Diploma in Infection Prevention & Control

27/01/2026

In an era where antibiotics are crucial for our health, food security, and economic stability, the looming threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a critical challenge that demands immediate action. This article underscores the significant implications of AMR, which could shrink the global economy by approximately $1.7 trillion by 2050, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated global efforts to combat this issue. As exemplified by the Davos Compact on AMR, over 50 organizations are rallying to address this crisis, invoking a call to action that transcends sectors including healthcare, agriculture, and finance.

One stark example of AMR's dire consequences is its connection to sepsis, a leading cause of mortality worldwide, especially among vulnerable populations like cancer patients. As resistant infections increase, conditions that are already life-threatening become even more deadly, leading to higher healthcare costs and reduced workforce productivity.

The article details a multi-pronged strategy for tackling AMR, outlined by the Davos Compact, focusing on innovation, awareness, sustainable agricultural practices, and multisectoral engagement. This provides a roadmap for collective action, emphasizing the role of various stakeholders in driving systemic change.

Readers are urged to attend the pivotal session "The Fragile Future of Antibiotics" at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2026, and to consider signing the Davos Compact themselves, joining a global coalition that aims to safeguard our shared future against AMR. This topic not only concerns public health but underscores broader economic and societal implications, making it a must-read for anyone invested in the future of healthcare, agriculture, and economic viability.

Antimicrobial resistance threatens our health and economic security. Organizations are urged to sign the Davos Compact on AMR to tackle this global threat.

12/01/2026

For more insights and detailed analysis, please visit www.onehealthupdate.com.

Long COVID is increasingly recognized as a complex interplay of symptoms rather than a singular condition, as highlighted in a recent systemic review in eClinicalMedicine.

The review, led by researchers from Lanzhou University, analyzed 64 studies involving 2.4 million individuals across 20 countries. It identified key symptom patterns associated with long COVID, including fatigue, respiratory, neurologic, and olfactory issues. The findings reveal that fatigue is the most prevalent symptom, often co-occurring with other issues such as muscle pain and cognitive difficulties. The review also notes demographic variations, with women more likely to report fatigue and neuropsychiatric symptoms, while men report respiratory issues more frequently. Additionally, COVID variants influence symptom clusters, emphasizing the need for personalized care and further research into classification methods and interventions.

For more insights and detailed analysis, please visit www.onehealthupdate.com. https://go.upcontent.com/d4d3fbbf-8407-4f0a-9f12-37d5c2c17adc

Want to get featured your published articles here? Submit the published public link of your article along with one image to executive editor. Archives Click here to apply for the professional membership of Infection Control Academy (IFCAI). Enquire to advertise: Please submit the interest

06/01/2026

This week, we dive into recent trends in acute respiratory infections, highlighting significant increases in influenza-like illnesses and hospitalizations, alongside ongoing surveillance of hepatitis A outbreaks across Hungary.

www.onehealthupdate.com https://go.upcontent.com/0ab98269-e387-46ce-84ca-c4c7eb5336c4

05/01/2026

The ongoing impact of COVID-19 highlights the critical need for sustained vaccination efforts. A recent WHO analysis reveals the virus continues to send thousands to hospitals across Europe. www.onehealthupdate.com. https://go.upcontent.com/7ec4389e-3e02-45b2-bc24-032799f5bdb9

03/01/2026

Stanford investigators identify CXCL10 and IFN-γ as cooperating cytokine mediators of rare myocarditis after mRNA COVID‑19 vaccination; blocking them or giving genistein reduced cardiac injury in preclinical models.

In-depth: Using blood samples from vaccinees, macrophage and T‑cell assays, human cardiac spheroids and young male mice, the team mapped a two‑step immune cascade: vaccine‑stimulated macrophages release CXCL10, which primes T cells to secrete IFN‑γ. Together these cytokines promote neutrophil/macrophage infiltration, endothelial adhesion and raised cardiac troponin—replicating features seen in post‑vaccine myocarditis. Importantly, inhibition of CXCL10 and IFN‑γ largely prevented myocardial injury while largely preserving vaccine responses. The investigators also found that genistein, a soy‑derived isoflavone with weak estrogenic and anti‑inflammatory activity, mitigated cytokine‑driven cardiac dysfunction in cells and mice when given at high, purified doses. The authors emphasize that mRNA vaccines remain overwhelmingly safe and that SARS‑CoV‑2 infection poses a markedly higher myocarditis risk, but these mechanistic insights suggest potential strategies for protecting high‑risk groups (young males) and warrant clinical evaluation of targeted cytokine modulation or safe prophylactics. Study: Cao et al., Science Translational Medicine, 10 Dec 2025. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adq0143. https://go.upcontent.com/ff04aece-35ef-41e0-aed4-aba95ee286ff

A Stanford-led study probes why a very small number of people develop heart inflammation shortly after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, revealing an unexpected interaction between key immune pathways.

02/01/2026

Antibiotic residues in Indian city sewage persist after treatment, select for diverse resistance — including to last‑resort drugs — and promote horizontal gene transfer, creating urban hotspots that threaten clinical care and public health.

Paul et al. (Nat Commun 2025) used metagenomic sequencing across multiple Indian metropolises to map antibiotic contaminants and the sewage resistome. They found persistent multi‑class antibiotic residues from households, hospitals and pharma that survive conventional treatment and impose low‑level selective pressure. Deep sequencing revealed resistance determinants — including against last‑resort agents — and an abundance of mobile genetic elements (plasmids, integrons, transposons) that facilitate horizontal gene transfer across species. Resistance levels tracked seasonal antibiotic use, highlighting human behaviour as a driver. Standard treatments (activated sludge, chlorination) often failed to remove residues or resistant bacteria; sublethal concentrations post‑treatment may further drive AMR. The authors model future trajectories and call for integrated surveillance, advanced wastewater technologies (advanced oxidation, membrane filtration, bioremediation), strengthened antibiotic stewardship, pharmaceutical waste controls, infrastructure investment, and policy reform. Early‑stage biotic strategies (phage therapy, competitive consortia) are promising but require development. For infection control officers and hospital managers, the study underscores that environmental reservoirs of resistance are integral to hospital AMR risk and need coordinated clinical, environmental and municipal responses. https://go.upcontent.com/ca554b79-9e48-4bac-b9ac-1b64a2c5d8d3

In the sprawling urban landscapes of India, the growing menace of antibiotic contamination is quietly reshaping the very fabric of microbial ecosystems within city sewage systems. A groundbreaking

01/01/2026

AMR now links to about 12,000 deaths annually in Italy; experts urge diagnostics-led stewardship, better HTA recognition of diagnostics, and strengthened access to testing and treatment to protect antibiotics and the health system.

As editor of a curated One Health newsletter for IPC professionals, I flagged the latest findings released during World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2025: antimicrobial resistance remains a major national threat with significant mortality and economic implications for the National Health Service. An international expert group convened by the Office of Health Economics highlights that many current HTA methods underrecognise diagnostics’ role as an “enabling lever” for appropriate antibiotic use. The case is straightforward—accurate, rapid laboratory diagnosis either confirms infections that need treatment or confidently rules them out, preventing unnecessary antibiotic exposure. The recommendations are clear: scale up diagnostics access, integrate diagnostic stewardship with antimicrobial stewardship across hospital and community care, revise HTA frameworks to value diagnostic impact, and ensure uptake of innovative technologies to guide targeted clinical decisions and preserve antibiotic efficacy. https://go.upcontent.com/5ba1eb5d-9b50-4ef6-b60f-e21b26a10617

31/12/2025

WHO’s Integrated Drug Resistance Action Framework 2026–2030 targets drug resistance in HIV, hepatitis B/C and STIs with a people‑centred, integrated strategy emphasising stewardship, surveillance, laboratory capacity and equitable access to care.

The WHO framework is a five‑pillar roadmap to preserve treatment effectiveness and reverse threats to gains against HIV, hepatitis B and C, and sexually transmitted infections. It frames urgent, coordinated action around: prevention and response; monitoring and surveillance; research and innovation; laboratory capacity; and governance and enabling mechanisms. Key priorities include strengthened antimicrobial stewardship, robust surveillance systems, equitable access to high‑quality prevention, diagnosis and treatment services, and investment in laboratory and workforce capacity. The Framework aligns with WHO global health sector strategies, the SDGs and the Global Action Plan on AMR, and responds to renewed political momentum after the 2024 UN High‑level Meeting on AMR. WHO highlights the stakes: without integrated, multisectoral implementation, drug resistance could drive more new infections, treatment failures and preventable morbidity and mortality. For infection prevention and control officers, antimicrobial stewardship leads, clinical teams and hospital managers, the document is a call to operationalise surveillance, laboratory strengthening, stewardship policies and community‑centred services within national and facility plans.

) https://go.upcontent.com/f28a3fe4-5fef-48ab-b601-d08281d5c56a

Without urgent action, drug resistance could lead to more new infections, treatment failures and higher morbidity and mortality.

30/12/2025

Weekly curated roundup of our best work and standout community members — free, concise, and tailored for infection control, One Health, antimicrobial stewardship, and hospital leadership professionals.

As editor of One Health Update from the Infection Control Academy of India, I curate a focused weekly selection: evidence-based articles, IPC guidance, antimicrobial stewardship insights, microbiome and AMR findings, and profiles of practitioners driving practical change. Each edition distills indexed-journal content and actionable tools for infection control officers, nurses, and hospital managers, with links to deeper reads and implementation resources. It’s designed to save you time, sharpen clinical and operational decisions, and showcase real-world practice innovations. The mailing is complimentary and you can unsubscribe anytime if it’s not a fit. https://go.upcontent.com/0fc7f4a6-ab94-4d08-96ca-06411cdbeb3f

Researchers from Harvard University and the University of São Paulo identified metabolites that travel from the intestine through the hepatic portal vein to the liver and then throughout the body, playing a crucial role in controlling liver metabolism and insulin sensitivity. By analyzing blood fro...

29/12/2025

Part 1 (concise,

A low-dose antibiotic developed in Leiden may stop C. difficile infections more effectively by targeting the pathogen while preserving the gut microbiome. Researchers in Leiden have developed a new antibiotic called EVG7 that can combat the dangerous gut bacterium C. difficile using only a very s

28/12/2025

Rapid single-test genomics detects pathogenicity and resistance markers in Klebsiella pneumoniae, enabling earlier targeted therapy and stronger infection-control measures.

Prof. Dr. Can’s team at Koç University has developed a molecular diagnostic that, in one rapid assay, identifies genetic markers of both virulence and antibiotic resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae—traditionally assessed separately through slower workflows. By combining pathogenicity and resistance profiling, the test promises faster, more accurate clinical decisions that can reduce mortality, shorten hospital stays, and curb transmission of high-risk strains. Nature selected the project for its MDx Impact Award, citing originality, translational relevance and potential for broad implementation; international industry collaboration supports clinical rollout. Beyond diagnostics, the program probes immune-evasion mechanisms to inform next-generation therapeutics, with AI-assisted drug discovery flagged as a future avenue. For infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship teams, this tool strengthens molecular epidemiology and precision diagnostics at the bedside and in IPC programs. https://go.upcontent.com/dcaa8cb7-1d77-4f4b-9e5d-f8e8595f2968

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most pressing - and quietly advancing - challenges facing modern medicine. Among the most dangerous bacterial pathogens driving this crisis is Klebsiella pneumoniae, a microorganism capable of causing severe infections while evading both antibiotics and the human....

27/12/2025

Zoonotic Streptococcus imports host glucose to suppress the (p)ppGpp-mediated stringent response, sustaining growth and virulence during meningitis.

In a Nature Microbiology study, Yuan et al. show that during meningitis these Streptococcus strains actively import environmental glucose to interrupt alarmone accumulation and prevent entry into growth arrest. Using metabolomics, transcriptomics, genetic knockouts and in vivo models, the team mapped how upregulated glucose transporters and downstream metabolic reprogramming fuel cell wall synthesis, protein translation and replication machinery—promoting rapid bacterial proliferation in nutrient-poor cerebrospinal environments. Critically, transporter-deficient strains had lower bacterial loads and improved survival in mice, demonstrating that disrupting glucose uptake restores stress responses and attenuates disease. The work highlights a direct mechanistic link between carbohydrate metabolism and virulence regulation, with implications for diagnostics (metabolic biomarkers), adjunctive therapies that modulate host or bacterial sugar access, and novel antimicrobials targeting metabolic vulnerabilities—an especially attractive strategy as antibiotic resistance grows. The zoonotic context also raises One Health concerns about how animal reservoirs and nutrient-rich niches select for pathogens that can override canonical stress responses. For infection control officers and hospital clinicians, the study points to metabolism-focused targets and the potential to combine metabolic inhibitors with existing stewardship efforts to blunt invasive disease.

—Editor, One Health Update, Infection Control Academy of India

In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Microbiology, researchers have unveiled a sophisticated tactic employed by zoonotic Streptococcus species during meningitis infections. This pathogen