Your medical briefing
Research, guidelines, and safety alerts for your specialty.
Recent updates in Infectious Diseases from the last 30 days.
A clinical trial followed children of Tdap-vaccinated (n=47) versus unvaccinated (n=22) mothers to age 4. At 3 and 4 years, children of vaccinated mothers had lower anti-pertussis toxin and anti-diphtheria toxin IgG concentrations, with low pertussis toxin seropositivity and diphtheria seroprotection rates in both groups; after a preschool acellular pertussis booster at age 4, antibody levels became comparable between groups.
A study using paired lymph node and blood samples from South African women living with HIV and HIV-negative controls characterized NK cell phenotype, function, and spatial distribution in lymphoid tissue. The study reports that NK cells were largely excluded from germinal centres and localized instead to extrafollicular and mantle zones, with CXCR5+ NK cells (needed for follicular homing) rare and not enriched in women living with HIV; NK cytolytic activity was restricted to cells outside follicles despite elevated granzyme B expression. The authors state this spatial and functional segregation limits NK cell antiviral potential against HIV reservoirs concentrated in germinal centres.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated alimatravir, an oral nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor, at 3, 6, or 12 mg once every 4 weeks versus placebo in 350 adults with low likelihood of HIV-1 exposure. The trial reported comparable adverse event rates across alimatravir doses (61.4%-68.3%) and placebo (63.3%), low discontinuation due to adverse events, and dose-proportional pharmacokinetics supporting a once-monthly dosing interval. The authors state these findings support continued development of alimatravir as an oral monthly pre-exposure prophylaxis option.
A commentary reports that a very strong El Niño event is arriving over a Latin American population with limited existing immunity to DENV-3. The piece states that the lead time before the outbreak should be used to administer first vaccine doses, strengthen vector control, distinguish DENV from CHIKV, ZIKV and OROV outbreaks, and prepare clinical capacity.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 studies (3184 participants) evaluated adverse event-related discontinuation of tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) among people receiving or about to initiate immunosuppressive medications. The analysis reported pooled discontinuation rates of 5.3% for mono-isoniazid regimens, 4.4% for mono-rifamycin regimens, 2.0% for isoniazid-rifamycin combination regimens, and 6.9% for fluoroquinolone-based regimens, with rates similar across biologics/steroid recipients and transplant populations. The authors noted that only mono-isoniazid regimens were given while patients were actually receiving immunosuppressives, and that data on non-isoniazid regimen safety in this setting are needed.
A phase III randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority trial compared Silevimig, a bispecific anti-rabies monoclonal antibody, with human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) for post-exposure prophylaxis in 1,200 adults with WHO category III rabies exposure, given alongside standard vaccination. The trial reported that Silevimig met the non-inferiority criterion for day-7 rabies virus-neutralizing antibody concentrations (0.40 vs 0.36 IU/mL) and had slightly higher seroresponse rates at days 14 and 90, with no rabies cases in either group at one year and mostly mild to moderate adverse events. The trial's authors state these findings support Silevimig as a safe and effective alternative for passive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.
This laboratory study examined how ertapenem-mono-resistant Enterobacterales isolates evolve further carbapenem resistance under subinhibitory antibiotic exposure. Using serial passage and whole-genome sequencing, the study reported that subinhibitory meropenem exposure rapidly selected for porin-associated resistance mutations in E. coli (ompC) and K. pneumoniae (ompK36), while E. cloacae developed resistance through a non-porin mechanism; co-exposure to meropenem plus colistin significantly delayed resistance development and reduced MIC increases compared to meropenem alone (P<0.05). Sequencing of 26 clinical carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates found similar disruptive ompK36 mutations, including one identified experimentally, supporting a shared resistance pathway.
A multinational prospective study evaluated SMART-C, a lateral-flow point-of-care HCV antigen test using smart polymer and gold nanoparticle technology, against the Cobas 6800 HCV RNA PCR assay in 1,353 paired samples from Egypt, Pakistan, and Japan. The test showed 94.6% sensitivity, 91.3% specificity, 92.5% accuracy, and high agreement with PCR (kappa=0.843), and it tracked viral decline and clearance concordantly with PCR in 19 of 21 patients on direct-acting antiviral therapy. The authors state its performance and simple format support potential use for decentralized HCV testing toward WHO elimination goals.
The LATA trial, a randomised, open-label, multicentre non-inferiority study across five clinics in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, compared long-acting injectable cabotegravir-rilpivirine given every 8 weeks with daily oral ART in virologically suppressed adolescents living with HIV. The trial reported that by week 96, 0.9% of participants on the injectable regimen had confirmed viral load of 50 copies per mL or higher versus 6.4% on oral ART, meeting non-inferiority and demonstrating statistical superiority. The authors state that adverse event profiles were similar between groups aside from injection-site reactions, with no new safety concerns observed, and conclude these findings support the injectable regimen as a maintenance treatment option for this population.
Baxter Healthcare Corporation has issued a Class I recall for Dextrose Injection, USP, 70%, 2000 mL bags (NDC 00338-0719-06). The recall notice states the affected lots contain particulate matter identified as stainless steel particles in the solution.
A multicenter, open-label, noninferiority trial randomized 500 adults who underwent surgery for orthopedic infection with implantation of a local-antibiotic carrier to receive either short (≤7 days) or long (≥4 weeks) postoperative systemic antibiotic therapy. The trial reported definite treatment failure by 12 months in 14.1% of the long-duration group versus 11.1% of the short-duration group, meeting the prespecified noninferiority margin, and reported fewer treatment-related symptoms by week 6 in the short-duration group (17.2% versus 45.2%). Sensitivity analyses in the per-protocol population were consistent with the primary analysis, according to the trial.
A difference-in-differences analysis using Epic Cosmos data from over 1.6 million US deliveries (2013-2024) examined adoption of adjunctive azithromycin after unscheduled cesarean delivery following 2016 trial evidence. The study reported that azithromycin use during cesarean births increased from 2.2% before 2016 to 39.6% after, an adjusted increase of 37.6 percentage points, while postpartum infection after cesarean birth decreased from 9.2% to 8.0%, an adjusted decrease of 2.0 percentage points relative to vaginal birth trends.
FDA has classified a recall of Baxter Healthcare's 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection USP, 500 mL VIAFLEX plastic containers (NDC 0338-0049-03), as a Class I recall. The recall notice states that particulate matter identified as fiberglass was found in the product.
A Class II recall notice reports that Baxter Healthcare Corporation is recalling its Clindamycin Phosphate in 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, 600 mg per 50 mL (12 mg/mL) single-dose GALAXY container, NDC 0338-9549-50. The recall notice cites current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) deviations as the reason for the action.
Baxter Healthcare Corporation has issued a Class II recall for Clindamycin Injection USP in 5% Dextrose, 900 mg/50 mL, supplied in GALAXY 50 mL single dose containers (NDC 43066-995-24), citing current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) deviations. The recall notice does not specify the exact nature of the deviation or associated clinical risk.
Baxter Healthcare Corporation issued a Class II recall for Vancomycin Injection, USP in 5% Dextrose (1 g per 200 mL, 5 mg/mL) supplied in GALAXY Single-Dose Containers, NDC 0338-3552-48. The FDA recall notice attributes the action to current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) deviations, without specifying further details on the nature of the deviation or associated clinical risk.
Baxter Healthcare Corporation has issued a Class II recall for Daptomycin in 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, 1,000 mg per 100 mL (10 mg/mL), supplied in 1000 mL single dose containers under NDC 0338-0718-12. The recall notice cites current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) deviations as the reason for the action.
The FDA recall notice reports a Class II recall of Baxter Healthcare's Vancomycin Injection, USP, in 0.9% Sodium Chloride (1g per 200 mL) supplied in GALAXY Single-Dose Containers, NDC 0338-3583-01. The notice attributes the recall to current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) deviations.
A multicenter interrupted time series study across five PICUs in three U.S. children's hospitals evaluated a stewardship intervention (consensus guidelines, education, and group-level audit and feedback) aimed at reducing empiric vancomycin for suspected serious bacterial infection. Among 4,549 episodes, the intervention was associated with an immediate reduction in empiric vancomycin administration (OR 0.71) and a 24% decrease in empiric vancomycin days of therapy, with no increases in mortality, organ dysfunction, or missed MRSA infections postintervention. The study concludes the intervention reduced empiric vancomycin without evidence of harm.
An analysis of a subset of participants from the START trial with up to seven years of biomarker follow-up examined longitudinal IL-6 patterns in people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy. The study reported that 41% of 2,102 individuals had persistent hyperinflammation and 27% had transient IL-6 blips; persistent hyperinflammation was associated with higher BMI, older age, smoking, diabetes, and HIV-1 RNA levels, while blips were associated with higher white blood cell counts. The authors state that longitudinal IL-6 measurements could help distinguish these profiles and identify a high-risk phenotype for potential clinical intervention.
CDC investigated 31 serious adverse events, including 12 deaths, following ceftriaxone injections reported across 18 states between September 2024 and August 2025, most occurring in outpatient settings. The investigation reported that 74% of cases involved anaphylaxis-type presentations, 68% had prior ceftriaxone exposure, and 77% had cardiac comorbidities, with a median age of 67 years; FDA product testing found no evidence of tampering, contamination, or purity/potency problems, and national adverse event trend analyses showed no change over time. The authors concluded that serious adverse events can occur after ceftriaxone administration but that testing and trend data did not identify a new safety issue, and they noted the importance of continued reporting to FDA MedWatch.
A single-center retrospective cohort study compared piperacillin-tazobactam and cefepime in 204 patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia using overlap-weighted analyses. The study reported higher 30-day all-cause mortality with piperacillin-tazobactam (23.1%) than cefepime (11.5%), while a composite desirability of outcome ranking, resistance development, clinical success, and acute kidney injury rates were similar between groups. The authors state that sample size limits interpretation and that the mortality finding warrants further investigation in larger studies.
A pooled analysis of 91 participants from six HIV cure trials examined whether HIV-specific T cell responses measured before analytical treatment interruption (ATI) predicted time to viral rebound. The study reported that participants with higher Gag-specific interferon-gamma and CD8+ T cell proliferation responses before stopping ART had longer duration of virologic control after treatment interruption compared to those with lower responses. The authors state these findings support a role for CD8+ T cells in sustaining virologic control after ART cessation.
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC has issued a Class I recall of Tyenne (tocilizumab-aazg) Injection, 400 mg/20 mL (20 mg/mL), 20 mL vial, NDC 65219-594-20. The recall follows an internal investigation by the firm that found the product to contain glass particulate matter.
