📄 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

Evaluation of six different tests for Schistosoma haematobium diagnosis in a near-elimination setting: a prospective observational diagnostic accuracy study

In a prospective study conducted in near-elimination settings in Pemba, Tanzania, an AI-assisted microscopy scanner demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy among six evaluated single-sample tests for *Schistosoma haematobium*, offering a promising alternative to standard urine filtration microscopy which, while improved by multi-day sampling, remains operationally challenging.

Ndum, N. C., Ali, S. M., Ali, M. N., Bergelin, J., Hattendorf, J., Hoekstra, P. T., van Lieshout, L., Pennance, T., Sule (…)2026-02-25
📄 infectious diseases

Bayesian generative modeling for heterogeneous wastewater data applied to COVID-19 forecasting

This study presents and evaluates a Bayesian semi-mechanistic model for forecasting COVID-19 hospital admissions in the United States, demonstrating that while incorporating wastewater data yields overall performance similar to models using only clinical data, its impact varies significantly across locations and time periods, highlighting both the potential and challenges of wastewater-based epidemiology in infectious disease forecasting.

Johnson, K. E., Vega Yon, G., Brand, S. P. C., Bernal Zelaya, C., Bayer, D., Volkov, I., Susswein, Z., Magee, A., Gostic (…)2026-02-24
📄 infectious diseases

Efficacy of Mosquito Shield, a transfluthrin spatial emanator against wild, free-flying pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles gambiae s.l.; an experimental hut evaluation in Benin, West Africa

This experimental hut trial in Benin demonstrated that the transfluthrin-based spatial emanator Mosquito Shield™ significantly reduces landing, blood-feeding, and survival of pyrethroid-resistant *Anopheles gambiae* s.l. and *Mansonia africana*, supporting its potential as a complementary malaria control tool for WHO prequalification.

Ndombidje, B., Syme, T. W., Ahoga, J., Pearce, B., Yadouleton, A., Yamadjako, M., Ngufor, C.2026-02-22
📄 infectious diseases

Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Against Pediatric Deaths: 2016-2025

This study estimates that seasonal influenza vaccination reduced the risk of fatal influenza by approximately 80% among children aged 6 months to 17 years from the 2016-2017 through 2024-2025 seasons, with high effectiveness observed in both those with and without underlying medical conditions.

Leonard, J. S., Reinhart, K., Lu, P.-J., Santibanez, T., Srivastav, A., Hung, M.-C., Jain, A., Budd, A., Huang, S., Knis (…)2026-02-22
📄 infectious diseases

Time to treatment initiation in pregnant women with tuberculosis in Cape Town, South Africa

In a study of women with tuberculosis in Cape Town, South Africa, researchers found that while the median time to treatment initiation was short for both pregnant and non-pregnant women, pregnant women experienced statistically significant delays and a higher rate of never starting treatment, highlighting a critical need for targeted interventions to ensure timely care for this high-risk group.

Meehan, S.-A., Hesseling, A. C., Kalk, E., Hughes, J. A., Seddon, J. A., Namukuta, V. E., Osman, M.2026-02-19
📄 infectious diseases

Evaluation of short-term multi-target respiratory forecasts over winter 2024-25 in England using sub-ensemble contribution analyses

This study evaluates the performance of UKHSA's operational multi-target respiratory forecasts for Influenza and COVID-19 hospital admissions in England during the 2024-25 winter, utilizing sub-ensemble simulations, generalized additive models, and Pareto analysis to quantify individual model contributions and reveal trade-offs between optimizing absolute count accuracy and trend direction.

Kennedy, J. C., Furguson, W., Jones, O., Ward, T., Riley, S., Tang, M. L., Mellor, J.2026-02-18
📄 infectious diseases

All text: A Novel Scoring System for Precise Severity Quantification in Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome: Development and Application Based on Dynamic Clinical Data

This study developed and validated a novel dynamic scoring system based on time-dependent clinical indicators that effectively stratifies Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome patients into low, intermediate, and high-risk groups for precise severity quantification and early intervention.

Sun, Y., Pan, Z., Sun, J., Sun, Y., Wang, W., Liang, M., Zhang, A., Wu, Q., Sheng, H., Yang, J.2026-02-18
📄 infectious diseases

Optimal seasonal timing of infant immunisation to prevent RSV hospitalisations in Japan: a modelling study

A modeling study in Japan suggests that while both year-round and seasonal catch-up immunization strategies using maternal RSVpreF vaccines or nirsevimab monoclonal antibodies could substantially reduce infant RSV hospitalizations compared to current high-risk-only protocols, the optimal approach depends on the predictability of seasonal circulation and the duration of protection provided by the interventions.

Monoi, A., Endo, A., Kriznar, M., Suzuki, M., Flasche, S.2026-02-17
📄 infectious diseases

Risk of new-onset obstructive sleep apnea up to 4.5 years after COVID-19 in the urban population.

This retrospective cohort study of nearly one million patients in the Bronx demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of hospitalization status, is independently associated with a significantly increased risk of developing new-onset obstructive sleep apnea up to 4.5 years post-infection, supporting the need for targeted screening in post-COVID populations.

Changela, S., Katz, R., Shah, J., Henry, S. S., Duong, T. Q.2026-02-15