Infectious Diseases News and Research

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New mRNA adjuvant dramatically boosts T-cell vaccine responses in mice

MIT engineers have developed a new way to amplify the T-cell response to mRNA vaccines - an advance that could lead to much more powerful cancer vaccines and stronger protection against infectious diseases.

13 May 2026

Wastewater monitoring may predict influenza outbreaks one week earlier

Seasonal influenza can spread rapidly, and timely information on rising cases is essential for public health decisions and healthcare resource planning.

13 May 2026

Global hypertension burden rising sharply in lower-income countries

In theory, hypertension is a disease that is both easy to test for and readily treatable with existing medications and lifestyle interventions.

13 May 2026

New compound shows promise as single-dose malaria treatment

A Portland State University-led research team has developed a novel chemical compound that shows promise for the treatment and prevention of malaria, one of the world's deadliest diseases.

13 May 2026

Andes hantavirus outbreak highlights global spillover and transmission risks

A Virginia Tech disease ecologist said the outbreak of Andes hantavirus aboard the international MV Hondius cruise ship underscores how little scientists still know about the viruses circulating silently in wild rodent populations before they spill into humans.

11 May 2026

The power of organoids in speeding up lifesaving drug development

Organoids are miniature tissue or organ models formed by stem cells (including pluripotent stem cells, tissue-specific adult stem cells, etc.) or progenitor cells in an in vitro three-dimensional culture system, which possess structural features and partial functions analogous to their corresponding in vivo organs. In 2009, the Hans Clevers laboratory developed the first intestinal organoid, marking the inception of organoid-based disease modeling.

8 May 2026

Study warns of rising severe malaria risk due to testing delays

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), in collaboration with colleagues across the country, found that more than one in four pediatric patients treated for malaria in the United States had a delay in their initial diagnosis, increasing the risk of more severe infection.

8 May 2026

Scientists identify powerful human antibodies capable of neutralizing measles virus

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are the first in the world to characterize human antibodies capable of neutralizing measles virus.

7 May 2026

Blood test may improve early tuberculosis detection among household contacts

Household contacts of people with tuberculosis (TB) have a high risk of getting TB themselves, at around 2 percent. It is currently difficult to detect TB in its early stages, or predict who will go on to have TB, and therefore preventive treatment is not widely used.

7 May 2026

Treated baby wraps may reduce malaria risk in refugee infants

Malaria remains a threat to young children in refugee settlements, where displacement, temporary housing, and limited access to healthcare reduce the effectiveness of conventional prevention tools.

7 May 2026

New study tracks HIV care after hospital discharge statewide

Sarah Rutstein, MD, PhD, and Thibaut Davy‑Mendez, PhD, MSPH, with the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases have received an R01 from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

6 May 2026

H5N1 spreads through multiple routes on infected dairy farms

The H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in over 700 herds of dairy cows in California, the largest dairy-producing state in the U.S.

5 May 2026

Cruise ship-linked hantavirus cases highlight zoonotic infection risks

The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing eminent human and animal virologists from more than 90 Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in over 40 countries dedicated to advancing research, collaboration, and pandemic preparedness, is closely monitoring reports of a hantavirus cluster linked to a cruise ship traveling in the Atlantic, which has resulted in multiple severe cases and fatalities.

5 May 2026

Phase 2 human clinical trial paves way for effective hookworm vaccine

A phase 2 human clinical trial of an antigen for a parasitic infection caused by hookworms has been shown to be effective in limiting the intensity of infection, paving the way for the development of a vaccine.

5 May 2026

Disruptions threaten progress in inclusive clinical trials and health equity

JMIR Publications today featured a critical new story in its News and Perspectives section examining the recent waves of disruption to inclusive clinical trials and the emerging strategies to keep health equity on track.

4 May 2026

Advanced AI models outperform pediatricians in diagnosing rare diseases

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being explored as a tool to support clinical decision-making, yet its real-world performance in pediatric diagnosis remains unclear.

4 May 2026

How a common gut bacterium may protect health

Akkermansia muciniphila's impact on immunity and pregnancy outcomes underscores its promise as a probiotic, with implications for infectious disease treatment.

4 May 2026

New genomic study tracks rare blood disease in children

Aplastic anemia is a rare, life-threatening blood disorder where patients are unable to make enough blood cells due to the immune system's attack on blood stem cells. The condition can progress to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and leukemia. A study led by scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, with multiple collaborating institutions, used state-of-the-art genomic techniques to profile 619 children and adults with aplastic anemia.

4 May 2026

New tools for quicker and easier Mpox diagnosis

Following the rise in monkeypox (Mpox) cases, particularly in countries where the disease had not traditionally been observed, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in June 2022 and again in August 2024.

4 May 2026

Extracellular vesicles from T cells enhance tumor immune response

Activated immune cells secrete tiny capsules bearing DNA that can enter other immune and tumor cells to stimulate the body's defense systems, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine.

30 Apr 2026