Infections

Bacteria are fast developing resistance to our best drugs, leaving us poised on the edge of a major health crisis. But a new antibiotic has shown promise against several key “superbugs,” while minimizing damage against good bacteria in the body.

Imagine a parasite has infected you and that parasite needs you to have sex to move to a new host. An extraordinary new study suggests one of the most common parasites in the world may be manipulating its human host’s appearance to be more attractive.

Sepsis is a life-threatening complication causes more than 250,000 deaths in the US each year, but a new AI system developed at Johns Hopkins University promises to make a real difference in this area, by catching key symptoms early on.

The UK Heath Security Agency (UKHSA) is reporting several traces of poliovirus have been detected in London sewage samples over the past few months. So what does this mean? And should anyone be worried?

Ever since doctors saw a spike in Parkinson’s disease cases following the 1918 flu pandemic scientists have studied the link between viral infection and neurodegeneration. Now, new research is presenting evidence COVID-19 may increase Parkinson's risk.

New studies have highlighted the importance of judicious antibiotic use, one found antibiotics can increase a person’s risk of fungal infections, while another suggests antibiotic use in old age is linked to higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

Two common herpesviruses have been associated with the onset of prediabetes in a new study led by researchers in Germany. The findings build on a growing body of evidence connecting viral infections to the development of chronic disease.

Estimates from the CDC indicate a new Omicron subvariant is becoming prevalent in the US. Dubbed BA.2.12.1, it is likely to be the most infectious version of SARS-CoV-2 to date and experts warn it could be triggering a new wave of cases in the country.

A report from the CDC has found COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the US in 2021, after heart disease and cancer. Another new CDC report estimates nearly 60 percent of the US population had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 by February 2022.

Researchers are reporting the case of a healthcare worker testing positive to COVID-19 twice in 20 days. Genomics revealed the first infection was Delta and the second Omicron, making this the shortest recorded gap between two SARS-CoV-2 infections.

New research published in Nature Medicine has found COVID-19 vaccination can reduce a person’s infectious viral load. The study compared the infectiousness of different SARS-CoV-2 variants in vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects.

An mRNA COVID-19 vaccine has been used to therapeutically treat a patient with a chronic SARS-CoV-2 infection for the first time. The patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 consistently over six months, but cleared the infection after two vaccine doses.