
Deborah Fuller, PhD, provides commentary around the data, and advantages of the technology.
John Parkinson is the assistant managing editor for Contagion. Prior to joining MJH Life Sciences in 2020, he has covered a variety of fields and markets including diabetes, oncology, ophthalmology, IT, travel, and local news. You can email him at jparkinson@mjhlifesciences.com.

Deborah Fuller, PhD, provides commentary around the data, and advantages of the technology.

Confirmed US measles cases rose 6.8% this week to 5,182, more than double the 2025 total, as three states reported measles-associated deaths.

Li Tao, PhD, discusses early US uptake of twice-yearly lenacapavir, faster prescription-to-injection timelines, and how ACA coverage milestones tracked with zero cost sharing and HIV diagnoses.

David Altarac, MD, discusses 2025 SENTRY data, ESBL considerations in empiric therapy, and where ceftobiprole fits alongside ceftaroline in S aureus bacteremia.

Cefiderocol MICs fell against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the drug showed marked synergy with LL-37 against resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir, PharmD, MPH, AAHIVP, discusses her team's findings around this therapy and these pathogens.

Shionogi data presented at IDWeek 2026 demonstrated a 76.7% clinical response with cefiderocol in carbapenem-resistant respiratory infections and high in vitro activity against resistant P aeruginosa VAP isolates. Christine Slover, PharmD, vice president, Infectious Diseases US Medical Affairs, Shionogi, offers insights on the data as well as clinical considerations for providers when weighing the antibiotic for patients.

Labcorp data presented at IDWeek 2026 show measles PCR testing nearly quadrupled and positivity rose sharply from April 2025 through March 2026, as clinicians shift toward guideline-recommended molecular testing amid ongoing US outbreaks.

David Altarac, MD, discusses the 2026 IDSA guidance, which prioritizes sulbactam-durlobactam plus a carbapenem for invasive carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter infections.

Investigational agent Zelicapavir cut time to complete RSV symptom resolution by up to a week and lowered hospitalization in high-risk adults.

Preliminary SABEDTIO data from IDWeek 2026 show early dual IV therapy cut prolonged S aureus bacteremia to 6% from 16%, with safe oral transition at 72 hours.

Alejandra Gurtman, MD, discussed the phase 2 data at IDWeek 2026 which showed the investigational 25-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 25vPnC produced serotype 3 antibody levels about 15-fold higher than Prevnar 20 after the booster dose, targeting a serotype still behind 10.6% of invasive pneumococcal disease in US children younger than five years.

Exploratory SCORPIO-PEP data presented at IDWeek 2026 show household contacts with breakthrough COVID-19 on ensitrelvir had lower peak viral RNA and fewer severe symptoms than placebo recipients.

Karen B. Jacobson, MD, MPH, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, presented data at IDWeek 2026 showing 58.2% of children younger than five years exposed to active hepatitis B in the home were exposed by someone other than their birth mother, a risk maternal screening alone would miss under the CDC’s revised birth dose recommendation.

Data being presented at IDWeek 2026 show zoliflodacin maintains high gonorrhea cure rates in patients co-infected with chlamydia. David Altarac, MD, discusses the therapy and the study being presented at the conference.

In the phase 3b ENCORE trial, adding amikacin liposome inhalation suspension (ALIS) to azithromycin and ethambutol significantly improved culture conversion in newly diagnosed MAC lung disease, while treatment-emergent amikacin (2.2%) and macrolide (1.1%) resistance stayed rare. Kevin Winthrop, MD, provides insights around the study.

Projected disease burden from declining childhood vaccine coverage shows increases in vaccine-preventable diseases. Benjamin Lopman, PhD, provides insights on how VaxImpactMap works and the potential long-term disease consequences of decreased immunization rates.

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) recently held its respiratory season kick-off, which included the release of its annual respiratory disease survey. This year, the survey revealed the gap between vaccine support and uptake. Robert Hopkins Jr, MD, medical director of NFID delves deeper into the findings of the survey and the vaccine uptake challenges associated with certain immunizations.

Vaxcyte's 31-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate met every prespecified primary immunogenicity and safety endpoint against PCV20 and PCV21 in the OPUS-1 trial of 4,047 US adults.

Long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine (Cabenuva) achieved superior viral suppression vs daily oral antiretroviral therapy at 6months in treatment-experienced people with HIV and detectable viremia in the phase 3b CROWN trial.

The latest CDC numbers show a 6.2% increase of measles cases from week-to-week. Last week there was a 5.4% increase in cases showing a continuing steady increase dictated by ongoing outbreaks across the US.

Lori Handy, MD, provides guidance in these areas, including presentation before rash onset, when patients should be considered for the inpatient setting, and what treatment looks like.

IDSA/ESCMID panel member Henry Chambers, MD, explains why the new S aureus bacteremia guidance replaces the complicated vs uncomplicated label with risk stratification, and how the statements are akin to the stages of cancer in guiding treatment decisions associated with this bacteremia.

Jason Pogue, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, contextualizes preliminary data looking at this trial and other extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) studies, which reopens the debate around carbapenem-sparing treatment options.

Following World Rabies Day and a CDC health advisory on a 17% rise in exposure-related calls, Rodney E. Rohde, PhD, explains what the increase means, what people should do when they have an animal bite or scratch, and how clinicians should assess risk and administer post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

With a significant increase in rabies exposures this year, Rodney Rohde, PhD, talks about seeking medical attention after animal interactions as well as clinical treatment when people have been bit or scratched.

The latest CDC numbers show a 5.4% increase of measles cases from week-to-week. This year has already become the worst for the number of measles cases in the US since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. With the start of respiratory virus season, case numbers are expected to continue to increase significantly.

A new study in infants challenges the long-standing belief about the pathogen’s effects in the youngest pediatric population. Senior author Joseph Zackular, PhD, provides insights around his work including how it reshapes gut development and offers potential intervention strategies to shield neonates.

In the first episode of our new series looking at the food safety network, Lynette Johnston, PhD, offers insights into how the federal government surveillance infrastructure operates and how epidemiologists serve as food detectives in determining bacterial pathogens and potential foodborne outbreaks.

In this week's top infectious disease stories, a Pennsylvania teen became the state's fourth measles death in weeks, the CDC reported a 17% summer surge in rabies exposure calls, new research revisited whether cefepime raises mortality risk, a multihospital review examined ceftriaxone's safety after state alerts, and examining Legionella pneumonia diagnostics.

The latest CDC numbers show a 5.37% increase of measles cases from week-to-week. In Pennsylvania, the fourth measles-related death was reported in 2026. Additionally, the CDC has made a change in the way it will report deaths.

Published: August 27th 2024 | Updated: August 28th 2024

March 31st 2023

September 25th 2023

November 26th 2024