Microbiology & Infectious Diseases

A Phase III trial involving 17,701 older adults found that the ExPEC9V vaccine failed to prevent invasive E. coli infections despite strong antibody responses.

A new RT-PCR test detects intestinal enterococci in drinking water within 3–4 hours, offering faster identification of potential faecal contamination.

Olive pollen immunotherapy was linked to improved allergy symptoms and fewer asthma exacerbations, with no severe systemic reactions reported.

Resistant Salmonella may protect probiotics during antibiotic treatment, offering a potential new approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance.

Children of healthcare workers had lower nasal microbial diversity, suggesting parental occupation may influence early-life microbial exposure.

Bacteria were found on 84.5% of healthcare workers’ masks, with MRSA also detected, highlighting the importance of mask hygiene and handling.

A tailored treatment strategy reduced antibiotic duration by 15 days in patients with left sided infective endocarditis in the POET-II trial, presented during ESC Congress 2026.

An optimised reverse transcriptase assay detected very low HIV viral loads and phenotypic drug resistance in around 2 hours, potentially offering a more accessible approach to resistance monitoring.