Infectious Diseases

What This Covers

• Viral, bacterial, and fungal infections
• Tick-borne and insect-borne diseases
• Antibiotic resistance and stewardship
• Emerging infections and outbreaks
• Prevention, symptoms, and treatment options

Featured Guides

All Infectious Diseases Guides

41 guides

• Shingles: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention — A guide to shingles (herpes zoster) — causes, symptoms, antiviral treatment, complications including post-herpetic neuralgia, and how the shingles vaccine prevents it.
• Candida auris (C. auris): A Drug-Resistant Fungal Infection Explained — An evidence-based guide to Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant fungal infection spreading in hospitals worldwide. Covers risks, transmission, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
• How E. coli Responds to Chemical Cues — Overview of how Escherichia coli regulates transport of antibiotics and other chemicals through porins and efflux pumps.
• Evidence-First COVID Vaccine Policy — A framework for evaluating COVID-19 vaccine policy based on absolute risk, safety signals, and transparent choice.
• Gastroenteritis — Preventing the Spread — How gastroenteritis spreads and the steps you can take to prevent infection in households and communities.
• Insect-Borne Infections: Understanding Vector-Borne Disease — How mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects spread infection, and what you can do to reduce risk.
• Legionnaires' Disease — Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention — What Legionnaires' disease is, how it spreads, symptoms to watch for, who's at risk, and how to reduce exposure — especially when traveling.
• Measles elimination explained — What measles elimination actually means, how it differs from eradication, and why elimination status can be lost.
• Measles in the United States: Outbreaks, Vaccination, and Risk — A clear, evidence-based guide to measles in the U.S., including outbreaks, symptoms, complications, vaccination, and what to do if exposed.
• Nipah Virus — A rare but highly lethal zoonotic virus causing encephalitis and respiratory disease, monitored globally for outbreak potential.
• Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) — Why some people have ongoing symptoms after treated Lyme disease, and what is (and isn't) known about recovery.
• Tick Bite Management — Practical steps after a tick bite — removal, observation, and when to seek treatment.
• Tick-Borne Diseases: An Overview — A guide to the range of diseases spread by ticks, how they differ, and what to do after a tick bite.
• US Vaccines & Measles (2026): What Changed, What Hasn’t, and What Matters — A clear guide to US vaccine policy changes, measles resurgence, and practical risk-based decision-making for families.
• Vaccine Myths and Facts — Separating persistent vaccine myths from evidence-based facts — from autism claims to ‘too many, too soon.’
• West Nile Virus (WNV) — What West Nile virus is, how it spreads, how to recognize it, and what you can do to prevent infection.
• Why Measles Comes Back First When Vaccination Rates Fall — An explainer on why measles resurges before other diseases when immunization coverage declines.
• Antibiotic Resistance — When bacteria and fungi no longer respond to the drugs meant to kill them, infections become harder — sometimes impossible — to treat.
• COVID-19 Vaccines: What We Know, What We Don’t — mRNA vaccines changed the course of the pandemic. Understanding their benefits, limitations, and uncertainties is key to informed choice.
• Flu vs. Cold — Key Differences & What to Do — How to tell influenza from a common cold, what symptoms to watch for, when to test, and when to seek care.
• Hepatitis B: Risks, Prevention, and Treatment — A clear overview of hepatitis B, including symptoms, transmission, chronic disease risks, vaccination schedules, and treatment options.
• Lyme Disease — A clear, evidence-based guide to Lyme disease — causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term outcomes.
• Rabies — Risks, Symptoms & What To Do After a Bite — Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but 100% preventable with prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Learn risks, symptoms, prevention, and urgent steps after exposure.
• Shingles (Herpes Zoster) and the Vaccine: What Adults Should Know — An evidence-based guide to shingles risk, complications, and vaccine recommendations for adults, including Australian guidance.
• Tuberculosis (TB): Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment — Tuberculosis is a serious bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs. Learn about transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
• Whooping Cough (Pertussis): Why Vaccination Still Matters — Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection. Vaccination remains the best protection for children and communities.
• Long COVID: Symptoms, Causes, and Recovery — A clear guide to long COVID, including symptoms, possible causes, current evidence on recovery, and when to seek medical help.
• Hantavirus — Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention — What hantavirus is, how it spreads through rodent contact, symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), when to seek urgent care, and how to prevent infection.
• Measles Exposure: What To Do (Step-by-Step Guide) — If you think you have been exposed to measles, the timing of your response matters. This step-by-step guide covers what counts as exposure, what to do in the first hours and days, post-exposure protection, and who is at highest risk.
• Sepsis — Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s extreme response to an infection, leading to organ damage and shock if untreated.
• Vaccination Overview — A clear introduction to vaccines — what they are, how immunity works, schedule logic, benefits and risks, and common misconceptions.
• Measles Vaccine (MMR/MMRV): Schedule, Catch-up, Effectiveness, and Safety — How the measles vaccine works, who should get it, catch-up guidance, outbreak doses, and common questions about safety.
• Measles and Pregnancy: Risks by Trimester, Critical Weeks, and What to Do After Exposure — Measles infection during pregnancy can increase risks of miscarriage, preterm birth, and severe maternal illness. Learn trimester-specific risks and how to reduce harm.
• Measles and International Travel: Vaccines, Timing, Infants, and What to Do After Exposure — Travel increases measles exposure risk. Learn vaccine timing, infant considerations, outbreak travel planning, and post-exposure steps.
• Measles (Rubeola): Symptoms, Risks, Vaccination, and Outbreaks — Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known. Learn symptoms, risks, vaccination guidance, and why outbreaks are resurging worldwide.
• Why Combination Vaccines Exist — Combination vaccines like MMR and DTaP reduce injections, improve coverage, and maintain identical safety and immune response compared to single shots.
• Azelastine Nasal Spray and COVID-19 Prevention — Review of a phase 2 clinical trial testing whether azelastine, an allergy nasal spray, can reduce SARS-CoV-2 infections.
• Bacterial Meningitis — Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, requiring immediate antibiotics and hospital care.
• Cellulitis — Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection causing redness, swelling, warmth, and pain; severe cases may spread rapidly and require urgent care.
• Pneumonia — Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that inflames the air sacs, causing cough, fever, and breathing difficulty; it can be life-threatening in infants, older adults, and people with chronic illness.
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) — A UTI is an infection of the urinary system — most often the bladder — causing burning urination, frequency, and urgency; kidney infections can be serious and require prompt care.