Approximately 2,000 US cases of malaria are diagnosed annually. Without appropriate treatment, about 15 percent become severe. Mortality from untreated severe malaria (particularly cerebral malaria) approaches 100 percent.

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Artesunate for Injection to Amivas, a Maryland company specializing in treatments for rare and neglected tropical diseases.

Joining me today to talk about severe malaria and the newly approved drug is Bryan Smith, MD. Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Officer at Amivas.

There has been reports of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infections in both domestic felines and large zoo cats in recent weeks.

While these infections were characterized as human to feline transmission, what do we know about feline to feline or feline to human transmission?

My guest today, University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher, Peter Halfmann, PhD, joins me to discuss the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

On today's podcast, I had the honor of talking to E.B. Fred Professor of Natural Sciences Emeritus at UW–Madison and author of the book, Robert Koch--A Life in Medicine and Bacteriology, Thomas Brock, PhD about the titan of microbiology, Robert Koch.

In this show, I asked the 93-year-old microbiologist about Koch's life prior to microbiology, his relationship with Louis Pasteur and several of Koch's major contributions to bacteriology from the discovery of the agent of tuberculosis in 1882 to the famous postulates that bear his name.

On today's podcast, I want to take a look at a couple of much talked about issues when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic at this point in time--the diagnostic testing (both PCR and antibody, or serology testing) and the death rates associated with the viral illness.

I am joined today with friend of the show and the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH.

On today’s podcast, I want to look at some different issues involving the coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19 pandemic to include the varying fatality rates in certain countries, US pandemic preparedness and what we should be doing moving forward. Joining me to look at these issues and more is Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins […]

On today's podcast, I want to look at some different issues involving the coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19 pandemic to include the varying fatality rates in certain countries, US pandemic preparedness and what we should be doing moving forward.

Joining me to look at these issues and more is Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD.

This week, March 15-21 is National Poison Prevention Week 2020. What is poison control and what is the role of Poison control centers?

Joining me today to answer these questions and more is Dr. Mazda Shirazi. Dr Shirazi is associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, a clinical toxicologist and serves as the medical director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center.

Locally acquired cases of Chagas disease are exceedingly rare in the United States. Only 28 autochthonous infections were documented from 1955 to 2015.

A recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) describes the first locally transmitted Chagas disease case in the state of Missouri.

Joining me to talk about this unusual case is George Turabelidze, MD, PhD. Dr Turabelidze is with the Division of Community and Public Health with the Missouri Department of Health.

Results were recently published in a study in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology that show limitations of currently available diagnostic tests for early-stage Lyme disease, and highlight the need for more research toward improved diagnostics and treatments.

Joining me today to discuss the study and the findings is Liz Horn, PhD. Dr Horn is the Principal Investigator with the Lyme Disease Biobank.

Today is World Aspergillosis Day, a day to raise awareness about a fungal infection that kills more than one million people globally each year.

Joining me now to talk about aspergillosis, a new kind of antifungal drug and World Aspergillosis Day is Marco Taglietti, M.D. Dr Taglietti is the president and chief executive officer of SCYNEXIS and an infectious disease expert.