Infectious Diseases

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.

Tucked away in the immune systems of a few people across the globe was something extraordinary, a genetic shield against every virus nature could throw at them. Now researchers are trying to turn this discovery into a universal antiviral treatment.

Cold and flu tablets often promise fast relief. But the evidence is clear: for nasal congestion, these medicines do not work as well as they claim. So why are they still being sold?

Ten months on from the huge news that a chlamydia vaccine had been approved for Australia's koalas, a young female has become the first to receive the groundbreaking medicine in a new dose-and-implant format that makes large-scale treatment possible.

Around one in three people worldwide have been infected with a microscopic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which can cause toxoplasmosis. After the initial infection, toxo settles into our muscles and brain, where it can remain for life.

Thousands of RNA virus species have been identified, and there may be millions, but only 239 infect humans. Scientists have now published a catalogue that helps other researchers – as well as all of us – pinpoint the riskiest ones.

A comprehensive global review has found that mRNA vaccines are not just highly effective at fighting infectious diseases but are also very safe. And that they have the potential to revolutionize how we treat influenza, RSV and many cancers.

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.