Michael G. Ison, MD MS

AJT’S new ID blog, TxIDExchange, is dedicated to sharing the latest ID updates, research, and guidelines relevant to the transplant community. We’re soliciting blog posts and comments from you and your colleagues and encourage you to participate.

ajt-transplant-id-exchange.squarespace.com

AJT Transplant ID Exchange

Don't miss the new @amjtransplant.bsky.social #TxID blog led by Emily Blumberg ajt-transplant-id-exchange.squarespace.com #wtc2025 @ast-idcop.bsky.social @ast-tyfcop.bsky.social @astinfo.bsky.social

Excited to head to San Francisco for #WTC2025 @ast-idcop.bsky.social

Michael Woodward presented on utility of FMT in ICHs - can reduce risk of recurrent C diff and MDRO infections - cost, availability and lack of guidance are limiting application @fredhutch 5th Symposium on ID in ICHs.

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Likewise, screening for FQ resistance may inform what breakthrough infections will occur and optimize early management.

Mike Satlin gave an incredible review of MDR-GBR. These challenging bacteria cause freq infections and screening for can inform management of F&N @fredhutch.bsky.social 5th Symposium on ID in ICHs.

Jay Fishman provided the keynote on Xenotransplantation- major progress but many unknowns- thankfully formal clinical trials will help inform optimal approach @fredhutch.bsky.social 5th Symposium on ID in ICHs.

Erika Kampouri provided a masterful review of infections after CAR-T and the impact of CMV and HHV6 in these patients - HHV6 CNS disease rare, CMV needs more data to confirm optimal management. @fredhutch.bsky.social 5th Symposium on ID in ICHs

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

The future may be using the tool to look at pathogen and host response in the same assay - multiple examples shown that the combined approach provided answers that wouldn’t have been identified.

Charles Chiu @UCSF gave an amazing lecture on mNGS in immunocompromised- while helpful, limitations exist and must be recognized to interpret the results.

Amazing talk on aging and infection Maheen Abidi - many questions and need for data to inform management approaches. @fredhutch.bsky.social Symposium of Infections in ICH

Hans Hirsch provided a master class in BKV as the keynote for the 5th @fredhutch.bsky.social Symposium on Infections in ICH. Studies have advanced our understanding of pathogens and management - but many questions remain.

Michael Boeckh highlights the grow of the the @fredhutch Symposium on Infections - matching interest the field of #TxID

It’s easy to see why with an expansion of tools to study and apply to improve outcomes in our patients!

Efficacy of Baloxavir Treatment in Preventing Transmission of Influenza | NEJM Baloxavir marboxil (baloxavir) rapidly reduces influenza virus shedding, which suggests that it may reduce transmission. Studies of treatment with neuraminidase inhibitors have not shown sufficient...

Really excited to be a part of this study and see it published today!

Efficacy of Baloxavir Treatment in Preventing Transmission of Influenza | New England Journal of Medicine www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Adjuvanted RSV profusion F vaccine protection over 3 years - while VE declined over time, there remains significant protection against severe disease. More data is needed for longer term outcomes to inform optimal use.

It was an honor to review the data on the link between Ureaplasma spp and Hyperammonemia in Lung Transplant recipients @ESCMID #ESCMIDGlobal 2025. Slides are here for those who want them.

www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ei4ym...

A true master class on Chagas in transplantation - emerging data supports the safety of using Chagas positive donors with careful monitoring and treatment. Marcelo Radisic #ESCMIDGlobal

Great review of TB in endemic regions including approaches to use universal prophylaxis to reduce the incidence of post-transplant infection. @RubinaNaqvi1

Great talk about HHV8 and the role of donor screening by Alesandra Mularone including follow-up management.

linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii...

It’s not to late to submit ideas for sessions @escmid.bsky.social Global 2026 for ESGICH to advocate for. Please follow the links below to submit ideas and sign up for the meeting to talk through the ideas!

Enhanced influenza vaccines impact effectiveness in individuals aged 65 years and older, Denmark, 2024/25 influenza season up to 4 March 2025 During the 2024/25 influenza season, enhanced and standard-dose influenza vaccines were available for individuals aged 65 and older. Compared with the standard-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV...

Really cool study looking at different flu vax formulations for older adults. Those fancy flu vaccines (adjuvanted or higher dose) make a difference. www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2...

Totally agree - this is focused on people presenting for the first time to the hospital.

Taken together, despite speedy access to diagnostics & multiple studies highlighting the benefits of early therapy, we need to be asking what we can do to increase utilization of flu antivirals among hospitalized adults.

Timing of Influenza Antiviral Therapy and Risk of Death in Adults Hospitalized With Influenza-Associated Pneumonia, Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-NET), 2012–2019 Using population-based surveillance data, among adults hospitalized with influenza-associated pneumonia, delayed initiation of influenza antiviral treatmen

Now, a Flu-Serv NET study of admitted flu pts 2012-2019 found 60.9% received rx within the first day. Early therapy was associated with reduced risk of death.

academic.oup.com/cid/article-...

Benefit of Early Oseltamivir Therapy for Adults Hospitalized With Influenza A: An Observational Study Among influenza patients hospitalized during the 2022–2023 influenza season, initiating treatment with oseltamivir on the day of admission (compared with l

A study by the IVY Network found only 49% of flu hospitalizations had rx started in first day of admit. Those with early rx had less dz severity, reduced odds of ICU admit and lower mortality.

academic.oup.com/cid/advance-...

Early Oseltamivir After Hospital Admission Is Associated With Shortened Hospitalization: A 5-Year Analysis of Oseltamivir Timing and Clinical Outcomes - PubMed Over multiple influenza seasons, early NAI therapy was associated with shorter LOS in patients admitted with influenza. This suggests that efforts should focus on facilitating earlier therapy in patie...

An early study by our group showed only 26% received rx within 6 hrs of admit but early rx was assoc. w/ shorter hospital LOS & mortality.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30304487/

2 recent studies have confirmed our findings and suggest more needs to be done to encourage early initiation of Rx.

Early Rx in Influenza is key!

While pts may not present to the hospital early after sx onset (median 3.6 days after sx onset), early empiric therapy for influenza is recommended by guidelines supported by a growing literature showing benefit but delays in therapy are common.

If you have ideas for sessions at ESCMID Global 2026 - sign up to be art of the planning group or submit your ideas for sessions.

Please save the date and join us for a dynamic ICHS educational event offering comprehensive scientific programming, insights into cutting-edge research, innovative care practices, and effective management strategies for immunocompromised hosts. For more information please visit, www.ichs.org