https://medicalxpress.com/infectious-diseases-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Infectious diseases Despite widespread COVID-19 infection in the Tsimané and Moseten populations of Bolivia, the mortality rate in these remote Indigenous groups was the lowest ever recorded for any population or region. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-tsiman-moseten-peoples-lowland-bolivia.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:40:07 EDT news706199161 The SARS-CoV-2 genome is subject to constant mutations. Some of these mutations reduce the effectiveness of RNA-based vaccines, which consequently have to be adapted regularly. Until now, however, it was unclear how the immune system reacts to new virus variants. Are mainly pre-existing memory B cells reactivated, or are new naive B cells also activated on a larger scale? This question is particularly relevant for people whose immune response has already been shaped by previous vaccinations and infections. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-booster-vaccination-defenses-covid-variants.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:20:03 EDT news706185901 Researchers searching for genetic clues to the growing problem of malaria drug resistance have identified new mutations associated with the parasite's decreased susceptibility to current treatment. By sequencing the whole genomes of malaria parasites from the blood of hundreds of infected people in Uganda, a team of researchers led by scientists at Brown University found that a cluster of genetic variants in some parasites showed significantly decreased susceptibility to the drugs most commonly used to treat malaria in Africa and the United States. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-fast-malaria-parasite-mutations-uganda.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 05:20:01 EDT news705857635 Recent Cyclospora outbreaks have renewed public attention to foodborne parasites, but they also highlight a broader reality: These diseases continue to affect millions of people around the world and remain a significant global public health challenge. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-fourteen-foodborne-parasites-million-illnesses.html Sun, 16 Aug 2026 14:00:04 EDT news705983184 People who have survived sepsis don't respond to vaccines in the same way as those who haven't had sepsis, according to new clinical trial results. The findings suggest more work is needed to understand why the vaccine-related immune response is altered in sepsis survivors so that vaccination programs can be tailored to reduce sepsis survivors' risk of infections and improve long-term health outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-sepsis-survivors-widely-varied-vaccine.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:40:03 EDT news705918264 Scientists can't prepare for future viral threats if they don't know what's already in the environment. That's the idea behind an international research project involving the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), where researchers created the largest known atlas of RNA viruses found in urban and peri-urban environments worldwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-global-atlas-uncovers-rna-viruses.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:47:58 EDT news705916055 Researchers from WEHI (Melbourne, Australia) have discovered a new way to help prevent malaria that could one day transform mosquito bites from a source of deadly infection into immunity boosters against the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-late-stage-parasite-blockers-mosquito.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 05:40:01 EDT news705856216 "Always finish your antibiotics" is no longer considered medical best practice for all conditions. Surprised? You're not alone. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-finish-antibiotics-longer-outdated-ideas.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:40:05 EDT news705859021 Exposure to Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) that causes mild or no symptoms can trigger the body's immune response and naturally build protection, potentially solving a nearly 100-year-old mystery of immunity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-silent-strep-infections-immunity-gained.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:05 EDT news705840241 Antibodies are an important defense against SARS-CoV-2, but the virus continues to evolve ways to evade them. Now, researchers have mapped how antibodies target a key region of the virus's spike protein, how they neutralize the virus and how emerging variants escape them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-spike-sars-cov-variants-dodge.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:00:05 EDT news705839259 Men are more likely than women to catch tuberculosis (TB), finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. Globally, men account for around two-thirds of people diagnosed with TB, but until now, the reasons for this disparity had remained unclear. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-men-higher-tb-burden-stem.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:10:06 EDT news705678241 Encephalitis is a serious condition in which an infection or autoimmune response triggers inflammation of the brain. The resulting swelling can disrupt normal brain function, causing neurological changes such as confusion, altered mental status and seizures. Researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch wanted to see whether the aftermath of encephalitis left the brain vulnerable to other neurological conditions. They studied a very large group of people in the United States using anonymous electronic health records from 72 health care organizations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-brain-inflammation-dementia-shadow-older.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:33:32 EDT news705745976 New research led by the Hudson Institute of Medical Research has shown how a cell recognizes that it is infected with a virus to protect itself and surrounding cells or induce inflammation. The discovery, published in Nature Immunology and led by Dr. Natália Sampaio, turns our understanding of how inflammation begins at a cellular level on its head. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-cells-abnormal-rna-trigger-inflammation.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:40:01 EDT news705667201 HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body's immune system and remains a major global health challenge because of persistent viral reservoirs, despite effective treatments. Key factors include around 40 million people living with HIV, 1 million new infections each year and permanent viral DNA integration into host cells. Some HIV proviruses hide quietly in cells and escape both medicines and the immune system, creating a permanent viral reservoir that prevents patients from being cured. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-hiv-proviruses-chronic-inflammation.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:40:08 EDT news705587822 Researchers have identified genetic changes in malaria parasites that may reduce the effectiveness of key antimalarial medicines, highlighting the need for continued surveillance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-reveals-malaria-drug-resistance-ethiopia.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:20:09 EDT news705583621