Top Infectious Disease News Stories Week of January 24 - January 30

Measles Update: January 30, 2026

The CDC reported there were 588* cases of measles in the US as of January 29, 2026. In releasing its figures, the federal agency said there were 585 measles cases in 17 jurisdictions including the following: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. There were 3 measles cases reported among international visitors to the US.¹

Reviewing Recently Approved Antibiotics for Uncomplicated Urogenital Gonorrhea

In December 2025, the FDA approved two antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the gram-negative bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N gonorrhoeae).¹ Zoliflodacin (Nuzolvence) received approval as a first-in-class, single oral dose antibiotic for the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea in adults and adolescents.^1,2

Gepotidacin (Blujepa) was first approved by the FDA in March 2025 for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in females, caused by the susceptible strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii complex, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and Enterococcus faecalis.^1,3

AAP Releases its Recommended 2026 Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released the Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule: United States, 2026, continuing its long-standing guidance on routine vaccination to protect against 18 infectious diseases, including RSV, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, influenza, and meningococcal disease. The schedule, detailed in a policy statement published January 26, 2026, appears in AAP Red Book Online, the academy’s authoritative clinical resource for infectious disease prevention and treatment. To support families, a parent-friendly version of the schedule is also available on HealthyChildren.org.

Congress Preserves Domestic HIV Funding in Final FY2026 Spending Deal

In the final FY2026 spending bill the Appropriations Committees released last week, Congress rejected the House Republicans’ spending bill that would have decimated domestic HIV programs by cuts of over $1.7 billion, including the elimination of all HIV prevention programs, the entire Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, and $525 million, or 20 percent, of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Program.

UTI Treatment: Tailoring Patient Education and the Role of Insurance Payers

In the course of her study looking at antibiotic treatment selection and failure by race and ethnicity for uncomplicated urinary tract infection, Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir, PharmD, MPH, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy and antimicrobial resistance researcher at UC San Diego, discovered an unusual finding: They saw less treatment failure with their Black and Hispanic patients who were treated with cephalosporins.

This got her thinking about other potential findings and reasons for these outcomes. She knew they collected participants’ insurance. They then discovered that there was a correlation between people with higher levels of education and higher treatment failure rates.