Our coverage recap from IDWeek 2025

Our coverage recap from IDWeek 2025 | Image Credit: © Kevin Ruck - © Kevin Ruck - stock.adobe.com.

Though the 2025 IDWeek Annual Meeting has come and gone, our coverage from the epicenter conference of infectious disease progress, data, and clinical guidance will continue.

IDWeek, held in Atlanta, Georgia this year, featured numerous sessions, posters, and oral abstracts highlighting the absolute latest in infectious diseases, from calls to action for vaccine advocacy, addressing vaccine hesitancy, and the most up-to-date available data for the ID pipeline.

Contemporary Pediatrics will continue to post expert interviews from the meeting throughout the coming days, but here is what we've collected and published so far.

Sarah McLeod, PhD, breaks down high cure rates with zoliflodacin for uncomplicated gonorrhea

New subgroup data from the global phase 3 zoliflodacin trial presented at IDWeek 2025 showed that the investigational single-dose oral antibiotic maintained high cure rates—≥96%—across urogenital, rectal, and pharyngeal sites, including in ciprofloxacin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Zoliflodacin, a first-in-class gyrase inhibitor with a novel mechanism of action, demonstrated consistent efficacy regardless of resistance profile, geography, or sex, supporting its potential as a convenient oral alternative to injectable dual therapy for uncomplicated gonorrhea.

Sarah McLeod, PhD, senior director of Clinical Microbiology at Innoviva Specialty Therapeutics, discussed these findings and their clinical implications in a Q&A that follows.

Click here for the full Q&A interview with Contemporary Pediatrics.

Lori Handy, MD, MSCE, highlights the shift of trust in health care

Lori Handy, MD, MSCE, of the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, discussed how trust in medicine is evolving in the digital era.

She noted that traditional markers of credibility—such as degrees or institutional affiliation—are no longer enough to sustain public trust. Instead, clinicians must build relationships through consistent, transparent, and emotionally attuned communication. Handy emphasized that trust grows when providers engage in ongoing, 2-way dialogue with communities, regularly share updated information, and collaborate across disciplines to shape a more dynamic and human-centered model of health communication.

Click here to watch.

Practically expanding AI's role in infectious diseases, with Nicholas Marshall, MD, FAAP

Nicholas P. Marshall, MD, FAAP, of Stanford University, highlighted the emerging role of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in infectious diseases during a hands-on workshop on clinical and research applications. While other specialties have quickly embraced AI tools, Marshall noted that infectious diseases has lagged behind due to its clinical complexity and limited provider familiarity with informatics.

He emphasized AI’s potential to automate repetitive workflows, enhance documentation through ambient listening, and support evidence-based decision-making. Marshall described AI as “augmented intelligence,” a tool to extend specialists’ capabilities rather than replace them, enabling clinicians to focus more on patient care and less on administrative tasks.

Click here to watch.

Maternal and infant RSV immunization safe, boosts antibody levels regardless of sequence

Data from a phase 4 study showed that both maternal RSVpreF vaccination and infant nirsevimab immunization—alone or in combination—were safe and produced strong immune responses through 4 months of age. The randomized trial enrolled 181 mother-infant pairs and found no treatment-related serious adverse events in either group.

Presenting author Christina A. Rostad, MD, of the Emory Children’s Center Vaccine Research Clinic, said the results reinforce the safety and effectiveness of current RSV immunization strategies. Ongoing follow-up will assess protection through 12 months of age, supporting CDC recommendations for maternal vaccination during late pregnancy and infant immunization within the first 8 months of life.

Click here for the full article.