Last update:
Early gut microbes help the newborn immune system fight deadly infections, mouse experiments suggest
Infectious diseases news
Early gut microbes help the newborn immune system fight deadly infections, mouse experiments suggest
Babies are born with some immunity, but they do not have as many tools as adults to fight diseases. Exposure to pathogens helps build their immune repertoire, but it also leaves them vulnerable to infection because many immune ...
13 hours ago
0
9
New research shows promise for treating hepatitis C in pregnancy
Researchers and clinicians at WashU Medicine are helping reshape how hepatitis C virus (HCV) is treated during pregnancy, with a new study showing that a commonly used antiviral regimen can be used safely and effectively ...
13 hours ago
0
2
Very severe long COVID linked to differences in lung and mouth microbiomes
People with long COVID have distinct differences in the mix of bacteria that live in their mouths and lungs, according to a study of more than 700 people published in the European Respiratory Journal. The research also shows ...
Oct 11, 2026
0
64
Florida's dengue outbreak is now the largest in a US state in decades
Florida's current dengue outbreak is the largest in several decades of any U.S. state.
Oct 10, 2026
0
24
Olive oil-based lotion could simplify scabies treatment by clearing mites and eggs with a single application
Every year, around 400 million people worldwide are affected by an intensely itchy skin condition caused by microscopic parasitic mites called Sarcoptes scabiei. Known as scabies, the infestation begins when the tiny mites ...
Gut microbes help set the body's inflammatory response to vaccination
Vaccination is one of the most important tools for preventing infectious diseases and protecting public health. However, immune responses after vaccination vary dramatically from person to person: If you give many people ...
Oct 9, 2026
1
690
T-cell research reveals paths to better vaccines for COVID-19 and beyond
Two people infected with the same strain of COVID-19 can have vastly different experiences. One might never even sniffle, and the other might end up on a ventilator. But why?
Oct 9, 2026
0
40
How the benefits of vaccination extend beyond protection from infection
Vaccination not only prevents disease caused by acute infection but also protects against long-term immune-related sequelae that can follow an acute viral infection. This is the main conclusion of a study led by the Infection ...
Oct 9, 2026
0
13
Nasal vaccine additive improves flu survival in mice even 100 days after treatment
The COVID-19 pandemic showed the challenges of protecting populations when a new respiratory virus emerges. Although vaccines were developed at unprecedented speed, there was still a period when vaccines were not yet available, ...
Oct 9, 2026
0
6
Malaria remains the leading cause of hospital admission and in-hospital death in children under 2 in Sierra Leone
Malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhea are the leading causes of hospitalization and death during the first two years of life in Sierra Leone, according to a prospective study led by ISGlobal, a center supported by ...
Oct 9, 2026
0
4
Unproven 'cures' pushed online amid plague concerns
Reports that a woman employed at a plague research institute in Russia's Irkutsk region died from the disease have spiked online interest in possible treatments for the illness in North America.
Oct 9, 2026
0
3
Natural compound shows promise against C. difficile while largely sparing healthy gut bacteria
The pathogen Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is naturally present in the intestines of many people. When present in small numbers, it usually causes no symptoms. Treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics can severely ...
Oct 8, 2026
0
179
Distinct malaria parasites may help explain sickle cell trait's protection against disease
Malaria is one of the deadliest infectious diseases on the planet, afflicting people throughout recorded history. In places where malaria is most common, it's shaped human evolution by driving higher rates of a paradoxically ...
Oct 8, 2026
0
5
How a new long-acting HIV drug combo tackles resistance
A new long-acting HIV treatment could expand options for people who have trouble taking daily pills and whose virus is resistant to some commonly used HIV drugs, according to a new UC San Francisco study.
Oct 8, 2026
0
9
Maternal vaccines protect babies from serious infections, but unequal access limits benefits across Europe
Europe must act now to strengthen maternal vaccination during pregnancy and ensure all women and babies can benefit from a new generation of vaccines to protect against serious infections. That is according to a new Lancet ...
Oct 8, 2026
0
4
PrEP pill can prevent HIV, but partner reactions might stand in the way
Fear of accusations of infidelity, the stigma surrounding HIV and concerns about causing conflict in a relationship might deter some Black women from using PrEP, a prescription medicine used to prevent HIV, according to a ...
Oct 8, 2026
1
6
UN health agency wants more details from Russia on suspected pneumonic plague case
A top official with the World Health Organization said Wednesday it doesn't know how a lab worker in Siberia died, and she urged Russia to provide more information about a case that prompted global concerns about suspected ...
Oct 8, 2026
0
10
Value-aligned messages increased COVID-19 vaccination intentions, study finds
Vaccine-hesitant adults were more likely to consider getting a COVID-19 vaccine when public health messages acknowledged distrust of government and affirmed values such as personal liberty, a new study found.
Oct 8, 2026
0
5
The plague never went away. Cases are reported in parts of Africa and the US nearly every year
The plague, the rare bacterial infection infamously known for killing tens of millions in 14th-century Europe, never went away. It is now easily treated with antibiotics.
Oct 8, 2026
0
6
FDA-cleared urine test delivers results for invasive aspergillosis within hours
Through long-standing research supported by the National Institutes of Health, investigators at Johns Hopkins Medicine have advanced understanding of ways to better detect invasive aspergillosis (IA). Caused by mold, the ...
Oct 8, 2026
0
4
Scientists identify gene signatures in children with severe COVID-19 infection
Researchers have identified patterns of gene activity associated with severe COVID-19 in children that are shared with other serious respiratory infections.
Oct 7, 2026
1
202
Human lung organoids with a built-in immune system could transform respiratory disease research
A new organoid model built with human lung fragments may help us answer key questions about one of the body's first lines of defense against respiratory pathogens. In a new study, researchers at the Stanford University School ...
Oct 7, 2026
0
24
Parasitic worms could hold the key to treating immune system diseases
For millions of years, parasitic worms have had to survive inside animals without being destroyed by their hosts' immune systems. To do that, they have evolved remarkably effective ways of dampening the immune response.
Oct 7, 2026
0
11
Children living with sickle cell can be treated safely using hydroxyurea, 10-year trial finds
New research shows the efficacy and safety of hydroxyurea treatment for sickle cell anemia at four low-income sites in Africa, with no increase in clinically diagnosed infections.
Oct 7, 2026
0
10
