New Lyme Disease Blood Test Promises High Sensitivity, Specificity

New Lyme Disease Blood Test Promises High Sensitivity, Specificity

This week, at an annual scientific meeting of the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM), researchers described a blood test developed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) that they say identifies Lyme disease sooner and more accurately than the 2-tier serology diagnostic tools currently used in medicine. The new test has sensitivity and specificity of 90% or greater, according to a press release from ADLM. Researchers created an algorithm that improved accuracy across …

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Looks Like Another Tough Year for Pertussis Cases

Looks Like Another Tough Year for Pertussis Cases

This month, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reported 80 pertussis cases for the year so far—well surpassing its total of 49 cases reported in all of 2024. Ten patients have been hospitalized, including 7 children under the age of 2, although no deaths have been recorded through July 10, 2025. Children under 18 account for 76% of Mississippi’s cases, including 7 infants younger than 2 months. At least 28 of the individuals who …

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Urgent Care’s Use of Antibiotics, Glucocorticoids, Opioids Not Always Appropriate

Urgent Care’s Use of Antibiotics, Glucocorticoids, Opioids Not Always Appropriate

In a study that analyzed more than 22 million urgent care visits from 2018 to 2022, researchers assessed prescribing practices across several drug categories with the aim to shed light on opportunities for tailored stewardship programs. Among the total visits across all age groups, antibiotics were prescribed in 12.4% of visits, glucocorticoids in 9.1% of visits, and opioids in 1.3% of visits, as published in Annals of Internal Medicine. However, the authors estimate a substantial …

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RSV Vaccine Shows High Effectiveness In Infants

RSV Vaccine Shows High Effectiveness In Infants

In a study of 31,900 healthy term infants at Kaiser Permanente Northern California during the 2023–2024 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-season, researchers found nirsevimab demonstrated high effectiveness in preventing RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), as published in Pediatrics. Among immunized infants (49.1%), the incidence of RSV-associated LRTD was 6.10 per 1,000 person-years compared to 58.51 in non-immunized infants (95% confidence interval [CI], 81.7%–91.1%; P<0.001). Effectiveness against hospitalized RSV LRTD was 98.0% (95% CI, 85.1%–99.7%). Immunized …

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While Some Hesitate, About 40% of Pregnant Moms and Parents Plan to Fully Vaccinate Their Kids

While Some Hesitate, About 40% of Pregnant Moms and Parents Plan to Fully Vaccinate Their Kids

In a national cross-sectional survey analyzing vaccination attitudes during pregnancy and among parents of children aged 0–5 years, researchers found a number of pregnant women and parents may be unsure when it comes to the decision to vaccinate their kids or may refuse some vaccines, as published in JAMA Network Open. In the survey sets, 35-40% of US pregnant women and parents of young children say they do intend to vaccinate their child as recommended. …

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Providing Ondansetron At Home After Gastroenteritis ED Visit Helps Lower Risk For Kids

Providing Ondansetron At Home After Gastroenteritis ED Visit Helps Lower Risk For Kids

In a double-blind, randomized trial of 1,030 children aged 6 months to 18 years with acute gastroenteritis–associated vomiting, researchers found multidose ondansetron administered at home as needed after emergency department (ED) discharge significantly reduced the incidence of moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis during the subsequent 7 days. Among participants with complete follow-up, 5.1% of the ondansetron group experienced moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis (modified Vesikari score 9 or above) compared to 12.5% in the placebo group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.50; 95% …

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Flu Vaccines Now Making Their Way To Providers, Pharmacies 

Flu Vaccines Now Making Their Way To Providers, Pharmacies 

Several pharmaceutical manufacturers have announced the start of their outgoing shipments of influenza vaccines to healthcare providers and pharmacies in preparation for the 2025-2026 flu season, including GSK, CSL Seqirus, and Sanofi, according to a post by CIDRAP. Historically, every spring, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee meets to recommend which flu strains to include in the seasonal vaccine—recommendations that allow manufacturers to begin production. At the same time, the Centers for Disease …

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More Kids Using Cannabis, Arriving In The ED

More Kids Using Cannabis, Arriving In The ED

Between 2016 and 2023, emergency department (ED) visits for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) among adolescents aged 13 to 21 years rose significantly with an overall annual increase of 49%, as published in JAMA Network Open. The rate grew from 160.4 to 1,968.3 cases per 1 million ED visits over the study period. Out of 4,571 cases sampled, 27 patients were hospitalized with intensive care. States with recreational cannabis legalization had higher CHS encounter rates overall—1,909.5 …

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Two-Dose Shingles Vaccine Shows Long-Term Effectiveness

Two-Dose Shingles Vaccine Shows Long-Term Effectiveness

A real-world study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that two doses of the adjuvanted recombinant shingles vaccine was estimated to be 74% effective at preventing herpes zoster (HZ) and 84% effective at preventing postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in U.S. adults aged 50 years and older. The study, conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) in collaboration with the vaccine’s manufacturer GSK, evaluated the long-term effectiveness of the recombinant zoster vaccine. Researchers followed participants …

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COVID’s Sore Throat Symptoms Mimic Strep Pharyngitis

COVID’s Sore Throat Symptoms Mimic Strep Pharyngitis

Urgent care visit volumes continue at a predictable summer pace, but certain states have seen a rise in COVID-19 diagnoses, according to exclusive data from Experity. In fact, patients with COVID are presenting with symptoms that mirror strep pharyngitis, making it harder to tell the difference without testing. Arizona has the top positivity rate in the country at 24.2%, as of July 6, 2025. From mid-May through the beginning of July, the positivity rate has …

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