Infectious Diseases

An epidemic that's been sustained for 44 years might finally be quelled, with the milestone approval of the first HIV drug that offers 100% protection with its twice-yearly injections. It's a landmark achievement set to save millions of lives.

One of the most dangerous microorganisms on Earth, Naegleria fowleri has a well-earned nickname as the "brain-eating amoeba," and infection almost always leads to death. Now it's infiltrated the treated drinking water supplied to two Australian towns.

Americans are being urged to be extra vigilant, as a new influenza A variant is spreading more rapidly and evading our abilities to fight it off. With more than 110,000 hospitalizations so far, scientists expect this wave to worsen as the season peaks.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed what they describe as a fundamentally new type of vaccine. The vaccine’s key component was designed entirely by AI and has now been tested in people for the first time.

The current Ebola outbreak is the third-largest in world history, with 906 suspected cases and 223 deaths in the DRC alone as of 27 May.

The US has its first and only oral COVID-19 post-exposure prophylaxis on its way, after a Phase III trial of the drug ensitrelvir met its goals needed for US Drug and Food Administration approval. It dramatically reduces spread from close contacts.

A recent study by researchers from the US biotech company Tuning Fork suggests that at least some cases of post-viral depression in people recovering from COVID-19 may have measurable biological underpinnings.

In our research in the British Library’s medieval collections, we have identified a previously unnoticed document that provides fresh insights into the survivors of the outbreak of plague known as the Black Death.

Andes virus is serious, and authorities are right to respond cautiously. But experts, including those from the World Health Organization, note it doesn’t have the characteristics needed to become “the next COVID”.

An antiviral targeting the dengue virus was quietly abandoned by industry, but it's now suddenly back in the spotlight. A new study suggests it didn’t just slow the dengue virus, it blocked viral replication and reduced infection rates at high doses.

Scientists have developed a new rapid test for hepatitis C. It is easy to use, highly sensitive, and made for point-of-care places like clinics and community centers. The speed allows clinicians to diagnose and start treatment in the same visit.

In a breakthrough study, scientists built a new kind of "super microscope" letting them zoom in on living human cells with incredible detail. This offers a new real time insight into how the flu virus tries to slip inside cells.

Avian influenza viruses have a gene that makes them incredibly resistant to heat, rendering our body's natural defense system – fever – powerless in fighting infection. In fact, higher temperatures actually help those bird-derived bugs replicate.

A dangerous type of bird flu virus (called H5N1) continues to circulate among dairy cows in the US. Infected milk can expose other cows, pets, wild animals, and possibly humans to the virus, a potential threat beyond just the farm.

A new study suggests that a father’s COVID-19 infection could do more than make him sick – it may leave epigenetic marks on his sperm that pass anxiety to his offspring, revealing how viral infections can echo across generations.

Among the many problems with the flu is the fact that you can spread the virus before you even know you've got it. An experimental new "sensor" could one day keep you from doing so, by causing you to taste thyme in your mouth.

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.