On Thursday, Uganda confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola virus in its capital city Kampala, with the first confirmed patient dying from it a day before. As per the new developments, the officials are now preparing to deploy a trial vaccine to put an end to this outbreak.

Groups of scientists are working on the vaccine and deployment of more than 2,000 doses of a candidate vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola has been planned and confirmed by the Uganda Virus Research Institute. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Uganda has access to 2,169 doses of trial vaccine. For now, however, there are no approved vaccines for the strain and officials are still investigating the source of the outbreak.

The WHO had also allocated $1 million from its contingency fund for emergencies to support quick action and contain the outbreak in the country.

Confirmed Case

On Wednesday, the Sudan strain of Ebola killed a nurse employed at Kampala's main referral hospital. It is after his death that Ebola was declared an outbreak in the country. Post-mortem samples too have confirmed the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease and at least 44 contacts of the deceased man have been listed for tracing. 30 of these are health workers.

Ebola is a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and tissue. Symptoms include headache, vomiting of blood, muscle pains and bleeding.

it was in the late 2022, when Uganda had last suffered an Ebola outbreak. It killed 55 of the 143 people who were infected and was declared over on January 11, 2023.

What Is Ebola Virus Disease?

As per the WHO, Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a rare but severe illness in humans and is often fatal. People can get infected with the virus if they touch an infected animal when preparing food, or touch body fluids of an infected person such as saliva, urine, faeces or semen, or things that have body fluids of an infected person like clothes or sheets.

How Does Transmission Work?

Ebola enters the body through cuts in the skin or when one is touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Early symptoms include fever, fatigue and headache.

It was first discovered in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreak, when in Nzara, South Sudan and other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter occurred near a village near the Ebola River, which is where it gets its name from.

It is highly infectious and transmissible disease, in fact, there have been cases of health-care workers who have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola. This occurs through close contact with patients when infection control precautions are not practiced strictly.

Cases of people conducted burial ceremonies, involving direct contact with the body of the deceased too can lead to the transmission of Ebola. Even after the long suffering and recovery, there is a possibility of sexual transmission. Pregnant women who get acute Ebola and recover may still carry the virus in their breastmilk, or in pregnancy related fluids and tissues.

Symptoms:

• feeling tired
• headache
• muscle and joint pain
• eye pain and vision problems
• weight gain
• belly pain and loss of appetite
• hair loss and skin problems
• trouble sleeping
• memory loss
• hearing loss
• depression and anxiety

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Johnson & Johnson's once-daily pill for psoriasis -- a chronic skin disease.

Icotyde is an interleukin-23 (IL-23) receptor antagonist approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes rough patches of skin. The new once-daily pill has been found safe and also delivers complete skin clearance.

In the statement, J&J said that the approval will lead to a first-line systemic treatment of plaque psoriasis with a targeted oral peptide.

“Icotyde delivers something unique in psoriasis treatment – combining skin clearance with a favorable safety profile in a once‑daily pill, making it an easy addition to a patient’s routine,” said Linda Stein Gold, Director of Dermatology Clinical Research at Henry Ford Health.

The novel pill also aligns with the recent International Psoriasis Council guidance that suggests transitioning to systemic therapy if two cycles of topical medications applied for four weeks fail to bring meaningful improvement.

Icotyde will prove to be “a potential game‑changer for many adult and adolescent patients”, Gold said.

The FDA’s approval is based on an unprecedented body of evidence from the phase three clinical trial, which simultaneously evaluated Icotyde in adults and adolescents, and found it a safe and effective oral pill, and also better than injectables and topical creams.

According to analysts from Wall Street, Icotyde has "blockbuster potential," and the once-daily medication could capture significant market share from injectables like Skyrizi and J&J's own Tremfya, Reuters reported.

J&J is also studying the ⁠drug, chemically known as icotrokinra, for ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn's disease.

What Is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis develops when the body makes skin cells too quickly. It causes skin cells to pile up and form visible patches or spots on the skin, which may be itchy or painful.

The condition, however, is not contagious.

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, the skin disease affects 8 million Americans and more than 125 million people worldwide.

The condition impacts physical comfort and quality of life, especially when lesions are on visible or sensitive areas.

The plaques typically appear as raised patches with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells or scales. They can appear anywhere on the body, although they most often appear on the scalp, knees, elbows, and torso.

Who Can Use Icotyde

Icotyde is currently approved in the US for the treatment of people with moderate-to-severe plaque. It can be used by

• adults, and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older
• who weigh at least 40 kg.

Rachel Tussey, a 47- year-old TikTok influencer from the US state of Ohio, has reportedly died following complications from the cosmetic “mommy makeover” surgery.

The “mommy makeover” tummy tuck procedure left her brain dead and was later pulled from life support, the New York Post reported.

Her death was confirmed by her husband, Jeremy Tussey, on March 18 through an update shared on a GoFundMe page created to support the family.

Rachel, with more than 27,000 TikTok followers, described herself as “over 40 & fabulous”. She had been documenting her story and her preparations, excitement, as well as her fear, ahead of the upcoming abdominoplasty procedure.

In her last video posted on the day of her surgery on February 25, she told her followers that she had “waited a really long time for” the procedure.

“I’m in good hands. I know God’s got my back. Let’s do this,” an enthusiastic Tussey dressed in a hospital gown said in the video.

While her surgery was successful, her husband was also able to speak with her briefly afterward. However, Jeremy informed his wife's followers that her face had gone pale, and later became unresponsive. Cincinnati.com reported.

Medical Neglect

In the GoFundMe page, Jeremy cited “medical neglect” that led to complications.

“Following the procedure, she suffered severe brain damage after extended loss of oxygen and was placed on a ventilator under sedation,” he said.

In his TikTok post, Jeremy told her followers that he believes the dose of painkillers given to his wife at the surgery center was too high.

“To me, it looks like incompetency. Somebody dropped the ball here,” the grieving husband said. “Somebody dropped the ball and killed my wife.”

Due to “very minimal brain activity”, on March 5, Jeremy took the “heartbreaking decision to remove her from life support”.

“Rachel was an amazing wife, mother, and person who touched so many lives. We will carry her memory with us always,” the page said.

She is survived by her husband and three children.

What Is Abdominoplasty?

The abdominoplasty, commonly referred to as a "tummy tuck", is a plastic surgery procedure that helps reduce excess skin and fat around the abdomen.

While it is not a weight loss solution, the procedure can help flatten the stomach and also tighten the abdominal muscles, and give an aesthetic look.

Plastic surgeons performed over 160,000 tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) procedures in the United States in 2022.

It is commonly preferred by:

• men and women desiring aesthetic improvement of the abdomen,
• women with significant skin and abdominal wall laxity following multiple pregnancies,
• bariatric patients who have excessive skin following significant weight loss.

However, patients undergoing the surgical procedure must have a good nutritional status, as well as optimal overall medical health.

Patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) and diabetes mellitus may be at significant risk post-surgery.

The “unprecedented” wave of meningitis outbreak in the UK's Kent, which claimed two lives, has risen to 20 cases, according to health officials.

While almost all cases have been linked to those who visited the Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury between March 5 and 7, a 9-month-old baby from Folkestone is reportedly battling for life in the intensive care unit.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), in a statement, noted that it is aware of a baby with confirmed Meningococcal group B infection who is not currently linked to the outbreak. The agency said it will continue to investigate the case.

The baby Nala-Rose Fletcher, from Folkestone, is currently in intensive care at Evelina London Children’s Hospital. According to doctors, she will be permanently affected by the infection, the Independent.co.uk reported.

Meanwhile, another university in the city confirmed a case of meningitis on Wednesday. The student at Canterbury Christ Church is believed to be a man who was at the nightclub and part of the 20 known cases.

“We have reached out to support the individual directly, and student wellbeing and support are reaching out and making themselves available to support fellow students more widely,” Canterbury Christ Church University said in a statement.

“We have followed UKHSA advice and informed the limited number of close contacts of the individual that they should receive precautionary antibiotics, if they have not done so already,” it added.

The Meningitis Outbreak May Have Contained

The UK health officials believe that the “unprecedented” wave of meningitis outbreak may have been “contained” as no new cluster of cases has been reported.

Health officials from the NHS, the UKHSA, and county council public health staff tackling the outbreak noted that the 20 people diagnosed with the illness have not infected anyone outside the area, the Guardian reported.

“We may have contained it. There are no cases popping up elsewhere that we know of – no cases that we know of outside the cluster – or not yet anyway,” said an official involved in the multi-agency response.

Notably, the officials have identified the outbreaks linked to a known strain of meningitis B, the report said. Six of the nine confirmed cases are group B (MenB), the agency added.

UKHSA In Prompt Action

The UKHSA has been prompt in action since the outbreak first began in Kent.

“As of 5 pm on 17 March, 9 laboratory cases are confirmed, and 11 notifications remain under investigation, bringing the total to 20. Six of the confirmed cases are confirmed to be group B meningococcal disease,” the agency said.

A 21-year-old student at the University of Kent and a teenage student at a school in the town of Faversham have died in the outbreak.

The agency has also rolled out the MenB vaccine to 5,000 students living in the University of Kent halls of residence in Canterbury.

In addition, over 2,500 doses of antibiotics -- the most effective treatment to limit the spread of invasive meningococcal disease -- has been given to students, close contacts, and others, including some of those who attended Club Chemistry between March 5 and 7.

Further, calling the illness in the Kent outbreak “severe, with rapid deterioration”, the UKHSA has issued an urgent alert to all NHS doctors in England. It advised the healthcare workers to to look for meningitis symptoms and to wear personal protective equipment before giving suspected patients antibiotics.

What is Meningococcal disease?

Caused by meningococcal bacteria, the meningococcal disease leads to inflammation of the lining of the brain also called as meningitis. The condition can also lead to sepsis or blood poisoning.

As the onset can be sudden, knowing the signs and symptoms and acting quickly is important.

Common symptoms include:

• rash
• sudden onset of high fever
• severe and worsening headache
• vomiting and diarrhoea
• joint and muscle pain
• seizures