https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. The increased size of, and lesser blood supply to, a key brain structure in patients with long COVID tracks with known blood markers of Alzheimer's disease and greater levels of dementia, a new study finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-covid-linked-alzheimer-disease-mechanisms.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:00:03 EST news689848021 The latest monthly report from ECDC for December 2025 shows that between January and December 2025, 7 655 measles cases were reported by 30 countries. Eight of these individuals died following measles infection: four in France, three in Romania, and one in the Netherlands. While the total number of infections in 2025 represents a significant decrease compared with the more than 35 000 cases in 2024, it is almost double the cases reported in 2023. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-community-ongoing-measles-transmission-europe.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:40:04 EST news689867961 UTIs can be painful, and they're not something people like to talk about. But they happen often, affecting an estimated 60% of women and 20% of men in their lifetimes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-diet-utis-fault.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:50:01 EST news689848789 Just over one in 10 deaths from a wide range of infectious diseases can be attributed to obesity worldwide, finds a major new study led by a University College London (UCL) researcher. People with obesity face a 70% higher risk of hospitalization or death from an infection than those of a healthy weight, according to the findings published in The Lancet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-obesity-linked-infection-deaths-globally.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:30:03 EST news689848501 New research by scientists at the University of Liverpool looks at how artificial intelligence (AI) can help doctors make better choices when prescribing antibiotics for urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the world's most common bacterial infections. By improving the precision of antibiotic prescribing, the research aims to tackle the growing global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-algorithm-doctors-tackling-antimicrobial-resistance.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:45:01 EST news689863441 The measles outbreak in South Carolina reached 876 cases on Feb. 3, 2026. That number surpasses the 2025 outbreak in Texas and hits the unfortunate milestone of being the largest outbreak in the U.S. since 2000, when the disease was declared eliminated here. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-experiencing-largest-measles-outbreak-essential.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:50:03 EST news689860142 Rounds focused on critically ill pediatric patients at the greatest risk for developing health care–associated conditions (HACs) reduced the rate of specific HACs by nearly 50% at a Colorado hospital, according to a study published in Critical Care Nurse. After implementing a high-risk rounding process, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, was able to decrease the mean rate of project-specific HACs in its pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) from 5.41 to 2.89 events per 1,000 patient days. The 48-bed PICU averages 3,500 admissions annually from across the seven states served by the hospital. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-high-icu-rounds-pediatric-hospital.html Sun, 08 Feb 2026 13:00:05 EST news689259104 Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), in cooperation with national and international research groups, have shown that DNA viruses infect cells and take over the host cell nucleus, inducing dramatic structural modifications. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection and the emergence of enlarged nuclear low-density viral replication compartments lead to changes in nuclear volume, chromatin organization, and the structure of nuclear lamina. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-hsv-nucleus-aid-early-diagnosis.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 07:00:02 EST news689438283 In the U.S., one in eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime, and about half of them will have mastectomies. Many of those women opt to have their breasts surgically reconstructed, most commonly with implants, but a relatively high percentage develop infections after implant surgery, requiring intravenous antibiotics and often removal of the implant. This can lead to additional surgeries, delays in cancer care and increased costs, as well as added emotional distress for women already under strain from cancer diagnosis and treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-tool-early-infection-breast-cancer.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:28:34 EST news689606882 Researchers have developed a nasal spray for flu prevention that has shown promising results in preliminary human trials. Seasonal influenza (the flu) is an acute respiratory infection that affects up to one billion people per year and causes hundreds of thousands of deaths. While flu shots can be effective, they are always a best guess because scientists are never fully certain about which strains will circulate. At best, they are only 50% effective, according to historical data. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-nasal-spray-flu-trial-results.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:00:01 EST news689517747 Our immune system implements an array of strategies to combat threatening infections. White blood cells called cytotoxic T lymphocytes or "CD8 T cells" are soldiers of the immune system, serving as defensive agents that fight invading pathogens. Their role is vital for counteracting short-term, acute viral infections and controlling long-term infections. But every bodily system has its limits. When CD8 T cells reach the point of exhaustion, their protective capabilities decline and the immune system is much less effective. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-fatty-acids-immune-defense-chronic.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:20:05 EST news689504184 A newborn baby died from a listeria infection likely linked to the child's mother drinking raw milk during pregnancy, health officials said. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-newborn-death-linked-mom-raw.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 04:18:21 EST news689487447 A large U.S. study suggests that older adults hospitalized with delirium may experience better outcomes when treated with trazodone, commonly used to treat depression and sleep problems, rather than commonly used antipsychotic medications. Delirium, a sudden state of confusion that often affects older adults during or after hospitalization, is frequently treated with medications despite limited evidence about which drugs are safest. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-medication-linked-safer-outcomes-antipsychotics.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:34:49 EST news689348041 A pilot study has found evidence of Bartonella and Babesia infection in almost half of 50 blood samples from patients suffering chronic fatigue syndrome, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). The study appears in Pathogens. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-chronic-fatigue-patients-positive-bartonella.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:27:57 EST news689340422 Life-saving antibiotics that could treat severe infections in babies and children aren't accessible due to a lack of data around safety and dosage, new research shows. Two wide sweeping reviews, led by Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and the Australasian KIDS DOSE consortium, have discovered the barriers children are experiencing in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands when accessing treatment for the antimicrobial resistant (AMR) infections deemed the highest priority by the World Health Organization. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-clinical-gaps-life-antibiotics-children.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:28:03 EST news689333221 Chlamydia pneumoniae—a common bacterium that causes pneumonia and sinus infections—can linger in the eye and brain for years and may aggravate Alzheimer's disease, according to a study from Cedars-Sinai. Published in Nature Communications, the discovery suggests this bacterium can amplify Alzheimer's disease and points to potential interventions including inflammation-limiting therapies and early antibiotic treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-common-bacteria-eye-linked-cognitive.html Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:18:05 EST news689249821 There were only 10 reported cases of Guinea worm infections confined to three countries in 2025, a historic low announced Friday by The Carter Center. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-world-closer-eradicating-human-guinea.html Sat, 31 Jan 2026 04:53:01 EST news689057552 Since it was first detected in the U.S. in 2014, H5N1 avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has jumped from wild birds to farm animals and then to people, causing more than 70 human cases in the U.S. since 2022, including two fatalities. The virus continues to circulate among animals, giving it the opportunity to develop the ability to spread among humans and potentially cause another pandemic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-nasal-bird-flu-vaccine-strong.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:00:01 EST news688927202 As COVID-19 testing becomes less routine, official case numbers can make outbreaks look smaller than they really are. A research team led by Professor Michio Murakami has now shown that wastewater surveillance can uncover this "invisible" spread, providing a more objective picture of community infections and offering early warning signs for hospital-acquired cases. The study is published in the journal Environment International. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-sewage-uncovers-invisible-covid-cases.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 18:20:05 EST news688915641 A major international study has assessed key bacterial targets that could form the basis of a new maternal vaccine to protect newborns from life-threatening infections. The University of Strathclyde contributed analytical expertise to the global project, as part of a long-standing collaboration with leading clinical scientists from the U.K. and Malawi. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-potential-vaccine-neonatal-sepsis.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:31:30 EST news688923061 Multiple randomized clinical trials and electronic health record studies now show that metformin, a widely used and well-established medication, significantly reduces the risk of developing long COVID when taken during or shortly after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. The findings are published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-metformin-shown-covid-groups-multiple.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:21:49 EST news688922462 Humans can't live without lungs, but Ankit Bharat's patient did for 48 hours. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-artificial-lung-patient-alive-lungs.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:00:13 EST news688293361 A heart murmur can sound scary—literally. A Keck Medicine of USC cardiologist explains why it might not be as scary as you think. As Oana Maria Penciu, MD, a cardiologist with the USC Cardiac and Vascular Institute, part of Keck Medicine of USC, explains, understanding what that sound means and what's causing it are key to living happily and healthily with a heart murmur. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-heart-murmur-cardiologist.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:50:31 EST news688906201 A new study led by researchers at the UNC School of Medicine and Cartesian Therapeutics, found that immunotherapy can help people with generalized myasthenia gravis, a disease where the body accidentally attacks the cells that help your nerves and muscles work together, causing variable muscle weakness and fatigue. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-car-cell-therapy-symptoms-myasthenia.html Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:21:34 EST news688839661 When our body fights an infection, the immune system must quickly activate defenses and trigger a beneficial inflammatory response. But it is just as important to resolve that inflammation and return to homeostasis. Macrophages play a key role in this balance: they are cells specialized in phagocytosing, or engulfing, cells that have died due to viral infection and in repairing infection—or inflammation—related tissue damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-interferon-reprograms-macrophage-mitochondria-inflammation.html Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:00:31 EST news688812541 Older women who have a history of both depression and anxiety had a 78% higher risk of developing long COVID after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, report University of California San Diego researchers. The findings appear in the journal Menopause. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-cites-link-mental-health-covid.html Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:59:21 EST news688751915 Patients with neuropathic bladder (NB), a condition in which nerve damage affects bladder function, have a significantly higher risk of joint infections, blood clots, and other adverse events after receiving total hip replacement (THR), UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-neuropathic-bladder-patients-complications-hip.html Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:49:29 EST news688740542 Researchers at The University of Osaka have found that individuals in Japan who have been infected with COVID-19 are more likely to wear masks than those who have not. In a four-year-long study, they discovered this change is not driven by fear, but by a heightened perception of the risk of "silent infection," the idea that one could be infected and spread the virus without knowing. This insight could reshape public health messaging for future pandemics. The study, "The impact of COVID-19 infection experience on risk perception and preventive behaviour: a cohort study," was published in Epidemiology & Infection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-covid-infection-linked-mask-due.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:40:02 EST news688657765 In an unexpected finding, a UCLA-led team has discovered that bacteria are present inside the most common type of kidney stone, revealing a previously unrecognized component involved in their formation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-previously-unknown-bacterial-component-kidney.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:35:34 EST news688671302 A large, multidisciplinary team led by researchers from Texas A&M University has made a potentially game-changing discovery about the development of devastating motor neuron diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The team identified a specific type of mouse—the CC023 strain—that responds to a viral infection in a way that looks remarkably similar to humans with ALS. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-link-viral-infection-als.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:22:29 EST news688656061