Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

Epidemiology of Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections in Children in Los Angeles County, July 2023–June 2024

Alarming findings reported by this study:
Among 53 iGAS cases, 47% had potentially delayed diagnoses and 10% died.

Sherwood, Kyla; Dao, Bonnie; Gounder, Prabhu
https://journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/06000/epidemiology_of_invasive_group_a_streptococcal.5.aspx?context=featuredarticles&collectionid=2


More info on Invasive Group A Strep:
📍Clinical manifestations include bacteremia, necrotizing soft tissue infections, osteoarticular infections, pleural empyema and toxic shock syndrome.
📍Risk factors include recent viral respiratory infection, immunosuppression (eg, HIV, corticosteroid use or diabetes mellitus) and disruptions to the skin barrier (eg, surgery).

Epidemiology of Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal ion for iGAS in children with repeat clinical presentations or risk factors such as recent viral infections....

A new study highlights the association between early antibiotic exposure and risk of developing Celiac disease in children. The findings reinforce the need for cautious antibiotic prescribing practices in early childhood, to minimize unnecessary exposure.

Read full article here:
Early Antibiotics Usage During Infancy is Associated With High Risk of Celiac Disease Autoimmunity: A Population-based Study
Cozacov, Tal; Yackobovitch-Gavan, Michal; Guz-Mark, Anat; Shkalim-Zemer, Vered; Herman Cohen, Avner; Itzhaki Wygoda, Noam; Shouval, Dror S; Shamir, Raanan
https://journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/06000/early_antibiotics_usage_during_infancy_is.1.aspx?context=featuredarticles&collectionid=2


More info on Celiac disease:
📍It is a common immune-mediated disorder, affecting approximately 1% of the general population.
📍While it classically presents with GI symptoms, it can also present through extraintestinal manifestations, including delayed growth, fatigue and iron deficiency anemia.
📍It primarily occurs in genetically predisposed individuals (HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 carriers) following dietary gluten exposure. However, genetic susceptibility alone cannot fully explain disease occurrence.
📍Increasing evidence suggests that environmental factors, gut microbiome alterations and GI infections play a pivotal role in disease development.
📍Relationship between early-life exposure to antibiotics and development of Celiac disease is an evolving topic in pediatric research.
📍Antibiotic-induced disruptions to the gut microbiota may play a key role in altering immune development and intestinal permeability, ultimately promoting autoimmune responses.

Given the high mortality observed in Epstein–Barr Virus-associated Severe Aplastic Anemia in Children, author purposes a standardized diagnostic approach incorporating molecular virology and immunogenetic evaluation could contribute to earlier recognition of high-risk patients and potentially improve outcomes.

Pessoa, Fabrício Silva MD

Revisiting the Diagnostic Approach to Epstein–Barr... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal An abstract is unavailable.

A study that utilized whole of population data from Australia’s most populous state NSW, suggests infants who were born to mothers who received the during pregnancy had a 21% lower risk of influenza infection or hospitalization in the first 6 months of life compared with infants born to mothers who were not vaccinated against influenza during pregnancy.

Read full article in the latest of the
Effectiveness of Maternal Influenza Vaccination on Influenza and Acute Respiratory Infection in Infants

Homaira, Nusrat; Qian, Jiahui; Scaria, Anish; Stepien, Sandrine; Macartney, Kristine; Liu, Bette
https://journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/06000/effectiveness_of_maternal_influenza_vaccination_on.22.aspx?context=featuredarticles&collectionid=2

Effectiveness of Maternal Influenza Vaccination on... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal hort study using New South Wales Perinatal Data from 2016 to 2019 linked to hospitalization and disease notifications. Annual incidence of influenza notification/hospitalization and all-cause ALRI hospitalization among infants during the first 6 months of life was estimated. Vaccine effectiveness (V...

Burden of Hospitalized RSV in Children in Sweden: A Population-based Case-cohort Study (2006–2023)

Read this massive study from Sweden that analyzed national registry data from nearly 31,907 RSV cases, compared with 95,697 age-matched children.

During the study period, RSV accounted for 27% of all hospitalized acute respiratory infection cases.

Silfverdal Sven Arne, Holmgren Anton et al.

Burden of Hospitalized Respiratory Syncytial Virus in... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal s critical to evaluate the potential impact of new prophylactic options. Methods: This case-cohort study used data from the Swedish national registers. However, 31,907 hospitalized RSV cases

Can you differentiate TBM from non-TBM infection in children? Is there an utility of 3-gene host response signature measured by RNA sequencing?

This study reinforces the concept that host immune biomarkers used to diagnose in children should NOT be extrapolated from adults. A pediatric-specific gene host signature for severe childhood TB with TBM is needed.

Huynh Julie et al.

The Utility of a Three-gene Host Response to Discriminate... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal ith TBM and controls. Expression of the 3-gene signature, [guanylate-binding protein (GBP5), dual specificity phosphatase 3 (DUSP3) and Krupple-like factor 2 (KLF2)] was quantified and a tuberculosis (TB) score was calculated using (GBP5+DUSP3)/2-KLF2. Discriminatory performance was obtained using r...

Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infection and Meningitis Due to Bergeyella zoohelcum in a young child

Read about a rare case of VP shunt infection and in a 14 month old due to zoohelcum, a zoonotic gram negative rod found in canine and feline oral flora likely via pet dog saliva exposure in post surgical incision.

The child presented with fussiness, fatigue and CSF leak from scalp after recent neurosurgical interventions and rapid deterioration with seizures requiring intubation, with CSF findings classic for bacterial meningitis and GN rods observed after 25hrs. Management involved treatment with Meropenem and vancomycin later changed to Ceftrixone with VP shunt removal and EVD placement.

This case shows the importance of educating patients and families about risk of infection with family pets, particularly in those with recent open wounds.

Amy Heiberger et al.

Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infection and Meningitis Due to... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal An abstract is unavailable.

A Rare Presentation of Late Latent Syphilis with Alopecia and Polyarticular Joint Pain in 17yr old teenager

Read about a 17yr old male who presented with 3 month history of polyarthritis, patchy hair loss, fatigue with diffuse rash, cervical lymphadenopathy and joint swelling with elevated ESR and CRP, initially suspected of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and later diagnosed as Late Latent Syphilis with positive rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titre of 1:256. After treatment with IM Benzathine Penicillin G, the patient reported complete resolution of arthralgia and hair growth with decline in RPR titre to 1:64.

can have atypical presentations involving multiple organ systems. So, STI screening is recommended in sexually active adolescents with atypical symptoms.

Kiriam Escobar Lee et al.
Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 2025
Full text:

A Rare Presentation of Late Latent Syphilis With Alopecia... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal An abstract is unavailable.

Non-tuberculous meningitis (NTM) in children:

This study provides a comprehensive overview of clinical characteristics, management and treatment outcomes of children with infections in the Central Denmark Region between 2011 and 2023.

Cervical lymphadenitis has been reported to be the predominant clinical presentation, observed in over 90% of cases, supporting the existing literature.

Toustrup, Lise Bols; Holm, Emma; Lillebaek, Troels; Holm, Mette; Dahl, Victor N.
Read more

Diagnostics, Management and Outcomes of Pediatric... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal cal characteristics, management and treatment outcomes of children diagnosed with NTM infections in the Central Denmark Region between 2011 and 2023. Children were identified using mycobacteriologic data and ICD-10 diagnostic codes. Detailed clinical information was extracted from hospital records,....

This fresh published study highlights strong association between MDR Gram-negative bacterial and the subsequent development of bloodstream infections, emphasizing the high vulnerability of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients to infections.

To note, all participants in this study had an initial re**al swab before admission to the transplant unit and before cell infusion, followed by periodic re**al swabs performed at 15-day intervals during the hospitalization period.

Medina Valencia, Diego; Franco Moreno, Alexis Antonio; Bustos Paz, Mario Alejandro; Manzi, Eliana; Muñoz-Caluce, Diana; Sandoval-Calle, Lina M.; Devia Zapata, Angela; Patiño-Niño, Jaime Alberto; Pérez-Camacho, Paola

Re**al Swab Screening as a Predictor of Bacteremia by... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal ality. This study aims to evaluate the utility of periodic re**al screening in predicting MDR-induced bacteremia by day 100 in pediatric HSCT patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients under 18 who underwent re**al screening before HSCT at a high-complexi...