After mpox outbreak, Africa is under the threat of yet another virus outbreak, this is the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda. So far, six people have died from the outbreak, confirmed the health minister. Most victims were the healthcare workers in the hospital's intensive care unit. As per reports, 20 cases have been identified since the outbreak was confirmed on Friday.

What Is Marbug Virus?

With the fatality rate of 8% it is the same virus family as Ebola. The main carrier is from fruit bats which spreads to humans then through the contact of bodily fluids of infected individuals, it spreads to others.

Common Signs And Symptoms

The common signs and symptoms of the Marburg virus include fever, pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and in the case of extreme blood loss, death too can happen.

So far, there is no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus. However, treatments like drugs and immune therapy are being developed as per the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Call Of Action

Rwanda says that it has intensified its contact tracing, surveillance and testing to contain the spread. It has also tracked about 300 people who had come into contact with individuals affected by the Marburg virus.

The health minister has urged people to stay vigilant and avoid any physical contact and to wash their hands with clean water, soap or sanitiser and report any suspected case.

As of now, most of the cases have spread to the capital in Kigali. In light of this, the US Embassy in the city has advised its employees to work remotely for the next week.

This is the first time Rwanda has confirmed for Marburg cases, before this, in 2023, Tanzania confirmed the outbreak, whereas three people had died of this in Uganda in 2017.

History Of Marburg

As per WHO, this virus kills half of the people it infects. In the previous outbreaks, it has killed between 24% to 88% of the patients.

The virus was first detected in 1976 after 31 people were infected, out of which 7 died in simultaneous outbreak in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, and Belgrade in Serbia.

The source was traced to African green monkeys who were imported from Uganda. However, other animals too are linked to the virus spread, including bats.

In the past, the virus outbreaks have happened in countries like Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. In 2005, this virus killed 300 people in Angola.

However, for the rest of the world, only two people have died from the virus in the rest of the world, with one of them being in Europe, and the other in the US. These both have been on expeditions to caves in Uganda.

A research team in Switzerland, including Indian scientists, has developed an USB-sized electric implantable device that lowers blood sugar by converting excess glucose into a substance the body can eliminate.

The technology, tested in mice with diabetes and obesity, may offer a new way to managing blood glucose without relying on insulin or other glucose-lowering drugs, sparking hope for people with diabetes to live drug-free, healthier lives.

The findings were published in the journal Science on October 22, 2026, in a study titled Wireless Electrocatalytic Closed-Loop System for Drug-Free Management of Diabetes.

The research was spearheaded by Martin Fussenegger, professor of biotechnology and bioengineering, ETH Zurich's Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering.

Fussenegger described the approach as a departure from conventional diabetes treatment.

“For decades, we have treated diabetes by telling the body how to manage glucose. We are now showing that we can take control of glucose directly, using electronics rather than drugs,” he told Science. “And the catalyst only activates when glucose levels are too high.”

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How Does The Electric Implant Work?

The device, called ECHO (Electrocatalytic Closed-loop Health Optimization), uses a catalyst made from graphite felt, gold nanoclusters and tiny platinum particles which is powered electrically.

Unlike treatment methods that use living cells or enzymes, this device uses an electrochemical reaction to get rid of excess glucose.

“The drug-free mode of action is relevant because current pharmacological therapies can be limited by adverse effects, tolerability, adherence, cost, and unresolved long-term safety questions,” the researchers wrote in Science.

When activated, the catalyst converts glucose into gluconate, a substance that the body can process and eliminate through urine. This removes some glucose from the body's normal metabolic process.

The implant works with a glucose monitor that tracks glucose levels continuously. When readings increase beyond a certain limit, the sensor communicates with a smartphone or control unit, which wirelessly activates the implant. The system switches off when glucose levels return to normal.

“At the current stage of the technology, we’ve demonstrated through lab experiments glucose clearance in approximately five litres of liquid, comparable to the typical blood volume in an adult human,” Maity, a postdoctoral researcher at ETH, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, told The Telegraph.

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Tested On Diabetic And Obese Mice

In mice with type 2 diabetes and obesity, the implant brought elevated blood glucose into the normal range within an hour of activation. Repeated treatment maintained glucose control for six weeks. The treated mice also showed reductions in body weight and triglyceride levels, without dropping the blood sugar excessively.

Fussenegger said the device operated at a low voltage, adding, “Our experiments showed no evidence of tissue damage from either electrical or thermal effects.

Maity said, "These are proof-of-concept experiments in lab mice. We would need to refine the technology and make the device even smaller before human trials."

José M. Ordovás, a senior scientist at Tufts University who was not involved in the research, described the work as an “ingenious and well-developed piece of work as a proof of concept.”

He also said that the small animal study cannot capture the complexity of diabetes and obesity in humans. Long-term safety and the effects of gluconate processing, especially in people with poor kidney function, need more research.

What Happens Next?

The researchers have not tested the implant in humans yet. So its safety, effectiveness and durability in people still remain unknown. The kidneys' ability to eliminate gluconate will also be an important factor in future research.

Maity said that future research will focus on making the implant smaller and integrating it with an electrical power source like a wireless charging system and a glucose device that monitors blood sugar levels continuously.

Around 450 people in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh have received anti-rabies vaccinations after consuming charanamrit prepared with milk from a cow suspected of being rabid. The animal died after exhibiting unusual behaviour, which sparked concern among residents of two villages who may have consumed milk from the same cow.

The health department organised a vaccination camp in Dadi Khas village, in the Gola block of Gorakhpur, on October 21. Officials said around 50 people received the vaccine on Tuesday, followed by another 400 during the camp on Wednesday.

450 People In UP Consume Milk From A Suspected Rabid Cow

The incident came to light after the cow's condition deteriorated and the animal died on Tuesday evening. According to its owner, Navami Yadav, the cow had appeared unwell for one or two days before its condition worsened.

Private veterinarians suspected that a stray dog might have bitten the animal, although they did not confirm if the animal had rabies.

The cow's milk had reportedly been supplied to two shops and various households, extending concern beyond those who consumed charanamrit during Durga Puja.

Residents of Dadi Khas and neighbouring Govindpur village were among those affected by the concern over possible exposure.

A health department team led by pharmacist Siddharth Singh visited the village and administered the vaccines.

Amarendra Thakur, the in-charge of the community health centre, advised residents concerned about exposure to consult medical professionals and follow the recommended vaccination schedule. He also said arrangements would be made to ensure vaccines remained available at the health centre.

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Can Rabies Spread Through Milk?

The incident has raised questions about whether consuming milk from a suspected rabid animal can transmit the infection.

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system. It is mostly transmitted when the saliva of an infected animal enters the body through a bite or scratch, or comes into contact with broken skin or the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth.

Dogs account for most human rabies cases worldwide, but other infected mammals, like cattle, can also carry the virus.

However, there is no evidence that rabies is transmitted through the consumption of milk.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which includes preventive treatment after a possible exposure, is not required solely because a person has consumed milk from a rabid animal. The WHO nevertheless advises against consuming milk from animals infected with rabies.

India's National Rabies Control Programme provides similar guidance, stating that there are no evidence-based reports of human rabies arising from consuming milk, including breast milk.

The cow in the UP incident was suspected of having rabies, but it had not been confirmed. But people who have consumed milk from a suspected infected animal should seek exposure advice from a healthcare professional.

According to the WHO, suspected rabies exposure requires prompt assessment because the disease is almost invariably fatal once clinical symptoms develop, but can be prevented when post-exposure prophylaxis is administered on time. Treatment may involve wound care, course of rabies vaccinations and, rabies immunoglobulin in some cases.

Pharmaceutical giants Moderna and Merck have been developing a personalised cancer vaccine that differs according to the patient's tumour characteristics.

According to results from a Phase 3 clinical trial, the vaccine has reportedly reduced the risk of melanoma returning or death by 42% and the risk of cancer spreading by 38% when combined with standard immunotherapy.

The findings, reported on October 22, build on evidence that messenger RNA (mRNA) technology could play a pathbreaking role in treating cancer.

The experimental vaccine, intismeran autogene, was tested alongside Keytruda, Merck’s immunotherapy drug, in patients whose melanoma had been surgically removed.

Latest Trial Results

The Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial was based on 1,137 patients with high-risk stage IIB, IIC, III or IV melanoma who had undergone surgical removal of their cancer.

Participants received either intismeran autogene alongside Keytruda or Keytruda alone. The researchers compared how effectively the treatments helped prevent the cancer from returning or spreading.

After two years, 82.2% of patients who received the vaccine combination remained cancer-free, compared to 70% of those who received Keytruda alone, according to the trial results.

The combination also reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42% and the risk of metastasis or death by 38%.

The study achieved its primary endpoint of recurrence-free survival and its key secondary endpoint of distant metastasis-free survival.

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What Is Intismeran Autogene And How Does It Work?

Unlike conventional vaccines that prevent infections, intismeran autogene is a personalised cancer vaccine. It is developed using a sample of the patient’s tumour to identify mutations that distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells.

The treatment uses mRNA to encode up to 34 tumour targets, known as neoantigens. Once administered, these targets help the immune system recognise those targets and generate an immune response against cancer cells.

The vaccine is designed to be used with Keytruda. The vaccine and immunotherapy therefore have complementary roles in the treatment strategy.

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What Did Researchers Say?

Professor Georgina Long, the trial’s principal investigator and medical director of Melanoma Institute Australia, said the results are a significant development for treatment after surgery.

“'This is a coalescence of an mRNA platform, personalised, and the use of algorithms and data in a way that we've never seen before. These results show that patients with earlier-stage melanoma can be treated after surgery in a fundamentally new way,” Professor Long said.

The combination’s safety profile was consistent with previous studies, and the companies said no new safety signals were observed in the Phase 3 trial. Detailed findings are being presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting in Madrid.

She added, “Intismeran in combination with pembrolizumab has the potential to establish a new treatment paradigm in the adjuvant melanoma setting, helping patients remain cancer-free for longer,” Long said in the companies’ August announcement of the trial’s positive topline results.

Moderna and Merck have said they will engage with regulators about submitting the treatment for approval. Further FD review will be needed before it can become a treatment option.