Microbiology & Infectious Diseases

Two major trials show metformin taken during acute COVID-19 lowers long COVID risk, is safe, and could be added to outpatient treatment guidelines.

HPV vaccination rates among schoolchildren in England stay below pre-pandemic levels, with 1 in 4 still unprotected against key cancers.

Influenza D and canine coronavirus HuPn-2018 could fuel future respiratory epidemics amid diagnostic and surveillance gaps, experts warn.

New modelling study estimates major lifetime health and cost burden from frailty and falls in people with HIV in the USA, highlighting need for prevention.

How does repeat influenza vaccination affect antibody responses? Study finds early immune boosts may be smaller, but protection later remains similar.

Babies rapidly share gut microbes at nursery, with peer contact shaping the infant microbiome as strongly as family by the first year of life.

Amplicon-based sequencing may boost severe pneumonia diagnosis in ICU, particularly for fungal infections and immunosuppressed patients.

New sero-genomic research suggests hidden mpox exposure in healthy Nigerian adults, highlighting residual smallpox immunity and surveillance gaps.

Early gut microbiota changes may predict diabetes, recurrence, and mortality after acute pancreatitis, offering new tools for long-term risk assessment.

Universal infant nirsevimab prophylaxis significantly reduced RSV-related hospitalisations and outpatient visits across two seasons in Spain.

Rising pTau-181 after COVID-19 correlates with neurological post-acute sequelae, offering clinicians potential prognostic insight.

New guidelines update ART choices, endorse long-acting injectables, refine infant feeding advice, and prioritise shorter TB preventive regimens.

Expansion of antiretroviral therapy in Uganda sharply reduced orphanhood incidence, especially among adolescents, but substantial risk persists.

A recent perspective highlights challenges in translating human microbiome research into consistent clinical benefits and precision interventions.

Pooled trial data show gepotidacin provides early, meaningful symptom relief comparable to nitrofurantoin in uncomplicated urinary tract infection.

Children facing economic instability and poor social support in the USA have higher odds of long COVID, highlighting the role of social determinants in child health.

Delayed routine infant vaccinations strongly predict missed MMR doses by age 2, raising concern as post-pandemic declines coincide with rising measles cases in the USA.

Adult bacterial meningitis continues to carry high mortality and neurological complications, especially from Listeria, Streptococcus pyogenes, and pneumococcus.

New evidence shows human rhinovirus can directly infect the lower lungs and cause pneumonia in adults, challenging its reputation as a mild cold virus.

Ants produce diverse, targeted antimicrobial compounds that inhibit drug-resistant pathogens, including Candida auris, offering insights for new antibiotics.

A multi-omics study identifies causal genes and biological subtypes of Long COVID, revealing new therapeutic targets for personalised care.

Novel multistage malaria vaccine demonstrates over 50% efficacy following controlled human malaria infection, supporting further trials in children.

Baloxavir significantly reduces hospitalisations in influenza outpatients compared with oseltamivir, highlighting its value during flu season.

WHO’s review of studies from 2010–2025 confirms vaccines, including thiomersal-containing ones, are not associated with autism.

New Global Burden of Disease 2023 data show lower respiratory infections still cause 2.5 million deaths yearly, with children and older adults most affected.

A 3-year study in Israel shows pooled-saliva cCMV universal screening identifies hidden infections in newborns, enabling early treatment and improving outcomes.

The UKHSA has detected an inter-clade recombinant mpox virus in England; vaccines remain effective and risk to the public is low.

New intranasal BPZE1 vaccine is safe and reduces Bordetella pertussis colonisation, offering hope for whooping cough prevention.

A large study of 1,100 adults shows how nasal microbiome structure influences Staphylococcus aureus carriage.

The WHO World Malaria Report 2025 highlights gains in malaria control, ongoing challenges in Africa, and lifesaving interventions.

New test shows high sensitivity for tuberculosis, providing a faster, near-point-of-care option for early detection and prevention.

Novel mRNA peptibody therapy reduces bacterial load and inflammation in preclinical MDR pneumonia models, offering a new approach to antibiotic resistance.

A modelling study shows syphilis rapid-test algorithms differ widely in missed cases, overtreatment and cost, with optimal strategy varying by population.

New multicomponent programme reduces infection-related maternal deaths and severe illness in Malawi and Uganda by supporting early detection and treatment.

Sorfequiline, combined with pretomanid and linezolid, shows superior efficacy and safety in drug-sensitive TB, supporting its potential role in ultra-short treatment regimens.

The latest UKHSA winter surveillance bulletin shows flu activity rising unusually early, while COVID-19 remains low and RSV begins to increase.

Medicare data show RSV infection may trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome in older adults, although rare. Clinicians should remain vigilant in high-risk populations.

Antibiotic-resistant infections surge in the UK, with nearly 400 weekly cases reported in 2024 and rising deaths, UKHSA report reveals.

Early changes in the nasopharyngeal microbiome could signal fatal infections in infants, offering hope for precision diagnosis and care.

Only 18 asymptomatic H5N1 cases have been reported globally; most found via enhanced surveillance of high-risk contacts.