Infectious Diseases Newsletter

Researchers have discovered a new chemical compound that is potent against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of malaria.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a huge uptick in research across disciplines. In the first six months after the pandemic hit, 35,000 publications were indexed in PubMed; by the end of the year that number reached 90,000.

Climate change has a dramatic impact on the spread of infectious diseases, both locally and globally, explains Yale’s James Shepherd, MD, PhD.

Mosquito saliva is known to play a significant role in the transmission of viruses such as yellow fever, Zika, dengue, and chikungunya, yet many of its functions remain to be understood. In a new study, researchers revealed that a mosquito salivary protein binds to an immune molecule in humans, facilitating infection in the human skin caused by the transmitted virus.

A new study led by Yale researchers uncovers a new cellular process that links the metabolism of vitamin B5 to the ability of fungi to detoxify drugs. These findings represent a significant leap in our understanding of fungal resistance mechanisms and herald new treatment possibilities for combating resilient fungal strains, with far-reaching implications for patients worldwide.

Yale Medicine (YM) and Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) recently introduced the first mobile retail pharmacy and clinic in Connecticut, bringing health care to people where they live. This project, known as InMOTION, serves communities throughout Connecticut, the first state in the nation to legalize mobile retail pharmacy services. InMOTION’s goal is to make better health accessible to anyone disconnected from the health care system for any reason. It is led by Sandra Springer, MD, professor of medicine (infectious diseases).

In a new study, Yale researchers identified the targets in the human body to which pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, and other vectors bind. Their findings, they say, could help address the rising threat of vector-borne diseases, a leading cause of death worldwide.

Faculty from the Yale Department of Internal Medicine’s Section of Infectious Diseases have recently contributed a clinical case to JAMA’s Clinical Challenge series. The case involved a patient with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes, who presented to the emergency room with a one-week history of weakness.

Tick-borne diseases, primarily transmitted by Ixodes scapularis (black-legged or deer tick), are increasingly prevalent in the United States, surpassing diseases spread by mosquitoes. With over 490,000 annual cases, these diseases, including Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and Powassan virus, present significant public health challenges.