Infectious Diseases

Australia's embattled koalas have been given some good news for once, with the approval of the world's first chlamydia vaccine. More than a decade in the making, a single jab will now protect koalas from the disease decimating their populations.

What we eat, what drugs we take, and even the timing or combination of treatments could influence how bacteria respond to antibiotics. A food ingredient like caffeine or a second medication might tip the balance, making antibiotics less effective.

Tucked away in the immune systems of a few people across the globe was something extraordinary, a genetic shield against every virus nature could throw at them. Now researchers are trying to turn this discovery into a universal antiviral treatment.

In a recent experiment that sounds more sci-fi than science class, researchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine platform that uses ordinary dental floss embedded with tiny, dissolvable microneedles showing how everyday materials can be reimagined.

A novel way to prevent the spread of malaria by directly targeting the proteins that enable the infectious parasite to reproduce could soon be realized, thanks to scientists at WEHI in Australia.

The preserved lung of an 18-year-old Swiss man has been used to create the full genome of the 1918 "Spanish flu," the first complete influenza A genome with a precise date from Europe, offering insights into the pandemic that claimed up to 100 million lives.

Black cats may be a symbol of bad luck in many Western societies, but one such sooty feline has brought good fortune to scientists, playing a key role in identifying a new virus that can infect humans. It's the second novel bug Pepper has hunted down.

Humans have been getting infected by ancient bacteria and viruses for at least 37,000 years. Now, for the first time, pathogen DNA has uncovered a pivotal disease "turning point" that happened 6,500 years ago, which would forever change our lives.

As unspent antibiotics pass from our bodies, they contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Scientists are addressing this problem with a new technology which causes such drugs to only become active upon exposure to green light.

It's never a good thing when harmful bacteria are present on surfaces in hospitals, as they can cause life-threatening infections in patients. A new paint could help keep that from happening, by quickly killing any microbes that land on it.

A three-year study has found robust evidence that one vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus offers older adults long-term protection, even if efficacy wanes. Despite this, just one dose cut serious illness by nearly two thirds across three seasons.

A decade-long study of 35 million Americans in 10 states has found that group A streptococcus infections have more than doubled. What's more, "strep" – which can cause a bizarre flesh-eating disease – has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

COVID antiviral Paxlovid wasn't perfect. Many patients couldn't take it due to extreme side effects but now the second generation of antivirals are on the way and they promise better efficacy and fewer drug complications.

Human protection against bird flu may be easier than previously thought, thanks to new findings about the genetic makeup of the virus and one particular immune cell that all of us have. It also paves the way for fast-tracking the first H5N1 vaccine.

We've almost all been hit with a horror stomach bug. At best, it's a 24-hour nightmare, and at worst it's deadly. But huge strides are being taken towards the first Salmonella and norovirus vaccines, which could make severe illness a distant memory.