Communicable disease threats report, 14-20 December 2024, week 51
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 14-20 December 2024 and includes updates on Cyclone Chido, Mpox due to monkeypox virus clade I and II, SARS-CoV-2 variant classification, Overview of respiratory virus epidemiology in the EU/EEA, Marburg virus disease and Avian influenza A(H5N1). Source link
Climate Change is Disrupting Biocontrol of Invasive Spongy Moths
This research connects infectious disease dynamics to ecosystem health by examining how climate change affects the biocontrol of invasive species. The fungal pathogen Entomophaga maimaiga has kept spongy moth populations in check, much like how infectious diseases are controlled in humans. Using disease models designed for humans, researchers analyze how environmental changes impact the spread […]
Scientists advance nanobody technology to combat deadly Ebola virus
Ebola virus, one of the deadliest pathogens, has a fatality rate of about 50%, posing a serious threat to global health and safety. To address this challenge, researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Midwest Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Center have developed the first nanobody-based inhibitors targeting the Ebola virus. Nanobodies are tiny antibodies […]
Doxycycline Postexposure Prophylaxis Prevents STIs Amongst Those Using HIV PrEP
Image credit: Julia Zolotova, Pexels Doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) given to people who were receiving HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) were shown to reduce chlamydia by 79%, syphilis by 80%, and gonorrhea by 12%.1 The study’s results were published in JAMA Internal Medicine. “Among doxyPEP recipients, quarterly chlamydia positivity decreased from 9.6% (95% CI, 9.0%-10.3%) before […]
Entering Peak Norovirus Season as Cases Rise Across the US
Positive Norovirus test results Image credits: CDC Recent CDC data showed a rise in norovirus cases across the US, with more than 22% of tests returning positive as of December 28, 2024, compared to 12% during the same week in December 2023.1 The NoroSTAT report for the 2024–2025 season (August 1–December 11, 2024) recorded 495 […]
Communicable disease threats report, 28 December 2024 – 3 January 2025, week 53
This issue of the CDTR covers the period 28 December 2024 – 3 January 2025 and includes updates on respiratory viruses, avian influenza A(H5N1), acute respiratory infections complicated by malaria, and mpox. Source link
Early Release – Diphtheria Toxin–Producing Corynebacterium ramonii in Inner-City Population, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 2019–2023 – Volume 31, Number 2—February 2025 – Emerging Infectious Diseases journal
Disclaimer: Early release articles are not considered as final versions. Any changes will be reflected in the online version in the month the article is officially released. Author affiliation: Author affiliations: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.F. Lowe, G. Ritchie, M. Imperial, N. Matic, M. Payne, A. Stefanovic, D. Whellams, M.G. […]
Overcoming resistance: Researchers find new utility for old antibiotics
Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a critical vulnerability in drug-resistant bacteria: zinc — or a lack thereof. In a recent study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, researchers found that zinc plays a vital role in how some of the world’s most dangerous bacteria resist antibiotics. Eric Brown, a professor in McMaster’s Department of […]
New Global Tuberculosis Cases Hit Record High
Tuberculosis (TB) is once again the leading global cause of death from infectious disease, surpassing COVID-19. In 2023, about 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed with TB, the highest number recorded since the World Health Organization (WHO) began monitoring the disease in 1995. Source link
