Disease/Infection News

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New COVID variant NB.1.8.1 spreads across continents amid calls for vigilance

The Global Virus Network (GVN) is closely monitoring the emergence of a newly identified SARS-CoV-2 variant, NB.1.8.1, a sublineage of the Omicron family. This variant was first identified in January 2025 and has rapidly spread across Asia and into other regions, including parts of the United States.

6 Jun 2025

In axing mRNA contract, Trump delivers another blow to US biosecurity, former officials say

The Trump administration's cancellation of $766 million in contracts to develop mRNA vaccines against potential pandemic flu viruses is the latest blow to national defense, former health security officials said.

6 Jun 2025

Statins linked to lower death rates in critically ill sepsis patients

Sepsis is when the immune system overshoots its inflammatory reaction to an infection, so strongly that the vital organs begin to shut down.

6 Jun 2025

New AI tool revolutionizes forecasting of disease outbreaks

A new AI tool to predict the spread of infectious disease outperforms existing state-of-the-art forecasting methods.

6 Jun 2025

Compact diagnostic platform enables rapid COVID-19 antibody testing from fingertip blood

Researchers from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with multiple collaborators, have developed a compact diagnostic platform that can evaluate antibody protection against COVID-19 using only a single microliter of fingertip blood.

5 Jun 2025

New funding boosts development of rapid test for sexually transmitted infections

Birmingham spin-out Linear Diagnostics has been awarded £1m funding to finalizse the development of a rapid test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in partnership with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation and the North East Innovation Lab, part of Newcastle Hospitals.

5 Jun 2025

New low cost device detects airborne hazards with high precision

Airborne hazardous chemicals can be dilute, mobile and hard to trap. Yet, accurately measuring these chemicals is critical in protecting human health and the environment.

5 Jun 2025

Norovirus GII.17 overtakes GII.4 as the dominant strain in US outbreaks

Norovirus GII.17 has rapidly overtaken GII.4 as the leading cause of norovirus outbreaks in the United States between 2022 and 2025. This unprecedented shift signals an urgent need for continued genomic surveillance and preparedness for future outbreak trends.

4 Jun 2025

Mass treatment with the antibiotic azithromycin may lead to increased drug resistance

Efforts to reduce child mortality in Africa via mass treatment with the antibiotic azithromycin (AZM) may lead to increased drug resistance in bacteria that frequently cause pneumonia and meningitis, highlighting the need for careful monitoring, finds a new study led by UCL.

4 Jun 2025

Heatwaves dramatically alter infection patterns, study reveals

New research from scientists at Trinity College Dublin strongly implies that heatwaves have a major influence on the spread of many diseases – and that many existing predictive models have overlooked this complexity.

4 Jun 2025

Back-to-basics, 'not fad' diets beat heart disease and diabetes

This review examines dietary interventions that can improve cardiometabolic health, highlighting the role of whole foods in reducing heart disease and diabetes.

4 Jun 2025

Researchers warn of bird flu survival in raw milk

The stability of H5N1 in unpasteurized milk poses potential health risks. Study findings emphasize the need for awareness among consumers and dairy workers.

4 Jun 2025

Scientists explain how eating a rainbow of foods lowers your risk for chronic illness

Consuming a variety of flavonoid-rich foods can lower all-cause mortality and chronic disease risks, emphasizing the importance of dietary diversity.

4 Jun 2025

Emerging bat viruses closely related to MERS show potential to jump to humans

A group of bat viruses closely related to the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) could be one small mutation away from being capable of spilling over into human populations and potentially causing the next pandemic.

4 Jun 2025

Study traces longstanding presence of African swine fever in Europe

A new study in Genome Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press, finds that the African Swine Fever virus, currently circulating in Europe, is not the result of a recent introduction.

4 Jun 2025

Does lithium offer hope for long COVID brain fog and fatigue? New trial gives mixed results

A randomized clinical trial found that low-dose lithium aspartate did not improve cognitive dysfunction or fatigue in long COVID patients. Higher doses showed possible benefits in a small exploratory substudy, but larger trials are needed.

4 Jun 2025

Early camizestrant therapy keeps advanced breast cancer in check

Switching to camizestrant, a next-generation oral SERD, significantly prolongs progression-free survival and maintains quality of life in patients with ESR1-mutated, hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer. The proactive, biomarker-guided approach allows earlier intervention and may redefine standard care.

3 Jun 2025