Zoonotic & Vector-Borne Diseases

After a three-month review, the FDA and EMA have cleared continued use of IXCHIQ in adults 60+, adding new safety warnings for elderly individuals with chronic conditions.

China's largest recorded chikungunya outbreak prompts strict mosquito control and mandatory hospitalization in Foshan.

Two deaths and eight infections in Italy highlight the need for enhanced surveillance, proactive vector control, and cross-border collaboration in Europe and beyond.

Climate-driven changes and other drivers of the expanding geographic range of Ixodes ticks and Lyme disease are explored.

Significant short-term impact of MDA with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine plus primaquine in a moderate-to-low transmission setting, highlighting the need for full seasonal coverage and community engagement to sustain gains.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report underscores need for improved surveillance, donor screening, and public awareness as rare WNV strain emerges and Powassan virus cases hit new high.

Evaluating safety and efficacy against symptomatic, virologically confirmed dengue in children and adolescents.

Valneva’s immunization, Ixchiq, was well tolerated in children ages 1 to 11 years regardless of the dose or previous chikungunya infection.

Jyothi N Purushotham, PhD, and Holly L Lutz, PhD, call for integrated immunological and ecological strategies to counter fast-evolving viral threats.

A small percentage of people who contract the tick-borne illness have lingering symptoms and health issues after the acute infection has been treated, but there are no FDA-approved therapies to deal with prolonged symptoms. A new report looks to address this issue.

Vibrant Wellness’ Jason Barker, ND, outlines prevention measures, diagnostic red flags, and advances in multiplex testing for tick-borne diseases.

Primaquine safely and effectively blocks malaria transmission across age-groups and different rates of regional transmission, leading to call for lower, pediatric-appropriate dose formulation.

Andrew Lover, PhD, MPH, discusses the shifting landscape of tick-borne illnesses during Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Month.

Jason Barker, ND, explains how standard testing can miss coinfections and how Vibrant’s microarray improves sensitivity and efficiency in a single test.

Sabrina Absalon, PhD, explains how antibiotic disruption of the apicoplast led to the discovery of PfAnchor, a key protein required for parasite division and survival.

A preclinical study shows the antibiotic, piperacillin, was effective at much lower dosages than doxycycline, and did so without disrupting the gut microbiome.

Sabrina Absalon, PhD, on how disrupting apicoplast division can stop malaria in its tracks and calls for sustained research funding to combat the disease.

Insights from Andrew Lover, PhD, MPH, MS, on challenges in rural Southeast Asia, border malaria, and new mosquito vectors impacting global efforts.

The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute’s work in this area is looking to find ways to identify, for the first time, every single gene in the genome of malaria parasites, which could lead to the development of new treatments or vaccines.

In the first part of our interview, Sabrina Absalon, PhD, explains how depleting a protein linked to apicoplast division leads to rapid death of Plasmodium falciparum.

The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute is hosting its World Malaria Day Symposium on Friday. Jane M. Carlton, PhD, offers some insights on the institute and its signature event.

Sabrina Absalon, PhD's research uncovers the essential role of PfAnchor in apicoplast division, opening avenues for targeted antimalarial therapies.

ACIP provides recommendations on meningococcal vaccines, RSV vaccination for at-risk adults, and chikungunya vaccines for travelers and laboratory workers, while also addressing safety concerns and potential expansions of use for each.

Ross M Boyce, MD, MSc, discusses the diagnostic challenges and the need for greater awareness of tick-borne illnesses in the US, considering their potential severity.

Sesh Sundararaman, MD, PhD, discusses his findings and how this approach can be triggered to minimize undesirable treatment features and open the door to newer treatment possibilities.

Amanda Truong, MD, PhD, provides her perspective on diagnosis, treatment, and environmental factors, considering her involvement in a recent human case.

The vaccine is based on an attenuated rabies vaccine that was subsequently inactivated to make the vaccine candidate. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring the trial.

The phase 1/2a trial of BioNTech's BNT165e vaccine, involving nearly 180 participants, faces delays as global malaria control efforts struggle with funding and political uncertainties.

Sunil Parikh, MD, MPH, discusses the trial’s findings, noting no significant difference in malaria incidence (1.78 vs 1.84 cases per 100 person-weeks).