Topic description and stories

Combating infectious diseases and the threat of antimicrobial resistance remains one of the greatest global challenges.

Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella Typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells

AI able to identify drug-resistant typhoid-like infection from microscopy images in matter of hours

08 Jul 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to identify drug resistant infections, significantly reducing the time taken for a correct diagnosis...

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A man with a respirator on his face

Scientists map how deadly bacteria evolved to become epidemic

04 Jul 2024

Pseudomonas aeruginosa – an environmental bacteria that can cause devastating multidrug-resistant infections, particularly in people with underlying...

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Very sick 5 year old little boy fighting measles infection, boy is laying in bed under the blanket with an agonizing expression, boy is covered with rash caused by virus.

Birth by C-section more than doubles odds of measles vaccine failure

13 May 2024

Researchers say it is vital that children born by caesarean section receive two doses of the measles vaccine for robust protection against the...

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Herd of cows in a grassy field

TB vaccine may enable elimination of the disease in cattle by reducing its spread

28 Mar 2024

Vaccination not only reduces the severity of TB in infected cattle, but reduces its spread in dairy herds by 89%, research finds.

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Aerial view of crowd connected by lines

New Cambridge-developed resources help students learn how maths can help tackle infectious diseases

19 Feb 2024

Cambridge mathematicians have developed a set of resources for students and teachers that will help them understand how maths can help tackle...

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Scanning electron micrograph of MRSA

COVID-19 showed the importance of genomic surveillance – we need it to help fight antimicrobial resistance

14 Nov 2023

During the COVID-19 pandemic, genomic surveillance proved vital in helping understand the evolution and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Now, an...

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Virus variants

Vulnerability to different COVID-19 mutations depends on previous infections and vaccination, study suggests

06 Oct 2023

A person’s immune response to variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, depends on their previous exposure – and differences in the...

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Digital generated image of different variants of virus cells against a black background.

New vaccine technology could protect from future viruses and variants

25 Sep 2023

Studies of a ‘future-proof’ vaccine candidate have shown that just one antigen can be modified to provide a broadly protective immune response in...

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Monkeypox virus

Treatments for poxviruses – including those causing mpox and smallpox – may already exist in licensed drugs

09 Aug 2023

Scientists have discovered how poxviruses evade natural defences in living cells, and realised that drugs to stop them doing this are already...

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Know your HIV status sign in Simonga village, Zambia.

Genetic variant linked to lower levels of HIV virus in people of African ancestry

02 Aug 2023

An international team of researchers has found a genetic variant that may explain why some people of African ancestry have naturally lower viral...

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Close up of a person being injected with a vaccine

‘Ageing’ immune cell levels could predict how well we respond to vaccines

27 Jun 2023

Cambridge scientists have identified a signature in the blood that could help predict how well an individual will respond to vaccines. The discovery...

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Chicken

Could bird flu spark the next pandemic - and are we prepared if it does?

13 Jun 2023

Should we be worried about frequent news reports of flu being detected in birds and other animals?

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