Infectious Diseases

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside have found that Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite infecting up to one-third of the world's population, is more active in the brain than previously thought. Their study shows cysts contain multiple subtypes of the parasite, some primed for reactivation and disease. This discovery could guide new treatments for a lifelong infection that resists current drugs.

January 26, 2026 Reported by AI

Scientists have reconstructed the genome of Treponema pallidum from a 5,500-year-old skeleton in Colombia, marking the oldest known instance of this bacterium linked to syphilis and related diseases. The ancient strain diverged early in the pathogen's evolution, suggesting treponemal infections were diversifying in the Americas millennia before European contact. This discovery extends the genetic history of these diseases by over 3,000 years.

Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a rapid PCR test that can diagnose hepatitis C in about 15 minutes using whole blood samples. Adapted from a COVID-19 detection system and built on the DASH rapid PCR platform, the test aims to enable same-day treatment and bolster global efforts to eliminate the virus, with early evaluations showing accuracy comparable to existing commercial platforms.

December 03, 2025 Reported by AI

An experimental nasal vaccine has for the first time prevented the colonization of whooping cough bacteria in humans, according to a recently published clinical trial. This breakthrough could curb the disease's spread, particularly in a year of record cases in England. The BPZE1 vaccine, developed by ILiAD Biotechnologies, reduced bacterial presence by over 97% compared to placebo.

Scientists have developed a promising compound called CMX410 that inhibits a key enzyme in the tuberculosis bacterium, showing effectiveness against drug-resistant strains. The discovery, published in Nature, emerges from collaborative research funded by the Gates Foundation. Early tests suggest it could enable shorter, safer treatments for the world's deadliest infectious disease.

October 29, 2025 Reported by AI Fact checked

Researchers from the University of Warwick and Monash University report that pre-methylenomycin C lactone—an overlooked biosynthetic intermediate from Streptomyces coelicolor—shows more than a 100-fold increase in activity over methylenomycin A against Gram‑positive pathogens, including those behind MRSA and VRE. The finding adds momentum to efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance, which was directly linked to an estimated 1.27 million deaths in 2019.