Moderna Withdraws BLA For its Influenza COVID-19 Combination Vaccine
Moderna announced today it has voluntarily withdrawn the pending BLA for its influenza/COVID-19 combination vaccine candidate, mRNA-1083. The late-stage vaccine was indicated for adults aged 50 years and older.1 This withdrawal comes after the FDA had requested that Moderna provide more data for its vaccine. Specifically, the federal agency requested more phase 3 influenza efficacy […]
A leap forward in transparent antimicrobial coatings
Hydrogen boride (HB) nanosheets can inactivate viruses, bacteria, and fungi within minutes in the dark conditions. By coating surfaces with HB nanosheets, it rapidly inactivates SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus, and other pathogens. The nanosheets work by denaturing microbial proteins, offering a safe, effective, and versatile antimicrobial coating for everyday items. The global fight against infectious diseases […]
Unlocking the secrets of bat immunity
Bats are known as natural hosts for highly pathogenic viruses such as MERS- and SARS-related coronaviruses, as well as the Marburg and Nipah viruses. In contrast to the severe and often fatal disease outcomes these viruses cause in humans, bats generally do not show obvious signs of viral illness following infection. An international research team […]
Engineered bacteria can deliver antiviral therapies, vaccines
New research from the University of Cincinnati demonstrates how specially engineered bacteria taken orally can operate as a delivery system for antiviral therapies and vaccines. The research, led by Nalinikanth Kotagiri, PhD, was recently published in the journal Gut Microbes. Study background Kotagiri’s lab focuses on engineering probiotic bacteria to accomplish a wide variety of […]
FDA Shifts COVID-19 Vaccine Policy, Requires Further Testing
In an article published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, and Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), laid out their plan that will change the bar for how COVID-19 vaccines will be approved going forward. They are […]
Disruption of Natural Ecosystems and Risk of Zoonotic Virus Spillover
Jyothi N Purushotham, PhD Image credits: LinkedIn Holly L Lutz, PhD Image credits: LinkedIn According to a new article published in Immunity, the disruption of natural ecosystems from climate change and human activity is increasing the risk of zoonotic virus spillover. Over the past 20 years, repeated zoonotic outbreaks have exposed limitations in predicting epidemic […]
Early Release – Emergence of Oropouche Virus in Espírito Santo State, Brazil, 2024 – Volume 31, Number 6—June 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: Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Vitória, Brazil (E. Delatorre, A. Rossi, R. Ribeiro-Rodrigues); Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado […]
Early Release – A One Health Approach to Investigating Cache Valley Virus, Arkansas, USA, July 2023 – Volume 31, Number 6—June 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. Ann Carpenter, Noah Kojima, Theresa M. Dulski, Amanda E. Calvert, Kristen L. Burkhalter, Jennifer R. Ballard, Keith Blount, Anna Fagre, Elisa Thrasher, Katelyn Lazenby, Stephen Hedges, Audrey Long, […]
Early Release – Dual-Genotype Orientia tsutsugamushi Infections, Hainan Island, China, 2023 – Volume 31, Number 6—June 2025 – Emerging Infectious Diseases journal
Scrub typhus, caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, is a significant but underrecognized tropical disease endemic found mainly throughout the Asia-Pacific region (1). Scrub typhus places approximately 1 billion persons at risk and causes illness in 1 million persons each year (2). Extensive genetic diversity is a hallmark of O. tsutsugamushi, influencing disease […]
Early Release – Skin Infections Caused by Panton-Valentine Leukocidin and Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in Child, Japan – Volume 31, Number 6—June 2025 – Emerging Infectious Diseases journal
Recurrent skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) caused by Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)–positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been reported worldwide (1,2). Recurrence may be attributed to intrafamilial transmission; in such cases, decolonization by nasal mupirocin ointment and topical skin application of 4% chlorhexidine are treatments for family members (3). Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains that […]
