What infectious diseases is researching now
The topics gaining the most ground, ranked by the PubDaily Trend Score: new research, stronger evidence, new trials and new guidelines. 291 topics in 22 specialties, updated 18 Oct 2026.
Monthly reportThe fastest-rising topics in medicine: October 2026Read →Shorter antibiotic courses
Shorter durations of antibiotic therapy.
Key point: For children with acute uncomplicated UTIs, shorter-course antibiotic therapy appears comparable with longer-course therapy in efficacy and safety.
Long-acting HIV prevention
Lenacapavir and cabotegravir injections for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Candida auris
A multidrug-resistant fungus spreading in healthcare settings.
Metagenomic sequencing diagnostics
Metagenomic next-generation sequencing to identify pathogens.
RSV vaccines in older adults
RSV vaccination for adults aged 60 and older.
New antibiotics for resistant Gram-negatives
Cefiderocol, sulbactam-durlobactam and other new agents.
See all 12 infectious diseases topics
Every rising topic, with the papers behind it. Free for doctors.
How the Trend Score works
Four signals
Growth in new papers (35%), growth in randomised trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews (25%), new clinical trials registered (20%), and new guidelines and consensus statements (20%), each over the last 12 months against the 12 before.
A score out of 100
Each signal is ranked against every topic we follow, so a score of 90 means the topic is ahead of about 90% of them. Rising fast: 80 and above. Rising: 55 to 79. Emerging: fewer than 100 papers the year before, too few to rank.
What it does not tell you
More research on a topic is not evidence that a treatment works. Open a topic to read the papers and guidelines themselves. Counts come from PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov.