Ott Lab News

From influenza and COVID-19 to HIV, viruses continue to pose a serious danger to global health.

But just as pressing are threats from other disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria—especially the deadly strains that are becoming resistant to antibiotic medicines. And increasingly, scientists are discovering how viruses and bacteria are closely interconnected, influencing health and disease in ways that we’re only beginning to understand.

To reflect this reality, the Gladstone Institute of Virology has taken on a new name: the Gladstone Infectious Disease Institute. The new name aptly encompasses the expanded nature of the institute’s mission to understand and address a range of infectious threats.

Bird flu is increasingly making state and national headlines: The first U.S. person with a severe case of the virus died in early January, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. And just days later, the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced its first case—a child with the telltale signs of fever and pinkeye who tested positive for the H5N1, the type of influenza A that causes bird flu. The child has since recovered.

Both of these developments came shortly after California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in late 2024 to strengthen California’s response to bird flu. The virus has spread in at least 16 states among dairy cattle following its first confirmed detection in Texas and Kansas in March 2024.

But what is the real threat to the average person? And what precautions, if any, should people be taking today as bird flu expands beyond its typical winged victims? Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology, shares insights into the developing situation.

In the decades since antiretroviral therapy became the standard of care for HIV, it has transformed quality of life for people living with the virus.

The life-saving therapy—a combination of many medicines—prevents development of AIDS, improves immune function, and markedly lowers the risk of transmitting the virus to others.

However, antiretroviral therapy is far from an HIV cure, says virologist Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, of Gladstone Institutes.