Online Reports

Histoplasmosis remains a neglected yet deadly fungal infection, disproportionately affecting persons living with HIV/AIDS and other immunocompromised populations in endemic regions. Despite the World Health Organization’s designation of Histoplasma as a high-priority pathogen, the disease remains underdiagnosed and excluded from national surveillance systems, resulting in delayed treatment and high death rates. To coordinate a global response, the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology convened a Histoplasmosis Working Group during its 2025 congress in Brazil. Experts engaged in structured discussions across 5 domains: awareness, research, diagnostics and treatment, capacity building, and fungal biology. The group highlighted persistent diagnostic delays, underuse of antigen testing, and poor access to liposomal amphotericin B and itraconazole. Innovations such as lateral flow assays and molecular tools were discussed, alongside the need for biobanks and validated diagnostic algorithms. A global 90–90–90 target for histoplasmosis by 2030 was proposed to improve diagnosis, treatment, and survival.

Diseases caused by henipaviruses, exemplified by Hendra virus and Nipah virus, pose a serious risk to public health because of their epidemic potential and high case-fatality rates and the paucity of medical countermeasures to mitigate them. In December 2024, a group of 150 scientists from 16 countries convened in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, to mark the 30th anniversary of the discovery of Hendra virus. The Hendra@30 conference built upon its predecessor conference held in 2019 in Singapore, Nipah@20, by expanding its program across broader disciplines and integrating sessions on human sociology and disease ecology into the main scientific discussions. We describe key highlights from Hendra@30 and reflect on 4 key elements that have advanced henipavirus research and medical countermeasures research and development. We propose that integrating bat ecology into henipavirus research blueprints will enable development of ecologic countermeasures that prevent spillover and will complement existing preparedness and response efforts with evidence-based prevention strategies.