EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

This month, we’re focusing on infectious diseases, a topic that affects lives and communities around the world. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how infectious diseases are being studied, prevented, and treated globally.

Study highlights the severity of acute necrotizing encephalopathy in kids with the flu

Boston Children's Hospital
Peer-Reviewed Publication

For most children, influenza (flu) usually means unpleasant symptoms like a fever, sore throat, and achy muscles. But for a small subset of kids, the flu can trigger a rare but serious complication called influenza-associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). This form of brain inflammation typically occurs in response to a virus — such as those that cause the flu — and can lead to lasting neurological problems and brain damage. Now, findings of a multicenter study, published today in JAMA, led by Molly Wilson-Murphy, MD, and Rachel Walsh, MD, in Boston Children’s Neuroimmunology Center suggest that ANE is often fatal in these children — despite intensive treatment.

Journal: JAMA

30-Jul-2025

Respiratory viruses can wake up breast cancer cells in lungs

University of Colorado Anschutz
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC), and Utrecht University have found the first direct evidence that common respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and influenza, can awaken dormant breast cancer cells that have spread to the lungs, setting the stage for new metastatic tumors. The findings published today in Nature, obtained in mice, were supported by research showing increases in death and in metastatic lung disease among cancer survivors infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Journal: Nature

30-Jul-2025

Rare, serious flu complication in kids needs rapid treatment, Stanford Medicine-led study finds

Stanford Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers want doctors and parents to know about key treatment and preventive measures, including flu vaccines.

Journal: JAMA

30-Jul-2025

Influenza-associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy in US children

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: In this case series of children with influenza-associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy from the 2 most recent influenza seasons in the U.S., the condition was associated with high morbidity and mortality in this cohort of predominantly young and previously healthy children. The findings emphasize the need for prevention, early recognition, intensive treatment, and standardized management protocols.

Journal: JAMA

29-Jul-2025

Study of water bodies frequented by wild birds reveals presence of antimicrobial resistance genes in nine in 10 samples

Applied Microbiology International
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The first UK study to monitor antimicrobial resistance and influenza viruses in water bodies has revealed that 92% of samples contained genes for resistance to colistin, an antibiotic of last resort.

Journal: Sustainable Microbiology

28-Jul-2025

Risk of long COVID increases with social and economic hardship

Brigham and Women's Hospital
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a new analysis of the RECOVER-Adult cohort, Mass General Brigham researchers found a two- to three-times higher risk of long COVID in those with social risk factors, including financial hardship, food insecurity, experiences of medical discrimination, and skipped medical care due to cost. Findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

24-Jul-2025

Protecting immune cells from exhaustion

Institut national de la recherche scientifique - INRS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In fighting chronic infections or certain cancers, CD8+ T cells—the immune system’s frontline soldiers—eventually become exhausted. They lose effectiveness and respond less efficiently to threats. This weakening is a major therapeutic challenge, as it limits the body’s ability to fight chronic infections.

However, the team of Professor Simona Stäger at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), in collaboration with colleagues from INRS and McGill University, has identified a key game changer: IRF-5. This transcription factor appears to preserve the energy and vitality of CD8+ T cells by acting directly on their metabolism.

These findings, recently published in The EMBO Journal, highlight the importance of fundamental research in understanding the immune system and developing innovative therapeutic approaches.

Journal: The EMBO Journal
Funder: Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé, Armand-Frappier Foundation

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

Latest News Releases

Study highlights the severity of acute necrotizing encephalopathy in kids with the flu

Respiratory viruses can wake up breast cancer cells in lungs

Rare, serious flu complication in kids needs rapid treatment, Stanford Medicine-led study finds

Influenza-associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy in US children

Study of water bodies frequented by wild birds reveals presence of antimicrobial resistance genes in nine in 10 samples

Risk of long COVID increases with social and economic hardship

Protecting immune cells from exhaustion