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Infectious Disease Reports, Volume 18, Issue 2

2026 April - 18 articles

Cover Story: Trace elements such as copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) have complex and sometimes context-dependent effects: while they can strengthen the body’s defenses, imbalances may promote viral replication and worsen tissue damage. So, we discuss their impact on major infections such as HIV, viral hepatitis, and coronaviruses, highlighting how deficiencies or excesses of certain minerals can affect disease severity, immune responses, and clinical outcomes. The therapeutic use of trace element supplementation is also examined, emphasizing the importance of maintaining proper balance to avoid harmful effects. This review underscores the need for further clinical and experimental studies to define optimal levels of these elements in different health and disease scenarios. View this paper
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Articles (18)

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,691 Views
12 Pages

Influenza A(H3N2) Subclade K (J.2.4.1): Molecular Characterization, Antigenic Divergence, and Global Spread During the 2025/26 Season

  • Francesco Branda,
  • Nicola Petrosillo,
  • Giancarlo Ceccarelli,
  • Fabio Scarpa and ,
  • Marta Giovanetti and
  • Massimo Ciccozzi
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

Background: Influenza A(H3N2) continues to evolve rapidly, frequently eroding population immunity and challenging seasonal vaccine strain selection. During the 2025/26 season, the A(H3N2) subclade K (J.2.4.1) expanded quickly across multiple regions...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2 Citations
1,318 Views
11 Pages

Objectives: Outpatient antibiotic prescribing is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance, yet detailed long-term analyses of prescribing patterns in Croatia remain limited. This study aimed to analyze trends in outpatient antibiotic prescriptions...

(This article belongs to the Section Antimicrobial Stewardship and Resistance)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,633 Views
11 Pages

Background/Objectives: Mycoplasma genitalium is an emerging cause of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and is increasingly recognized for its association with cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease. However, prevalence data in specific Japan...

(This article belongs to the Section Sexually Transmitted Diseases)
  • Review
  • Open Access
2 Citations
775 Views
9 Pages

Background: The antibiotic ibezapolstat and the live biotherapeutic product live-JSLM are promising future approaches for treating Clostridioides difficile infection. Ibezapostat is a highly specific antibiotic for Clostridioides difficile, with mini...

(This article belongs to the Section Bacterial Diseases)
  • Case Report
  • Open Access
725 Views
7 Pages

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in AIDS: The Diagnostic Role of PET Imaging

  • Virginia Donini,
  • Riccardo Paggi,
  • Alberto Farese,
  • Costanza Malcontenti and ,
  • Enrico Tagliaferri,
  • Claudio Caroselli,
  • Spartaco Sani,
  • Maria Matteini,
  • Alessandro Bartoloni and
  • Lorenzo Zammarchi
  • + 5 authors+ 0 author

Introduction: The majority of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) cases is still represented by patients affected by acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Diagnosis of PML relies on histopathological findings or by the combination o...

  • Case Report
  • Open Access
1,715 Views
9 Pages

Brucella anthropi Endocarditis: An Unusual Pathogen

  • Fernando Baires,
  • Erin Arias,
  • María José Díaz,
  • Cesar Burgos and ,
  • Carlos A. Umaña Mejia,
  • Justice Cruz,
  • Joanne Cordero Guerra,
  • Helen Hoffman,
  • Jack Bordovsky and
  • Amy C. Madril
  • + 7 authors+ 2 authors

Background: The genus Brucella has expanded considerably in the 21st century. With the advent of advanced phylogenetic analyses, a close genetic relationship between Brucella and Ochrobactrum has been identified, leading to reclassification of Ochrob...

  • Review
  • Open Access
4,085 Views
16 Pages

Therapeutic Management of Septic Venous Thrombosis: A Narrative Review

  • Anabel Franco-Moreno,
  • Ana Bustamante-Fermosel,
  • Juan Torres-Macho and
  • Belén Comeche-Fernández

Background/Objectives: Septic venous thrombosis is an uncommon complication but clinically significant due to its high morbidity and mortality and the complexity of therapeutic decision-making. The lack of standardized guidelines and the scarcity of...

(This article belongs to the Section Infection Prevention and Control)
  • Case Report
  • Open Access
1,357 Views
12 Pages

Non-Typhoidal Salmonella enterica Bacteremia Complicated by Native Shoulder Septic Arthritis in a Patient with Sickle Cell Disease Following Foodborne Exposure: A Case Report and Literature Review

  • Gabriel A. Godart,
  • Vidit Yadav,
  • Joseph M. Bestic,
  • Bradley S. Schoch and ,
  • Bryan D. Springer,
  • Ravi V. Durvasula,
  • Sammer M. Elwasila and
  • Justin M. Oring
  • + 3 authors+ 0 author

Background/Objectives: Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) species are well-recognized causes of invasive infection in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), with a particular predilection for the musculoskeletal system. Although Salmonella osteomyeliti...

(This article belongs to the Section Bacterial Diseases)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,043 Views
14 Pages

A Blood-Based Interferon Viral Score Defines Acute RSV Bronchiolitis in Infants

  • Ilaria Galliano,
  • Stefania Alfonsina Liguori,
  • Anna Pau,
  • Paola Montanari and ,
  • Cristina Calvi,
  • Anna Clemente,
  • Anna Massobrio,
  • Claudia Linari,
  • Stefano Gambarino and
  • Massimiliano Bergallo
  • + 6 authors+ 1 author

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis and hospitalization in infancy. Reliable biomarkers reflecting host antiviral responses and disease dynamics are still lacking. Methods: We evaluated the expression o...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,365 Views
9 Pages

Heart Failure Incidence and Risk Factors in U.S. Adults Receiving Bezlotoxumab: A Large Database Analysis

  • Chia-Yu Chiu,
  • Daniel B. Chastain,
  • Joseph Sassine and
  • Andrés F. Henao-Martínez

Background: Bezlotoxumab is used to prevent recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. Although well tolerated, heart failure (HF) exacerbations have been reported as adverse events in clinical trials. This study evaluates the incidence and predic...

(This article belongs to the Section Bacterial Diseases)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
784 Views
13 Pages

Matrix-Dependent Sensitivity of Two Pan-Trematode PCR Assays for Detecting Schistosoma spp. in Clinical Human Samples

  • Hagen Frickmann,
  • Andreas Hahn,
  • Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt,
  • Ulrike Loderstädt and ,
  • Norbert Georg Schwarz and
  • Ralf Matthias Hagen
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

Background: Schistosoma spp. are trematodes occurring in tropical endemic areas but can be imported to non-endemic regions as causes of travel-associated infections. In this study, two pan-trematode-specific real-time PCR assays were evaluated for th...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,515 Views
32 Pages

Comparative Molecular Docking and Pharmacokinetic Profiling of Cinnamic Acid and Oleic Acid from Cinnamomum verum as Potential Inhibitors of Dengue Virus Proteins

  • Wafaa Hussien Habeeb,
  • Noor Hameed Hanoush,
  • Meena Thaar Alani,
  • Ali Hazim Abdulkareem and ,
  • Mohammed Obaid Ibrahim,
  • Mohammed Salih Al-Janaby,
  • Mohammed Mukhles Ahmed,
  • Saja Saadallah Abduljaleel and
  • Zaid Mustafa Khaleel
  • + 4 authors+ 0 author

Background: Dengue virus (DENV) does not have any effective antiviral therapy. The Cinnamomum verum has cinnamic acid and oleic acid that could inhibit important viral proteins. Aim: To compare their inhibitory capacity with the key DENV proteins thr...

(This article belongs to the Section Viral Infections)
  • Systematic Review
  • Open Access
2 Citations
7,513 Views
20 Pages

Global Review on Naegleria fowleri Cases: Contemporary Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Outcomes

  • Andreas Sarantopoulos,
  • Annalisa Quattrocchi,
  • Ioannis Kopsidas,
  • Oliver A. Cornely and ,
  • Danila Seidel,
  • Itamar Grotto and
  • Zoi Dorothea Pana
  • + 2 authors+ 0 author

Background/Objectives: Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare, fulminant, and often fatal central nervous system infection caused by the opportunistic free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri. Although Naegleria species are widely present in...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3,926 Views
12 Pages

Background: Cupriavidus is an aerobic Gram-negative bacterium and a rare conditional pathogen that mainly infects immunocompromised patients or those undergoing invasive procedures. Methods: We present the case of a 70-year-old male with diabetes mel...

(This article belongs to the Section Bacterial Diseases)
  • Case Report
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,388 Views
14 Pages

Mycobacterium fortuitum: A Neglected Cause of Culture-Negative Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis and a Literature Review

  • Selen Şahin,
  • İrem Tümkaya Kılınç,
  • Eda Yüksel,
  • Çağla Mehmet and ,
  • Bedia Dinç and
  • Emine Alp Meşe
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

Background/Objectives: Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria is a rare but serious condition and is often associated with delayed diagnosis due to initially negative routine blood cultures with late positivity after pro...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Healthcare-Associated Infections)
  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,874 Views
29 Pages

Trace Elements and Viral Infectious Diseases: Dual Roles in Pathogenesis and Immunity

  • Carla Mariana da Silva Medeiros,
  • Michely da Silva Sousa,
  • Lucas Hestevan Malta Alfredo,
  • Jemmyson Romário de Jesus and
  • Cícero Alves Lopes Júnior

Introduction: Trace elements such as zinc, selenium, iron, copper, and manganese play a vital role in human health—especially in how the immune system responds and how the body handles viral infections. These trace elements have complex and som...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viral Infectious Diseases: Epidemiology and Prevention Through Vaccination)
  • Case Report
  • Open Access
1,556 Views
9 Pages

Streptococcus intermedius Septic Arthritis of the Acromioclavicular Joint with Periarticular Abscesses in an Elderly Man with Diabetes and Recent Canine Exposure: A Case Report and Literature Review

  • Gabriel A. Godart,
  • Vidit Yadav,
  • Elizabeth P. Wellings,
  • Rupert O. Stanborough and ,
  • Vincent C. Zummo,
  • Bryan D. Springer,
  • Ravi V. Durvasula and
  • Sammer M. Elwasila
  • + 3 authors+ 0 author

26 February 2026

Background/Objectives: Streptococcus intermedius, a member of the Streptococcus anginosus group, is characterized by a marked propensity for abscess formation but only rarely causes native-joint septic arthritis. Involvement of the acromioclavicular...

(This article belongs to the Section Bacterial Diseases)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,508 Views
14 Pages

Post-COVID-19 Rabies Surveillance and Risk Factors in Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa: A One Health Perspective

  • Sithabile Moso,
  • Laston Gonah,
  • Mojisola Clara Hosu,
  • Ntandazo Dlatu and ,
  • Teke Apalata and
  • Lindiwe Modest Faye
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

24 February 2026

Background: Rabies remains a neglected zoonotic disease in South Africa, particularly in rural areas where surveillance weaknesses, behavioral gaps, and limited One Health coordination persist. Objectives: This study assessed rabies surveillance, beh...

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Infect. Dis. Rep. - ISSN 2036-7449