Infectious Diseases
Pediatric Infectious Diseases assists in the diagnosis and management of children with a variety of known or suspected infections as well as immune deficiencies. Children are commonly referred for outpatient evaluation of recurrent or prolonged infections, persistent fever, suspected immune deficiency, enlarged lymph nodes, pneumonia, and a wide range of childhood infections. We also treat and manage children with chronic infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus. Our providers are also engaged in laboratory research of infectious disease mechanisms and development of vaccines to improve future options for prevention and treatment of children and adults.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES NEWS
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Antibody Trial Launched to Address Enterovirus Threat
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is launching a first-in-human clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of an experimental monoclonal antibody against enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). UNC School of Medicine’s Matthew Vogt, MD, PhD, was a postdoctoral fellow in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at VUMC when he co-led the development of monoclonal antibody therapies against EV-D68.
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UNC School of Medicine Leads $9.3-Million Study to Create Chlamydia Vaccine
This five-year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is led by Toni Darville, MD, director of the UNC Children’s Research Institute, in collaboration with scientists at Vaxcyte, Inc. and the University of Chicago.
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Belhorn Receives 2024 UNC School of Medicine Distinguished Faculty Award
Tom Belhorn, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases, has been selected by UNC School of Medicine Medical Alumni to receive the 2024 UNC School of Medicine Distinguished Faculty Award. This award recognizes Dr. Belhorn’s decades of leadership within pediatric infectious disease and his commitment to training the next generation of providers. Belhorn and the other honorees were celebrated at a banquet during Spring Medical Alumni Weekend, on Friday, April 26, at the Rizzo Center in Chapel Hill. Congratulations Tom!
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Hepatitis B Elimination in sub-Saharan Africa: Peyton Thompson Leads Kinshasa-based Research Team Paving the Way For Virus-Free Generations
As the World Health Organization pushes to eradicate the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) by 2030, preventing vertical transmission is key, says Peyton Thompson, MD, MSCR, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. But despite widespread availability of effective childhood vaccines, HBV remains endemic throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).