Top Infectious Disease News Stories Week of November 8 - November 14

First Confirmed Death From Meat Allergy Spread by Lone Star Ticks

Investigators from the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified the first death caused by what is commonly called the “meat allergy” being spread by Lone Star ticks. A healthy 47-year-old man from New Jersey died abruptly 4 hours after consuming beef. The cause of his death had been a mystery until UVA Health’s Thomas Platts-Mills, MD, PhD, investigated.

Single-Tablet HIV Combination Therapy Demonstrates Noninferiority When Switched From Multitablet Regimens

This week, Gilead announced positive top-line results showing that its investigational combination therapy, bictegravir (BIC) 75 mg/lenacapavir (LEN) 50 mg, was noninferior compared with study participants’ existing multitablet antiretroviral regimens at week 48. The results come from the company's phase 3 ARTISTRY-1 trial (NCT05502341) that evaluated the once-daily single-tablet regimen of BIC/LEN in adults living with HIV who were virologically suppressed.

Considering Alternatives to Vancomycin for MRSA

Rachel Britt, PharmD, BCIDP, clinical practice specialist in infectious diseases at University Health in San Antonio, Texas, says vancomycin has a storied history, with a long track record that demonstrates its noninferiority against other, newer antibiotics for treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, the antibiotic does have its limitations.

One Health System's Evolution in the Rise in Dalbavancin Prescribing for Off-Label Indications

Allegheny Health Network (AHN) a large healthcare network headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, reported a significant increase in the use of dalbavancin (Dalvance) for off-label indications, especially non-vertebral osteomyelitis over a period between 2016 to 2024.

VA Signs Contract to Utilize C difficile Pathogen-Visualization Tool to Identify Contamination

LIV Process, a Philadelphia-based biotechnology company, announced a patented microbial-visualization technology that allows hospitals to see environmental contamination from pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile on surfaces. The company showcased the tool during IDWeek 2025 in Atlanta, and reported a contract approval from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) for use across 170 VA hospitals nationwide.