infectious-disease

On World Asthma Day 2026 (May 5), the call to action remains in effect: "Access to anti-inflammatory inhalers for everyone with asthma - still an urgent need."

Finalisation of pact governing global response to disease outbreaks delayed as talks on how to share benefits stall A key deadline to finalise a global pandemic treaty has been missed by negotiators, prompting warnings that the world remains unprepared for the next major disease outbreak. Countries have been trying to agree how they should share information on pathogens, such as bacteria or virus…

Stuart Orkin and Swee Lay Thein shared a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for their research on genetic causes of sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia that set the stage for approved gene therapies. The treatments are not accessible to everyone, though

The hippocampus plays a central role in converting short-term into long-term memory and is particularly vulnerable to inflammatory injury. Cognitive impairment is a recognized sequela of bacterial meningitis. Isolated loss of memory formation due to bilateral hippocampal destruction is rare.

Nature Communications, Published online: 05 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72791-0 Pre-existing hypoglycemia weakens the host’s interferon-based immune defense by downregulating the antiviral protein TRIM5 in the lung, thereby increasing the susceptibility to influenza infection.

For patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis who have exhausted other treatment options, a new combination therapy is showing results that offer hope for one of medicine's most treatment-resistant populations, according to findings from two studies to be presented today at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2026.

The rising concern of antimicrobial resistance, coupled with the continually challenging management of complicated diseases such as cancer, has provided momentum toward precision molecular medicine. This review provides an overview of bacteriophage enabled strategies encompassing both conventional antibacterial applications and advanced bioengineered delivery systems. Recent advances in phage the…

A breakthrough in the fight against Lyme disease is moving from the laboratory to the hardware store. Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio are developing a non-toxic biologic that could soon be available in big-box and home improvement stores. This will offer a new line of defense against the most common tick-borne […] The post A non-toxic guard against Lyme disease could soon be…

For World Asthma Day 2026, the International Primary Care Respiratory Group discusses this year’s theme of access to anti-inflammatory inhalers and how the Asthma Right Care change programme provides a growing collection of practical resources to support primary care in improving patient outcomes.

npj Vaccines, Published online: 04 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41541-026-01453-5 Immunogenicity of PCV13 during Hospitalization soon after infection resolution: Vaccis study

npj Vaccines, Published online: 04 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41541-026-01452-6 The first workshop dedicated to Lassa virus–specific correlates of protection (CoP) was held in 2024 and was convened by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Experts from multiple disciplines reviewed existing knowledge and identified gaps in understanding Lassa virus- and vaccine-induced immune res…

A cruise ship with nearly 150 people aboard was waiting for help off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean after three passengers died in a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus.

In a Perspective published today in the inaugural issue of Brain Health (https://doi.org/10.61373/bh026p.0006), an international team of investigators argues that the human microplastic burden has crossed the threshold from environmental concern to brain health emergency. The article appears alongside the launch of Brain Health, a new peer-reviewed journal from Genomic Press dedicated to the scie…

At least two people have been infected with hantavirus on a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic.  The virus, which has a […] The post Cruise ship hantavirus cases – Expert Reaction appeared first on Science Media Centre .

Scientific Reports, Published online: 05 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-49131-9 Involvement of autoantibodies against G protein-coupled receptors in post-COVID condition and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Hantavirus is suspected of spreading aboard a luxury cruise ship, killing three passengers and sparking new concerns as a once obscure disease, with an extraordinarily high death rate, rises amid changing climate conditions.

By David Tuller, DrPH *This is a crowdfunding month at UC Berkeley. If you’d like to support my work, the link is here. ********** “Frail and Furious” on May 12th Each year on May 12th, an international day of ME awareness, #MillionsMissing protests are held in cities across the world and draw significant media attention. This … Trial By Error: News Bits–“Frail & Furious” for #Millions Missing; U…

IntroductionHIV testing is central to early diagnosis and HIV prevention, yet uptake among youth remains suboptimal in many low- and middle-income countries. Our study examined HIV testing uptake and its associated factors among youth aged 15–24 years in Myanmar.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the 2015–16 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS), restricting the sample to yo…