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 expanded the recall of frozen blueberries and berry blends after an outbreak of E. coli O145 linked to frozen organic blueberries sickened 17 people in two states.

The latest recall does not mean that the outbreak is growing. The CDC recently declared that the outbreak was over on September 21, with no new illnesses reported since then. But on October 2, the company at the centre of the investigation expanded its recall to include additional batches of frozen berry products after the FDA obtained new information during an onsite inspection.

The agency said the company had previously not provided all records requested by FDA investigators. After obtaining additional information, the FDA identified more products that could be contaminated and the company expanded its recall.

The FDA has also added the Chilean company, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A.. to Import Alert 99-35, which means that frozen blueberries from the company entering the US can be detained without physical examination.

Which Frozen Berries Are Now Recalled?

Also read: Drinking Raw Milk Hospitalizes 2 Young Girls in US With Nearly Fatal E. Coli Infection: Health Risks Explained

The expanded recall involves products sold under Great Value and Trader Joe’s brands. The affected products include:

• Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, 10-ounce packages, with lot codes 6 031 01 and 6 041 01
• Great Value Organic Blueberries, 10-ounce packages, with lot codes 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01
• Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend, 12-ounce packages, lot code 6 051 01

The recalled Great Value products were distributed to Walmart stores in 30 states and Puerto Rico, while the recalled Trader Joe’s berry blend was distributed more widely through the retailer. Consumers who have the affected products should not eat them and should discard them or return them for a refund.

Some of the recalled products have 'Best By' dates extending into 2028, meaning they could still be sitting in consumers' freezers despite the outbreak having ended.

E. coli Left 17 Sick

Also read: After 488 Sickened & 65 Hospitalised In Salmonella Outbreak, FDA Issues Highest-Risk Recall For Salad Dressing

According to the CDC and FDA, 17 people were infected due to E. coli outbreak across Florida and Georgia. There were six hospitalisations and zero fatalities.

Infections were reported between May 11 and August 2, 2026. Among 13 people interviewed during the investigation, 11 reported eating frozen blueberries, which strengthened the epidemiological link to the packaged produce.

Earlier in the investigation, one sample of GreenWise frozen organic blueberries collected by Publix tested positive for the same E. coli strain responsible for the illnesses. This led to recalls that were subsequently expanded to other products from the same supplier.

Why Is E. Coli O145 Dangerous?

E. coli O145 belongs to a group known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). These bacteria can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and, in some cases, bloody diarrhoea.

Most people recover, but the infection can sometimes lead to haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication that can cause kidney failure. Young children, older adults and people with weak and strained immunity are particularly vulnerable to severe illness.

People who develop symptoms after eating a recalled product should contact a healthcare provider, particularly if they develop bloody diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain or signs of dehydration.

Consumers should also check their freezers rather than assume recalled products have already been removed from stores. The FDA says recalled products should no longer be available for sale, but some have long shelf lives and may still be at home.

Anyone with one of the affected lot codes should not taste the product to determine whether it is safe. It should be discarded or returned for a refund.

Russia has told the World Health Organization (WHO) that no cases of plague have been recorded in Irkutsk, the Siberian city that has sparked international headlines after a laboratory worker from an anti-plague research institute died after suspected exposure to pneumonic plague infection.

The WHO said Russian authorities responded on October 6 to its request for information under the International Health Regulations (IHR), saying the woman’s illness had initially appeared to be a typical acute respiratory viral infection.

Russia also reported that no plague case had been recorded in Irkutsk, either in the woman or among her contacts.

However, the exact cause of the woman’s death still remains unclear.

Russia Says No Plague Cases In Irkutsk

The WHO recently said, “WHO is aware of media reports that a laboratory worker in Irkutsk oblast, in the Russian Federation, died of suspected pneumonic plague, and that nearly 200 of her contacts were under medical observation and being tested."

“On 3 October, WHO asked the Russian authorities under the International Health Regulations (IHR) for any further information they had, so we could assess the risk.”

The WHO said Russia reported that “no case of plague has been recorded in Irkutsk, either in her or in anyone else.”

Adding further, the health body said, "They informed WHO that an epidemiological investigation had been conducted, preventive and control measures implemented, and identified contacts placed under medical observation and tested. They reported that no high-threat pathogens had been detected among the contacts and that medical observation of all identified contacts had been completed."

But the agency is still seeking an answer on what caused the fatal pneumonia as the lab worker's death still remains a mystery.

It said, “WHO has remained in contact with the Russian health authorities and has offered technical support. WHO has requested further information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted the public health measures, and media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause.”

Also read: Russia Plague Scare: What Black Death and Anthrax Outbreaks Teach Us About Lab Safety

Lab Worker's Death Still Remains Unexplained

The 28-year-old woman, identified by Russian media as Darya Shipilova, worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. She died on October 2 after developing severe pneumonia of "unknown origin", according to Russian authorities.

Her death sparked precautionary measures including quarantine. According to reports, around 200 people who had contact with her placed under medical observation. Russian health authorities said testing of those contacts found no dangerous infectious-disease pathogens. Some contacts reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 or rhinovirus.

Reports circulating on social media claimed she may have been infected after a laboratory accident involving Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague. Russian authorities have rejected the laboratory-accident theory, and there is currently no independent evidence confirming that such an incident occurred.

Also read: Russia Plague Scare: Is Pneumonic Plague Deadlier Than Bubonic & Septicemic Plague?

What Could Confirm Plague?

Javier Pizarro-Cerda, head of the Yersinia Research Unit at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, told CNBC that he was “very surprised” by the reported death because laboratories handling plague generally use strict protective measures.

“You work with a full body suit. You work with masks. You work with gloves. So even if you break a tube, normally you should be protected,” he said.

Pizarro-Cerda also said Russia has a plague vaccine, although he described its protection as low and transient compared with standards elsewhere.

Pizarro-Cerda said plague testing can be performed rapidly and that an autopsy should provide evidence if the woman had pulmonary plague.

The laboratory worker reportedly died on October 2, giving authorities several days to conduct diagnostic tests. Still, there is no confirmation that pneumonic plague caused her death or that a laboratory accident occurred.

Key questions remain whether Yersinia pestis was detected, whether there was evidence of laboratory exposure, and whether genetic testing can establish the source of any infection.

The suspected plague is still being investigated. The concern stems partly from the nature of the institute where Shipilova worked. The facility studies dangerous pathogens, including plague, in a region where the disease occurs naturally among wild animals.

Pneumonic plague is the most severe form of plague because it affects the lungs and can spread between people through respiratory droplets. Plague is treatable with antibiotics when diagnosed and treated promptly.

The WHO has assessed the public-health risk as moderate-to-low for Irkutsk, low for Russia overall and very low for the WHO European region.

Aspirin has long been studied for its role in colorectal cancer prevention. But a new trial suggests that when aspirin is started may be of more importance compared to whether it is used at all.

In the latest study, researchers discovered that aspirin did not prevent cancer recurrence or improve survival in people whose colorectal cancer had already spread to the liver.

The study, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, is based on 428 patients who were treated for colorectal cancer liver metastases at 14 hospitals across Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 160 mg of aspirin or a placebo every day for up to three years.

Aspirin Did Not Help After Cancer Had Spread

After treatment for their liver metastases, patients taking aspirin did not have better results than others who took placebo.

In fact, after three years, 76% of people in the aspirin group were alive compared to 85% in the placebo group. Researchers say that the overall survival was a secondary outcome. They also said that the trial was not designed to provide a definitive answer about that measure.

Serious adverse events were also more common with aspirin, occurring in 8% of the aspirin group compared with 2% of the placebo group. Reported complications included heart attacks, nosebleeds, duodenal ulcers and cerebral haemorrhage.

“Although aspirin has been shown to reduce recurrence rates in patients who have undergone surgery for a primary tumour in the colon or rectum, its effects still need to be evaluated in the specific patient group for which it is intended, in this case patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver. We found no clear benefit in this group, while serious adverse events were more common,” said Ernesto Sparrelid, adjunct professor at Karolinska Institutet.

Also read: Why Someone Days Away From Death May Start To See Loved Ones: End-Of-Life Doctor & Neurologist Explain

Aspirin Works In Earlier-Stage Cancer

The new findings contrast with results from the ALASCCA trial, which found that low-dose aspirin reduced colorectal cancer recurrence in patients whose tumours had alterations in genes related to PI3K.

In that trial, the three-year recurrence rate was 7.7% with aspirin versus 14.1% with placebo among patients with specific PIK3CA alterations.

This suggests that aspirin may not be a universal anti-cancer drug. Its benefit may largely depend on the biology of the tumour and how advanced the cancer stage is.

“The anticancer effects of aspirin may depend on the biological and clinical context,” said co-principal investigator Kjetil Taskén of the University of Oslo.

Another possible explanation is that aspirin's anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet effects may interfere with some of the biological processes involved in early tumour growth and recurrence. But once cancer has already spread, particularly to the liver, the biology becomes more complex.

“Aspirin is a well-established, inexpensive and widely available drug, and there is considerable interest in whether it can also reduce the risk of cancer recurrence,” said lead author Sheraz Yaqub of the University of Oslo. “Our findings demonstrate why such treatments must be tested in rigorous randomized trials before being adopted for new patient populations.”

Also read: Trump Says He ‘Psychologically’ Needs To Pop Aspirin Every Day: But Is It Actually Safe?

Trump’s Recent Comments About Aspirin

The findings come just days after President Donald Trump disclosed that he takes aspirin every day, adding that prefers a full-strength tablet.

At an October 3 rally in Ohio, Trump said, “I take an aspirin a day. I don't know if it works, but psychologically I need it.” He also said doctors had wanted him to switch to a lower dose, but that he preferred the larger tablet.

Trump's comments have reignited discussion about daily aspirin use, but they should not be interpreted as medical advice.

Aspirin may reduce clot formation, but it can also increase the risk of serious bleeding. The American Heart Association says routine daily aspirin is generally not recommended for healthy adults without cardiovascular disease unless advised by a healthcare professional.

And the new cancer findings add another reason not to assume that taking aspirin routinely will prevent cancer or improve outcomes after a diagnosis.