Infectious Diseases

Tuberculosis (TB) fatalities continue to rise. In 2022, an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with TB, compared to 10.3 million in 2021 and 10 million in 2020. The infectious disease killed 1.3 million people worldwide each year. In 2022, TB remained the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease, after COVID-19, and caused almost twice as many deaths as HIV/AIDS.

Data suggests that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased prevalence of antimicrobial resistant infections and increases in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). A recent study shows an alarming incidence of multidrug-resistant candidiasis in COVID-19 patients, which carries high morbidity and mortality rates. With this increasing prevalence of resistant infections, the utilization of surveillance tools such as whole genome sequencing (WGS) are critical in preventing the spread of these infections.

Getting the flu is no fun, but what’s even worse than the runny nose, cough, fever, and other symptoms related to the flu, is when complications arise. Pneumonia is one of the most common complications that can occur as a result of the flu. The condition can become very serious and even life-threatening.

Acute gastroenteritis is defined as an inflammation of the intestines that causes diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, loss of appetite, and other symptoms of digestive upset. Each year, an estimated 1.6 million people die from infectious gastroenteritis worldwide.

Almeida’s contributions to the field of virology are immeasurable. Besides her discovery of the coronavirus family, she pioneered and perfected multiple techniques that have resulted in huge strides in viral imaging and diagnosis.