Oxford’s Prof Katrina Lythgoe and Mahan Ghafari, DPhil, report ONS-CIS data on 576 persistent UK infections with rapid within-host evolution and rare transmission after one month.

South Africa faces emerging resistance to TB drugs like bedaquiline. Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST), the current reference standard for bedaquiline DST, has long turnaround times.

Political will, free maternity care and digital health tools helped Botswana achieve high standards for ending mother-to-child transmission.

Should every person with HIV over age 35 (if MSM or transgender woman) or 45 (everyone else) have an anal Pap smear, a digital anal rectal exam (DARE), and possibly a high-resolution anoscopy every 1–...

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has significantly impacted people with HIV (PWH). Harm reduction programs, changing transmission patterns, and direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have profoundly altered HIV/HCV coinfection trends. This study evaluates HCV prevalence in Spain over two decades.MethodsWe conducted nine cross-sectional studies (2002–2023) in 39–43 centers. Sampled individuals were randomly sampled from PWH actively followed at these centers, with proportional allocation. Main outcomes included anti-HCV antibody and active HCV infection (HCV-RNA+) prevalences.ResultsThe reference population ranged from 31,800 to 47,006, with sample sizes of 1,260–1,867. HIV transmission patterns shifted from 2002 to 2023, with injection drug use (IDU) decreasing from 55% to 21% and men who have sex with men (MSM) increasing from 17% to 46%. HCV seroprevalence fell from 60.8% to 27.4%, and active infection from 46.3% to 0.9%. In the DAA era (2015–2023), active HCV dropped by 100% in heterosexuals, 94% in IDU, and 71% in MSM. Treatment uptake increased from 23% in 2002 to 99% by 2023 with all-oral DAAs. Cirrhosis among active HCV cases peaked at 23.1% in 2015 but fell to 0% by 2021. Among those achieving sustained virologic response (SVR), cirrhosis prevalence was 20.4% in 2023.ConclusionsHIV/HCV coinfection has drastically declined in Spain, with active HCV infection prevalence below 1% since 2021. DAAs were pivotal in this achievement. However, cirrhosis remains a concern among those with SVR. Ongoing surveillance and prevention efforts are essential to sustain these gains and address residual risks.

New research finds no link between aluminum in vaccines and autism, asthma, or other health conditions, strengthening the case for vaccine safety.

“Dr. Sax, what’s it like to have lived through two pandemics as an ID doctor?” The question came from a brand-new intern during afternoon sign-out. I took a breath — because wow, were they different. ...

Lassa fever, caused by Lassa virus (LASV), is a rodent-borne disease endemic to West Africa. Despite growing interest from the global health community, the overall disease burden remains poorly understood due to persistent underreporting and inadequate diagnostic capacities. This study aimed to assess LASV infection dynamics in rural Guinea, addressing gaps in understanding its epidemiology in endemic settings.MethodsA cross-sectional serosurveillance study was conducted across six villages in Faranah, Guinea, involving 1,306 participants. Serum samples were analyzed for LASV-specific antibodies using ELISA, and a subset confirmed via immunofluorescence and neutralization assays. Statistical and mathematical models were used to estimate key epidemiological parameters, including the force of infection, antibody waning rates, and infection prevalence.ResultsOverall, IgG seroprevalence was 82.3%, while IgM prevalence stood at 1.8%. Seroprevalence exceeded 50% by age five and increased steadily with age, indicating lifelong exposure. Antibody waning rates suggested an average IgG persistence of 58 years. Mathematical analysis showed that halving LASV prevalence would require a tenfold reduction in the force of spillover, highlighting the challenges of effective control measures.ConclusionsThe seroprevalence observed in this study was markedly higher than reported elsewhere in West Africa, identifying Faranah as a hotspot for LASV transmission. Despite the high seroprevalence and estimated force of infection, the number of reported acute cases is very low, suggesting that LASV may frequently cause pauci- or asymptomatic infections or be commonly misdiagnosed for other diseases. These findings underscore that LASV is more widespread than assumed in rural Guinea.

Introduction Recent trials have demonstrated that shortened four-month treatment durations are effective for the majority of people with tuberculosis (TB). However, there is a population of TB patient...