News

This week's hottest topics included the risks of proton pump inhibitors, rare tickborne disease, HIV vaccination, COVID-19 immunity from a common cold, and hydrocortisone for pneumonia.

March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day. Here’s a brief history of the second deadliest infectious disease, and how it affects the world today.

A new study reveals how US states fared, and some of the underlying reasons why the pandemic has played out in vastly different ways.

Using a pregnant rabbit model, investigators found a robust antigen-specific antibody response in pregnant rabbits against HIV and Zika virus.

On this day of commemoration, The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute has multiple TB therapies and a prophylactic vaccine in development, and its Chief Medical Officer Michael W. Dunne, MD, remains optimistic long-term about the state of clinical care, especially in areas of dire need such as low-and-middle-income countries.

A new study shows vaccination decreased the chances of developing the debilitating condition by nearly half.

A food for thought as an ambulatory antibiotic stewardship initiative.

The patient, referred to as the “New York patient,” was treated with stem cells from cord blood, and has remained HIV-free in her blood since her transplant in 2017.

With yesterday’s FDA decision, Cidara’s injectable antifungal rezafungin become the first new drug approved to treat candidemia and invasive candidiasis in over a decade.

Climate change is causing ticks and mosquitos to migrate further north and with them comes disease, previously not seen in these geographic areas. One company is using data to model predictive vector habitats to help organizations and governments identify patterns and help prevent the spread of such diseases.

Candida auris fungal infections increased 95% in 2021, and drug-resistant cases are continuing to spread across the US.

A study demonstrated patients were frequently prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics when more narrowly tailored antibiotics were considered the optimal choice.

Exposure to a common seasonal coronavirus stimulates a memory T cell response that protects children against COVID-19. However, this immune response peaks at age 6.

The Wistar Institute’s Amelia Escolano, PhD, is developing a novel approach using sequential immunization to capture protection against multiple strains.

After 28 days, hydrocortisone reduced the risk of mortality by 5.7% in severe community-acquired pneumonia patients.

A new study suggests prioritizing administering the first dose a smallpox vaccine against mpox in cases where vaccine supplies are limited.

Despite failing to meet primary trial endpoints, molnupiravir reduced the length of COVID-19 infection by 4.2 days in vaccinated patients.

A third to a half of PPIs are overprescribed, potentially leading to an increased risk of the colonization with drug-resistant microorganisms.

It affects strawberry products that were sold at Costco and Trader Joe’s.

The incidence rate of babesiosis in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire saw a dramatic increase over a multiyear period and saw an increase overall in other states where the disease is endemic.

Yesterday, the FDA took a major step toward officially approving Paxlovid. Catch up on this story and the other top COVID-19 news updates from the past week.

Former NBA star Magic Johnson has partnered with GSK to educate the public about this virus, specifically in seniors and those at high-risk for contracting a severe form of RSV.

For preterm infants, clinical outcomes from microbial mechanisms are not affected by a diet of only human milk compared to bovine milk formulas or fortifiers.

The investigators found the risk of hospital-acquired Clostridioides difficile (CDI) infection increased when a hospital switched to serving only coronavirus disease 2019 patients.

The FDA's Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee recommended approving Pfizer’s New Drug Application for Paxlovid to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults at high risk of severe or fatal disease progression.

The federal agency has taken a vital role in support and implementation of the ongoing PEPFAR initiative.

These investigators concluded Omicron XBB.1.5 the most successful COVID-19 variant of its lineage.

Bemnifosbuvir, the investigational therapy, demonstrated favorable data that was announced at this week's 2023 International Conference on Antiviral Research.

With this FDA emergency use authorization (EUA), all persons 6 months and older are now eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent booster.

If FDA approved, this 5-in-1 investigational candidate could provide the broadest meningococcal serogroup coverage.