CMI Communications

Communicable

About the show

Communicable takes on hot topics in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology. Hosted by the editors of CMI Communications, the open-access journal of ESCMID, the European Society of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases.

Newest episodes

Communicable E66: Diagnostics in the AMR era

Nov 1, 2026 50 min

Ahead of World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW), Communicable presents a special episode exploring the role of diagnostics within the space of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Hosts Thomas Tängdén and Annie Joseph are joined by experts Betsy Wonderly Trainor of CARB-X (USA) and Marc Mendelson of Groote Schuur Hospital (South Africa) to discuss how diagnostics can help address the AMR crisis by guiding targeted treatment and reducing unnecessary antibiotic use. They explore the limitations of current diagnostic tools, the challenges of implementing them across different healthcare settings, and the need for incentives to encourage investment in diagnostic innovation. Further reading: Gigante V, et al. Diagnostics for priority bacterial pathogens: global gaps and research needs for curbing antimicrobial resistance in low-resource settings. Lancet Microbe 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2026.101385Miller M, et al. Clinical Utility of Advanced Microbiology Testing Tools. J Clin Microbiol 2019. DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00459-19

Communicable E65: Quarterly catch-up (October 2026 edition)

Oct 18, 2026 49 min

In this episode of Communicable, Emily McDonald returns for another ‘Quarterly catch-up’ and is joined by Angela Huttner as co-host. Together, they review four recent randomised clinical trials, focusing on antibiotic treatment duration and different treatment approaches across a range of infections and patient populations [1–4]. They discuss the results and weigh in on their implications for clinical practice. References Johnson, et al. Vancomycin Taper and Pulse or Fidaxomicin for Recurrent C. difficile Infection. NEJM Evid. DOI: 10.1056/EVIDoa2600016Bundgaard, et al. Response-Tailored or Standard-Duration Antibiotic Treatment for Infective Endocarditis (POET II). NEJM. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2607887 Bielicki, et al. Oral step-down, optimal drug, and total duration of antibiotic treatment in African children hospitalised with severe community-acquired pneumonia (PediCAP): a factorial randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2026. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00879-2Carlsen, et al. Individualized Duration of Antibiotic Treatment in Culture-Negative Early-Onset Sepsis in Late Preterm and Term-Born Neonates in Denmark: A Multicenter, Open-Label, Randomised, Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. DOI: 10.1016/S2352-4642(26)00118-5

Communicable E64: Getting micro on macrolides for community-acquired pneumonia

Oct 4, 2026 50 min

In this episode of Communicable, hosts Emily McDonald and Marc Bonten are joined by Sylvain Lother and Valentijn Schweitzer for a discussion on the use of macrolides in community-acquired pneumonia. Together, they examine the evidence for adding a macrolide to beta-lactam therapy, which patients may benefit from combination treatment, and how available evidence can inform clinical practice. Resources: AMMI Canada, https://ammi.ca/en/home/Further reading Postma DF, et al. Antibiotic Treatment Strategies for Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults (CAP-START). NEJM 2015. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1406330 Qian ET, et al. Cefepime vs Piperacillin-Tazobactam in Adults Hospitalized With Acute Infection: the ACORN Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2023. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.20583 Schweitzer VA, et al. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia in Dutch adults (CAP-PACT): a cross-sectional, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised, non-inferiority, antimicrobial stewardship intervention trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2022. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00255-3van Daalen FV, et al. Management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults: Practice Guideline from The Dutch Working Party on Antibiotic Policy and Dutch Association of Chest Physicians. CMI Comms 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmicom.2026.105206

Similar podcasts

The GP Podcast Irish College of GPs

The Dr Louise Newson Podcast Dr Louise Newson

No Appointment Necessary Made You Look Studios

The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast Dr Rupy Aujla

FoundMyFitness Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.

The Dr. Hyman Show Dr. Mark Hyman

The Peter Attia Drive Peter Attia, MD

The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

All episodes

Communicable E66: Diagnostics in the AMR era

Nov 1, 2026 50 min

Communicable E65: Quarterly catch-up (October 2026 edition)

Oct 18, 2026 49 min

Communicable E64: Getting micro on macrolides for community-acquired pneumonia

Oct 4, 2026 50 min

Communicable E63: Does oseltamivir harm critically ill patients? The REMAP-CAP results

Sep 20, 2026 1 hr 3 min

At the Critical Care Reviews meeting in Belfast in June this year, REMAP-CAP investigators presented results suggesting that oseltamivir may be harmful in critically ill patients with influenza, upending a long-standing clinical practice in intensive care [1]. In this fourth collaboration between SIDP’s Breakpoints and ESCMID’s Communicable podcasts, hosts Erin McCreary and Josh Davis are joined by Steve Webb (Monash University), senior REMAP-CAP investigator and 'godfather of adaptive trial design', and Steve Tong (University of Melbourne), esteemed clinical trialist and friend of both podcasts. Together, they walk through the trial domain’s design, outcomes and results, also highlighting how these findings demonstrate the importance and clinical impact of randomised clinical trials. At the time of this episode recording in August, the results discussed were available as a preprint version [1]. Resources REMAP-CAP: A Randomised, Embedded, Multi-factorial, Adaptive Platform Trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia, https://www.remapcap.org/ References Murthy S, et al. Oseltamivir for Critically Ill Patients with Influenza: A Randomised Trial. Lancet 2026. Preprint http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.7172531

Communicable E62: The 'prose' and cons of the POET trial – early oral antibiotic switch for endocarditis

Sep 6, 2026 52 min

In this episode of Communicable, Emily McDonald and Josh Davis host Henning Bundgaard and Sami El-Dalati for a discussion on early oral antibiotic switch for endocarditis, focusing on the POET trial, led by Bundgaard, and its clinical impact seven years after the results were first published in 2019 [1]. The episode also covers the ‘prose’ and cons of early oral switch therapy, as well as broader challenges of implementing new evidence in practice when it goes against long-standing dogma. References Iversen K, et al. Partial Oral versus Intravenous Antibiotic Treatment of Endocarditis, NEJM 2018. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1808312Further reading: Pries-Heje MM, et al. Five-Year Outcomes of the Partial Oral Treatment of Endocarditis (POET) Trial, NEJM 2022. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2114046El-Dalati S, et al. Partial Oral Versus Intravenous Antibiotic Therapy for Endocarditis With Management by a Multidisciplinary Team: A Retrospective Cohort Study, OFID 2025. DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf625McDonald EM, et al. Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Infective Endocarditis in Adults: A WikiGuidelines Group Consensus Statement, JAMA Netw Open 2023. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.26366European Society of Cardiology (ESC). 2023 ESC Guidelines for the management of endocarditis, 2023.

Communicable E61: We will make you love PK/PD, part 3

Aug 23, 2026 52 min

In this episode of Communicable, Amy Legg (Brisbane, Australia), Rekha Pai Mangalore (Melbourne, Australia) & Angela Huttner (Geneva, Switzerland) return for the third part of the ‘We will make you love PK/PD’ series. The hosts are joined by two experts, Amanda Gwee (Melbourne, Australia) & Sebastian Wicha (Hamburg, Germany), to dive into an important application of PK/PD: model-informed precision dosing (MIPD), and how it allows for more informed, individualised dosing decisions. The episode also covers the open-access educational tools, KidsCalc and TDMx, developed by Gwee and Wicha respectively, and the steps clinicians can take to put MIPD into practice, keeping the individual patient at the centre of dosing decisions. Resources TDMx, https://www.tdmx.eu/KidsCalc, https://www.kidscalc.org/Further reading Broeker A, et al. Towards precision dosing of vancomycin: a systematic evaluation of pharmacometric models for Bayesian forecasting. CMI 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.02.029Brusamarello C, et al. How important are MIC determination methods when targeting vancomycin levels in patients with Staphylococcus aureus infections? J Antimicrob Chemother 2021. DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkab065De C**k PA, et al. Bedside model-informed precision dosing of vancomycin in severely ill neonates and children in Belgium (the BENEFICIAL trial): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2026. DOI: 10.1016/S2352-4642(25)00385-2 Gwee A, et al. Identifying a therapeutic target for vancomycin against staphylococci in young infants. J Antimicrob Chemother 2022. DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkab469Haiping X, et al. Model-informed precision dosing of vancomycin in children 3 months to 18 years of age using Australia-wide data. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2026. DOI: 10.1128/aac.01840-25 Harwood K, et al. Refining Absolute GFR Estimation in Children: Development and Validation of the GROW-GFR Equation. Front Pharmacol 2026. Minichmayr IK, et al. Model-informed precision dosing:...

Communicable E60: Quarterly catch-up (August 2026 edition)

Aug 9, 2026 49 min

In the second edition of 'Quarterly catch-up', CMI Communications editors Emily McDonald and Erin McCreary round-up the biggest news in infectious diseases and review clinical microbiology and infectious diseases studies published in the second quarter of 2026 [1-4]. From Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in solid-organ-transplant recipients to a double-blind randomised controlled trial reporting a new antibiotic for complicated urinary tract infections, Erin and Emily highlight four articles they found particularly noteworthy, and comment on whether the results can and should change clinical practice. References Alanio A, et al. Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in solid organ transplant recipients: a prospective observational cohort study, J Infect 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2026.106794Ramendra R, et al. Procalcitonin to guide 7 versus 14 days of antibiotics in bloodstream infections: a secondary analysis of the BALANCE trial, JAMA Netw Open 2026. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.20973Pai MP, et al. Challenging weight-tiered antibiotic prophylaxis in obese patients undergoing colorectal surgery using CT-derived body composition, CID 2026. DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciag383 Takahashi S, et al. Efficacy and safety of cefepime–nacubactam and aztreonam–nacubactam compared with imipenem–cilastatin for complicated urinary tract infection or acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis (Integral-1): a double-blind, randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet 2026. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00596-9 Further reading The SNAP Trial Group. Cefazolin for Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia. NEJM 2026. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2506905The SNAP Trial Group. Benzylpenicillin versus flucloxacillin or cloxacillin for the treatment of penicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SNAP): an international, multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2026. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00761-0McCreary EK, et al. Communicable episode 26: SNAP out of it – reth...

Communicable E59: 'Ask me anything' – EUCAST and CLSI leadership explain

Jul 26, 2026 1 hr 9 min

In this episode of Communicable, Nav Narayanan and Thomas Tängdén kick off the first 'Ask me anything' episode, inviting EUCAST and CLSI leadership Sören Gatermann, Christian Giske and Amy Mathers to answer questions from our listeners. Together, they discuss the roles and operations of both organisations, similarities and differences between EUCAST and CLSI, how breakpoints and guidance documents are developed, set the record straight about the 'I' category, explain which data inform breakpoint decisions, and much more. This episode was edited by Communicable's executive producer, Angela Huttner. Further reading Documents/resources: CLSI MicroFree, https://em100.edaptivedocs.net/Login.aspx?ru=1EUCAST: When there are no antifungal breakpointsEUCAST: When there are no breakpoints?Use_of_fosfomycin_iv_breakpoints_General_advice_20240528.pdfEUCAST: Definition of S, I and REUCAST Guidance Document, “When there are no breakpoints”, https://www.eucast.org/bacteria/guidance-documents/EUCAST Guidance Document for “Rare Yeasts”, https://www.eucast.org/fungi-afst/guidance-documents/Articles (alphabetical): Bixby ML, et al. Fosfomycin Disk Diffusion Testing among Klebsiella pneumoniae Results in Frequent Inner Colonies and Categorical Disagreement Based on Conflicting Breakpoint Organization Recommendations. Microbiol Spectr 2023. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03363-22DeMarco MG, et al. Impact of media brand on cefiderocol disk diffusion results. J Clin Microbiol 2025. DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01648-24Giske CG, et al. Aminoglycoside breakpoints-the EUCAST approach and what this means for the clinician. CMI 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2025.08.015Mouton JW, et al. MIC-based dose adjustment: facts and fables. J Antimicrob Chemother 2018. DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkx427Narayanan N, et al. Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Breakpoints Against Enterobacterales: Rationale for Revision by the CLSI. Clin Infect Dis 2024. DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae201Narayanan N, et al. Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Breakpoints Against Enterobacte...

Communicable E58: Reducing hospital-acquired pneumonia – the HAPPEN trial and how it happened

Jul 12, 2026 54 min

In this episode of Communicable, Angela Huttner and Josh Davis are joined by Brett Mitchell, Aline Wolfensberger and Lauren Clack to discuss the HAPPEN trial to prevent hospital-acquired pneumonia led by Mitchell--and the important studies leading up to it [1-3]. The episode also explores trial designs used in their research that are both creative and practical, such as stepped-wedge and implementation trials, and how these approaches can bridge the gap between research and real-world practice. References Mitchell B, “The hospital acquired pneumonia prevention (HAPPEN) study: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial” in ESCMID Global 2026. https://online.escmid.org/media-6348-hospital-and-ventilator-associated-pneumonia-new-insights-on-prevention-diagnosis-and-treatment (Presentation).White NM, et al. Effectiveness of oral care for the prevention of non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAPPEN): a multicentre, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised trial in Australia. Lancet Infect Dis 2026. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(26)00235-5.Wolfensberger A, et al. Prevention of non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia in Switzerland: a type 2 hybrid effectiveness–implementation trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2023. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00812-X.Further reading HAPPEN study website: Study overview and resources www.happenstudy.comCassini A, et al. Burden of Six Healthcare-Associated Infections on European Population Health: Estimating Incidence-Based Disability-Adjusted Life Years through a Population Prevalence-Based Modelling Study. PLoS Med 2016. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002150. Pronovost P, et al. An Intervention to Decrease Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections in the ICU. NEJM. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa061115. Bion J, et al. ‘Matching Michigan’: a 2-year stepped interventional programme to minimise central venous catheter-blood stream infections in intensive care units in England. BMJ Quality & Safety 2013. DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2012-001325.Dixon-Woods M, et al. Exp...

Communicable E57: We will make you love PK/PD, part 2

Jun 28, 2026 47 min

In this episode of Communicable, Thomas Tängdén and Rekha Pai Mangalore return for part 2 of the ‘We will make you love PK/PD’ series. In this round, they are joined by Iris Minichmayr (Austria) and Phil Selby (Australia) for a deep dive into how PK/PD data and principles can be used as integral clinical tools to support dosing decisions. They break down technical concepts of pharmacometrics such as population PK models, Monte Carlo simulations, probability of target attainment (PTA), and cumulative fraction of response (CFR), helping to make these approaches more accessible to everyday clinical practice. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler. The executive producer of Communicable is Angela Huttner. Further reading Tängdén T, et al. Personalised patient management and infection prevention: current evidence and future perspectives. In: ESCMID Global 2025. Available on ESCMID Media: https://media.escmid.org/videos/01K7HWCJAHZ464H3XXK97SZ842

Communicable E56: Frequentist vs Bayesian for clinical trial analysis – 99% probability you’ll want to listen to this

Jun 14, 2026 1 hr 5 min

In this episode of Communicable, Emily McDonald and Josh Davis are joined by Roger Lewis (USA) and Ian Marschner (Australia) to compare and contrast Bayesian and frequentist statistical approaches. The panel discusses the fundamental principles of both methods, common misconceptions, and the extent to which they are often more similar than many realise. Together, they explore their use in clinical trial design, analysis, and reporting, including adaptive trials and sequential learning. Additional topics include sample size misconceptions, regulatory versus clinical thresholds, and the challenges of interpreting post hoc reanalyses of negative trials. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and the executive producer of Communicable is Angela Huttner. Further reading: Berry SM, et al. Bayesian Adaptive Methods for Clinical Trials (Chapman & Hall/CRC Biostatistics Series). Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2010. FDA Guidance Document: Use of Bayesian Methodology in Clinical Trials of Drug and Biological Products FDA, 2026, https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/use-bayesian-methodology-clinical-trials-drug-and-biological-productsLee TC, et al. Contextualizing the use of corticosteroids in severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia through a Bayesian lens. CMI Comms 2025, https://www.cmi-comms.org/article/S2950-5909(25)00082-4/fulltextLivingston EH and Lewis RJ. JAMA Guide to Statistics and Methods, https://jamaevidence.mhmedical.com/Book.aspx?bookId=2742Marschner I. Confidence distributions for treatment effects in clinical trials: Posteriors without priors. Stat Med 2024, doi: 10.1002/sim.10000.Whitehead J. The design and analysis of sequential clinical trials. Revised 2nd ed. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons; 1997.

Communicable E55: Bonus episode – Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak

Jun 7, 2026 57 min

In this bonus episode of Communicable, hosts Anne-Grete Märtson and Angela Huttner invite Martin Grobusch (University of Amsterdam; ESCMID Emerging Infections Subcommittee) and Daniel Bausch (National University of Singapore, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Geneva Graduate Institute) to discuss the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak currently ongoing in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Clinical and virological differences between Bundibugyo and Zaire ebolaviruses are discussed, as are the particular challenges for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention confronting healthcare workers of this outbreak. The episode accompanies two new publications in CMI Communications and CMI: Gupta N, Mora-Rillo M, Gkrania-Klotsas E, et al. Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV): what first responders/clinicians need to know. CMI Communications, 2026; 2 (DOI: 10.1016/j.cmicom.2026.105207) Gupta N, Marta Mora-Rillo, Gkrania-Klotsas E, et al. Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda: rapid assessment from the ESCMID Emerging Infections Subcommittee. Clin Microbiol Infect, 2026 (DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2026.05.042)

Communicable E54: ESCMID Global Late Breakers, part 2

May 31, 2026 55 min

Our editors – Marc Bonten, Erin McCreary, Anne-Grete Märtson, Angela Huttner, and Josh Davis – are back for part two of the ESCMID Global Late Breakers series, summarising five more late-breaking trials presented at ESCMID Global 2026. They discuss the trials' strengths and weaknesses, and whether their results should change practice. The five trials presented in this half of the series are listed below, and links to their respective sessions can be watched and rewatched on the ESCMID Global Virtual Platform. Links to corresponding abstracts and publications where available are provided as well. Conflict of interest/involvement in the trials: Marc Bonten was the chair of the E.mbrace trial's steering committeeJosh Davis is global co-lead of the SNAP trialJosh Davis was a site investigator on the E.mbrace trialAngela Huttner was an independent/unpaid member of the E.mbrace trial's steering committee and an investigator on the precursor phase 1 trial testing the E. coli vaccine PROCALBAN trial (Late-breaking clinical trials in sepsis management) Chowdhury F, et al. Use of Procalcitonin Point-Of-Care Testing to Guide De-Escalation of Antibiotic Therapy in Adult Sepsis Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Bangladesh: A Randomised Controlled Open-Label Trial, Preprints with The Lancet, doi: 10.2139/ssrn.6541698BENEFICIAL trial (Late-breaking clinical trials in sepsis management) De C**k PA, et al. Bedside model-informed precision dosing of vancomycin in severely ill neonates and children in Belgium (the BENEFICIAL trial): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Child Adolesc Health, doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(25)00385-2 SNAP trial (Late-breaking clinical trials in sepsis management) Bowen A. Adjunctive clindamycin for treatment of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia: a randomised controlled trial within the S. aureus Network Adaptive Platform (SNAP), abstractAdjunctive betamethasone treatment of hypoxemic adults hospitalised with Mycoplasma pneumoniae community-a...

Communicable E53: ESCMID Global Late Breakers, part 1

May 17, 2026 1 hr 0 min

The ESCMID Global Late Breakers series returns to Communicable! Five CMI Communications editors – Marc Bonten, Josh Davis, Angela Huttner, Anne-Grete Märtson, and Erin McCreary – handpicked five late-breaking trials presented at ESCMID Global 2026 to summarise their findings and discuss whether the results will change their practice. This is part one of the two-part series. Trials presented are listed below and links to their respective sessions can be watched and rewatched on the ESCMID Global Virtual Platform. Links to corresponding publications, if available, and mentioned related articles are provided as well. The FAST trial (Late-breaking research from JAMA) Banerjee R, et al. Fast Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing for Gram-Negative Bacteremia. The FAST Randomized Clinical Trial, doi: 10.1001/jama.2026.5487 Srinivasan A. A Multinational Trial of Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. Is FASTer Better?, doi: 10.1001/jama.2026.5504The CEFMEC trial (Poster session) Hayakawa K, et al. Effectiveness of cefmetazole versus meropenem for invasive urinary tract infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli, Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023, doi: 10.1128/aac.00510-23The COBRA trial (Late-breaking trials in surgical infection prevention) Overdevest AG, et al. Antibiotic treatment for 1 day versus 4-7 days in patients with acute cholangitis after adequate endoscopic biliary drainage (COBRA): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, doi: 10.1186/s13063-026-09524-7The DOTS trial, a secondary analysis (Late-breaking research from JAMA) Lodise, TP, et al. Pharmacokinetics of Dalbavancin in Complicated Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Secondary Analysis of the DOTS Randomized Clinical Trial, JAMA 2026, doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.11652 Walls G, et al. Patient-reported Perceptions, Experiences, and Preferences Around Intravenous and Oral Antibiotics for the Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Descr...

Communicable E52: ESCMID Global Trials, PETER PEN and ASTARTE

May 8, 2026 1 hr 0 min

In this collaborative episode of Breakpoints and Communicable, the hosts revisit the “trial run” session from ESCMID Global, a format designed to facilitate critical discussion of major infectious diseases trials. This episode focuses on two studies addressing bloodstream infections caused by third‑generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales [1]. Mical Paul (Rambam Health Care Campus, Israel) joins the podcast to discuss the PETER PEN trial [1,2], comparing piperacillin/tazobactam with meropenem, including its design, interim analyses, and interpretation alongside prior data such as MERINO. The episode also features Jesús Rodríguez‑Baño (University of Seville, Spain), who presents a post hoc analysis of the ASTARTE trial [1,3], comparing temocillin and carbapenems. This episode was edited by Lacy Worden and was peer reviewed by Jeanette Bouchard (Duke Antimicrobial Stewardship Outreach Network (DASON) Durham, NC, USA). References Paul, M., & Rodríguez-Baño, J. (2026, April 20). The trial run: treatment of ESBL bacteraemia - off to never-never land. [Presentation]. ESCMID Global 2026, Munich, Germany. ESCMID Global Virtual Platform.Bitterman R, Koppel F, Mussini C, et al. Piperacillin-tazobactam versus meropenem for treatment of bloodstream infections caused by third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae: a study protocol for a non-inferiority open-label randomised controlled trial (PeterPen). BMJ Open. 2021;11(2):e040210. Published 2021 Feb 8. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040210 Marín-Candón A, Rosso-Fernández CM, Bustos de Godoy N, et al. Temocillin versus meropenem for the targeted treatment of bacteraemia due to third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (ASTARTÉ): protocol for a randomised, pragmatic trial [Internet]. BMJ Open. 2021 Sep 27;11(9):e049481. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049481 Further reading Harris PNA, et al. Effect of Piperacillin-Tazobactam vs Meropenem on 30-Day Mortality for Patients With E coli or Klebsiella...

A message to listeners, 4 May 2026

May 3, 2026 1 min

This is a short message to Communicable listeners to inform them that the next episode will be released on Friday, 8 May, as it is a collaboration episode with Breakpoints, the podcast of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists. It will cover the two trials presented in Munich during ESCMID Global's late-breaker Trial Run session.

Communicable E51: We will make you love PK/PD, part 1

Apr 19, 2026 47 min

Communicable is launching a new series on everything related to pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). Kicking off this series are hosts Thomas Tängdén, Erin McCreary and Angela Huttner, and invited guests Amy Legg and Rekha Pai Mangalore. They walk us through key parameters and terms of PK/PD, such as volume of distribution, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), epidemiological cut-off value (ECOFF), and PK/PD indices, laying the foundation to better comprehend clinical applications such as setting a clinical breakpoint and how it guides therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). This first episode encompasses a broad scope across PK/PD theory, preparing the listener for subsequent episodes that will explore these topics with greater depth and make you love PK/PD. This episode was peer-reviewed by Ummu Afeera Zainulabid of the International Islamic University, Kuantan, Malaysia. Terms and definitions ADME, a drug’s journey through the body: absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretionVolume of distribution, a parameter describing the theoretical volume that would be necessary to contain the total amount of an administered drug at the same concentration that it is observed in the blood plasmaClearance, the volume of blood cleared of drug per unit timeHalf-life, the time required for the concentration of a drug to decrease to half of its initial amount in the bodyLoading dose, a larger initial dose designed to rapidly bring drug levels into the therapeutic rangeSteady state, an equilibrial condition in which the rate of input of a drug is equal to the rate of its outputMIC, minimum inhibitory concentrationECOFF, epidemiological cut-off value: the highest MIC value of isolates that are not known to have resistance and are therefore considered representative of wild-type bacterial isolatesClinical breakpoint setting, takes into account drug dosing, PK/PD, site of infection, clinical data; what we think is the breakpoint for the lab to call a bacterial organ...

Communicable E50: Quarterly catch-up (April 2026 edition)

Apr 5, 2026 58 min

This is the first episode of the 'Quarterly catchup' series, in which CMI Communications editors discuss important and useful articles that have come out in the last 3 months to understand their results and potential clinical impact. In this inaugural episode of 'Quarterly catchup', Emily McDonald (Canada), Thomas Tängdén (Sweden) and Navaneeth Narayanan (USA) convene to discuss clinical microbiology and infectious diseases studies published in the first quarter of 2026 [1-6]. From Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes reducing dengue infection to exploration of antibiotic combination therapies against multidrug-resistant organisms, our hosts summarize six articles they found the most interesting, and discuss whether they can and should change clinical practice. This episode was peer reviewed by Connor Prosty of McGill University, Montréal, Canada. References Lim JT, et al. Dengue suppression by Male Wolbachia-Infected mosquitoes. NEJM 2026. doi: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2503304 Escrihuela-Vida F, et al. Adjunctive Fosfomycin for the Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Pooled Post Hoc Analysis of Individual Participant Data From 2 Randomized Trial. Clin Infect Dis 2026. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaf387 Baldanzi G, et al. Antibiotic use and gut microbiome composition links from individual-level prescription data of 14,979 individuals. Nat Med 2026. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04284-y.Quentin Vallé, et al. Evaluating the antibacterial activity of ceftazidime/avibactam and aztreonam combinations against multidrug-resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia complex isolates in a hollow fibre infection model. Clin Microbiol Infect 2026. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2026.02.010 Rana AI, et al. Cabotegravir plus Rilpivirine for Persons with HIV and Adherence Challenges. NEJM 2026. doi: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2508228 Donovan J, et al. Genotype-stratified adjunctive dexamethasone for tuberculous meningitis in HIV-negative adults: a...

Communicable E49: Outbreaks & how to handle them

Mar 22, 2026 54 min

In this episode of Communicable, hosts Angela Huttner and Marc Bonten invite two members of the ESCMID Emerging Infections Subcommittee, Martin Grobusch (Amsterdam, Netherlands) and Pikka Jokelainen (Copenhagen, Denmark), to discuss infectious disease outbreaks. Sparked by the Subcommittee's beloved 'Epi Alert', which identifies and tracks outbreaks around the world, the episode covers common missteps and underestimated challenges in handling new outbreaks, the effects of climate change, and what 'One Health' really means. This episode was peer reviewed by Ummu Afeera Zainulabid of the International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Malaysia. Further reading Epi Alert. https://www.escmid.org/science-research/emerging-infections-subcommittee/eis-activities/Pellejero-Sagastizábal G, et al. Delayed correct diagnoses in emerging disease outbreaks: historical patterns and lessons for contemporary responses. CMI 2025. https://www.clinicalmicrobiologyandinfection.org/article/S1198-743X(25)00169-7/fulltext One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), et al. One Health: A new definition for a sustainable and healthy future. PLoS Pathogens 2022. https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1010537 Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute News. https://www.swisstph.ch/en/news

Communicable E48: International Women's Day - are infections & AMR really different in women?

Mar 8, 2026 39 min

Yesterday was International Women's Day. In light of that, Communicable prepared a special episode in which hosts Erin McCreary and Annie Joseph are joined by Esmita Charani (South Africa) and Annette Westgeest (Netherlands) for a discussion on gender- and sex-dependent patient-care disparities in the infectious diseases space. Together they review recent research findings that identified gender and sex as important determinants influencing patient outcomes and even decision making by prescribers. They also explore how societal and cultural norms may introduce further nuance and complexities. The panel remains optimistic in reaching equal healthcare for all, reflecting also on progressive steps such as increasing recognition by international organisations like the WHO, which published guidance on gender inequalities in national plans on AMR in 2024. This episode was peer reviewed by Casandra Bulescu at the Dr. Victor Babes Clinical Hospital of Infectious and Tropical Diseases in Bucharest, Romania. References Charani E, et al. Wellcome Open Research, 2024. Charani E, et al. Lancet Global Health, 2023.WHO guidance on gender inequalities in national action plans on AMR, 2024.Westgeest AC's presentation at ESCMID Global 2023.Dellière S, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect, 2026.Westgeest AC, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect, 2023.Madsen TE, et al. DISPARITY-II study, 2014.Criado Perez, C. Invisible Women. Ausman SE, et al. CLASI study, 2023.Vaughn VM, et al. ICHE, 2022.Szymczak JE. Clin Infect Dis, 2019.

Communicable E47: Drawing the line - the writing, reach, and limits of guidelines

Feb 22, 2026 1 hr 0 min

In this third collaboration between SIDP’s Breakpoints and ESCMID’s Communicable podcasts, hosts Erin McCreary and Angela Huttner invite two veteran authors of guidelines and guidances, Pranita Tamma (Philadelphia, USA) and Benedikt Huttner (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland) [1-3]. Together, they deconstruct the complex landscape of developing and implementing guidelines into digestible components: they discuss why different organizations develop guidelines and what need they hope to fulfil, the framework including the GRADE methodology under which guidelines are written, and major barriers in the uptake of guidelines. The conversation also details the distinction between guideline and guidance as well as the art and science behind formulating recommendations or suggestions, with a few anecdotal cases sprinkled in from the panel. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and Lacy Worden. It was peer reviewed for Breakpoints by Lacy Worden and for Communicable by Ljiljana Lukić of University Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb, Croatia. References WHO handbook for guideline development, 2nd Edition The WHO AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) antibiotic book IDSA 2024 Guidance on the Treatment of Antimicrobial Resistant Gram-Negative InfectionsFurther reading ESCMID AMR Guidelines, https://clinicalmicrobiologyandinfection.com/retrieve/pii/S1198743X21006790 GRADE working group, https://www.gradeworkinggroup.org/GRADE Book, https://book.gradepro.org/ IDSA's intraabdominal guidelines, https://www.idsociety.org/practice-guideline/intra-abdominal-infections/ ESCMID Manual for Clinical Practice Guidelines and Other Guidance Documents, https://www.escmid.org/guidelines-journals/guidelines/ International Consensus Guidelines for the Optimal Use of the Polymyxins https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/phar.2209 American Thoracic Society guidelines on community-acquired pneumonia, https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.202507-1692ST

Communicable E46: Steroids for pneumocystis pneumonia

Feb 8, 2026 55 min

In this episode of Communicable, Navaneeth Narayanan and Josh Nosanchuk invite Virginie Lemiale and Elie Azoulay (Paris, France) as well as fellow editor Emily McDonald (Montreal, Canada)—this time as guest—to discuss adjunctive steroid therapy for pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in HIV-negative individuals. In 2025, Lemiale and Azoulay published results from their double-blind, randomised controlled trial investigating steroid treatment for severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PIC trial) in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine [1]. At first glance, one might dismiss the study’s clinical impact due the ‘negative' result of the primary outcome, mortality at 28 days, which just missed a statistically significant difference between groups. There was a clinical difference, however, and all other outcomes, including 90-day mortality, were significantly different between groups. Understanding how pivotal these results were to clinical practice, McDonald and colleagues sought to contextualise the results of the PIC trial through a Bayesian analysis in a follow-up publication [2]. While the discussion provides useful clinical commentary, it also helps both to demystify Bayesian analysis and to call attention to what might be lost with strict or overly concrete interpretations of traditional frequentist analyses. This episode was peer reviewed by Arjana Zerja from the Mother Theresa University Hospital Center, Tirana, Albania. References Lemiale V, et al. Adjunctive corticosteroids in non-AIDS patients with severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PIC): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2025;13(9):800-808. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(25)00125-0.Lee TC, Albuquerque AM, McDonald EG. Contextualizing the use of corticosteroids in severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia through a Bayesian lens. CMI Commun. 2025;2(4):105141. doi:10.1016/j.cmicom.2025.105141.

Communicable E45: Top infectious diseases papers in 2025

Jan 25, 2026 38 min

In this episode of Communicable, Josh Davis (Newcastle, Australia) and Emily McDonald (Montreal, Canada), plus invited guest, Steven Tong (Melbourne, Australia)—all practicing physicians and clinical trialists—assemble to discuss some of their ‘top infectious diseases papers published in 2025’. Bassam Ghanem (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), whom one might know better as Antibiotic Steward on social media, was also invited to share his favourite publications of 2025. Six papers that were most consistently picked by the panel are presented, explaining why they were picked and how they have shifted paradigms or changed their practice. This episode complements the previous episode, which presented ‘top clinical microbiology papers in 2025’, and was peer reviewed by Akshatha Ravindra of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India. Resources CLARITY initiative websitePapers presented (in order of presentation) Turner NA, et al. Dalbavancin for Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia. JAMAMeya DB, et al. Trial of High-Dose Oral Rifampin in Adults with Tuberculous Meningitis. NEJMVodstrcil LA, et al. Male-Partner Treatment to Prevent Recurrence of Bacterial Vaginosis. NEJMKreimer A, et al. Noninferiority of One HPV Vaccine Dose to Two Doses. NEJMGuglielmetti L, et al. Oral Regimens for Rifampin-Resistant, Fluoroquinolone-Susceptible Tuberculosis. NEJMRoss JDC et al, Oral gepotidacin for the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea (EAGLE-1). Lancet ‘One liners’ (in order of presentation) Burdet C et al. Cloxacillin versus cefazolin for meticillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (CloCeBa). LancetLemiale V et al, Adjunctive corticosteroids in non-AIDS patients with severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PIC). Lancet Respir MedLuetkemeyer AF et al, Doxycycline to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections in the USA. Lancet Inf DisEyting M, et al. A natural experiment on the effect of herpes zoster vaccination on dementia. NatureXie M, et al. The...

Communicable E44: Top clinical microbiology papers in 2025

Jan 11, 2026 1 hr 10 min

In the first Communicable episode of 2026, Annie Joseph and Josh Nosanchuk invite Robin Patel (Rochester, USA) and Fidelma Fitzpatrick (Dublin, Ireland) to discuss some of their favourite clinical microbiology papers published in 2025. These six papers highlight everything from technological advances of genomics and molecular diagnostic testing to the importance of patient and public involvement in research as well as effective communication [1-6]. The panel also discusses whether or not any of these papers have changed their practice. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Sinéad Kilgarriff of the National Virus Reference Laboratory University College, Dublin in Ireland. Robin’s papers Oyeniran SJ, et al. J Clin Microbiol 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.00986-25 Xie O, et al. Lancet Microbe 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101182Lopopolo M et al., Science 2025. DOI: 10.1126/science.adu7144Fidelma’s papers Turner NA, et al. JAMA 2025. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.12543 Paterson DL, et al. Lancet Infectious Diseases 2025. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(25)00469-4Langford BJ, et al. Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology 2025. DOI: 10.1017/ash.2025.10210Related podcast episodes Communicable episode 1: Late breaker trials at ESCMID Global 2024, https://share.transistor.fm/s/9c598f68References Oyeniran SJ, et al. J Clin Microbiol 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.00986-25 Xie O, et al. Lancet Microbe 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101182Turner NA, et al. JAMA 2025. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.12543 Paterson DL, et al. Lancet Infectious Diseases 2025. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(25)00469-4Lopopolo M et al., Science 2025. DOI: 10.1126/science.adu7144Langford BJ, et al. Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology 2025. DOI: 10.1017/ash.2025.10210Further reading Mohammed HT, et al. IJSEM 2025. DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006986 Skally M, et al. BMJ Open 2025. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103431Ong SWX and Tverring J. CMI Communications 202...

Communicable E43: Katie's picks

Dec 28, 2025 47 min

In this final episode of 2025, hosts Annie Joseph (Nottingham, UK) and Angela Huttner (Geneva, Switzerland), interview Communicable's producer, Katie Hostettler-Oi (Zurich, Switzerland), to learn which episodes she liked best this year. Their discussion provides a behind-the-scenes look at some of the episodes--including the strange surprises that sometimes came with them. Finally, the CMI Comms editors and editorial fellows send in their perspectives on 2025 and their wishes for 2026.

Communicable E42: Should doctors stay at X (Twitter) or leave it?

Dec 14, 2025 1 hr 5 min

During the COVID-19 pandemic with lockdown mandates and social distancing, doctors, researchers, and the public were able to find refuge and community online; for the infectious disease community, it was on the social media platform Twitter, and more specifically under the widely used hashtag, #IDTwitter. Under new ownership from 2022, however, Twitter’s name and brand changed to what we now know as X, and “the heyday of #IDTwitter is long since gone”. In this special episode of Communicable, Angela Huttner and Marc Bonten invite doctors and science communicators, Neil Stone (London, UK), Ilan Schwartz (Durham, USA), and Tara Smith (Kent, USA) to debate whether we should stay on X or leave it for alternatives. This episode is a follow-up from Stone and Schwartz’s commentary [1] and Smith’s response letter [2] addressing the same topic published in CMI Communications. The views expressed by the panelists are their own and do not represent the positions of their affiliated institutions or ESCMID. This episode was not peer reviewed. Resources You can follow all participants of this episode on Bluesky: @drneilstone.bsky.social, @germhuntermd.bsky.social, @aetiology.bsky.social, @marcbonten.bsky.social, @angelahuttner.bsky.social, and Stone on X: @DrNeilStone. References Stone NRH and Schwartz IS. Joining the X-odus: Contrasting perspectives on whether infection specialists should leave X (formerly Twitter). CMI Comms 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmicom.2025.105140Smith TC. Twitter remains a haven of harassment. CMI Comms 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmicom.2025.105144Further reading Biever, C. Bluesky’s science takeover: 70% of Nature poll respondents use platform. Nature News 2025. PEW Research Center. How Do Americans View Childhood Vaccines, Vaccine Research and Policy? https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2025/11/18/how-do-americans-view-childhood-vaccines-vaccine-research-and-policy/ NBC News. X’s new location labels unmask users. Insiders say the idea was rejected for years. htt...

Communicable E41: Diagnostic stewardship

Nov 30, 2025 1 hr 2 min

In the last ten years, 'diagnostic stewardship' has emerged as a core principle of good clinical practice whose implementation impacts both the individual patient and public health at large. In this episode of Communicable, hosts Angela Huttner and Annie Joseph invite two experts in the field, Daniel Morgan (Maryland, USA) and Valerie Vaughn (Utah, USA), to discuss diagnostic stewardship in the context of infectious diseases, hospital medicine, and healthcare in general. Other topics covered include practical interventions for better testing practices and the role of artificial intelligence in the future of diagnostics. The episode highlights how thoughtful, intentional diagnostic practices can enhance clinician workflows and improve patient outcomes. This episode is a follow-up from Morgan’s recently published commentary in CMI Communications on diagnostic testing, and the need for evaluating its clinical impact [1]. The episode was peer reviewed by Özlem Türkmen Recen of Çınarcık State Hospital, Yalova, Türkiye. References Baghdadi JD & Morgan DJ. Diagnostic tests should be assessed for clinical impact. CMI Comms 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmicom.2024.105010Further reading Advani S and Vaughn VM. Quality Improvement Interventions and Implementation Strategies for Urine Culture Stewardship in the Acute Care Setting: Advances and Challenges. Curr Infect Dis Rep 2021. DOI: 10.1007/s11908-021-00760-3 Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs, https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/hcp/core-elements/hospital.html Core Elements of Hospital Diagnostic Excellence (DxEx), https://www.cdc.gov/patient-safety/hcp/hospital-dx-excellence/index.htmlCosgrove SE & Srinivasan A. Antibiotic Stewardship: A Decade of Progress. Infect Dis Clin North Am 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2023.06.003 Dik JH, et al. Integrated Stewardship Model Comprising Antimicrobial, Infection Prevention, and Diagnostic Stewardship (AID Stewardship). J Clin Microbiol 2017. DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01283-17Fabre V...

Communicable E40: AMR in conflict and crisis zones

Nov 16, 2025 57 min

It’s World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) and we have prepared a special episode in light of that. In this week's Communicable, Navaneeth Narayanan and Thomas Tängdén host Aula Abbara (London, UK), Guido Granata (Rome, Italy) and Tuomas Aro (Helsinki, Finland) to discuss the phenomenon of AMR in conflict and crisis zones. They elaborate on how difficult conditions and austere environments amplify the spread of AMR, drawing on findings from the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria and other regions. Other topics covered include adapting antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control (IPC) practices as well as the need for genuine political will and international collaboration to end conflicts and their exacerbation on AMR. This episode follows the webinar “Beyond the frontlines” organised by ESCMID’s AMR Action Subcommittee for WAAW 2025, featuring the same guests, and is available on ESCMID Media. This Communicable episode was peer reviewed by Arjana Zerja of Mother Theresa University Hospital Centre, Tirana, Albania. Related ESCMID and Communicable media ESCMID Media, Part 1: Beyond the frontlines - tackling AMR in conflict and crisis zones, webinar Communicable episode 11: Nightmare series, part 2 – how to deal with carbapenemase producers Communicable episode 16: Climate change and infections – effects on clinical practice & sustainabilityResources Trainee Association of ESCIMD (TAE) Doctors without Borders (Médecins sans Frontières), Antibiogo, https://www.antibiogo.org/Doctors without Borders (Médecins sans Frontières), Mini-lab, https://fondation.msf.fr/en/projects/mini-lab Further Reading Abbara A, et al. Unravelling the linkages between conflict and antimicrobial resistance. NPJ Antimicrob Resist. 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s44259-025-00099-yAbbara A, et al. A summary and appraisal of existing evidence of antimicrobial resistance in the Syrian conflict. Int J Infect Dis. 2018. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2018.06.010Abu-Shomar R, et al. Multidrug-resistant...

Communicable E39: Dengue on the rise

Nov 2, 2025 56 min

Once confined to the tropics, dengue is spreading via its vector, the Aedes mosquito, to more temperate regions, causing increases in global morbidity, mortality and cost. In 2019, the WHO recognised dengue as one of the top ten global health threats alongside climate change and antimicrobial resistance [1]. In this episode of Communicable, Annie Joseph and Nav Narayanan welcome two dengue experts, André Siqueira of the non-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative based in Geneva, Switzerland (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and Steven Lim of the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (Ipoh, Malaysia). Together, they discuss the epidemiology, clinical presentation and management of dengue including comparisons to other arboviral infections like zika and chikungunya, and the heightened risk of disease for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and those with comorbidities. The conversation also highlights innovative vector-control strategies and candidate therapeutics currently under investigation. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Loora Grünvald of the University of Tartu, Estonia. Resources: Drug for Neglected Diseases (DNDi), https://dndi.org/ Dengue Alliance, https://dndi.org/global-networks/dengue-alliance/ Qdenga vaccine information: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/news/763/qdenga-dengue-vaccine-guidanceDengavaxia vaccine information: https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/hcp/vaccine/index.html References: World Health Organization, Ten threats to global health in 2019.Further reading: Treating a feverish planet: The Dengue Alliance, a video

Communicable E38: Why do you have to be so complicated? The 2025 IDSA Complicated UTI Guidelines

Oct 19, 2025 48 min

In this episode of Communicable, Erin McCreary and Angela Huttner are joined by Barbara Trautner (St. Louis, USA) and Valéry Lavergne (Vancouver, Canada), the co-chairs and leading authors of the first IDSA guideline on complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI), which was published a few months ago [1]. Together, they discuss the process of developing the guideline from its conception in 2018, the new definition of cUTI, their stepwise approach to clinical decision-making, and some case-by-case scenarios for common antibiotics. They also elaborate on how this guideline compares (and contrasts) to other existing UTI guidelines—including the previous IDSA guideline for UTI [2] —and the clinical need to supply frontline clinicians to identify and distinguish complicated cases from the uncomplicated ones. The episode closes with what essential clinical questions the guests hope to tackle next. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Maria Ana Flores of Santa Maria Local Health Unit, Lisbon, Portugal. Other resources: European Urologic Association guidelinesUpToDateFDA guidance on complicated UTI References Trautner BW, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline by Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA): 2025 Guideline on Management and Treatment of Complicated Urinary Tract Infections Gupta, K, et al. Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Uncomplicated Cystitis and Pyelonephritis in Women: 2010 Update by IDSA

Communicable E37: 'Peer review is broken'

Oct 5, 2025 1 hr 7 min

Contrary to popular belief, peer review has only recently become an integral step in scientific publishing. Currently seen by many as a badge of honour ensuring valid, innovative and honest research, peer review seems in reality to be increasingly thankless, exploitative, and sometimes invisible. How did we get here? In this episode of Communicable, Annie Joseph and Angela Huttner are joined by two experts, Melinda Baldwin (University of Maryland, USA) and Serge Horbach (Radboud University, Netherlands), to unpack and examine the role of peer review, why it is still essential, and how it fits within the greater editorial process. The conversation covers the history of peer review, contemporary formats including open review and the use of artificial intelligence, and thoughtful discussion on how to fix and rethink peer review. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Barbora Píšová from the Czech Republic. Related podcast episodes Communicable episode 13: The Wild West of publishing today—predatory journals and how to deal with them https://share.transistor.fm/s/e3abe9af Resources EASE, the European Association of Science Editors https://ease.org.uk/ Peer review week https://peerreviewweek.net/ Further reading Csiszar, A. The Scientific Journal: Authorship and the Politics of Knowledge in the Nineteenth Century. The University of Chicago Press, 2018. DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226553375.001.0001 Entradas, Sousa, Yan, et al. (2023) Public Deliberative Workshops – Findings. POIESIS project deliverable D2.2. https://poiesis-project.eu/deliverables/.Ross-Hellauer T and Horbach SPJM. Additional experiments required: A scoping review of recent evidence on key aspects of Open Peer Review, Research Evaluation, 2024. DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvae004Horbach SPJM and Halffman W. The changing forms and expectation of peer review. Res Integr Peer Rev 2018. DOI: 10.1186/s41073-018-0051-5Danziger S, et al. Extraneous factors in judicial decisions. Proc Natl Ac...

Communicable E36: Finding BALANCE in antibiotic durations—the BALANCE trial

Sep 19, 2025 1 hr 9 min

In this second-ever collaboration between SIDP’s Breakpoints and ESCMID’s Communicable podcasts, hosts Erin McCreary and Angela Huttner invite the two principal investigators and visionaries who spearheaded the Bacteraemia Antibiotic Length Actually Needed for Clinical Effectiveness (BALANCE) trial, Nick Daneman and Rob Fowler (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto), for a “deep dive into all things that went into this trial” (1). The BALANCE trial spanned over ten years investigating - as the acronym title suggests - whether a shorter treatment duration of seven days was non-inferior to the standard of care of fourteen days for bacteraemia. The conversation covers everything from the initial hallway discussions that sparked the trial to the trial itself that screened over 36,000 patients and enrolled +3,600, its key takeaways and its impact on clinical practice as well as what’s next for Daneman and Fowler. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and Megan Klatt, and peer reviewed by Dr. Arjana Zerja of Mother Theresa University Hospital Centre, Tirana, Albania. Related podcast episodes Communicable episode 36: Finding BALANCE in antibiotic durations—the BALANCE trial https://share.transistor.fm/s/b680895eCommunicable episode 26: SNAP out of it—rethinking anti-staphylococcal penicillins for S. aureus bacteremia, the SNAP trial PSSA/MSSA results https://share.transistor.fm/s/2a3c3bb4Breakpoints episode covering IDWeek (December 2024) https://breakpoints-sidp.org/108-idweek-2024-recap-late-breaker-abstracts-and-stewardship-talks/ References BALANCE Investigators, et al. Antibiotic Treatment for 7 versus 14 Days in Patients with Bloodstream Infections. N Engl J Med. 2025 March. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2404991Further reading Fowler VG. Eight days a week – BALANCING duration and efficacy. N Engl J Med. 2025 March. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe2414037 Dulhunty JM, et al. Continuous vs Intermittent β-Lactam Antibiotic Infusions in Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis: The B...

Communicable E35: From Ebola to COVID-19 — Graham and Kobinger on building vaccines

Sep 7, 2025 58 min

In this episode of Communicable, Angela Huttner and Erin McCreary invite two titans of vaccinology, Barney Graham (Atlanta, USA), former deputy director of the NIH NIAID Vaccine Research Center and architect of the mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, and Gary Kobinger (Galveston, USA), leading virologist in the development of the first effective Ebola vaccine, rVSV-ZEBOV, for a candid conversation about their direct experience building two of the most well known vaccines to date, and deploying them to the public. The episode also reviews the different vaccine platforms and addresses vaccine hesitancy, equitable access to vaccines, and global health equity. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Eren Ozturk of Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye. Terms and sources VSV, vesicular stomatitis virusZEBOV, Zaire Ebolavirus rVSV-ZEBOV, recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing the (Zaire) Ebolavirus glycoprotein (vaccine)VRC, the NIH Vaccine Research Center of NIAID Morehouse School of Medicine Satcher Global Health Equity InstituteGuardRX, https://www.guardrx.org/en/who-we-are/ References Marzi A, et al. VSV-EBOV rapidly protects macaques against infection with the 2014/15 Ebola virus outbreak strain. Science 2015. DOI: 10.1126/science.aab3920 Agnandji S, Huttner A, Zinser M, et al. Phase 1 Trials of rVSV Ebola Vaccine in Africa and Europe. New Engl J Med 2015. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1502924Graham BS and Corbett KS. Prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness: world on fire. J Clin Invest 2020. DOI: 10.1172/JCI139601Jackson LA, Anderson EJ, Rouphael NG, et al. An mRNA Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 - Preliminary Report. New Engl J Med 2020. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2022483

Communicable E34: WHO's Fungal Priority Pathogens List

Aug 24, 2025 50 min

Fungal infections and disease have long been overlooked in terms of healthcare burden, with poor diagnostics and limited options for treatment and management. In 2022, the WHO published its first Fungal Priority Pathogens List as an effort to establish a global prioritised framework that addresses unmet research and development needs in fungal disease and antifungal resistance, as well as guides public health action [1]. In this episode of Communicable, Angela Huttner and Josh Nosanchuk invite Hatim Sati (WHO), the project lead in creating this list, and Dimitrios Kontoyiannis (MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas), a clinician researcher studying fungal diagnostics and antifungal discovery, for a candid discussion on the making of and relevance of such a list. Apart from reviewing the fungal pathogens, the conversation also covers limitations of the list, what to expect for the next iteration, contextualising the list in one’s local region, and the impact the list has had already on research funding and public awareness. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Andrisa Xhaxha from Elbasan, Albania. References WHO fungal priority pathogens list to guide research, development and public health action. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022. Related podcast episodes Communicable Episode 31: Climate change and fungal spread https://share.transistor.fm/s/db58f558 Communicable Episode 08: The nightmare series, part 1 – how to deal with Candida auris https://share.transistor.fm/s/c0616c4d Further reading Seidel D, et al. Impact of climate change and natural disasters on fungal infections. Lancet Microbe 2024. DOI: 10.1016/S2666-5247(24)00039-9Fisher MC and Denning DW. The WHO fungal priority pathogens list as a gamechanger. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00861-xShor E, et al. Tolerance and heteroresistance to echinocandins in Candida auris: conceptual issues, clinical implications, and outstanding questions. mSphere 2025....

Communicable E33: Ethics in infectious diseases

Aug 10, 2025 36 min

Ethics in the field of infectious disease can be a delicate interplay between treating the individual patient and protecting the collective health of a society. Sometimes these two mandates go hand in hand; at other times they can appear to be in conflict. In this episode of Communicable, Dr. Angela Huttner invites Drs. Zeb Jamrozik (Melbourne, Australia) and Beenish Syed (Karachi, Pakistan), two members of ESCMID’s Ethics Advisory Committee, to unpack different scenarios encountered in the field of infectious disease from an ethics standpoint: how one ethically allocates scarce resources like antimicrobials; whether there is ethical justification for coercive public-health measures like lockdowns; and whether the need to collect evidence to advance patient care could include other models besides opt-in informed consent. This episode was edited by Dr. Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Dr. Goulia Ohan of Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia. Further reading: Barosa M, et al. The Ethical Obligation for Research During Public Health Emergencies: Insights From the COVID-19 Pandemic. Med Health Care Philos 2024. DOI: 10.1007/s11019-023-10184-6Symons X, et al. Why should HCWs receive priority access to vaccines in a pandemic? BMC Med Ethics 2021. DOI: 10.1186/s12910-021-00650-2Thorsteinsdottir B and Madsen BE. Prioritizing health care workers and first responders for access to the COVID19 vaccine is not unethical, but both fair and effective – an ethical analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine 2021. DOI: 10.1186/s13049-021-00886-2Huttner A, Leibovici L, Theuretzbacher U, Huttner B, Paul M. Closing the evidence gap in infectious disease: point-of-care randomization and informed consent. Clin Microbiol Infect 2017;23(2):73-77. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.07.029

Communicable E32: Fluoroquinolones - to heal or harm?

Jul 27, 2025 55 min

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are valuable given their broad-spectrum activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and their high penetration into various tissues. Yet FQs have also caused concern, with some market withdrawals, important and sometimes long-lasting adverse drug events, and substantial collateral effects on the microbiota. In this episode of Communicable, hosts Emily McDonald and Thomas Tängdén invite Staffan Tevell (Karlstad, Sweden) and Bernadette Young (Oxford, UK) to weigh in on the pro-con debate of FQ use, especially for periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs), which can entail longer treatment durations. They review the standard of care for PJIs, including FQs in combination with rifampicin vs other antibiotic combinations, the impact of the OVIVA trial advocating for early oral switch strategies, the long list of rare but important side effects, and how best to preserve FQs for clinical indications that most need them. This episode is a follow-up from Tevell and Young’s recently published systematic review of the role of FQs in PJIs [1]. It was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Ljiljana Lukić of University Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb, Croatia. The executive producer of Communicable is Angela Huttner. References Tevell S, et al. To heal or harm: A systematic review of the role of fluoroquinolones in periprosthetic joint infections. CMI Communications 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmicom.2025.105103Further reading Mandell LA, et al. Antimicrobial Safety and Tolerability: Differences and Dilemmas. Clin Infect Dis 2001. JSTOR http://www.jstor.org/stable/4461522.Pham TDM, et al. Quinolone antibiotics. Medchemcomm 2019. DOI: 10.1039/c9md00120d. Rodrigues CF and Silva F. The Rise, Fall, and Rethink of (Fluoro)quinolones: A Quick Rundown. Pathogens 2025. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens14060525Slimings C and Riley TV. Antibiotics and hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infection: update of systematic review and meta-analysis...

Communicable E31: Climate change and fungal spread

Jul 13, 2025 51 min

The adaptability of fungi to warmer temperatures is an obvious consequence of climate change. Perhaps less obvious is the role climate change has played on fungal pathogens emerging as a global health concern. While humans are mostly protected from fungal infections by our immune system and body temperature, a warming global climate could subvert the status quo. Some fungi are already adapted to warmer temperatures and causing invasive acute infections in humans: Candidozyma auris, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus, to name a few. In this episode of Communicable, Angela Huttner and Josh Nosanchuk invite Arturo Casadevall, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins and this year’s recipient of ESCMID’s Excellence in Science Award, to discuss the world of fungi and their pathogenic potential in a warming world. Other topics include how to prepare for their emergence as a health threat, how fungi can be harnessed for applications that can benefit us, and ultimately answering the question Casadevall himself posed in the title of his recently published book, What if fungi win? This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Robin Aerts of University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium. References 1. Casadevall, A with Desmon S. What if fungi win? Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024. 2. Smith DFG, et al. Environmental fungi from cool and warm neighborhoods in the urban heat island of Baltimore City show differences in thermal susceptibility and pigmentation. BioRxiv 2025. DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.10.566554 3. Casadevall A and Pirofski L. Benefits and Costs of Animal Virulence for Microbes. mBio 2019. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00863-19 4. Cordero RJB et al. Radiation protection and structural stability of fungal melanin polylactic acid biocomposites in low Earth orbit. PNAS 2025. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2427118122 5. Dadachova E, et al. The radioprotective properties of fungal melanin are a function of its chemica...

Communicable E30: WHO's first-ever guideline on meningitis

Jun 29, 2025 1 hr 0 min

Meningitis remains a major global health threat, with an estimated 2.5 million cases each year; of these, one in six results in death and one in five in long-term disabilities. Although meningitis “can strike anyone, anywhere in the world,” outbreaks disproportionately impact low- and middle-income countries, where diagnostic and treatment resources are limited. In efforts to address this, WHO launched its first-ever guideline on meningitis diagnosis and management in April this year. In this episode of Communicable, hosts Emily McDonald and Marc Bonten are joined by two experts directly involved in creating the guideline, Lorenzo Pezzoli and Nicolò Binello (WHO), as well as Jacob Bodilsen (Aalborg University), clinician-researcher and Chair of ESCMID’s Study Group for Infectious Diseases of the Brain (ESGIB). The guests offer a firsthand look behind the guideline’s development, review key recommendations for diagnosis and treatment - including the use of lumbar puncture, antibiotics, and chemoprophylaxis – and discuss how these fit into various clinical settings. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Ljiljana Lukić of University Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb, Croatia. The executive producer of Communicable is Angela Huttner. Terms CRP, C-reactive proteinGDG, Guideline Development GroupLiterature WHO guidelines on meningitis diagnosis, treatment and care. April 2025. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240108042Defeating meningitis by 2030: a global road map. June 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240026407Olie SE, et al. Validation and clinical implementation of cerebrospinal fluid C-reactive protein for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis: a prospective diagnostic accuracy study. Lancet Reg June 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101309Coldiron ME, et al. Single-dose oral ciprofloxacin prophylaxis as a response to a meningococcal meningitis epidemic in the African meningitis belt: A 3-arm, open-l...

Communicable E29: Bacterial vaginosis & male partners

Jun 15, 2025 59 min

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) was long considered not to be a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and treatment was only for women to bear. That was the convention at least until Catriona Bradshaw and her team at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre published their groundbreaking clinical trial results earlier this year, demonstrating that treating male partners of women with BV prevented recurrence in those women. In this episode of Communicable, hosts Angela Huttner and Annie Joseph welcome back Bradshaw to discuss her trial’s design, results, and clinical implications—with some guidelines already updated to include male partners in BV treatment regimens. The conversation also explores the complexities of BV diagnosis, the challenges of trial execution in general, and future research directions. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Arjana Zerja (Mother Theresa University Hospital Centre, Tirana, Albania) References Vodstricil LA, et al. Male-partner treatment to prevent recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. N Engl J Med 2025. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2405404Bacterial vaginosis in focus. Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC). https://www.mshc.org.au/sexual-health/bacterial-vaginosisFurther reading Auvert B, et al. Randomized, controlled intervention trial of male circumcision for reduction of HIV infection risk: the ANRS 1265 Trial. PLoS Med 2005. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020298Bailey RC, et al. Male circumcision for HIV prevention in young men in Kisumu, Kenya: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2007. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60312-2Bukusi E, et al. Topical penile microbicide use by men to prevent recurrent bacterial vaginosis in sex partners: A randomized clinical trial, Sex Transmi Dis 2011. DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e318214b82dCohen CR, et al. Randomized trial of Lactin-V to prevent recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. N Engl J Med 2020. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1915254Gray RH, et al. The effects of male circumcision on female partners' genital tract...

Communicable E28: Late-breaker trials at ESCMID Global: Should they change your practice? - part 2

Jun 1, 2025 47 min

Editors of CMI Comms, Josh Davis, Erin McCreary and Emily McDonald return for round 2 taking turns to summarise and discuss late-breaker trials presented at ESCMID Global 2025 in Vienna, and whether or not these trials should change your practice. Part 2 covers the ALABAMA trial exploring the safety of penicillin-allergy delabelling using the penicillin allergy assessment pathway, the SOLARIO trial investigating short (≤7 days!) versus long (≥4 weeks) antibiotic courses for orthopaedic infections, the EAGLE-1 trial assessing oral gepotidacin for gonorrhoea, a randomised clinical trial (RCT) from Thailand on oral fosfomycin as carbapenem-sparing, de-escalating therapy in complicated UTIs, and a double-blind RCT from Israel comparing neutralising plasma to placebo for West Nile fever. This episode was peer reviewed by Dr. Emanuele Rando of Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Seville, Spain and is the second of this two-part series covering selected clinical trials presented at ESCMID Global 2025. Late-breaker trials Sandoe J, et al. Penicillin allergy assessment pathway versus usual clinical care for primary care patients with a penicillin allergy record to assess safety, de-labelling and antibiotic prescribing: The ALABAMA randomised controlled trialAngkanavisan K, et al. Oral fosfomycin after carbapenems as de-escalating therapy in complicated urinary tract infection: A randomisedcontrolled trialCanetti M, et al. Neutralising plasma versus placebo for hospitalised patients with West Nile fever: a double-blind randomised controlled trialDudareva M, et al. Short or long antibiotic regimes in orthopaedics: the SOLARIO multicentre randomised controlled trialWilson, J. Phase 3 randomised trial of oral gepotidacin for the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhoea (EAGLE-1) References IDSA. Public Comment: IDSA Guideline on Management and Treatment of Complicated Urinary Tract Infections; 19 Feb - 19 March 2025.Mostashari F, et al. Epidemic West Nile encephalitis, New...

Communicable E27: Late-breaker trials at ESCMID Global: Should they change your practice? - part 1

May 18, 2025 53 min

This episode of Communicable takes on a special format where editors of CMI Comms, Marc Bonten, Josh Davis, Erin McCreary, Emily McDonald, all clinical trialists in their own right, take turns to summarise and discuss late-breaker trials presented at ESCMID Global 2025 in Vienna. These include the CloCeBa trial on Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia treatment options, the Taper V trial on vancomycin as prophylaxis for Clostridioides difficile infection, the ASTARTÉ trial on temocillin versus meropenem for bacteraemia due to third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales, the HARVEST trial investigating high doses of rifampicin for tuberculosis meningitis, and the CAP5 trial on shortening antibiotic treatment for community-acquired pneumonia. This episode was peer reviewed by Dr. Barbora Píšová (Czech Republic) and is the first of a two-part series covering selected clinical trials presented at ESCMID Global 2025. References: Lescure X, et al. Cloxacillin versus cefazolin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (CloCeBa): a randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trialMcDonald EG, et al. Initial vancomycin taper for the prevention of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection: the TAPER-V randomised controlled trialCogliati Dezza F, et al. Temocillin versus meropenem for the targeted treatment of bacteraemia due to third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (ASTARTÉ): a randomised, pragmatic trialVan Crevel R, et al. High-dose rifampicin in the treatment of tuberculous meningitis: results of the HARVEST phase III multi-country randomised clinical trialBastrup Israelsen S, et al. Shortened antibiotic treatment for 5 days in patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP5): a multicentre randomised controlled noninferiority trial

Communicable E26: SNAP out of it: Rethinking anti-staphylococcal penicillins for S. aureus bacteremia - the SNAP trial PSSA/MSSA results

May 4, 2025 1 hr 10 min

In this first-ever collaboration between Communicable and Breakpoints, the podcast of the US Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, hosts Angela Huttner (Geneva, Switzerland) and Erin McCreary (Pittsburgh, USA) join trial investigators Josh Davis (Newcastle, Australia) and Steve Tong (Melbourne, Australia) to unpack the first results coming from the SNAP adaptive platform trial, which were recently presented at ESCMID Global in Vienna. Learn whether penicillin and cefazolin are non-inferior to—and maybe even safer than—flucloxacillin for penicillin-susceptible and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. This episode was edited by Julie Anne Justo, transcribed by Katie Lambert and Sarah Groome, and peer-reviewed by Megan Klatt and Lacy Worden. Note on conflict of interest for SNAP Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC) members: Conflicts of interest were evaluated when choosing individuals to serve on the SNAP DSMC. Aside from being compensated for their duties on the committee, DSMC members have no ongoing financial relationships that relate to the trial and are not involved in the conduct of the trial in any role other than that of a DSMC member. DSMC members have no intellectual conflict of interest or bias and reviewed SNAP data in a fully objective manner. Literature: Steven Y. C. Tong, Joshua S. Davis, Emily Eichenberger et al. Staphylococcus aureus infections: epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2015 Jul;28(3):603-61. SNAP Adaptive trial platform/results of the PSSA & MSSA domains: https://www.snaptrial.com.au/ESCMID Global April 2025 presentation: www.online.escmid.org *https://www.escmid.org/congress-events/escmid-global/programme/scientific-programme/CloCeBa trial results (ESCMID Global April 2025 presentation): www.online.escmid.org *https://www.escmid.org/congress-events/escmid-global/programme/scientific-programme/Note on access to online video of ESCMID Global present...

Communicable E25: The Nightmare Series, part 5 - Measles is back

Apr 20, 2025 55 min

In this episode of Communicable, hosts Angela Huttner and Annie Joseph join experts Kerrigan McCarthy of South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Natasha Crowcroft of the World Health Organisation to discuss the resurgence of measles as a consequence of misinformation campaigns and waning vaccination rates, how to diagnose and manage active measles cases, and post-exposure control measures to take to reduce further spread. They also address the broader challenges of the moment, including generalised vaccine hesitancy and sudden, sweeping budget cuts, underscoring the message that “measles anywhere is a problem everywhere.” This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Dr. Anelia Zasheva of the Military Medical Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Communicable E24: The role of medical societies in global health - An interview with ESCMID leadership

Apr 6, 2025 47 min

ESCMID Global, ESCMID’s flagship congress, kicks off this Friday in Vienna. In light of that, Angela Huttner and Thomas Tängdén sit down with ESCMID leadership, President Robert Skov and Immediate-Past President Annelies Zinkernagel in this episode of Communicable. Together they discuss the roles of medical societies like ESCMID in shaping healthcare policy, the importance of scientific communication, and lessons learned from the COVID pandemic. The conversation highlights ESCMID’s priorities for the future on addressing antimicrobial resistance, fostering international collaboration and new educational initiatives. The episode also features personal anecdotes about what makes coming together at ESCMID Global so special. Tune in for a comprehensive look at how ESCMID is championing medical progress in infection for a healthier tomorrow. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and not peer reviewed. References Global impact of US policy changes: The ESCMID perspective. CMI Comms 2025;2(2): 105073.Malani AN, Sharland M, Clancy CJ, Skov R, ESCMID & IDSA Executive Boards. A global call to action to fight antimicrobial resistance: IDSA and ESCMID joint white paper. CMI Comms 2024; 1(2): 105033.Baghdadi JD & Morgan DJ. Diagnostic tests should be assessed for clinical impact. CMI Comms 2024; 1(2): 105010.

Communicable E23: Women & men in medicine: An honest discussion, part 2

Mar 23, 2025 31 min

Communicable returns to the topic of gender dynamics in medicine in the second half of this special. This round, Angela Huttner wants to hear from the men, CMI Comms editors Marc Bonten, Josh Davis, Navaneeth Narayanan and Thomas Tängdén, about tackling issues like the evolving expectations at home and work, the impact of parental-leave policies, and the systemic biases that continue to shape careers. Personal anecdotes and reflections highlight both the progress made and the hurdles that still exist in striving for true gender equity in the medical profession. Editors Erin McCreary and Annie Joseph of CMI Comms also participate in the discussion, with Annie sharing an interesting follow-up to her story told in part 1.

Communicable E22: Women & men in medicine: An honest discussion, part 1

Mar 7, 2025 40 min

In honour of International Women's Day, Communicable releases the first of a two-part special on gender dynamics within the fields of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology. Moderated by Angela Huttner, part 1 focuses on the women's perspectives, featuring CMI Comms editors Erin McCreary, Annie Joseph, and Huttner herself, who together reflect on personal experiences of gender bias in the workplace. They discuss differential (mis)treatment, break down common gendered situations in the workplace, and explore what individuals, institutes and society can do to promote a more inclusive, supportive environment for all. Editors Marc Bonten, Josh Davis, Navaneeth Narayanan and Thomas Tängdén of CMI Comms also join for part 1.

Communicable E21: FMT for C. difficile infections - does it work?

Feb 23, 2025 56 min

Several publications have described wondrous therapeutic effects of faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) on Clostridioides difficile infection. Yet the recent randomised trial assessing FMT in US veterans was terminated early for futility. In this episode, hosts Angela Huttner and Marc Bonten delve into the history, application, and complexities of FMT with experts Maria Vehreschild (Frankfurt University Hospital, Germany) and Dimitri Drekonja (Minneapolis Veteran Affairs Care System and University of Minnesota, US), who led the US trial. From the regulatory challenges and trial nuances to important new research, this conversation sheds light on a potentially revolutionary yet controversial treatment. Episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer-reviewed by Arjana Zerja (Mother Theresa University Hospital Centre, Tirana, Albania). Other mentions: EurFMTEuropean Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare. Guide to the quality and safety of tissues and cells for human application. vol. 5th ed. EDQM Council of Europe; 2022. https://freepub.edqm.eu/publications/17/detail Literature Drekonja DM et al (2024) Clin Infect Dis, doi: 10.1093/cid/ciae467

Communicable E20: Tuberculosis today

Feb 9, 2025 54 min

Despite being preventable and curable, tuberculosis remains a major global health threat, infecting over 10 million people and claiming more than 1 million lives every year. In this episode of Communicable, hosts Angela Huttner and Navaneeth Narayanan discuss tuberculosis with experts Lorenzo Guglielmetti of Doctors without Borders and Olha Konstantynovska of Kharkiv National University, Ukraine. Key topics include the history, transmission, and pathophysiology of tuberculosis, as well as current diagnostic challenges and treatments for drug-resistant strains. The conversation highlights Lorenzo's work on the endTB project and Olha's experiences managing tuberculosis during the war in Ukraine. Despite advancements in treatment, the episode underscores the urgent need for political will and funding to combat this global health threat. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Dr. Maria Ana de Quadros Flores e Santos of Unidade Local de Saude Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal. Abbreviations and terminology used in this episode: MSF: Médecins sans Frontières, or Doctors without Borders (msf.org)FIND: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (www.finddx.org)‘Intoxication symptoms’ are synonymous with ‘constitutional symptoms’ or ‘B symptoms’ of tuberculosis and include fever, night sweats, and unintentional weight loss. Literature: endTB ProjectAnnual global tuberculosis report by WHO 2024 Dorman SE, et al. Four-Month Rifapentine Regimens with or without Moxifloxacin for Tuberculosis. N Engl J Med 2021 doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2033400Guglielmetti L, et al. Oral Regimens for Rifampin-Resistant, Fluoroquinolone-Susceptible Tuberculosis. N Engl J Med 2025 doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2400327

Communicable E19: ‘Super gonorrhoea’ & other sexually transmitted infections

Jan 26, 2025 58 min

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) affect millions globally daily, and multidrug-resistant strains are complicating treatment. Hosts Angela Huttner and Josh Davis welcome experts Dr. Teodora Elvira Wi from WHO and Professor Catriona Bradshaw from Monash University to discuss critical issues surrounding ‘super gonorrhoea,’ chlamydia, syphilis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and bacterial vaginosis. The episode reviews the latest epidemiology and highlights the need to innovate diagnostics and treatment options, destigmatise STIs, and promote people-centred healthcare strategies to manage and prevent these infections. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer-reviewed by Dr. Arjana Zerja of Mother Theresa University Hospital Centre, Tirana, Albania. Literature: Guidelines for the management of symptomatic sexually transmitted infections. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. Chris Kenyon et al. on screening impact for gonorrhoea and chlamydia infections in key populations The Lancet HIV 2024.

Communicable E18: The Nightmare Series, part 4 - How to manage polio and rubella

Jan 12, 2025 59 min

Rising anti-vaccine sentiment and dissemination of misinformation are threats to public health. In the US, calls to revoke certain public health mandates have been proposed by likely members of the incoming administration, among them vaccination against polio. The fourth instalment of the Nightmare Series is both a cautionary tale and an effort to preserve and share clinical expertise on how to diagnose and manage polio and rubella in a world where, until now, few doctors have had to face these illnesses in the clinical setting. Host Angela Huttner welcomes Professor Emeritus of Infectious Diseases Bernard Hirschel at the University of Geneva and Dr. Kerrigan McCarthy of the Centre for Vaccines and Immunology at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) for that discussion. This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer-reviewed by Dr. Barbora Píšová in Antwerp, Belgium. Literature Link-Gelles R et al (2022) MMWR https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7133e2.htm Ryerson AB et al (2022) MMWR https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7144e2.htm Kasstan B et al (2023) Epidemiol Infect doi: 10.1017/S0950268823001127 NICD (2024) Report: Rubella in South Africa, 2024. https://www.nicd.ac.za/surge-in-rubella-cases-in-south-africa-november-2024/

See all 67 episodes

–

0 ratings from members

Rate this podcast

No reviews yet — be the first member to rate "Communicable".

This podcast, its content and its artwork are not owned by, affiliated with, or endorsed by Castquire.

Communicable E66: Diagnostics in the AMR era

Share this podcast

Live Chart rankings

#119 Medicine 🇮🇪 IE

Chart history

🇮🇪 Medicine Best #119

Holding at #119 — the line fills in as this chart moves.

Podcast details

Created by: CMI Communications
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 1, 2026
Episodes: 67
Release period: Every two weeks
Avg. episode length: 53 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

Links

Apple Podcasts ↗ RSS feed ↗

Is this your podcast?

Claim it to show it on your profile. Using the email from your RSS feed approves it instantly.

Keep listening

Discover more podcasts like this.

Browse podcasts See the charts