📄 Category

infectious diseases

194 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.

📄 infectious diseases

Genomic surveillance reveals age-structured SARS-CoV-2 transmission across demographics and settings

By analyzing over 85,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes linked to epidemiological data from Massachusetts, this study reveals that viral transmission is highly structured by age and setting—particularly concentrated in schools, colleges, and nursing facilities with young adults acting as key drivers of spread—while also demonstrating the impact of vaccination and providing guidelines for effective genomic surveillance.

Moreno, G. K., Brock-Fisher, T., Krasilnikova, L. A., Schaffner, S., Burns, M., Casiello, C. E., Messer, K. S., Petros (…)2026-03-13
📄 infectious diseases

High Brucellosis Prevalence and Risk Among School-Age Children in Kenyan Pastoral Health Facilities: A Facility-Based Surveillance Study

A prospective surveillance study in Kenyan pastoral health facilities revealed a high brucellosis prevalence of 15.2% among febrile patients, identifying school-age children (5–14 years) as a distinct high-risk group with a 31.0% prevalence rate, alongside significant geographic variation and associations with prolonged fever and muscle pain.

Oketch, D. C. O., Njoroge, R., Ngere, I., Gachohi, J., Jaoko, W., Muriuki, S. W., Mwatondo, A. J., Limbaso, K. S., Mutur (…)2026-03-13
📄 infectious diseases

Hospital and environmental transmission of XDR Salmonella Isangi revealed by genomic Surveillance in Malawi and South Africa

Genomic surveillance in Malawi and South Africa reveals that a specific XDR Salmonella Isangi ST335 clade drives hospital outbreaks through environmental persistence and inter-hospital transmission, posing a significant future threat due to its potential to transfer resistance genes to dominant invasive serovars.

Johnston, P. I., Zuza, A., Pearse, O., Vasicek, E. M., Kutambe, B., Banda, H., Rigby, J., Chizani, K., Wilson, C., Patel (…)2026-03-12
📄 infectious diseases

The Impact of Influenza Vaccination on Antibiotic Prescribing in Older Adults: A Self-Controlled Case Series Analysis

Using a self-controlled case series analysis of over 268,000 older adults in England, this study demonstrates that influenza vaccination significantly reduces antibiotic prescribing, particularly for respiratory tract infections, during the peak influenza season.

Spain, T. J., Henrion, M. Y. R., Singleton, D., Vivancos, R., Decraene, V., Hungerford, D., French, N.2026-03-11
📄 infectious diseases

Child poverty and declining measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination in England, 2015 to 2024. A longitudinal ecological study at local area level

This longitudinal ecological study of 148 English local authorities from 2015 to 2024 reveals that rising child poverty rates are significantly associated with declining measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination uptake, suggesting that poverty reduction is essential for improving childhood immunization coverage.

Chua, Y. W., Munford, L., Pearce, O., Skirrow, H., Taegtmeyer, M., French, N., Ashton, M., Hungerford, D., Taylor-Robins (…)2026-03-11
📄 infectious diseases

Lineage-Specific Transcriptional Response to Chikungunya ECSA and West African Lineages in Primary Human Chondrocytes

This study demonstrates that East/Central/South African and West African lineages of Chikungunya virus elicit distinct transcriptional responses in primary human chondrocytes, with the West African lineage uniquely inducing gene expression patterns associated with chondrocyte de-differentiation, potentially explaining lineage-specific differences in joint pathology.

Rankin, M., Ganga, Y., Sviridchik, V., Reedoy, K., Jule, Z., Pinheiro, A., Padane, A., Nasereddin, A., Shiff, I., Nevo (…)2026-03-11
📄 infectious diseases

A newly emergent N1 neuraminidase associated with clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5) viruses in North America

This study characterizes the evolutionary history and phylodynamics of a newly emergent North American N1 neuraminidase (am4N1) associated with H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses, revealing its distinct avian origin, introduction from western Canada, and conserved structural architecture despite sequence divergence that warrants further investigation into potential cross-reactivity with human A(H1N1)pdm09 immunity.

Wersebe, M. J., Paterson, N. M., Hassell, N., Zheng, X.-y., Rambo-Martin, B. J., Frederick, J. C., Lacek, K. K., Sulliva (…)2026-03-10
📄 infectious diseases

Integrated screening reveals rare co-infections of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis, malaria and loiasis in Banga, northern Angola

A retrospective analysis of over 6,000 individuals in northern Angola reveals that while malaria remains highly prevalent and co-infections with rare gambiense sleeping sickness and loiasis are uncommon, integrated screening platforms effectively support the surveillance and elimination of sleeping sickness in co-endemic settings when robust confirmatory algorithms are maintained.

NZILA, M.2026-03-10