📄 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

Antibiotic Use Among Children Under Two Years With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

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.

Dame, J. A., Osman, K. A., Nguyen, A., Shaaban, F., Obodai, E., Pecenka, C., Bont, L., Goka, B.2026-03-05
📄 infectious diseases

Modelling the impact of adopting new-generation insecticide-treated nets on malaria transmission and insecticide resistance

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.

Gervas, H. E., Mayengo, M. M., Chacky, F., Mlacha, Y. P., Ngowo, H. S., Okumu, F. O., Selvaraj, P.2026-03-05
📄 infectious diseases

Cultryx: Precision Diagnostic Stewardship for Blood Cultures Using Machine Learning

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.

Marshall, N. P., Chen, W., Amrollahi, F., Nateghi Haredasht, F., Maddali, M. V., Ma, S. P., Zahedivash, A., Black, K. C. (…)2026-03-04
📄 infectious diseases

Prospective Multicenter Evaluation of the QuickNavi-Campylobacter Assay in Stool Specimens

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.

Hatakeyama, S., Hirose, Y., Akashi, Y., Kusama, T., Ishimaru, N., Morimoto, E., Iwashima, S., Suzuki, K., Enomoto, K., S (…)2026-03-04
📄 infectious diseases

Temporal trends in Plasmodium vivax diversity in eastern Cambodia evidence declining transmission

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.

Eam, R., Hoon, K. S., Sutanto, E., Rai, A., Trimarsanto, H., Rumaseb, A., Thin, S., Hor, S., Chhorvann, C., Bunkea, T. (…)2026-03-04
📄 infectious diseases

Challenges in Plasmodium diagnostics in countries nearing malaria elimination: a cross-sectional survey among treatment-seeking patients in health facilities in malaria endemic provinces of Cambodia with contrasted transmission intensity

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.

Khim, N., Orban, A., Thin, S., Sin, S., Guepin, S., Feufack-Donfack, L. B., Eng, V., Ea, M., Chy, S., Seng, C., Eam, R. (…)2026-03-04
📄 infectious diseases

UTILISATION AND DETERMINANTS OF BLOOD CULTURE IN MANAGING SEPSIS AMONG HOSPITALISED CHILDREN <5 YEARS: A MIXED-METHOD STUDY AT FOUR AMR SURVEILLANCE SITES IN UGANDA, 2024-2025.

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.

Kisame, R., Kooko, R., Nabadda, S., Mugerwa, I., Namubiru, S. K., Dembe, S. K., Adibaku, C. N., Kisakye, A., Matovu, G. (…)2026-03-04
📄 infectious diseases

Novel transposon Tn8026 acts as a global driver of transmissible linezolid resistance in Enterococcus via a linear plasmid

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.

Hall, M. B., Xue, Y., Lee, T. S. E., Herring, E., Hume, J., Wick, R. R., Kidd, T., Runnegar, N., Harris, P. N. A., Grave (…)2026-03-04
📄 infectious diseases

Admission Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality and the Combined Outcome of Death or Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in Patients with COVID-19 During the Pre-Vaccination Era: A Retrospective Cohort Study

In a retrospective cohort study of 482 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Brazil during the pre-vaccination era, five admission variables—age, arterial pH, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, comorbidity burden, and serum creatinine—were identified as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality, supporting the use of routinely available clinical data for early risk stratification.

Rassi, A., Rassi, V. M., Garcia, J. V. R., Gervasio, H. M., Kobal, C. R., de Souza, F. M., Butrico, G. F. d. O., Sanchez (…)2026-03-03
📄 infectious diseases

Plasmodium falciparum Carriage in central and northern Mali amid Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention implementation

This study characterizes *Plasmodium falciparum* carriage dynamics in central and northern Mali, revealing that while Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention reduces infection in young children, asymptomatic carriers aged 10–24 in central Mali and a generalized high-burden reservoir in northern Mali sustain transmission, suggesting a need for targeted interventions beyond current SMC coverage.

Kazanga, B., Cissoko, M., KATILE, A., Boudoua, E.-B., Legendre, E., Kamate, B., Kanoute, M. B., Kone, P., Djiguiba, A. (…)2026-03-02