Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 8h

“More than 130 unvaccinated students in two South Carolina schools are being quarantined after being exposed to measles.” apple.news/AF5TLggCwSsi...

Measles Outbreak in South Carolina Sparks Concern — TIME

More than 130 unvaccinated students in two South Carolina schools are being quarantined after being exposed to measles.

apple.news

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 8h

“An adult female elk in Elk Hunt Area 116 tested positive for the fatal neurologic infection, marking the area's first case. The hunting area..116 borders Elk Hunt Areas 117 and 129, which had detections in 2008 and 2020, respectively.” www.cidrap.umn.edu/chronic-wast...

Another Wyoming elk-hunting area reports CWD

An adult female elk in Elk Hunt Area 116 tested positive for the fatal neurologic infection, marking the area's first case.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 8h

“As of October 10, 6,013 cases of influenza virus have been recorded, and 287 people were hospitalized for their illnesses according to Nature. More than half of those hospitalized are children under the age of 14.” www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-ge...

Japan sees early flu activity, with school closures

Japan typically reports increased influenza activity at the end of November.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 8h

“All 21 cases in 2025 have been reported from mainland China, with the most (7) reported in Hunan province. In 2024, the country reported 11 total cases.” www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...

Two new H9N2 cases in China reported

All 21 cases in 2025 have been reported from mainland China.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 8h

“The vaccine will be developed on a baculovirus platform and will compare two H5 antigens for a recombinant protein vaccine: a wild-type and an artificial intelligence (AI)-optimized, broad-spectrum H5 antigen” www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...

CEPI announces new partnership with Indian vaccine maker

The vaccine will be developed on a baculovirus platform.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 8h

“VE against any HZ outcome was 56.1%, w/ similar VEs in patients w/ healthy immune systems and those w/ weakened immune systems and among all participants aged 65 to 80. In previous ZVL recipients, VE was 51.8%, compared w/ 57.7% among nonrecipients” www.cidrap.umn.edu/varicella/da...

Data: Two doses of recombinant shingles vaccine effective, even in those who received live vaccine

www.cidrap.umn.edu

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 8h

“envisions a pandemic risk monitoring system that tracks threats, vulnerabilities, and preparedness in real-time. This observatory, as the report calls it, would integrate epidemiologic, economic, social, and environmental data from various sources” www.cidrap.umn.edu/public-healt...

Report proposes new framework to prepare for future pandemics

www.cidrap.umn.edu

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 9h

"We are definitely flying blind in a number of countries and regions that have insufficient surveillance systems for antimicrobial resistance," www.cbsnews.com/news/superbu...

Drug-resistant superbugs' spread surging, World Health Organization warns

The United Nations' health agency says the number of drug-resistant bacterial infections is surging, compromising life-saving treatments and rendering minor injuries and common infections potentially ...

www.cbsnews.com

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 10h

"If you talk to people on the ground, including not only in Texas, but other states, they all say the same thing, which is that the numbers are much worse than that. Probably closer to 5,000 cases..And it's not done." www.npr.org/2025/10/12/n...

U.S. measles cases continue to climb, with outbreaks across the country

In South Carolina, more than 150 unvaccinated schoolkids are under quarantine after being exposed to measles. Across the U.S., total case counts could be even higher than the official number.

www.npr.org

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 10h

Novavax's second-largest shareholder calls for sale of vaccine maker - endpoints.news/novavaxs-sec...

Novavax's second-largest shareholder calls for sale of vaccine maker

Shah Capital is calling for a sale of Novavax after previously launching a proxy campaign for a board overhaul last year.

endpoints.news

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 10h

“For patients with probable sepsis, mortality was significantly lower when clinicians administered antibiotics w/i 1 hr of triage. However, patients w/ possible sepsis & low shock risk showed no mortality difference regardless of antibiotic timing” www.physiciansweekly.com/post/risk-ba...

Risk-Based Antibiotic Timing in Sepsis Care May Improve Outcomes | www.PhysiciansWeekly.com

Tailoring antibiotic administration timing to patient risk in sepsis care may improve outcomes and reduce antibiotic overtreatment versus following SSC timeframes.

www.physiciansweekly.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 10h

“Robust clinical trials evaluating inhaled nebulized UFH in hospitalized patients with lung injury, particularly those resulting from viral and bacterial respiratory infections, are now needed,” www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Common Blood Thinner May Cut COVID Deaths, Meta-Trial Finds

Inhaled nebulized unfractionated heparin with standard care markedly lowers the risk for intubation or death compared with standard care alone in hospitalized, nonintubated patients with COVID.

www.medscape.com

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 13h

“attitudes of paternalism and elitism underlie IRB fears over high compensation. But if all the efforts are made to ensure that a study is ethical in the first place, ‘paying more money to people doesn’t affect that’”
cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic...

I was injected with dengue virus to learn about clinical trials

I became a test subject in a clinical trial for a new dengue treatment. Here’s what I discovered

cen.acs.org

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 14h

“It’s a little challenging at the moment, because consumers are looking for organizations they can trust” — don’t trust any organization that RFK Jr controls triblive.com/news/world/n...

New covid guidelines add confusion, complications for Americans seeking shots

NEW YORK — Americans headed to pharmacies for covid-19 vaccines are running into roadblocks and confusion due to new U.S. guidance that abandoned broad support for the shots, contributing to the...

triblive.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

"Many of the patients received their first diagnosis in the context of this study, despite the fact that they've been unwell for so long." allafrica.com/stories/2025...

Africa: Beyond Malaria - Uncovering the Overlapping Crisis of Long Covid in Ethiopia and Uganda

While governments lifted restrictions and international attention moved elsewhere after some declared victory over the initial, acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, a significant portion of Covid-19 ...

allafrica.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

“Even prior to the latest round of layoffs, clinicians across the country reported dangerous interruptions in access to services including laboratory testing, public reporting and expert analyses of outbreak data and publication of clinical guidelines” www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/s...

How the shutdown impacts healthcare: Reductions in force begin at HHS, with some hiccups at CDC

Reductions in force begin at HHS, with some hiccups at CDCUPDATED: Oct. 13 at 1:25 p.m. | The federal government entered a shutdown Oct. 1 after Republicans and Democrats refused to compromise on the...

www.fiercehealthcare.com

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

“The desirability of outcome ranking did not include considerations for quality-of-life factors such as ability to discharge home without an intravenous catheter (and lower risk of thrombosis as a result), which can be important considerations” www.idsociety.org/science-spea...

DOT-ting i’s and crossing t’s: More evidence for using long-acting glycopeptides to finish therapy of complicated S. aureus bacteremia

A JAMA study looked at dalbavancin versus standard therapy for completion of treatment of complicated S. aureus bacteremia. Read IDSA’s Journal Club review.

www.idsociety.org

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

“more than 95% of pregnant women in the Maldives receive prenatal care, which involves almost universal testing for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. Additionally, more than 95% of newborns receive a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine” www.managedhealthcareexecutive.com/view/maldive...

Maldives First Country to Achieve ‘Triple Elimination’ of Congenital HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B

In a historical public health move, the Maldives has eliminated mother-to-child HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, which are collectively responsible for millions of deaths annually across the globe.

www.managedhealthcareexecutive.com

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 15h

“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine” www.reuters.com/business/hea...

WHO warns of surging levels of antibiotic resistance

One in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotic treatments, the World Health Organization said on Monday, calling for the medicines to be used more responsibly.

www.reuters.com

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 16h

“the pipeline for new drugs has largely dried up..broken marketplace for antimicrobials that has driven the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies from the field. Companies that have tried to make new antibiotics have been unable to make money from them”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...

W.H.O. Warns of Sharp Increase in Drug-Resistant Infections

www.nytimes.com

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 16h

“But today, the HHS is led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has made false statements about the HPV vaccine’s safety and effectiveness and played a leading role in organizing a mass lawsuit against one of the vaccine’s manufacturers, Merck.” 19thnews.org/2025/10/cerv...

Cervical cancer could be eradicated. But not with Medicaid cuts and anti-vax politics.

The cancer has a known path of prevention, but that also means it falls at the intersection of cultural issues that are facing strong political opposition.

19thnews.org

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 17h

“When it comes to reading, the nation’s third- through eighth-graders are still mired in a pandemic-era slump, according to new testing data.” apple.news/AZCVio7G4Suq...

In reading, the nation’s students are still stuck in a pandemic slump — NPR

New 2025 testing data shows third- through eighth-graders scored far below 2019 levels in reading. In math, some grades have made gains, but all are lagging compared to before the pandemic.

apple.news

Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“It is not the 1st case of CWD in Portage County, which is located in central Wisconsin, about 50 miles west of Green Bay. Both free-ranging & captive animals have previously tested positive in the county, which is surrounded by other CWD-positive counties” www.cidrap.umn.edu/chronic-wast...

Portage County, Wisconsin, deer farm under quarantine after buck tests positive for CWD

Both free-ranging and captive animals have previously tested positive in the county, which is surrounded by other CWD-positive counties.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“Fifteen of the 20 cases have been from exposures within the United States, 4 have been imported cases, and 1 case-patient has an unknown exposure.” www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/two-...

Two more measles cases confirmed in Minnesota

Last year Minnesota reported 70 measles cases, but 0 in 2023.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

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Amesh Adalja @ameshaa.bsky.social · 1d

“Viruses were detected in 98.5% of 532 bioaerosol samples (median, 3 viruses per classroom). The most common virus was rhinovirus (89.5% of samples), followed by RSV B (23.9%) and RSV A (12.4%), and influenza A and B (17.7% and 14.3%, respectively).” www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-ge...

HEPA purifiers not tied to less viral exposure in elementary classrooms, analysis finds

www.cidrap.umn.edu