Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

In this @healioid.bsky.social piece I offer my perspective on a novel influenza antiviral that may offer universal vaccine-like protection www.healio.com/news/infecti...

Cidara lands breakthrough therapy designation for flu preventive

Cidara announced Thursday that it received a breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA for an investigational long-acting drug to prevent seasonal influenza.The drug, called CD388, has been design...

www.healio.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

“The current regulation requiring 60-day aging of raw-milk cheese before marketing proves insufficient to achieve HPAI H5N1 virus inactivation and guarantee cheese safety” www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...

Researchers: Live H5N1 avian flu can survive in raw-milk cheese for up to 6 months

Infectious virus persisted throughout the cheese-making process and aging in cheeses made with raw milk at pH levels above 5.0.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

“One step closer to approval of our vaccine for children aged two to 11 years,” www.cidrap.umn.edu/mpox/trial-r...

Trial results indicate Jynneos vaccine performs well in young children

The immune response in children aged 2 to 11 years was non-inferior to that observed in adults, and 2.5-times greater in children aged 2 to 5.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

“Wild-bird detections have also spiked, especially in migratory blue-winged teal. In Kansas, 20 hunter-harvested blue-wing teal had H5N1.” www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...

Flurry of H5N1 activity noted in commercial poultry, wild birds

www.cidrap.umn.edu

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

“The public does trust the professional associations who have stepped forward.” www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...

New poll: Public confidence in CDC for vaccine advice tumbles

www.cidrap.umn.edu

1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

“O'Neill offers no evidence for his proposal, because none exists. No immunologic principle supports separation. No safety data justify..What we have instead is the acting CDC director resurrecting a fraud's discredited theory” www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...

CIDRAP Op-Ed: Why the CDC director is wrong about the MMR vaccine

www.cidrap.umn.edu

1 3

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 22h

“Measles was officially eliminated from Australia in 2014, but has resurged worldwide due to falling immunisation rates and pandemic-related disruptions” www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Measles cases from unknown source climbing in WA

Health authorities say they are not able to trace WA's latest measles cases to a source, meaning they cannot tell how far the virus has spread.

www.abc.net.au

5 7

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 22h

“For younger adults, the Covid vaccines were about 27% protective against ER visits, hospitalization or death for people under 65.” — would be important to stratify by risk factors for severe disease in younger age cohorts www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Do young people need Covid boosters? Research shows more protection for ages 65 and older

Overall effectiveness of the Covid vaccines for all adults is similar to that of the annual flu shot, according to a large study of veterans.

www.nbcnews.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 22h

“They found that receptor density was significantly elevated in patients - and the higher the AMPAR activity, the worse their cognitive symptoms” www.euronews.com/health/2025/...

Scientists uncover biological cause of Long COVID brain fog

New research offers what scientists describe as the first biological evidence of Long COVID brain fog.

www.euronews.com

1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 22h

“a 24% decline in trust in the CDC's vaccine information among Democrats, just in the past two years” www.npr.org/sections/sho...

59% of Americans disapprove of RFK Jr.'s moves as health secretary, a new poll says

A new poll shows trust in federal health policies is plummeting, and what — or who — people believe increasingly depends on their politics.

www.npr.org

1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 22h

“The WHO said improved logistics and field operations, including helicopter and ground deliveries of medical supplies and the decontamination of three health facilities, have helped contain the outbreak over the last week.” apnews.com/article/cong...

Ebola outbreak in southern Congo shows signs of containment with no new cases, WHO reports

The World Health Organization says an Ebola outbreak in southern Congo is starting to be contained. No new cases have been reported since Oct. 1, the organization said Wednesday.

apnews.com

1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“Weekly dosing of rezafungin was noninferior to daily dosing of caspofungin for 30-day all-cause mortality and 14-day global cure outcomes in adults with candidemia or invasive candidiasis.” www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/news/rezafun...

Rezafungin Is Safe and Efficacious Against Adult Candidemia, Invasive Candidiasis

Rezafungin was safe and effective for the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis in adults.

www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“Compared with in-season RSV, off-season pediatric RSV episodes were more common among patients with congenital or chronic conditions and associated with higher rates of hospitalization, ICU admission” www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/news/off-sea...

Off-Season RSV Episodes in Adults and Children Linked to Racial, Ethnic Disparities

Off-season RSV episodes were more common among certain demographic groups and pediatric patients with high-risk conditions.

www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“A dangerous drug trend called “bluetoothing,” in which people inject themselves with the blood of other drug users to get a cheap high, is contributing to spikes in H.I.V. rates in infection hot spots” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/w...

‘Bluetoothing’: Blood-Sharing Drug Trend Fuels Alarming Global H.I.V. Surge

www.nytimes.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“For most infectious diseases, the innovation we need is thus less and less likely to come from large drugmakers.” www.statnews.com/2025/10/09/p...

Pharma’s shift away from infectious disease research could spell disaster for the world’s poorest people

The number of “innovation champions” in the pharma industry working on infectious diseases is dropping — and that’s troubling, writes R&D director for Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative.

www.statnews.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

Health systems should be more proactive and call out the CDC for getting it deliberately wrong on the guidance by not making a directed recommendation to the high risk (including pregnant women and children under 2)—defer to the medical societies www.butlereagle.com/20251009/loc...

Local health systems urge patients to consult with professionals for COVID-19 vaccine decision

In the wake of changes to the United States’ official policy on the COVID-19 vaccine announced Monday, Oct. 6, local health systems are encouraging patients to consult with medical professionals befor...

www.butlereagle.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“Over six months, veterans who received the covid and flu vaccines had a 29% decrease in emergency department visits, a 39% decrease in hospitalizations, and a 64% decrease in deaths compared to those who received only the flu vaccine.” triblive.com/news/world/c...

Covid shot led to less severe illness, fewer hospitalizations last year, U.S. study finds

Last year’s updated covid-19 vaccines helped prevent severe outcomes including hospitalizations and deaths, according to data from a large study of U.S. military veterans published on Wednesday....

triblive.com

1 4 10

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“Giant Eagle just issued a recall of its “Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad” sold in the prepared foods department of both Giant Eagle and Market District locations across Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and Indiana — for possible listeria contamination” triblive.com/local/region...

Giant Eagle pasta salad recalled for possible listeria contamination

Pasta salad lovers in Western Pennsylvania should double check their refrigerators. Giant Eagle just issued a recall of its “Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad” sold in the prepared foods depar...

triblive.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

In this piece I’m quoted about the portfolio of options we have for COVID-19 prevention and treatments with (hopefully) an antiviral (ensitrelvir) that works after exposure to prevent infection (PEP) www.idse.net/Covid-19/Art...

How Should We Be Managing ‘COVID-25’?

The COVID-19 pandemic may be over, but SARS-CoV-2 is still circulating.

www.idse.net

1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“Among the five New York City boroughs, Manhattan had the highest number of CROs detected.” www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobia...

Study finds carbapenem-resistant bacteria in nearly 2% of gram-negative isolates from dogs, cats

Researchers with the New York City Health Department say the results suggest real-time veterinary surveillance for carbapenem-resistant organisms is needed.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“Compared with the WHO pertussis case definition, a modified definition including apnea and omitting cough duration improved sensitivity but lowered specificity” www.cidrap.umn.edu/pertussis/wh...

WHO pertussis case definition misses many infections, needs revision, study suggests

Compared with the WHO pertussis case definition, a modified definition including apnea and omitting cough duration improved sensitivity but lowered specificity.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“Seven measles cases have been reported in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, since Sept. 25, and the state has had 10 total cases this year. The current outbreak has no identified source, which suggests measles is circulating in the community” www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/more...

More measles cases confirmed in South Carolina, Michigan as US total climbs to 1,563

Michigan has reported 28 cases this year.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

3 1

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“TSVC targets Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, the leading cause of typhoid fever, and Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis, which together account for roughly 90% of iNTS infections in young children” www.cidrap.umn.edu/salmonella/v...

Vaccine for typhoid, invasive Salmonella shows promise in phase 1 trial

www.cidrap.umn.edu

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“suggest substantial opportunity for targeted load-balancing strategies during future pediatric hospitalization surges to be effective at reducing pediatric bed strain and harm." www.cidrap.umn.edu/respiratory-...

Data: Pediatric hospital strain amid 2022-23 respiratory virus season not tied to decline in beds

www.cidrap.umn.edu

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“One hope is that AI could speed up drug discovery— researchers are using AI tools to help design the next generation of antibiotics, but making antibiotics in the laboratory can be challenging” www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The rise of ‘nightmare bacteria’: antimicrobial resistance in six charts

Data reveal how the global challenge to reduce deaths and infections from drug-resistant bacteria is not going according to plan.

www.nature.com