How Q Fever Invades and Replicates Inside Killer Immune Cells
As part of its life cycle Coxiella burnetii, the bacterial pathogen responsible for Q fever, replicates inside a membrane-bound compartment or "parasitophorous vacuole" (PV) within immune cells. The organism manipulates macrophages to create the PV as well as optimal conditions for growth.
Circumstantial evidence has suggested that C. burnetii is able to exert this control using proteins that are delivered via a mechanism called a Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system (T4BSS) which is critical for successful parasitism of macrophages by the organism.
Using new genetic tools, researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the University of Arkansas for Medical Science have finally verified that Dot/Icm function is in fact essential for productive infection of human macrophages by C. burnetii.
The research was published in mBio, an open access online journal published by the American Society for Microbiology to make microbiology research broadly accessible.
CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures
July 11th 2025With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.
IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists
July 11th 2025Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.
A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings
July 9th 2025Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.
