and sustained immune defenses.

15 May 2025

Urban children have more pro-allergic immune cells than rural peers

Scientists discovered that a previously uncharacterized subset of immune cells may play a critical role in the development of allergic diseases and explain differences between urban and rural populations.

14 May 2025

Nasal vaccine boosters can trigger strong immune defenses in the respiratory tract, study finds

Most vaccines — and boosters — are injected directly into muscle tissue, usually in the upper arm, to kickstart the body's immune system in the fight against disease.

13 May 2025

Virtual nurse shows promise in promoting vaccinations

Can a virtual nurse persuade people to get vaccinated? Scientists from SWPS University have proven that it is possible. Finding new forms of informing people about vaccinations is particularly important for public health while some question their validity.

10 May 2025

Long-acting HIV drug emerges from decades of research and advocacy

In the hunt for a remedy, when the baton is passed from dedicated academic scientists to an innovative company to trusted community advocates, outcomes for society can be especially powerful.

8 May 2025

Monoclonal antibody protects mice from lethal influenza A doses

Scientists have engineered a monoclonal antibody that can protect mice from a lethal dose of influenza A, a new study shows.

8 May 2025

Anti-parasitic drug could accelerate the elimination of infection endemic to Africa

Tens of millions of people in Africa are infected by parasitic worms that cause lymphatic filariasis (also called elephantiasis), a disease that leads to severe swelling and deformities of the limbs and genitals.

7 May 2025

Most deadly drug-resistant infections in poorer countries go untreated, study shows

A new modelling study reveals that only 7% of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) bacterial infections in eight LMICs receive effective antibiotic treatment. This stark undertreatment poses a major threat in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

7 May 2025

Trump policies at odds with ‘make America healthy again’ push

In his March address to Congress, President Donald Trump honored a Texas boy diagnosed with brain cancer. Amid bipartisan applause, he vowed to drive down childhood cancer rates through his "Make America Healthy Again" initiative.

7 May 2025

Precision medicine approach improves treatment for soft tissue sarcomas

A study conducted by researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) and National University of Singapore (NUS), in collaboration with biotech company, KYAN Technologies, has demonstrated that a precision medicine approach improves treatment selection for patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STS) in a clinical setting.

7 May 2025

Scientists engineer new drug candidate to fight deadly mycobacterial infection

In a classic example of scientific problem solving, scientists from the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) and colleagues have published a paper introducing a promising new drug candidate they engineered to target a deadly and emerging infection.

6 May 2025

Cardiovascular mortality higher in women with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

Women with the autoimmune diseases rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or systemic sclerosis may have a higher rate of death related to cardiovascular disease than men with the autoimmune diseases, according to new research published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

6 May 2025

UVA findings hold promise for developing targeted treatments for Long COVID lung complications

Groundbreaking research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine has revealed crucial new insights into the immune systems of COVID-19 survivors, particularly those struggling with persistent breathing issues.

5 May 2025

Trump team’s $500 million bet on old vaccine technology puzzles scientists

The Trump administration's unprecedented $500 million grant for a broadly protective flu shot has confounded vaccine and pandemic preparedness experts, who said the project was in early stages, relied on old technology, and was just one of more than 200 such efforts.

5 May 2025

Rising antibiotic resistance threatens UTI treatment in Malawi

A growing resistance to antibiotics is complicating the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Malawi, with new research revealing that nearly half of women presenting with symptoms at a major referral hospital had infections resistant to multiple drugs.

3 May 2025

New three-part antivenom cocktail protects against the world’s deadliest snakes

Scientists developed a groundbreaking antivenom cocktail using antibodies from a hyperimmune human donor and a small-molecule inhibitor that protected mice from deadly bites of 19 diverse snakes. This approach could lead to a universal antivenom for the world’s most dangerous snakes, overcoming the limitations of current species-specific treatments.

2 May 2025