Clinical Microbiology Reviews

SUMMARYStreptococcus suis is a swine pathogen causing significant economic losses and an important zoonotic agent in humans. Southeast Asia is a high-incidence region, where infection is strongly linked to consumption of raw or undercooked pork and occupational exposure to pigs or pork products. Thailand and Vietnam report the highest case numbers, with additional cases in Indonesia (Bali), Malaysia, Singapore, Lao PDR, and Cambodia. Serotype 2 predominates in both humans and pigs, followed by...

SUMMARYMycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is an acute respiratory infection caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and constitutes the primary cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among children aged 5 years and older in China. The clinical manifestations of MP-associated respiratory disease in children are diverse, ranging from mild upper respiratory symptoms to life-threatening pneumonia. Notably, during the implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) aimed at curbing...

SUMMARYLoop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a type of isothermal nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). Compared to more traditional NAATs, like polymerase chain reaction (PCR), LAMP is run at one consistent temperature, utilizes four to six primers, and uses Bst polymerase. Some advantages that are provided by these differences are that LAMP has lower equipment requirements, resiliency to common PCR inhibitors, and a rapid time to result. Unfortunately, some disadvantages are also...

SUMMARYDNA sequencing has revolutionized microbial surveillance in cystic fibrosis (CF), transforming pathogen identification from culture-dependent to total microbial community identification using molecular-based approaches. Techniques such as 16S rRNA gene sequencing have uncovered the complexity of the CF airway microbiome, while shotgun metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and viromics now provide strain-level, functional, and viral insights beyond bacterial identification. Despite these...

SUMMARYIntra-amniotic infection is the main cause of spontaneous preterm birth and adverse maternal-fetal outcomes; therefore, rapid, robust, and accurate diagnosis remains a clinical priority. Conventional microbiological techniques, especially culture-based methods, are limited by long turnaround times and the inability to detect fastidious or unculturable organisms. This review summarizes the diagnosis, nomenclature, clinical significance, management, and laboratory approaches for diagnosing...

SUMMARYLeptospirosis, a widespread zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira species, remains a major public health challenge, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Despite advances in understanding Leptospira biology and pathogenesis, effective disease control continues to be limited by the lack of rapid, early diagnostics, and broadly protective vaccines. This review comprehensively examines recent progress in deciphering Leptospira-host interactions, with emphasis on key...

SUMMARYThe year 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the discovery of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which belongs to the metapneumovirus genus within the Pneumoviridae family. The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), discovered in 1956, is a close relative of HMPV belonging to the same family but to a different genus. In this article, we review key past findings related to HMPV infection, highlighting the differences with RSV. In addition, we specifically discuss current research areas pertaining to...

SUMMARYThe messenger RNA (mRNA)-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccine platform is the newest tool in the vaccination arsenal for combating infectious diseases, rare genetic diseases, and cancer. Since 2020, major advances in preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of mRNA-LNP vaccines against viral pathogens and in cancer. However, studies investigating the efficacy of mRNA-LNP vaccines against bacterial pathogens remain sparse due to substantial bacterial vaccine-specific...

SUMMARYRickettsial diseases, encompassing scrub typhus, spotted fever group rickettsioses, and typhus group rickettsioses, represent a significant and escalating public health threat worldwide, particularly in the Asia-Pacific and sub-Saharan African regions. Despite their high morbidity and potential for fatal outcomes if left untreated, these infections remain notoriously underdiagnosed due to their nonspecific clinical presentation, which frequently overlaps with other acute undifferentiated...

SUMMARYColorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health concern that is growing in prevalence, especially in younger populations. The gut microbiome is an increasingly recognized factor in the development and progression of numerous diseases, including CRC. This review explores the current research on the causal relationship between the microbiome and CRC, including the strengths and limitations of the current models for studying this complex interaction. We then delve into key microbial...

SUMMARYIn recent years, coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6) has become a predominant cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) worldwide, surpassing enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) and CVA16. The rise of CVA6 is of particular public health concern due to its association with atypical and severe clinical presentations, including extensive vesiculobullous eruptions and neurological complications. These diverse and often non-classical manifestations, which also occur in adults, complicate clinical diagnosis and...

SUMMARYThe skin harbors a diverse fungal community that contributes to both epidermal homeostasis and inflammatory disease. Historically, studies of cutaneous fungi focused primarily on opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. Advances in sequencing technologies and metagenomic analyses have revealed that commensal yeasts of the skin microbiome likely influence host physiology and cutaneous disease severity. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of host-fungal...

SUMMARYPlasmodium vivax remains a major barrier to global malaria elimination due to dormant liver-stage hypnozoites that drive relapse and sustain transmission even in low-endemic settings. India accounts for nearly half of the global P. vivax burden, placing it at the center of elimination efforts. This review synthesizes current evidence on the epidemiology, biology, and control of P. vivax in India. Despite progress, early gametocytogenesis, hypnozoites, low parasitemia, and immune evasion...

SUMMARYUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide, with catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs) representing a major subset in healthcare settings. CAUTIs significantly increase patient morbidity, mortality, hospital stays, and healthcare costs, while driving antibiotic overuse and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Systemic antibiotics often fail due to poor biofilm penetration, localized infection sites, and rising multidrug resistance, highlighting the...

SUMMARYPreterm infants face a unique trajectory of gut microbiome assembly, shaped by the convergence of physiological immaturity, necessary clinical interventions, and the neonatal intensive care unit environment. This dysbiotic ecosystem-characterized by low diversity, depletion of beneficial commensals such as Bifidobacterium, and expansion of pathobionts, including Enterobacteriaceae-is increasingly recognized as a central mediator of neonatal morbidity. This review synthesizes current...