Many of us believe that we are great drinkers and that alcohol does not affect us as much. People who are able to drink without showing any sign of inebriation are known as social drinkers. In short, they are not addicted to alcohol but will not turn down the opportunity to have a good time! While it may seem like it doesn’t affect you, new studies suggest that it is just an illusion, even if you have high tolerance, alcohol affects your cognitive and motor functions more than you think.

The study reveals the below implications and techniques:

• Researchers used a new MRI technique to precisely measure brain electrical activity.
• By comparing brain scans before and after drinking, scientists identified specific areas affected by alcohol and how much brain activity slowed down.
• Participants were chosen to be regular social drinkers without alcohol addiction, ensuring the study focused on the effects of alcohol alone.
• MRI technology provided reliable data on brain activity changes caused by alcohol consumption.

How does the brain react to alcohol?

Think of it as the foundation for your brain's performance. When brain conductivity is high, information flows smoothly, and that helps your brain in rapid processing and response. On the other hand, low conductivity can hinder cognitive function, leading to slower thinking, impaired memory, and difficulties with coordination.

A study conducted at the Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Science unveiled a startling connection between alcohol consumption and brain conductivity.

What is the connection between alcohol consumption and brain activity?

While many people brush off the effects of alcohol as temporary changes in behaviour, the reality is much more complex. Beyond the obvious impacts on coordination and judgment, alcohol significantly alters brain function. Alcohol dramatically slowed down brain activity, especially in areas responsible for decision-making, planning, and physical coordination. This decline was so significant that it resembled the brain changes seen in normal ageing. This means even one drink could temporarily accelerate the ageing process of your brain.

Alcohol and Brain activity: What does the study Imply?

The implications of this research are far-reaching. It provides compelling evidence that alcohol consumption has a direct and measurable impact on brain function. The discovery that alcohol can significantly reduce brain conductivity opens new avenues for understanding the neurocognitive effects of alcohol abuse and dependence. While you may not feel like alcohol is affecting you and you have a high tolerance, it most definitely changes and affects your decision-making abilities and impulse control.

Furthermore, the MRI technique employed in the study could be a valuable tool for assessing the impact of other substances on the brain and for developing interventions to mitigate alcohol-related brain damage.

The suspected case of Ebola infection in a young woman in Bengaluru who had returned from Ebola-affected Uganda has tested negative, India's Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has confirmed.

The woman who arrived in Bengaluru from Kampala, Uganda, on May 23, was suspected of infection after developing mild symptoms, including body aches. She was shifted from a hotel to the state-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital on May 26, and her samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.

"The test result has returned negative for Ebola Virus Disease," the Ministry said, adding that there is "no confirmed case of Ebola in India".

The Ministry said that although the woman remained healthy apart from a mild body ache, she was isolated and tested as part of the precaution measures instated in the country against the Ebola outbreak, which has so far affected over 900 people and led to more than 200 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. As per African health officials, 10 nations on the continent are at high risk.

WHO Says Ebola Spreading Rapidly

Also read: Russia's New Ebola Vaccine To Protect Against Rare Bundibugyo Strain, Says Health Minister

Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Co-Chairman of the National IMA COVID Task Force and Past President of the Indian Medical Association, Cochin, told HealthandMe, that the spread of the outbreak to other countries may not be surprising.

“With air travel being common and the outbreak already having spread to multiple countries in Africa, it is entirely possible for someone who had contact with a person with Ebola virus disease to get on a flight to another country,” Dr. Rajeev said.

“All patients with Ebola disease may not know they have it — as the initial symptoms are nonspecific, such as fever and body ache. In addition, scarcity of the exact PCR test to diagnose the latest Bundibugyo Ebola virus in Africa makes it possible to miss it entirely,” he added.

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier stated he was “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic”.

He added that the ongoing outbreak "is spreading rapidly" and "outpacing us".

The global health agency has also determined that the deadly outbreak is a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)”.

India Boosts Surveillance

Read More: Why Ebola Outbreaks Keep Returning In Africa? | Explained

In view of the outbreak, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the concerned State authorities, is maintaining close surveillance, and all necessary public health protocols are being followed in accordance with WHO guidelines.

The government said it "remains vigilant and prepared, with screening and surveillance measures continuing at all designated Points of Entry and across the public health system".

Citizens are advised not to panic, avoid spreading misinformation, and rely only on official sources for information.

The government also issued guidelines for passengers arriving from Ebola-affected countries. As part of the precautionary measures, travelers entering the country from such nations are required to undergo a 21-day quarantine period.

How Ebola Spreads

Ebola disease is a severe viral hemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate.

Ebola spreads through:

• Direct contact with infected blood or bodily fluids

• Contact with contaminated surfaces or medical equipment

• Unsafe caregiving exposure

• Traditional burial practices involving direct contact

• Certain zoonotic animal exposures.

Symptoms to watch for include:

• fever,

• weakness,

• headache,

• muscle pain,

• vomiting,

• diarrhea,

• sore throat,

• unexplained bleeding.

Russia today claimed that its scientists have developed a novel vaccine against a new Ebola strain.

According to Russian Health Minister Murashko, "the vaccine may also protect against the rare Bundibugyo strain linked to the current outbreak in the DR Congo".

It is because the "genetic similarity between this virus variant and the vaccine strain is about 60-70%," Alexander Gintsburg, scientific director of the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, was quoted as saying GxP News.

The vaccine, for which "clinical trials would take place, as per Anne Ancia, the WHO’s representative in the DRC, comes as a hope against the Bundibugyo strain, with no vaccine or antiviral available.

The strain has so far caused over 900 cases and more than 200 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Earlier this week, Russia’s consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor announced it would send specialists to Africa to help fight the Ebola outbreak, GxP News reported.

The country noted that it will also supply Russian-developed diagnostic tests.

Health Minister Murashko said he and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had discussed the supply of Russian vaccines to the DRC and Uganda in the context of the Ebola outbreak.

“Specialists are already deploying to provide assistance. We discussed this with Dr Tedros, the head of the World Health Organisation,” Murashko said.

Gintsburg believes that "medical workers in outbreak zones should be vaccinated with the existing vaccine, even though no targeted efficacy tests against this strain have been conducted".

He also stressed the need to develop a separate vaccine against Bundibugyo. However, the institute does not yet have a sample of this pathogen.

“I believe the existing vaccine may confer immunity against this pathogen, though we have not tested it. In the absence of other means, it should be used,” he told Izvestia, a Russian Newspaper.

Ebola Vaccine From Developers Of COVID Shot

Scientists at Oxford University are also developing a new vaccine that could be ready for clinical trials within two to three months to help tackle the Ebola emergency.

The vaccine uses the same technology the team developed during the COVID pandemic. It is a highly adjustable technology - known as ChAdOx1 - that can be quickly tweaked so it works against different infections.

Another separate experimental Bundibugyo vaccine is also in development, but it is expected to take six to nine months for any dose of that to be ready for testing, BBC reported.

Ebola: An Antiviral On The Anvil

The WHO has also recommended prioritizing two monoclonal antibodies for clinical trials.

"We are also recommending the evaluation of the antiviral obeldesivir in a clinical trial as post-exposure prophylaxis for people who are high-risk contacts," the WHO chief said.

This clinical trial is now being developed jointly with Africa CDC and the Collaborative Open Research Consortium on filoviruses, he noted.

How Ebola Spreads

Ebola disease is a severe viral hemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate.

Ebola spreads through:

• Direct contact with infected blood or bodily fluids

• Contact with contaminated surfaces or medical equipment

• Unsafe caregiving exposure

• Traditional burial practices involving direct contact

• Certain zoonotic animal exposures.

Symptoms to watch for includes:

• fever,

• weakness,

• headache,

• muscle pain,

• vomiting,

• diarrhea,

• sore throat,

• unexplained bleeding.

India's southern state of Karnataka has reported a suspected case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in a 28-year-old woman who returned from Uganda, which is currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak.

The woman who arrived in Bengaluru from Kampala, Uganda, on May 23, was suspected of infection after developing mild symptoms, including body ache, health officials said..

She was shifted from a hotel to the state-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital on May 26, 2026, according to The Hindu. Her test results are awaited.

Her blood samples and other required specimens were collected today and sent to a specialized laboratory in Pune for detailed testing. Health department officials are currently awaiting the medical report, which is expected by Wednesday.

Authorities said only after the laboratory results arrive can it be officially confirmed whether the woman is infected with the Ebola virus.

Ebola Virus Disease has caused over 900 cases and more than 200 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus the ongoing outbreak "is spreading rapidly" and "outpacing us". The global health agency has also determined that the deadly outbreak is a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)”.

“With air travel being common and the outbreak already having spread to multiple countries in Africa, it is entirely possible for someone who had contact with a person with Ebola virus disease to get on a flight to another country,” Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Co-Chairman of the National IMA COVID Task Force and Past President of the Indian Medical Association, Cochin, told HealthandMe.

“All patients with Ebola disease may not know they have it — as the initial symptoms are nonspecific such as fever and body ache. In addition, scarcity of the exact PCR test to diagnose the latest Bundibugyo Ebola virus in Africa makes it possible to miss it entirely,” he added.

India’s Preparedness

The suspected case comes as India has been ramping up screening and surveillance measures across the country, especially at airports and seaports.

Recently, the Karnataka government also issued guidelines for passengers arriving from Ebola-affected countries. As part of the precautionary measures, travelers entering Bengaluru from such nations are required to undergo a 21-day quarantine period.

People showing symptoms have been advised to immediately report to the nearest hospital. The Health Department has also directed strict surveillance and monitoring of suspected cases under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

Also read: WHO Chief Warns Ebola Epidemic ‘Outpacing Us’; India Intensifies Screening At Airports

Officials have strengthened coordination at airports and other entry points to monitor international passengers. Separate quarantine and isolation facilities, along with referral ambulance services, have also been kept ready.

The Health Department has additionally instructed hospitals to enhance infection-control measures and provide special training to healthcare workers to handle any possible emergency situation.

The country has also issued a travel advisory for citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan.

How Ebola Spreads

Ebola spreads through:

• Direct contact with infected blood or bodily fluids
• Contact with contaminated surfaces or medical equipment
• Unsafe caregiving exposure
• Traditional burial practices involving direct contact
• Certain zoonotic animal exposures.

• fever,
• weakness,
• headache,
• muscle pain,
• vomiting,
• diarrhea,
• sore throat,
• unexplained bleeding.