The Outbreak the US Got Bored With
Whether it is called a national embarrassment, systemic failure, or impending pandemic, the H5N1 outbreak in the US has been widely met…with not a lot.1 In this postpandemic world—where increasingly common mpox and viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks, surging influenza cases, and low vaccination rates are met with growing partisanship and a dwindling health response infrastructure—the […]
CDC Reports 800 Confirmed Measles Cases Across the US
Child with measles rash. Image credits: Unsplash As of April 18, 2025, the United States reports a total of 800 confirmed measles cases across 25 jurisdictions, marking a sharp rise from the 285 cases seen throughout all of 2024. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that 94 percent of this year’s cases […]
Hepatitis C Screening Increases in Women, Especially Those Who Are Pregnant
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing in pregnant women increased significantly over time after the universal hepatitis C screening guidelines were updated in 2020. The findings were published in JAMA.1 “Screening for HCV per 1000 person-years increased from 52 to 117 tests among pregnant women and 16 to 24 tests among nonpregnant women from 2014 to […]
Top 5 Infectious Disease New Stories Week of April 18-April 25
From Pathogen to Infectious Disease Diagnosis: Test Determines Between Bacterial and Viral Infections in 15 Minutes MeMed CEO Eran Eden, PhD, discusses the MeMed BV test, a rapid diagnostic tool that distinguishes between bacterial and viral infections in just 15 minutes, aiding clinical decision-making and antibiotic stewardship. The blood test, which analyzes three host-response proteins […]
Anticipated Phase 3 Trial of Hydronidone for Treating Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B
Chronic Hepatitis B virus symbol. Image credits: Unsplash A multicenter Phase 3 clinical trial is underway to evaluate the efficacy of hydronidone, a novel antifibrotic agent, in reversing liver fibrosis among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The study, conducted across 44 centers in China, investigates whether a 270 mg/day dose of hydronidone, when added […]
Panther’s Microarray Patch Offers Novel Therapy Delivery System for Potential Infectious Disease Applications
In a previous life, Matthew Hepburn, MD, an infectious disease physician, worked with the Biden and Trump Administrations, and held the role of vaccine development lead for Operation Warp Speed, which was instrumental in developing COVID-19 vaccines in less than a year. This task was monumental considering it typically takes years to develop vaccines, and […]
Candida auris Epidemiology and Resistance Mechanisms Challenge Antifungal Treatment and Surveillance
This is a medical illustration of Candida auris fungal organisms, presented in the CDC publication entitled, Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2019. Image Credit: CDC, Stephanie Rossow In a recent Nature editorial, C auris is highlighted as an emerging multidrug‑resistant yeast that has drawn urgent attention from global and UK health authorities amid […]
First Case and Fatality of AH5N1 (Avian Influenza) in Mexico
Colorized transmission electron micrograph of avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (yellow), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells. Microscopy by CDC; repositioned and recolored by NIAID.Image credit: CDC and NIAID Earlier this month, Mexico notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of the country’s first laboratory-confirmed human infection with an avian influenza A(H5N1) virus […]
Discovery of PfAnchor Reveals New Vulnerability in Malaria Parasite’s Survival Mechanism
Sabrina Absalon, PhD Image credits: Indiana University A newly characterized protein, dubbed PfAnchor, is essential for the division and inheritance of a vital organelle in Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite. The discovery, published as a preprint on bioRxiv, could open the door to novel antimalarial strategies targeting parasite-specific processes. The apicoplast, a non-photosynthetic plastid […]
For Children and Adolescents, COVID-19 Carries Higher Risk For Cardiovascular Outcomes
Children and adolescents who had COVID-19 were at a higher risk for heart-related outcomes compared with those who did not have SARS-CoV-2 infection. These elevated risks were found in patients regardless of a previous cardiovascular history or congenital heart disease. These findings were part of a large study that were published in Nature Communications. “We […]
