🦠 Managing viral infections in immunocompromised patients: Key updates from ESCMID 2026 At ESCMID 2026, Dr Jon Salmanton-Garcia (University of Cologne) highlighted how rapidly evolving immunosuppressive therapies are reshaping the landscape of viral infections in vulnerable patients. In this interview, Dr Salmanton-Garcia discusses key advances in diagnostics, including next-generation sequencing and biomarker-driven approaches, alongside rapid progress in vaccine platforms and expanding antiviral options. He also highlights the growing attention on previously under-recognised respiratory viruses and the importance of continued collaboration. Read more: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #ESCMID2026 #InfectiousDiseases #Virology #Vaccines #Antivirals

🦠 Why host-directed therapies could transform bacterial infection treatment At ESCMID Global 2026, Dr Clark Russell discusses how rising antimicrobial resistance and an ageing, multimorbid population are driving the need to rethink how we treat bacterial infections. Rather than relying solely on antibiotics, host-directed therapies aim to enhance the patient’s own immune response - opening the door to more personalised and potentially more effective treatment strategies. Read now: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #ESCMID2026 #AntimicrobialResistance #InfectiousDiseases

💉 Vaccination remains our best tool against polio. Poliovirus spreads from person to person, often through contaminated water, and can spread rapidly in communities where sanitation is poor or vaccination coverage is low. There is no cure for polio, but safe and effective vaccines can provide protection and help prevent transmission. 🌍 Since 1988, global vaccination efforts have helped reduce polio cases by 99.9%. Maintaining high immunisation coverage remains essential to protecting children and preventing the virus from returning. This World Polio Day, let’s recognise the role of vaccination in the global effort to eradicate polio. 🔗 Explore our viral infections resources: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… @ISID_org #WorldPolioDay #EndPolio #Polio #Vaccines #InfectiousDiseases #GlobalHealth

🌍 Today is World Polio Day. Polio has been reduced by 99.9% since 1988, bringing the world closer than ever to eradication. 🧒 The virus mainly affects children under five and can attack the nervous system, sometimes causing paralysis. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination can prevent infection and protect communities. Only two countries remain endemic for wild poliovirus, but until transmission is stopped everywhere, every child remains at risk. This World Polio Day, we’re highlighting the continued global efforts to end polio and protect future generations. 🔗 Explore our viral infections resources: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… @ISID_org #WorldPolioDay #EndPolio #Polio #Vaccines #InfectiousDiseases #GlobalHealth

What could the future of infection prevention look like? 🤖 For the final day of #InternationalInfectionPreventionWeek, the focus turns to the technologies shaping the next generation of infection prevention. AI-powered outbreak detection and surveillance tools could help identify patterns and emerging risks earlier, while genome sequencing can provide increasingly detailed insights into pathogens and transmission. UV robotics and automated environmental monitoring are also creating new opportunities to support safer healthcare environments. These technologies have the potential to strengthen how infection prevention teams identify, monitor and respond to risks - but they are designed to complement, rather than replace, the fundamentals of infection prevention. Hand hygiene, evidence-based practice, surveillance and patient safety remain at the heart of the work. Past. Present. Protected. Keep learning with FREE access to expert-led education: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… @ISID_org @APIC #IIPW2026 #InfectionPrevention #InfectiousDiseases #PatientSafety #InfectionPreventionWeek

Infection prevention extends beyond the bedside. 🏥 Today’s #InternationalInfectionPreventionWeek theme highlights the importance of the environment of care - from healthcare facilities and infrastructure to air, water, cleanliness and maintenance. A well-designed and well-maintained healthcare environment can help reduce opportunities for pathogens to spread. This means considering not only clinical practice, but also the spaces, systems and services that support patient care. Infection preventionists work alongside Environmental Services, Facilities, Supply Chain and other teams to identify risks and support safer healthcare environments. From the air we breathe and the water we use to the spaces where care takes place, infection prevention is a shared responsibility. Past. Present. Protected. Sign up for FREE access to the latest infectious diseases insights: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… @APIC @ISID_org #IIPW2026 #InfectionPrevention #InfectiousDiseases #PatientSafety #InfectionPreventionWeek

Preventing infection can also help protect antibiotics. 💉 For #InternationalInfectionPreventionWeek, today’s theme looks at the advances of the 1900s, when vaccines and antibiotics transformed the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Vaccination helped prevent a growing range of infectious diseases, while antibiotics provided effective treatment for many bacterial infections. Today, infection preventionists sit at the intersection of these achievements - supporting vaccination, helping to prevent healthcare-associated infections and working alongside antimicrobial stewardship programmes. Preventing infections in the first place can reduce the need for antibiotic treatment and help limit opportunities for antimicrobial resistance to develop and spread. Past. Present. Protected. Explore FREE medical education and stay up to date with developments across infectious diseases: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… @APIC @ISID_org #IIPW2026 #InfectionPrevention #InfectiousDiseases #PatientSafety #InfectionPreventionWeek

Generation after generation, infection prevention has evolved. 🧼 For #InternationalInfectionPreventionWeek, today’s theme focuses on the 1800s and the foundations built through hygiene and prevention. Florence Nightingale’s emphasis on cleanliness, ventilation, nutrition and sanitation helped improve outcomes among wounded soldiers during the Crimean War, at a time when germ theory was not yet widely accepted. Her work highlighted the importance of the healthcare environment and the role that nurses could play in preventing infection and improving patient care. Alongside wider developments in sanitation and public health, these approaches helped establish principles that continue to influence infection prevention today. Past. Present. Protected. Register for FREE access to the latest infectious diseases education, expert insights and conference highlights: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… @APIC @ISID_org #IIPW2026 #InfectionPrevention #InfectiousDiseases #PatientSafety #InfectionPreventionWeek

Have you listened to our latest #Podcast? ‘Empowering choice in HIV care: Moving beyond daily pills to person‐centered ART strategies’ Listen now: touchpodcast.podbean.com/e/e… #HIV #HIVCare #ART #LongActingART #SharedDecisionMaking #CME #MedEd

It’s #InternationalInfectionPreventionWeek! 🦠 This week, touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES is proud to support the @APIC campaign, celebrating generations of infection prevention. Starting with the theme ‘Built by Outbreaks, Refined by Science’, today looks at how approaches to infection prevention have evolved over centuries. Early responses to outbreaks often centred on fear, isolation and containment, but growing scientific understanding helped shift towards evidence-based prevention. From hand hygiene and PPE to surveillance, vaccination and trained healthcare professionals, many of the principles used today have been shaped by lessons learned from past outbreaks. Past. Present. Protected. Want to keep up with the latest developments in infectious diseases? Sign up for FREE access to expert insights, peer-reviewed articles, conference highlights and medical education: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… @ISID_org #IIPW2026 #InfectionPrevention #InfectiousDiseases #PatientSafety #InfectionPreventionWeek

🦠 ESCMID 2026 | Influenza prevention in older adults At ESCMID 2026, Dr Filip S. Davidovski presented new data comparing high-dose versus standard-dose influenza vaccination across different severity levels of laboratory-confirmed infection. The findings support the potential value of enhanced vaccination strategies for older and vulnerable populations. Dr Davidovski also highlights the importance of large-scale registry data and digital vaccine platforms in shaping future prevention approaches. Read more: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #ESCMID2026 #Influenza #Vaccination #PublicHealth #InfectiousDiseases

We are delighted to announce Dr Catherine K. Koofhethile @KheiKoofhethile as a touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES Future Leader 2026! 🦠 Based at the Botswana Harvard Health Partnership in Gaborone, Botswana, Dr Koofhethile is recognised for her contributions to HIV research and her commitment to advancing the next generation of infectious diseases research in Botswana. In her Future Leader interview, she reflects on her journey into infectious diseases, the importance of building the next generation of researchers, and how emerging approaches targeting persistent HIV reservoirs could shape the future of HIV cure research. Read more: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #FutureLeaders2026 #InfectiousDiseases #HIVResearch #HIVCure #EmergingLeaders

We are delighted to announce Dr Grace Androga as a touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES Future Leader 2026! 🦠 Based at the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Research Programme in Blantyre, Malawi, Dr Androga is recognised for her work in infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and molecular diagnostics, with a focus on developing diagnostic approaches for resource-limited settings. In her Future Leader interview, she discusses her journey into infectious diseases, the importance of creating opportunities for other scientists, and how accessible, reliable diagnostic technologies could help bring testing closer to patients and support earlier identification of infections and outbreaks. Read more: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #FutureLeaders2026 #InfectiousDiseases #AntimicrobialResistance #Diagnostics #EmergingLeaders

We are delighted to announce Dr Daniela de la Rosa Zamboni @Daniela95835839 as a touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES Future Leader 2026! 🦠 Based at CENAPRECE in Mexico City, Dr de la Rosa Zamboni is recognised for her work in infectious diseases, epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance and infection prevention, with a focus on translating evidence into improved patient and public health outcomes. In her Future Leader interview, she discusses her journey across clinical medicine, epidemiology and public health, the impact of turning data into real-world interventions, and how genomic epidemiology, wastewater surveillance and AI could shape the future of antimicrobial resistance surveillance and infection prevention. Read more: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #FutureLeaders2026 #InfectiousDiseases #AntimicrobialResistance #InfectionPrevention #EmergingLeaders

📋 Are PROs part of your everyday ART decisions? Prof. Jürgen Rockstroh explores how patient-reported outcomes can help surface hidden issues and support person-centred HIV care. ▶️ Watch & earn CME credits: touchinfectiousdiseasesime.o… #HIV #ART #MedEd

We are delighted to announce Dr Aran Singanayagam @SinganayagamLab as a touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES Future Leader 2026! 🦠 Based at Imperial College London, Dr Singanayagam is recognised for his work in respiratory infection research and exploring the mechanisms that influence susceptibility to viral infections. In his Future Leader interview, he discusses what inspired his research into recurrent respiratory infections, the lessons he has learned while building an independent research programme, and how the lung microbiome could offer new opportunities for preventing viral infections in at-risk individuals. Read more: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #FutureLeaders2026 #InfectiousDiseases #RespiratoryInfections #LungMicrobiome #EmergingLeaders

We are delighted to announce Dr @TarynEubank as a touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES Future Leader 2026! 🦠 Based at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy in the USA, Dr Eubank is recognised for her work in Clostridioides difficile, antimicrobial resistance and approaches to gut microbiome stewardship. In her Future Leader interview, she discusses her journey into infectious diseases, the importance of mentoring the next generation, and how incorporating microbiome stewardship into clinical practice could help address antimicrobial resistance and opportunistic infections. Read more: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #FutureLeaders2026 #InfectiousDiseases #AntimicrobialResistance #Microbiome #EmergingLeaders

We are delighted to announce Dr @DanielHurdiss as a touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES Future Leader 2026! 🦠 Based at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Dr Hurdiss is recognised for his work in structural virology, uncovering the molecular mechanisms of viral infection and identifying new opportunities for antiviral development. In his Future Leader interview, he discusses what drew him to structural virology, the experience of building an independent research group, and how advances in imaging, computational biology and AI could help identify new vulnerabilities across emerging viruses. Read more: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #FutureLeaders2026 #InfectiousDiseases #Virology #AntiviralResearch #EmergingLeaders

We are delighted to announce Dr Clark Russell as a touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES Future Leader 2026! 🦠 Based at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Russell is recognised for his work exploring host immune responses to bacterial infections and the potential for host-directed therapies to complement conventional approaches. In his Future Leader interview, he discusses his interest in host-directed therapies, the impact of ageing and multimorbidity on susceptibility to infection, and how patient stratification could support more targeted approaches to bacterial diseases. Read more: touchinfectiousdiseases.com/… #FutureLeaders2026 #InfectiousDiseases #Microbiology #HostDirectedTherapy #EmergingLeaders

💬 What matters to the individual when choosing ART? Prof. Brenda Crabtree-Ramirez explores practical shared decision-making strategies to help align regimen choice with individual goals and preferences. ▶️ Watch & earn CME credits: touchinfectiousdiseasesime.o… #HIV #ART #MedEd