Respiratory Tract Infections News and Research

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Maternal RSV vaccine shows 68% protection against infant RSV hospitalization

In a test-negative case-control study of 274 hospitalized infants aged 90 days or younger, maternal RSVpreF vaccination was associated with 67.6% effectiveness against RSV-associated acute respiratory illness hospitalization. Protection was similar against RSV-linked lower respiratory tract disease, with the highest point estimate in the first month of life, although confidence intervals were wide.

16 Jun 2026

Remote monitoring does not beat usual care for sepsis patients

Remote monitoring isn't a panacea for reducing readmissions across all conditions - and for some patients, clinicians should proceed with caution, clinical trial results published today in JAMA Network Open suggest.

11 Jun 2026

Infections pose major but overlooked risks in people with diabetes

Infections should be considered a "health hazard" in people living with diabetes, with experts warning that current clinical guidelines fail to reflect a substantial but under-recognized burden of illness, hospitalization and death.

7 Jun 2026

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics earns CE mark for new assay delivering bacterial vs viral infection results in approximately 20 minutes

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, a Danaher company and global leader in clinical diagnostics, today announced it has received CE 2797 mark under IVDR for the Access MeMed BV assay, enabling broad availability of a high-throughput host‑response test that helps clinicians differentiate between bacterial and viral infections in approximately 20 minutes.

From Beckman Coulter Diagnostics 13 Apr 2026

Flu vaccines protect children well across Europe, but H3N2 remains harder to stop

Influenza vaccination provided strong real-world protection for children in European primary care across two seasons, with overall vaccine effectiveness of 68% in 2022–2023 and 71% in 2023–2024. Protection was highest against influenza B and H1N1, while H3N2 showed lower and more variable effectiveness, supporting the need for higher uptake and continued monitoring.

8 Apr 2026

How vitamin D in the first 1,000 days may shape lifelong health

This narrative review argues that vitamin D is clearly important for skeletal health during the first 1,000 days of life and may also shape immune, metabolic, and selected neurodevelopmental pathways during early development. However, the authors stress that human evidence for most non-skeletal outcomes remains heterogeneous, with benefits appearing most consistent in populations with baseline deficiency.

31 Mar 2026

Obesity drives one in ten infectious disease deaths

Just over one in 10 deaths from a wide range of infectious diseases can be attributed to obesity worldwide, finds a major new study led by a University College London (UCL) researcher.

9 Feb 2026

Your next primary care doctor could be online only, accessed through an AI tool

When her doctor died suddenly in August, Tammy MacDonald found herself among the roughly 17% of adults in America without a primary care physician.

2 Feb 2026

Higher vitamin D levels tied to fewer hospitalization for respiratory tract infections

Severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher rate of hospitalization for respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey.

21 Jan 2026

Severe vitamin D deficiency linked to higher hospitalizations for respiratory tract infections

21 Jan 2026

Steady decline in antibiotics for childhood respiratory infections

Norwegian study finds reduced antibiotic use for childhood respiratory infections, yet high prescriptions for ear infections call for improved guidelines.

13 Jan 2026

RSV prevention: A new era for infant protection

Globally, RSV causes millions of respiratory infections each year and is responsible for a large proportion of hospitalizations and deaths among children under five years, with the highest risk concentrated in infants under six months.

5 Jan 2026

Antibiotics provide no relief for common colds

Researchers conclude that antibiotics should not be used to treat the common cold and acute purulent rhinitis.

28 Nov 2025

Year-round access to RSV immunization may reduce major seasonal outbreaks

Providing year-round access to RSV immunization would minimize the risk of large seasonal outbreaks across the nation, including in both urban and rural areas.

26 Nov 2025

Study reveals impact of viral combinations on infant respiratory illness severity

A new study led by researchers at National Jewish Health has revealed that, while a wide range of viruses can cause lower respiratory tract illnesses (LRIs) in infants, certain viruses and viral combinations dramatically increase the risk of severe disease.

24 Oct 2025

New database transforms evidence-based care for children with lower respiratory tract infections

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) remain the most common illnesses in children, accounting for up to two-thirds of pediatric outpatient and inpatient cases in China.

24 Oct 2025

New guidelines improve care for respiratory infections in leukemia patients

People with leukemia have a weakened immune system due to the disease itself and treatment, which leads to an increased susceptibility to infections.

28 Aug 2025

Can probiotics boost athletic performance? Review reveals what works and what still needs proof

A new review in Frontiers in Nutrition synthesizes recent evidence on how probiotic supplementation may impact gut health, immunity, and performance in athletes across various sports.

22 Jul 2025

Routine vaccines may be the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

A study reveals that rising vaccine coverage in children is linked to reduced antibiotic prescriptions, suggesting a shift in the fight against drug resistance.

16 Jul 2025

Does soup really work when you’re down with cold or flu?

A systematic review found that chicken-based and vegetable-enriched soups may modestly reduce the severity and duration of acute respiratory tract infections. However, stronger evidence is needed before soup can be recommended as a clinical treatment.

10 Jul 2025