166 papers
Infectious diseases represent one of the most dynamic frontiers in global health, covering everything from seasonal flu outbreaks to emerging viral threats that cross borders. This field focuses on how pathogens spread, how our immune systems respond, and the strategies scientists use to stop infections before they become epidemics. Because the science moves fast, waiting for traditional publication often means missing critical insights that could save lives.
At Gist.Science, we process every new preprint in this category directly from medRxiv to ensure you see the latest findings the moment they appear. Our team transforms these raw studies into both accessible plain-language explanations and detailed technical summaries, bridging the gap between complex research and public understanding. Below are the latest papers in infectious diseases, updated daily with fresh insights from the global research community.
Strengthening in-country sequencing capacity in Guinea generated 28 Lassa virus genomes that revealed cross-border transmission dynamics with Liberia and Sierra Leone, highlighting the critical role of enhanced genomic surveillance in guiding future public health actions.
This exploratory study utilized quantitative proteomics on plasma samples from adults with active syphilis and matched controls to identify specific protein signatures that effectively distinguish active disease from prior treatment, suggesting a promising avenue for developing novel diagnostic tools.
This cross-sectional study at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital reveals that two-thirds of children under two with confirmed Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection received antibiotics, primarily driven by markers of disease severity rather than bacterial co-infection, highlighting an urgent need for improved diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship in Ghana.
Using an agent-based model calibrated with Tanzanian data, this study demonstrates that transitioning from standard pyrethroid-only nets to new-generation insecticide-treated nets (pyrethroid-PBO and Interceptor G2), potentially combined with periodic indoor residual spraying, significantly reduces malaria transmission and disrupts the evolutionary trajectory of insecticide resistance.
The Cultryx machine learning model, trained on electronic medical record data, significantly outperforms standard clinical heuristics and AI tools in predicting bacteremia, enabling a 26.2% reduction in unnecessary blood culture orders while maintaining high sensitivity to conserve resources and improve patient safety.
A prospective multicenter study in Japan demonstrated that the QuickNavi-Campylobacter rapid antigen test shows high concordance with the FilmArray Gastrointestinal Panel for early diagnosis of Campylobacter infections, though its sensitivity declines in specimens collected six or more days after symptom onset.
Genotyping of *Plasmodium vivax* isolates in eastern Cambodia from 2014 to 2023 reveals a significant decline in parasite diversity and an increase in inbreeding, providing genetic evidence that widespread radical cure interventions have successfully reduced malaria transmission.
A 2023 cross-sectional survey in Cambodia reveals that while *Plasmodium falciparum* is nearly eliminated, current diagnostic practices relying on rapid tests fail to detect the majority of *Plasmodium* infections (predominantly *P. vivax*), particularly in low-transmission settings where false-negative rates are highest.
This mixed-methods study at four Ugandan AMR surveillance sites reveals that blood culture utilization for suspected sepsis in hospitalized children under five remains low (28.1%) despite high clinician awareness, driven primarily by systemic barriers, inefficient workflows, and emotional fatigue rather than knowledge gaps, with higher usage linked to clinical severity and senior clinician involvement.
This study identifies a novel transposon, Tn8026, carried on a linear plasmid as the global driver of transmissible linezolid resistance in *Enterococcus*, revealing its long-standing undetected circulation across species and continents through long-read genomic surveillance.