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Infectious diseases news
Bat coronavirus reveals a new way into human cells, widening the map of future spillover risks
An international team of researchers has identified an East African bat coronavirus capable of entering human cells. While the virus—Cardioderma cor coronavirus (CcCoV) KY43, or CcCoV-KY43—can bind to a cell receptor found ...
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How life-saving HIV therapy has contributed to increased rates of a sexually transmitted disease
A study in Health Economics uncovered an unintended consequence of a major medical breakthrough: while the availability of HIV treatments in the late 1990s dramatically improved survival, they also contributed to a resurgence ...
8 hours ago
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These unusual two-story homes are rewriting child survival in rural Africa in ways few expected
A major study involving Durham University shows that a radical rethink of rural housing design in sub-Saharan Africa can protect children from the three deadliest childhood diseases. The three-year trial in Tanzania found ...
20 hours ago
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Early warning signs of brain infection in children identified in new study
Despite new diagnostic methods and expanded vaccination programs, many children in Uganda continue to suffer from severe brain infections, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet. The researchers' analysis highlights ...
19 hours ago
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Cantaloupes recalled in four states due to Salmonella risk
Health officials in some states are warning shoppers to avoid certain cantaloupes amid concerns that they may carry Salmonella.
14 hours ago
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Malaria lights up under magnets and polarized light, opening the door to faster, smarter blood testing
Researchers have developed a new microscopy method that uses a magnetic field and polarized light to provide quantitative measurements that could enable faster and more objective detection of malaria in blood. Malaria, caused ...
22 hours ago
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Antibiotics save babies' lives but affect their gut, lungs, and ability to fight infection
Antibiotics save newborns every day, but new research shows they also leave a lasting mark on a baby's developing immune system. University of Rochester Medicine scientists found that early antibiotic exposure disrupts babies' ...
18 hours ago
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This bioengineered chewing gum wipes out cancer-linked mouth microbes while sparing healthy bacteria
Researchers led by Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine have shown that extracts from bioengineered chewing gum reduce the levels of three microbes known to be associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer ...
Apr 21, 2026
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HIV's earliest immune battle leaves blood traces that forecast powerful antibodies years later
Some people living with HIV develop antibodies capable of neutralizing many different strains of the virus. New research links this to immune responses that occur early in infection. The findings, published in PLOS Pathogens, ...
Apr 21, 2026
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Scientists map how HIV hijacks human cells—and how cells can fight back
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is the cause of AIDS, is a master of deception, using just nine genes to hijack the complex cellular machinery of the human body. Yet, even after decades of research on how the ...
Apr 20, 2026
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Washington expands hepatitis C testing, cutting per-patient costs by more than 45%
It took less than 22 years after the discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) for a fast-acting, highly effective treatment to become available. Modern drugs are more than 95% effective at curing hepatitis C infection, yet ...
Apr 20, 2026
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COVID's old takeover pattern is breaking: BA.3.2 hits children more often while global variant replacement stalls
The WHO declared the global health emergency associated with the COVID-19 pandemic to be over in 2023, as most individuals had developed immune protection against the virus through vaccination and/or infection. However, even ...
Apr 20, 2026
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Extra antibiotic doesn't reduce infection risk during surgery to fix complex fractures, trial finds
Adding an extra antibiotic powder doesn't further reduce a person's risk of infection during surgery to repair complex bone fractures, a new study says. People had about the same rate of post-surgery infections whether doctors ...
Apr 20, 2026
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Interdisciplinary care is a promising approach for pediatric patients with long COVID
A study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health has found that pediatric patients with long-term COVID report a high symptom burden that meets or exceeds that of other chronic health conditions. The study describes ...
Apr 20, 2026
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AIDS relief program sees drops in testing and diagnoses after disruptions
New data released Friday show that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) treated about the same number of people in the last quarter of 2025 as it did a year earlier in 2024.
Apr 20, 2026
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WHO-recommended antibiotics cover only 1 in 4 neonatal sepsis infections in low- and middle-income countries
A major multi-country study has found that WHO-recommended first-line antibiotics for neonatal sepsis are likely to be effective in only one-quarter of infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The findings, ...
Apr 20, 2026
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Robust flu protection may rely on B cells that are long-lived residents in the lungs
Deep in the lungs, resident memory B cells stand guard against influenza reinfection—but whether they remain there may depend on how strongly they are signaled through their own receptors. New research using an animal model ...
HIV treatment reduces accelerated biological aging by nearly four years, landmark study shows
A major study presented at ESCMID Global 2026 has found that antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces accelerated biological aging in people with HIV (PWH) by nearly four years, a finding that could transform how clinicians monitor ...
Apr 19, 2026
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Antibiotic resistance genes found in newborns within hours of birth, study shows
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—segments of DNA that help bacteria survive the effects of antibiotics—can be present in newborns within the first hours of life, according to research presented at ESCMID Global 2026.
Apr 19, 2026
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Standard-dose antibiotic is the 'preferred choice' of treatment for uncomplicated acute sinusitis
Acute sinusitis leads to more antibiotic prescriptions for U.S. adults than any other condition, but there is no consensus on which antibiotic is preferred for uncomplicated cases. In a retrospective, nationwide study of ...
Apr 18, 2026
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Emergency room survey uncovers measles vaccine gaps and hesitancy across the US
Measles remains one of the most contagious infectious diseases, spread through coughing and sneezing, with even small declines in vaccination coverage leading to outbreaks. As of 2026, California has reported its highest ...
Apr 18, 2026
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Blood pressure drug effective for treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria, study finds
Infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria are difficult to treat and are responsible for over 2.8 million infections and more than 35,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. A new study in Nature Communications reports that ...
Apr 17, 2026
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Maternal RSV vaccination cuts infant hospitalization risk by over 80%, major study finds
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that can cause severe respiratory illness in infants and young children, including lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. It is ...
Apr 17, 2026
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Programming the immune system to manufacture its own therapeutic proteins
An innovative gene-editing strategy could establish a new way for the body to manufacture therapeutic proteins—including certain kinds of highly potent antibodies that are naturally difficult to produce—by reprogramming the ...
Apr 16, 2026
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The cold virus 'hides' and multiplies in the tonsils and adenoids, even in people without symptoms
A study conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil reveals that tissues such as the tonsils and adenoids can serve as hiding places for the rhinovirus, which causes the common cold and is responsible for most ...
Apr 16, 2026
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