RSV Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety in Older Adults: Real-World Case-Control Study Findings
RSV vaccine Image credits: Unsplash A large case-control study published in JAMA, 787,822 US adults aged 60 and older found that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines were 75.1% effectively prevented RSV-associated acute respiratory infections (ARI), including emergency department visits and hospitalizations. The study also identified a small but measurable increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnoses following […]
FDA and CDC Recommend Pause on Chikungunya Vaccine IXCHIQ for Adults 65 and Older
Chikungunya vaccine Image credits: Unsplash The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have jointly recommended a pause in the use of Valneva’s single-dose chikungunya vaccine, IXCHIQ, for individuals aged 65 and older. This precautionary measure follows reports of serious adverse events (SAEs) in elderly individuals with underlying […]
Microbiota-Based Therapy Improves Mental Quality of Life in rCDI Trial
A new analysis from a phase 3 clinical trial presented at this year’s Digestive Disease Week conference in San Diego, California, shows that a live biotherapeutic used to prevent recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection may also improve patients’ mental quality of life, with outcomes correlating to shifts in the gut microbiome and metabolome. Patients who received […]
Vir Biotechnology Announces Results of its Potential Hepatitis B Cure Combination Therapy
Vir Biotechnology, a clinical-stage immunology company, announced results from its MARCH phase 2 trial, which showed the proportion of participants with undetectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) at 24 weeks post-end of treatment, was achieved by 17% (3/18) and 21% (3/14) of participants with baseline HBsAg<1,000 IU/mL who were receiving tobevibart and elebsiran without or […]
Ocular Syphilis and Neurosyphilis in a Patient Living With HIV
Ocular syphilis with optic disc neovascularization Final diagnosis Ocular syphilis and concurrent neurosyphilis History of the Present Illness A 50-year-old man with a medical history notable for HIV/AIDS and a history of previously treated neurosyphilis presented with acute on chronic bilateral visual changes. The patient was in his usual state of health until 6 months prior […]
Top 5 Infectious Disease News Stories Week of May 3 to May 10
Study Highlights Airborne Transmission of H5N1 in Ferrets, Raising Pandemic Concerns A study of the H5N1 virus isolated from a Michigan dairy worker showed it can transmit through airborne particles in ferrets and cause moderate illness, raising concerns about its potential to spread among mammals. The worker’s infection is part of a larger multistate outbreak […]
Hepatitis D Patients Maintain Undetectable Virus Nearly 2 Years After Bulevirtide Therapy
In a late-breaking oral presentation at EASL, 36% (23 out of 64) of adults living with chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) who were treated with the first-in-class entry inhibitor bulevirtide, at either a 2 mg or 10 mg dose, maintained virologic suppression for nearly 2 years after treatment, following undetectable HDV RNA when they finished […]
Gilead’s Bulevirtide Demonstrates Long-Term Sustained Virologic Response For Hepatitis D
At the ongoing European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress 2025, Gilead announced findings on its hepatitis D (HDV) therapy, bulevirtide. Specifically, the therapy was studied as a standalone treatment and in combination with pegylated interferon alpha (PegIFN). In patients with compensated chronic hepatitis D (CHD), achieving undetectable HDV RNA with “target […]
Lyme Prevention and Next-Gen Diagnostics
Multiplex protein microarray Image credits: Jason Barker, ND As tick season takes hold across the country, healthcare professionals are emphasizing prevention and early detection of tick-borne illnesses, particularly Lyme disease. In recognition of Lyme Disease Awareness Month, Vibrant Wellness clinical lab educator Jason Barker, ND, shared practical prevention strategies and diagnostic updates in a recent […]
US Businesses Are Here to Help the Trump Administration Keep its Pledge to End HIV
Stephen MasseyImage credit: Meteorite In 2019, President Donald J. Trump set a historic goal: end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030. It was a bold vision that rallied unprecedented support across sectors, including from leaders in the business community who’ve stepped up to help achieve that goal. Over the past several years, […]
