Headaches are a common symptom of a stressful lifestyle, your body not feeling well and other issues. While headaches can be dealt with easily, migraines are not so easy to handle. Migraines are a type of headache that feels like severe throbbing and pulsing sensation, almost like you are hearing your own heartbeat in your brain, usually on one side of the brain. Many people believe that migraines are not that big of a deal because you just have to deal with the pain, but that is not all migraine is, some people find it very difficult to do their daily tasks as they experience dizzying spells, nausea and extreme sensitivity to light and sound! These attacks can last hours and make it difficult for people to go about their daily lives as well. While there are medications available for migraine patients, these medications need time to take effect, so you may be in a lot of pain, but there are not many quick reliefs you can have in place other than learning the symptoms of a migraine attack and taking medication before it happens. But a new approval by the FDA may change this!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Symbravo, a new medicine to treat acute migraine attacks in adults. This means adults can now use Symbravo to get relief from their migraine symptoms. The FDA's decision was based on the results of three big studies, called Phase 3 trials. These trials involved over 21,000 migraine attacks, so the FDA has a lot of information about how well Symbravo works and how safe it is. The FDA only approves medicines that have been shown to be both safe and effective through a thorough testing process.

Importance of New Treatment Option

"Migraine attacks can happen suddenly and really mess up people's lives. It's estimated that over 39 million people in the U.S. alone get migraines," said Herriot Tabuteau, M.D., CEO of Axsome Therapeutics told US News. This shows how common migraines are and how important it is to have good treatments. "Symbravo gives patients and doctors a new option that can quickly stop a migraine attack, keep it away, and let people get back to their normal activities, all with just one dose." Having a medicine that can give fast and long-lasting relief from migraine pain is a big deal for millions of people. This new treatment is a real step forward in how we treat migraines.

Symbravo Trial Results, How Was It Approved

The trials took place in 3 steps, the Momentum trial study focused on people whose migraines had moderate to severe pain. The results showed that a lot more people taking Symbravo felt pain-free two hours after taking the medicine compared to those who took a placebo which is a dummy pill. Even better, many people felt relief for up to 24 and even 48 hours after just one dose. This long-lasting relief is really important for people with migraines because it means they can get back to their normal lives without worrying about the pain coming back. The study also looked at how many people were free from their worst symptom, like sensitivity to light or sound, or nausea. Symbravo worked better than the placebo in this area too.

While the intercept trial looked at people who took Symbravo when their migraine pain was still mild. Even when the pain was just starting, Symbravo was effective. The results were similar to the MOMENTUM trial, with many people getting pain relief and relief from their worst symptoms. Treating migraines early is often better because it can stop the pain from getting really bad.

And lastly the Movement trial which was to see how safe the medication is when people take it regularly. This study followed 706 people who had at least two migraines a month. The most common side effects people experienced were sleepiness and dizziness. While these side effects are important to know about, the study showed that Symbravo is generally safe for people to use on a regular basis.

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: An Antiviral On The Anvil

The WHO has 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 Spread

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.

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 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.

People suffering from shingles after COVID-19 infection may be at a higher risk of neurological conditions such as Bell’s palsy, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), as well as Myasthenia gravis (MG), according to a large study.

Shingles (also known as herpes zoster) is a painful condition caused by the varicella zoster virus that lives in the nervous system of people who have had chicken pox.

The study, led by researchers from Taiwan and Australia, showed that Bell’s palsy risk increased early after shingles. At the same time, GBS and MG showed delayed increases emerging more than a year later.

GBS, Bell’s palsy, and MG are all neurological conditions that cause muscle weakness, but they affect different parts of the nervous system. While GBS and MG cause widespread muscle weakness, Bell’s palsy is strictly localized to the face.

The findings, published in International Journal of Medical Sciences, highlighted “the need for symptom-based neurological awareness during both early and delayed post-infectious periods,” the researchers said.

What Did The Study Find?

Also read: ‘Heat Dome’ Triggering Record-Breaking May Temperatures In France, UK, Spain

During the COVID-19 pandemic, shingles was reported to occur in people with COVID-19 and in COVID-19 vaccine recipients; shingles vaccination programs were also disrupted.

The increased incidence of shingles following COVID-19 suggests a period of immune dysregulation, but the associated long-term neuro-immunological risks remain unclear.

To better understand this, researchers from Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital and Queensland University of Technology used electronic health records and compared COVID-19 survivors with individuals with and without shingles reactivation over a three-year follow-up period.

The results showed that shingles reactivation after COVID-19 was associated with a significantly increased three-year risk of several neurological disorders.

• The risk of Bell’s palsy increased early and remained consistently elevated throughout the study period.
• Patients showed more than three times the risk compared to those without herpes reactivation.
• The risks of GBS and MG also increased, although these associations appeared later, emerging after the first year of follow-up.

The study suggests that post-COVID shingles "may serve as a clinically relevant marker of neuro-immunological vulnerability, particularly among individuals with metabolic comorbidities", the team said.

Importantly, the researchers noted that "COVID-19 vaccination was not linked to an increased risk of these neurological outcomes".

US FDA Blocked Study Showing COVID And Shingles Vaccines Are Safe

Read More: Donald Trump To Undergo 3rd Annual Medical Check-up Today

Meanwhile, in recent news, officials at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blocked the publication of several studies supporting the safety of widely used vaccines against COVID-19 and shingles in recent months, according to a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

While the studies found serious side effects to be very rare, the HHS said they were pulled over concerns about their conclusions. These withdrawals aim to limit access to vaccines, reflecting broader policy changes under US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a staunch critic of vaccines.

“The studies were withdrawn because the authors drew broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data. The FDA acted to protect the integrity of its scientific process and ensure that any work associated with the agency meets its high standards,” said Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the HHS, which oversees the FDA, in an email to Reuters.

“The design of that study fell outside the agency’s purview,” Nixon said on rejecting the shingles vaccine.