IDSA’s Journal of Infectious Diseases has launched a monthly roundup of JID papers with direct relevance to clinicians. Read on to learn more about how vaccination can prevent herpes zoster, underlying mechanisms that may contribute to an increased risk of HIV in association with bacterial vaginosis and other research ready to inform clinical practice. (Titles and summaries are adapted from the December 2025 issue of JID.)
Companion editorial: Clinical Progression Scale-Pediatrics: A Potential Metric of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Severity and Progression in Children
This large study across 39 U.S. PICUs assessed infants with RSV (N = 585) using the Clinical Progression Scale for Pediatrics (CPS-Ped), which captures disease severity and tracks clinical improvement. The data illustrate the potential severity of RSV in hospitalized infants, with approximately 24% of infants requiring mechanical ventilation and 35% failing to improve by day 7. This approach could be useful for evaluating therapeutic interventions in future clinical trials.
Human infection with Trypanosoma cruzi leads to Chagas disease that yields distinct clinical outcomes. In this study, patients with asymptomatic versus cardiac Chagas disease were examined by single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The results demonstrate differential immune signatures with asymptomatic patients showing markers of immunoregulation and chronic cardiac Chagas patients showing, in particular, cytotoxic immune signatures. The results may assist in identifying biomarkers of those at risk for disease progression.
Cervicovaginal Secretions in Young Women With Bacterial Vaginosis Enhance HIV Infection
Bacterial vaginosis is a major health problem associated with increased HIV risk. In this study, female genital tract secretions obtained from young women with bacterial vaginosis enhanced HIV infection of cells whereas secretions collected from healthy controls had inhibitory activity. BV treatment with metronidazole did not reverse the key finding. The HIV-enhancing activity was associated with the vaginal community state type and vaginal dysbiosis.
Data on RZV’s effectiveness against herpes zoster in patients with autoimmune diseases is limited. This retrospective matched cohort study included 36,645 RZV-vaccinated and 109,229 unvaccinated patients. Vaccine effectiveness ranged from 48% for multiple sclerosis to 77% for psoriasis. Two RZV doses effectively prevented herpes zoster in ≥50-year-olds with selected autoimmune diseases.
Using data from Oracle EHR Real-World Data, which comprises 1.6 billion health care encounters nationally, this study found that blastomycosis and histoplasmosis incidence doubled in the U.S. from 2013 to 2023. Diagnoses increased outside of historically-endemic regions, and high incidence was identified in states not reporting surveillance data. Notable differences in incidence by race/ethnicity, gender and age were identified.