Infectious Disease news.

A CDC-attributed notice links shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations to cyclosporiasis infections in five states. The supplied teaser reports 1,644 illnesses, but the accompanying text does not substantiate that count or identify the affected states.

CDC has issued a food safety alert regarding a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeños. The supplied notice does not report case counts, affected states, illness severity or specific product details.

CDC has issued a food safety alert about a multistate Salmonella and E. coli outbreak linked to a recalled alfalfa sprout product. The supplied notice does not provide case counts, affected states, or product identifiers.

WHO member states agreed to continue refining a proposed pandemic agreement ahead of the World Health Assembly beginning 27 May 2024. Discussions will address pathogen access and benefit sharing, pandemic prevention, and financing for preparedness and response.

WHO expressed regret over the United States’ announcement of its intent to withdraw from the organization. In a January 21 statement, WHO called for reconsideration and dialogue to preserve the partnership.

WHO and Saudi Arabia announced funding agreements supporting malaria and cholera services in Yemen and dialysis for Sudanese refugees in Egypt. Saudi Arabia also formalized a previously announced US$500 million commitment to global polio eradication through agreements with WHO and UNICEF.

WHO has certified Timor-Leste as malaria-free, with zero indigenous cases reported since 2021. The country is the third in WHO’s South-East Asia region to receive certification, which requires at least three consecutive years without indigenous transmission nationwide.

WHO said issues raised by the United States’ withdrawal notification will be considered by its Executive Board in February and the World Health Assembly in May 2026. The agency defended its COVID-19 response and warned that withdrawal would undermine US and global health security.

CDC reports increased animal exposures and rabies post-exposure vaccinations across the United States during summer 2026. Its health advisory urges evidence-based risk assessment and appropriate administration of vaccine and human rabies immune globulin when indicated.

A Nature Medicine commentary argues that Ebola surveillance should measure response speed alongside coverage. Citing 4,566 confirmed cases and 2,128 deaths in DRC as of 11 August 2026, the authors propose tracking delays to investigation, diagnosis, isolation and supportive care.

A technical report accompanying the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2026 UTI guideline explains a revised diagnostic definition for children aged eight days to five years. The panel retained pyuria as a diagnostic criterion and revised inflammation and culture criteria according to age and testing circumstances.

A review examines evidence on antibiotic duration in critically ill patients with sepsis and severe infections. It reports support for shorter courses in selected infections, while highlighting uncertainty in immunocompromised patients, difficult-to-treat pathogens and infections involving retained devices.

An observational investigation at a UK cardiothoracic hospital identified 40 patients with Mycobacterium abscessus cultures genetically matching a hospital water strain. Incidence declined after extensive water-system controls, but the strain persisted in the water supply.

A US national cohort study using the United Network for Organ Sharing database reported hepatitis B vaccination in 59.9% of liver transplant recipients. Vaccination rates varied by region and other clinical and demographic factors; the supplied abstract did not report sample size.

A primer in Clinical Infectious Diseases examines safety and stewardship concerns surrounding online emergency kits containing prescription antimicrobials. The abstract warns that consumer-directed treatment of self-diagnosed infections may lead to inappropriate use, adverse effects, and antimicrobial resistance; it provides no quantitative outcome data.

A claims-based target trial emulation involving 6,168 patients with nonrenal systemic lupus erythematosus compared infection-related hospitalization across four immunosuppressant therapies. Initial differences were no longer statistically significant after accounting for time-varying glucocorticoid exposure.

The phase 3b ENCORE randomized trial enrolled 425 adults with newly diagnosed Mycobacterium avium complex lung disease who had not started antibiotics. Adding amikacin liposome inhalation suspension to azithromycin and ethambutol improved respiratory symptom scores and increased culture conversion compared with placebo plus the same antibiotics.

A multicenter diagnostic study evaluated the AI-supported miLab microscope in 2,201 samples from febrile patients in Ethiopia and Ghana. Sensitivity exceeded 96% for both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax against expert microscopy, with specificity above 97% against quantitative PCR.

Norwegian SYSVAK registry data show influenza vaccination coverage reached 69% among older adults in 2025–2026, up three percentage points. Pneumococcal coverage among people born in 1960 rose from 13% to 43%, while COVID-19 coverage among those aged 75 or older fell to 48%.

An observational investigation of 3,163 patients in China detected Asian longhorned tick nairovirus (ALTNV) in 10.4%. Patients with ALTNV alone recovered, while coinfection with Dabie bandavirus was associated with more respiratory symptoms and kidney impairment than Dabie bandavirus infection alone.

An NEJM listing identifies a phase 3 trial of weekly oral islatravir–lenacapavir for HIV-1 treatment. The supplied text contains only bibliographic information, with no sample size, methods, efficacy results, or safety findings.