Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Lupus-linked genetic variants may boost antiviral immunity

Why do genetic variants that increase the risk of autoimmune disease remain so common in the population?

11 Sep 2026

Standard pediatric blood pressure thresholds miss early trauma warning signs

Blood pressure thresholds commonly used to identify dangerously unstable vital signs in children may not signal trouble soon enough after a traumatic injury, according to a national study of more than 230,000 pediatric trauma patients.

9 Sep 2026

New AI method tracks immune responses without known antibody databases

A research team comprising Associate Professor FUNAKOSHI Yohei, Associate Professor YAKUSHIJIN Kimikazu, Professor MINAMI Hironobu, and Associate Professor OHJI Goh of Kobe University, together with graduate student MASUDA Genki, then-graduate student IIZUMI Shunsuke, Associate Professor OHUE Masahito, and colleagues at the Institute of Science Tokyo, has developed a new analysis method, LM-QASAS.

9 Sep 2026

Independent review reinforces value of vaccines across all ages

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) supports the 2026-27 respiratory season vaccine evidence review released on September 2, 2026, by the Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) in collaboration with the American Medical Association.

4 Sep 2026

Mosaic nanoparticle vaccine boosts broad mucosal coronavirus immunity

The persistent threat of emerging coronaviruses highlights the critical need to establish frontline defenses directly at the respiratory entry portal.

4 Sep 2026

Cancer drug eliminates HIV-infected cells in animal model study

Emory University researchers have provided the first proof-of-concept in a nonhuman primate model for eliminating HIV-infected cells with venetoclax, a clinically approved medication for cancer.

3 Sep 2026

Genetic marker links popular seizure drug to life-threatening reaction

A genetic marker already used to flag risk of a life-threatening reaction to the antibiotic vancomycin also identifies patients at risk of that reaction to lamotrigine - and it is missing from the gene panels clinicians order before prescribing the drug, Vanderbilt Health-led researchers report Sept. 2 in JAMA Network Open.

2 Sep 2026

Nanoparticle flu vaccine design could pave way for broader protection

Influenza viruses constantly shapeshift to evade recognition by the immune system. This shapeshifting occurs in critical proteins like hemagglutinin (HA), which controls how the virus attaches to human cells before entering them.

2 Sep 2026

Antiviral COVID-19 drug shows no benefit for Long COVID

Results from a clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published today in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases show that the antiviral drug, PAXLOVID, commonly prescribed to treat acute COVID-19, does not have an impact on Long COVID symptoms when compared to placebo.

1 Sep 2026

Mathematical model shows combined strategies greatly reduce Mpox transmission

Mpox (formerly Monkeypox), a viral zoonotic disease, remains a global public health concern because it can spread between animals and humans and among people.

31 Aug 2026

UCSF scientists build largest molecular interaction map for autism

For more than two decades, researchers have identified hundreds of genes that increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

28 Aug 2026

Climate-warming shifts habitat risks for schistosomiasis-transmitting snails

Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease transmitted by Schistosoma worms, affects more than 240 million people, while over 800 million live in areas at risk. In China, Schistosoma japonicum depends on the amphibious snail Oncomelania hupensis.

26 Aug 2026

Scientists identify new drug target to combat airborne tuberculosis

Tuberculosis bacteria released into the air from infected individuals dry out to form infectious particles that are second only to measles in contagiousness.

26 Aug 2026

Gene removal makes engineered immune cells more effective against osteosarcoma

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered that removing the gene for Regnase-1 from engineered immune cells makes them more effective at treating relapsed osteosarcoma.

25 Aug 2026

Visual storytelling transforms scientific evidence into meaningful public health action

Even as the scientific community has reached broad consensus that infectious pathogens, such as viruses, can spread through airborne transmission in virus-laden aerosols, one fundamental challenge remains.

25 Aug 2026

Japan vaccinated heavily during COVID-19. Why are so many unsure about vaccinating next time?

A nationwide Japanese survey found that only 53.1% of respondents said they would accept vaccination in a hypothetical future pandemic with COVID-19-like fatality, despite substantially higher previous COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Willingness varied by demographics, perceived disease risk, exposure to misinformation, vaccine characteristics, and practical factors such as cost, evidence, professional recommendations, and accessibility.

24 Aug 2026

California landscapes linked to differing rates of Valley fever

Researchers from University of California San Diego and University of California, Berkeley have found that certain landscapes surrounding California communities are associated with differing rates of Valley fever, a fungal respiratory infection caused by inhaling spores carried in windblown dust.

24 Aug 2026

Resistant malaria parasites become increasingly prevalent across Ethiopia

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), Brown University, the University of Notre Dame, and Ethiopia's Ministry of Health have found that malaria parasites carrying genetic markers associated with resistance to frontline antimalarial medicines and commonly used diagnostic tests are becoming increasingly prevalent across Ethiopia.

24 Aug 2026

New review examines why tetanus remains a global health problem

Tetanus is often considered a disease of the past, remembered mainly through childhood vaccinations and warnings about rusty nails.

20 Aug 2026

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The ELRIG Mid-Career Initiative supports scientists in drug discovery, addressing unique challenges and fostering leadership development for career transitions.

20 Aug 2026