Disease/Infection News

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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

Experimental vaccine protects against Zika virus through T cells alone

Zika virus has been spreading for decades, but it first grabbed worldwide headlines in 2016. That February, with an outbreak sweeping the Americas, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the surge in Zika-linked birth defects a "public health emergency of international concern"-a designation which lasted until that November.

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

Sewage monitoring may provide earlier warning of pertussis outbreaks

Pertussis, or whooping cough, continues to cause periodic outbreaks worldwide and can be especially dangerous for infants who have not completed vaccination.

26 Aug 2026

Scientists found a distinct gut microbiome pattern in people with symptomatic diverticular disease

A multicenter Japanese study found that symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) was associated with reduced gut microbial diversity, increased abundance of the Ruminococcus gnavus group, and depletion of Coprococcus and other butyrate-producing bacteria. Predictive microbiome analysis also identified enrichment of pathways linked to exopolysaccharide biosynthesis and the cell cycle, although the observational design means these associations cannot establish causality.

25 Aug 2026

Anti-immigrant policies linked to rising HIV cases among Hispanic populations

Following the Trump administration's 2018 announcement of changes to the public charge rule that would penalize immigrants for using public benefit programs, antisanctuary counties in the US saw a 16.8-percent increase in HIV cases among Hispanic populations, compared to baseline counties.

25 Aug 2026

Nigerian COVID-19 response highlights cultural trust in ethnopharmacology

During COVID-19, ethnopharmacology became prominent in Nigeria due to affordability, accessibility, and cultural trust, but evidence for safety and efficacy remains limited.

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

The diet-Alzheimer’s connection is more complicated than “eat this, avoid that”

A mini-review finds that dietary patterns may influence Alzheimer’s disease through interconnected pathways involving neuroinflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, homocysteine, and the gut-brain axis. The authors argue that genetics, sex, age, physical activity, and socioeconomic context may modify these relationships, supporting more individualized approaches to nutrition research and dementia prevention.

25 Aug 2026

Researchers link GLP-1 drugs to lower tuberculosis risk in type 2 diabetes

A large retrospective cohort study found that GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with a lower risk of tuberculosis in people with type 2 diabetes compared with sulfonylureas, metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, and SGLT2 inhibitors. The observational findings suggest a possible benefit beyond metabolic control, but the authors emphasize that prospective and mechanistic studies are needed to determine whether GLP-1 therapies themselves reduce TB risk.

24 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

Yeast-based nanoparticle vaccine could make annual flu shots obsolete

The world mostly relies on an 80-year-old method for producing flu vaccines from chicken eggs - a slow, costly process that struggles to quickly adapt to new, mutant strains.

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

Nanoparticle vaccine offers long-lasting protection against multiple flu strains

A new, nanoparticle vaccine could one day grant patients immunity to the flu with fewer trips to the doctor and without health officials correctly guessing which flu strains will become dominant each year.

24 Aug 2026

Scientists uncover tRNA changes driving Chagas parasite transformation

The Chagas disease parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) undergoes a major transformation throughout its life cycle in order to infect humans and other mammals.

21 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

This 29-year heart study tracked what happens after smokers quit

Long-term data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study linked both current and former smoking with a higher risk of sudden cardiac death, with risk rising alongside cumulative smoking exposure. Among former smokers, risk generally declined with longer time since quitting and approached that of never smokers only after prolonged abstinence.

20 Aug 2026

First 24 hours shape the body's antiviral defense response

Age, genetics and lifestyle are known to influence how people respond to viral infections. Scientists also know that differences in immune response play an important role, but exactly how these factors shape the course of an infection has remained unclear.

19 Aug 2026

New model measures social drivers behind infectious disease outbreaks

Influenza spreads in a crowded barracks or prison. Ebola proliferates when per-capita hospital beds plummet below the typical levels in developed countries.

19 Aug 2026