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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · 21h

There’s now an app for all things fungi 🦠🍄
Dr. Matthew Pullen, Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, helped launch Dr Fungus—a free app that brings the trusted resource to your phone.

Explore fungal infections, antifungal treatments, and case-based learning—all in one place.

Home - Doctor Fungus

Welcome to Doctor Fungus! An Educational Website of theMycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (MSGERC) [View Legal Information] Where to Start Mycology Case of the Month An Introducti...

DrFungus.org

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · 4d

Dr. Radha Rajasingham & Dr. Nathan Bahr explore this critical question in a new article. Their work highlights ongoing knowledge gaps around ART timing, antifungal regimens, and how to ensure treatments are effective, safe, and accessible worldwide. 🌍💊
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Can liposomal amphotericin B be used as a preventive measure for cryptococcal meningitis?

Published in Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy (Just accepted, 2025)

www.tandfonline.com

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Aug 25

Dr. David Boulware’s latest study sheds light on the immune response in HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis.

🧪 Early deaths were linked to immune exhaustion in cerebrospinal fluid cells. Low CD8+ T cells + higher PD-1 expression = higher risk. #IDSky

Cerebrospinal Fluid Mononuclear Cell Phenotype and Activation Predictors of 2-week and 1-year survival among Persons with HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis

AbstractBackground. Despite efforts to optimize therapy for HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis (CM), survival outcomes remain poor. It is unclear how t

academic.oup.com

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Aug 23

🧠💉 Exciting news! Our faculty member Dr. Nathan Bahr co-authored the brand-new Clinical Practice Guideline for Tuberculous Meningitis. This work provides crucial recommendations for diagnosis & treatment of this devastating infection worldwide. #IDSky

A clinical practice guideline for tuberculous meningitis

Tuberculous meningitis is the most severe form of tuberculosis, causing death or disability in around half of those affected. There are no up-to-date international guidelines defining its optimal mana...

www.thelancet.com

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Aug 11

Cryptococcosis remains a leading cause of death in people with HIV. Dr. David Boulware’s FLOOR trial tested whether lower flucytosine dosing could keep treatment effective while reducing side effects. #IDSky

Dr. David Boulware, MD MPH @drboulware.bsky.social · Aug 8

What is the correct dose of flucytosine in cryptococcal meningitis? 100mg/kg is a round number? Is it correct? We sought to test whether lower dose 60mg/kg x 10 days was equally effective. doi.org/10.1093/cid/...
Trial was designed by the great ID UMN fellow Tom McHale @umn-idim.bsky.social

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jul 31

📅 Save the date: Sept 7–9, 2025
📍 Minneapolis, MN

Join us for the 2025 Congenital CMV Public Health & Policy Conference!

We’ll cover diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and family support. Our goal? Fewer babies born with CMV—and better lives for those affected.

#CMV #PublicHealth #IDSky

CMV Conference

cmv.usu.edu

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jul 30

The Halifax Declaration, born from this historic gathering, is a call to action against rising global inequities and restrictive migration policies. Co-created with those who’ve experienced displacement, it builds on decades of human rights work. #RefugeeHealth #IRMHC2025

University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jul 30

Faculty Dr. William M. Stauffer co-led the 2025 International Refugee and Migration Health Conference in Halifax—bringing together 600+ global leaders to address health equity for displaced people. 🧵#IDSky

The Halifax Declaration: protecting health, dignity, and human rights in an era of forced displacement

www.sciencedirect.com

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jul 26

And shoutout to Dr. Elizabeth B. Hirsch @ebhirsch.bsky.social from the UMN College of Pharmacy—also part of the expert panel behind the new IDSA national UTI guidelines. 👏📚

Teamwork across UMN helping shape evidence-based care!
#UMNproud #Pharmacy #UTI #AntibioticStewardship #IDSky

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jul 26

🚨 New National Guidelines Alert!
Our very own Dr. Dimitri Drekonja together with colleagues just authored the IDSA guidelines for urinary tract infections.

ID expertise from the University of Minnesota helping shape clinical care nationwide. 💪💊 #IDSky #UMNproud #UTI #MedSky #InfectiousDiseases

Complicated Urinary Tract Infections (cUTI): Clinical Guidelines for Treatment and Management

www.idsociety.org

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 27

✨ #FollowFriday ✨
We’re so close to 4,000 followers! Help us get there by tapping that follow button and tagging a colleague who should be part of our community. 🧫🌍🧠

Grateful for all of you who make this space smarter, kinder, and more curious. #IDSky #MedSky

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 27

🧠📈 New research from @drboulware.bsky.social @natebahrid.bsky.social
In people with TB meningitis (a serious brain infection), high levels of inflammation in the blood were linked to worse recovery.

A simple blood test (CRP) could help doctors predict who’s at higher risk early on. #IDSky

Prognostic Value of C-Reactive Protein in Adults With Tuberculous Meningitis: A Prospective Cohort Study

Among a cohort of adults with tuberculous meningitis, including 83% living with human immunodeficiency virus, we found that baseline C-reactive protein ≥40

academic.oup.com

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 17

Turns out, these quiet immune cells are essential bodyguards, protecting the brain even long after the infection is gone.

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 17

Dr. Lokensgard and his team just made a fascinating discovery: certain immune cells called bTRMs stay in the brain after a viral infection and quietly keep the virus from waking up again. When these cells were removed in mice, the virus started to stir. #IDSky

www.mdpi.com

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 16

Using spatial models, they found that every 10 µg/m³ increase in wildfire smoke (PM2.5) was associated with:
➡️ +203 COVID cases / 10k people (1-month lag)
➡️ +2.75 COVID deaths / 10k people (1-month lag)

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 16

🌲🔥 Our former ID fellow led a powerful study linking wildfire smoke and COVID-19 outcomes in California during 2020.

Climate change isn't just an environmental crisis—it’s an infectious diseases one too. 🌍🦠 #IDSky

Spatiotemporal Association of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases and Deaths With Exposure to Wildfire Particulate Matter in 2020

In 2020 wildfires in California were particularly severe as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Wildfire particulate matter was spatially and temporally associa

academic.oup.com

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 9

High-burden areas include AZ & CA—but nearly 150k cases occur outside known hotspots. The study calls for better awareness, diagnostics, and surveillance to guide policy and save lives. Estimated impact: 23k hospitalizations & 900 deaths/year. #FungalInfections #EpiResearch

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 9

How common is Valley fever really? A new study by faculty Dr. Bahr and colleagues estimates over 273,000 symptomatic cases of coccidioidomycosis in 2019—up to 18x higher than what’s reported nationally. Most cases are missed or misdiagnosed. #ValleyFever #PublicHealth #IDSky

Estimated Burden of Coccidioidomycosis

This cross-sectional study generates a systematic and rigorous estimate of national incident symptomatic coccidioidomycosis cases by developing a model to account for cases missed through national sur...

jamanetwork.com

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 7

Their findings: Viral load drops by Day 3 or 5 are moderate predictors of hospitalization or death — better than Day 7 measures! 📉 These insights could transform how new COVID-19 treatments are evaluated, streamlining future trials. #ClinicalResearch #COVID19

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Jun 7

Can early changes in COVID-19 viral load predict serious outcomes? 🧬 Dr. Boulware and team led the first individual participant data meta-analysis to find out! They pooled data from 23 trials to tackle this key question for Phase 2 clinical trials. #IDSky

The choice of viral load endpoint in early phase trials of COVID-19 treatments aiming to reduce 28-day hospitalization and/or death

This meta-analysis uses individual participant data to evaluate various SARS-CoV-2 viral load outcomes as surrogates for 28-day hospitalization/death. Chan

academic.oup.com

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · May 16

They highlighted the growing body of research showing how CMV may shape disease susceptibility across the lifespan through its immunomodulatory gene effects, challenging us to reconsider CMV as a silent but active player in chronic disease pathogenesis. #MedSky

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · May 16

🧠🔬 Grand Rounds Spotlight

Drs. Caleb Skipper and Mark Schleiss delivering a powerful discussion on the life-course implications of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) — a virus that continues to reveal its complexity far beyond the contexts of pregnancy or immunocompromised populations. #IDSky

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · May 11

We're proud to highlight Dr. Nathan Bahr as co-author of the 2025 clinical practice guidelines for Histoplasmosis 🧬📖

His dedication to advancing clinical standards and bridging global gaps in fungal infection care continues to set benchmarks for excellence in ID research and practice. #IDSky

Histoplasmosis

www.idsociety.org

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · May 8

We’re incredibly proud of Dr. Johnathone Yang for representing with passion and professionalism at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) meeting in Honolulu last week!

Check out his poster! #IDSky #Pedsky

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University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Apr 30

💡 Their study revealed two genetically distinct drug-resistant strains in a single infection- a novel gene conversion event between FKS1 and FKS2, linked to rising resistance against echinocandins.

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