Even with viral suppression, serious non-AIDS events remain a risk in HIV. Our cross-site multi-omic analysis reveals high SNAE risk links to gut dysbiosis. This gut microbe could be a key therapeutic target to reduce inflammation. 🔬🧬 #IDSky

New multi-center research by faculty Dr. Obeid, Dr. Young & colleagues highlights severe challenges in treating refractory HSV in stem cell transplant recipients. With high acyclovir resistance & drug toxicity, their findings stress the urgent need for safer, oral antivirals. #IDSky

Refractory Mucocutaneous Infections by Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients: A Real-world, Multicenter Study

A total of 55.2% HCT recipients with refractory HSV healed completely at a median of 38 days of therapy. Seventy-five percent of patients received foscarne

academic.oup.com

Benchmarking hospital antibiotic use isn't apples-to-apples. Dr. Drekonja & team developed new Risk-Standardized Ratios (RSR) to adjust for patient case-mixes. The study shows these new metrics offer a clearer look at stewardship than standard SAAR metrics. 🩺📊 #IDSky #MedSky

New research from our HIV team in Uganda reveals that TB meningitis survival is linked to the upregulation of adaptive immunity & restraint of specific innate pathways. The data suggests moving away from broad corticosteroids toward targeted immunomodulators to save lives. 🔬 #IDSky

Cerebrospinal fluid transcriptional immune pathways linked to survival in HIV-associated tuberculous meningitis

In HIV-associated tuberculous meningitis, short-term survival was associated with upregulation of adaptive immune pathways – including T-cell, B-cell, NK c

academic.oup.com

New research from HIV study group: HLA gene variations & cryptococcal disease risk in Ugandan individuals with HIV. While overall findings were neutral after corrections, the HLA-DPB1*04:01 allele showed potential protective trends, revealing 121 viable peptides for future study #IDSky

Investigation of human leukocyte antigen alleles as risk factors for cryptococcal disease in Ugandan individuals with HIV

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal infection and a leading cause of HIV-associated meningitis, contributing significantly to AIDS-rela…

sciencedirect.com

New economic modeling from Dr. Rajasingham & team evaluates the cost-effectiveness of traditional Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) vs. newer, FDA-approved commercial microbiota therapies for recurrent C. diff infections. 🔬 #IDSky

Cost-effectiveness of Commercial or Traditional Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection

Using a Markov model, we compared traditional fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and commercial, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved microbiota

academic.oup.com

Untreated HIV-associated tuberculous meningitis is almost universally fatal. New work from Dr. Radha Rajasingham & team shows that Xpert Ultra diagnostic testing is highly cost-effective in Zambia ($242.76/QALY), supporting WHO guidelines for high-burden settings. #IDSky

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for the Diagnosis of HIV-Associated Tuberculous Meningitis

This study evaluates whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Xpert Ultra MTB/RIF testing is cost-effective for diagnosing HIV-associated tuberculous meningitis i

academic.oup.com

New diagnostic stewardship research from faculty Dr. Drekonja & team at VA hospitals. By using clinician education & feedback, they reduced unnecessary preoperative urine cultures in asymptomatic patients from 20.7% to 12.9%—with ortho dropping from 18.7% to 7.4%. 📉 #IDSky #MedSky

New data from ACTIV-6 trial: The team evaluated whether a 14-day course of metformin prevents Long COVID in low-risk outpatients. While it didn't meet the strict efficacy threshold for self-reported symptoms at Day 180, metformin did reduce clinician-diagnosed Long COVID by about 50%. 🔬 #IDSky

Metformin on the Presence of COVID-19 Symptoms 6 Months after Infection: The ACTIV-6 Randomized Clinical Trial

Treating acute COVID-19 with 14 days of metformin has a 63–98% probability of cutting the risk in half of having any symptoms, more severe symptoms, or a c

academic.oup.com

New from our faculty: Despite expanded screening & HIV treatment access in Uganda (2017-2022), cryptococcal meningitis risks remain high. 58% of the 2022 advanced HIV cohort were completely ART-naïve, showing patients still present to care too late. We must refine screening to save lives. #IDSky

Change in plasma cryptococcal antigen titers in Uganda among outpatients with advanced HIV disease from 2017 to 2022 with rollout of national cryptococcal screening

Introduction Cryptococcal meningitis causes an estimated 19% of AIDS-related deaths globally and is the leading cause of meningitis in adults with HIV. Subclinical infection with cryptococcal antigen ...

journals.plos.org

A new NEJM study highlights ensitrelvir, a post-exposure pill that cut COVID-19 infection risk from 9% to <3% in household contacts. UMN ID’s Dr. David Boulware weighs in on this promising new preventative tool for high-risk folks. 🧬 #MedSky #COVID19 #IDSky

This Pill Can Prevent You From Getting Covid-19 After Exposure to the Disease-Causing Virus, According to a Clinical Trial

The drug showed promising results in an international study involving nearly 2,400 participants, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to make an approval decision for it in June

smithsonianmag.com

New research from Dr. Alon Herschhorn’s lab looks at the future of long-acting HIV-1 therapies! 🔬 Broadly neutralizing antibodies are promising, but we need scalable genotypic testing to accurately predict viral resistance before clinical rollout. #UMNProud #IDSky #AcademicSky

Genotypic challenges in implementing broadly neutralizing antibody-based long-acting HIV-1 therapies - Communications Medicine

Tao et al. review clinical and experimental data linking HIV-1 Env sequence features to reduced broadly neutralizing Ab susceptibility. While genotypic analysis identifies many predictors of reduced s...

nature.com

Check out a new paper from our faculty and colleagues from 9 academic medical centers!

Clinical Infectious Diseases@cidjournal.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Antibiotic Duration after Debridement and Implant Retention for Early Postoperative Spinal Implant Infections: A Multicenter Cohort Study ✅ Just Accepted 🔗 https://bit.ly/4nHhJf8

Huge news for the #IDSky community! 🧬 Dr. Leuck and fellow IDSA CREW members have launched a new Infectious Diseases Fellowship Curriculum. This toolkit is designed to streamline administration and improve educational outcomes based on 2025 national survey data.

New Research: Telehealth-enabled provider-to-provider models are a game changer for rural healthcare. 🌐 The VAST initiative from our VA ID colleagues with 10 rural medical centers showed 80% acceptance for antibiotic recommendations. #IDSky 🩺✨

We can’t believe this needs to be said. Ivermectin does not work against hantavirus. 🧬 #Wellness

🚨 New research alert! For early postoperative spinal implant infections (PSII) managed with debridement and implant retention, is longer antibiotic therapy always better? Our team, alongside 9 other academic centers, evaluated 499 patients to find out. #IDSky

Antibiotic Duration after Debridement and Implant Retention for Early Postoperative Spinal Implant Infections: A Multicenter Cohort Study

In this multicenter retrospective cohort of 499 patients with early postoperative spinal implant infection managed by debridement and implant retention, ex

academic.oup.com

How do structured OPAT fit into the future of value-based care? Only a fraction of OPAT activities are covered under standard CMS coding schemes. We compared patient charges 90 days before and after index OPAT admissions before and after implementing pharmacist-led reconciliation. #IDSky #Medsky

Currently, the framework is heavily oriented toward antibacterial resistance, leaving antifungal resistance (AFR) dangerously neglected. Faculty member, Dr. David Boulware, is among the experts advocating for the immediate integration of AFR into these global One Health commitments. #IDSky

It’s been an incredible week for our team in Munich at #ESCMIDGlobal2026! 🇩🇪 We’ve had the opportunity to present our latest research, dive into deep discussions on global health, and reconnect with colleagues from across the field. #IDSky

Happy #FollowFriday! 🧪 If your "Infectious Disease" starter pack is looking a little thin, give us a follow. #IDSky #MedSky

📊 New work from @drboulware.bsky.social looks at Early Fungicidal Activity (EFA) in Cryptococcal meningitis. The 2-step approach is preferred for EFA, particularly when early culture sterility is common. Linear mixed models can bias estimates toward the null. #IDSky #MedSky

Assessing Statistical Methods for Estimating the Cerebrospinal Fluid Early Fungicidal Activity as an Endpoint for Cryptococcal Meningitis Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review and Simulation Study

AbstractBackground. Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening infection of the central nervous system. Early fungicidal activity (EFA), which measures

academic.oup.com

The global landscape of liver cancer is undergoing a major transition. 🦠➡️🍔 • Incidence remains highest in East Asia & Africa. • Etiology is shifting from predominantly infection-related to metabolic & alcohol-associated. • Rural-urban disparities are widening the gap in outcomes. #MedSky

#UMNProud

Waggoner Lab@labwaggoner.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Structures of Marburgvirus glycoprotein and its complex with NPC1 receptor @nature.com @umn-idim.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

🚨A new study by incoming fellow Dr. Okuno, mentored by faculty Dr. Boulware and Dr. Bahr, evaluates the association between therapeutic LPs and survival in patients with Cryptococcal Meningitis. The Findings: repeat LPs are a life-saving intervention across diverse patient populations. #IDSky

Lumbar Puncture Frequency and Patient Survival Among Persons Hospitalized with Cryptococcal Meningitis in the United States

Abstract. Elevated intracranial pressure contributes to high mortality in cryptococcal meningitis. We evaluated the association between therapeutic lumbar

academic.oup.com

State of the Art - CMV: Dr. Mark Schleiss @umn-idim.bsky.social presents 'Newborn Screening for Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) Infection Universal, Targeted, Expanded-Targeted or None-of-the-Above?' with how states are approaching screening. #stjudepids2026

New research from our faculty: antibiotic allergy labels in transplant patients are linked to C. diff infections, more antibiotic use & longer hospital stays, and they may be preventable. 🔬 #IDSky #MedSky

The Clinical Impact of Antibiotic Allergy Labels on One‐Year Outcomes of Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Antibiotic allergy labels (AALs) are common and often incorrect. They have many potential impacts, including the use of broader-spectrum antibiotics and suboptimal treatment of infections. The impact....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Can we improve TB preventive therapy (TPT) for those with advanced HIV? 🏥 A new phase-3 trial from @drboulware.bsky.social and colleagues evaluated two strategies for the 1-month 1HP (rifapentine + isoniazid) regimen in patients with cryptococcal meningitis. #IDSky

Inpatient initiation of tuberculosis preventive therapy with 1 month of isoniazid and rifapentine for adults with advanced HIV disease and cryptococcal meningitis (IMPROVE): a non-inferiority, randomi...

1HP initiation before hospital discharge was non-inferior to outpatient initiation among adults with AHD and cryptococcosis. These data suggest that following exclusion of active tuberculosis disease,...

thelancet.com

ATLAS trial by faculty Dr. David Boulware and colleagues, studied TB treatment timing in people with HIV & sepsis in East Africa. Overall mortality unchanged, but early standard-dose TB therapy saved lives in confirmed TB cases. #IDSky #MedSky

Immediate or high-dose antituberculosis therapy for HIV-related sepsis in Tanzania and Uganda (ATLAS): a phase 3, open-label, randomised, controlled, 2 × 2 factorial, superiority trial

Among all participants with HIV-related sepsis, 28-day mortality was not significantly reduced with immediate or high-dose antituberculosis therapy. In the subgroup with later confirmed tuberculosis, ...

thelancet.com

Faculty research spotlight: Dr. Rajasingham and colleagues studied point-of-care CD4 testing for advanced HIV in Uganda. Visitect CD4 enabled faster ART initiation with similar 24-week survival and retention-in-care at comparable cost. #IDSky