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.

Endometriosis is usually characterised by painful periods, chronic pelvic pain and fertility issues. But a new study suggests the condition may also be linked to a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Researchers found that women with endometriosis had a 46% higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared with women without the condition.

The findings come from one of the largest studies to examine the relationship between the two conditions, adding a new dimension to the adverse effects of endometriosis.

What Did The Study Find?

Also read: 'My Periods Are Painful' Is Not Always Normal: When Could It Be A Sign of Endometriosis?

Researchers studied health records from nearly 3 million women in the Utah Population Database, covering the period from 1996 to 2021. Almost 100,000 women were diagnosed with endometriosis.

After accounting for factors including age, race and body mass index, women with endometriosis were found to have a 46% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women without the condition. The researchers also found that the association differed depending on the type of endometriosis.

Additionally, the risk of type 2 diabetes was higher across several subtypes, including superficial peritoneal, ovarian and deep infiltrating endometriosis.

The strongest association was seen in women with endometriosis outside the usual pelvic sites, where the risk was about twice as high. Adenomyosis was also associated with an increased risk.

Why Could The Two Disorders Be Connected?

Also read: Maternal Anemia: Why It’s A Major Pregnancy Risk For Indian Women And How to Prevent It

Chronic inflammation could be the reason why the two disorders could be connected. Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease in which tissue resembling the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.

Persistent inflammation can affect several systems in the body, while inflammation and poor insulin sensitivity could lead to type 2 diabetes.

“Previous studies largely evaluated endometriosis as a single condition and generally reported little or no overall association with type 2 diabetes,” said Fuzak Nunziato, lead author of the study. “Our findings add to a growing understanding that endometriosis may affect more than reproductive health alone.”

Despite the strong observation, it is to be noted that study found an association, meaning women with endometriosis were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. It does not prove that endometriosis directly causes type 2 diabetes.

The study was also retrospective, meaning researchers looked back at archival health records rather than assigning participants to groups and studying them prospectively.

A large prospective research published in 2021 found no overall significant increase in type 2 diabetes among women with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis, although it did find modestly higher risks among certain groups, including women who were not obese.

The association was particularly notable among premenopausal women and women without obesity - groups that are not normally not considered to be at the highest risk for type 2 diabetes.

If further research solidifies the the link, researchers say women with endometriosis could potentially benefit from greater awareness of metabolic health and earlier identification of diabetes risk.

A one-time gene-editing treatment has been reported to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) by as much as 62% in an early clinical trial, raising hopes that high cholesterol could one day be treated without everyday pills.

The experimental treatment, VERVE-102, is designed to make a long-term genetic change in the liver. Researchers say it could eventually offer a new way of managing high cholesterol, although it is still years away from standard use. The latest results have been described as an “extremely exciting milestone” by researchers.

How Does The One-Time Treatment Work?

VERVE-102 targets a gene called PCSK9, which plays an important role in controlling how much LDL cholesterol circulates in the bloodstream.

The treatment uses base editing, a form of gene editing, to switch off the PCSK9 gene in liver cells. PCSK9 reduces the liver’s ability to remove LDL cholesterol from the blood.

By permanently disabling the gene, researchers hope to reproduce the effect seen in people who naturally have PCSK9 variants that keep their cholesterol low and their risk of coronary heart disease reduced.

The treatment is delivered through a single intravenous infusion containing the gene-editing machinery packaged inside a lipid nanoparticle.

Also read: How To Read Your Blood Test Results: A Simple Guide To What Your Numbers Mean

What Did The Trial Find?

The Phase 1b Heart-2 trial involved 35 adults with either heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited condition that leads to high cholesterol, or premature coronary artery disease. Participants received a single infusion at different doses.

At the highest dose tested, LDL cholesterol fell by an average of 62%, while PCSK9 levels fell by as much as 88%. The reductions sustained during follow-up, with some being observed for up to 18 months.

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, making the findings particularly notable because they provide the first clinical evidence that this type of in-body gene editing can produce a substantial and potentially durable cholesterol reduction.

Also read: Stopping Statins After 75 May Not Raise Death Risk In Low-Risk Adults: The Lancet Study

Could It Replace Statins?

The clinical trial was small and still early-stage. It was designed to examine safety and whether the treatment produces the expected biological effect, not to prove that VERVE-102 prevents heart attacks or strokes by lowering cholesterol. Researchers also need to understand the consequences of permanently altering PCSK9 over many years.

The trial did not report any serious adverse events related to the treatment or dose-limiting toxicities, although some participants experienced fatigue and other reactions.

Dr Riyaz Patel, a cardiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust and professor at University College London, said the early results provide encouraging evidence that PCSK9 base editing could eventually offer “substantial and durable” LDL reduction with a one-time treatment.

Statins and other cholesterol-reducing medicines generally require regular, continued treatment. VERVE-102 is attempting to change the liver’s system of regulating cholesterol.

That could be particularly useful for people who struggle to take medication consistently or whose cholesterol remains dangerously high despite existing treatments.

Despite the promising results, calling VERVE-102 a 'cure' for high cholesterol would be premature. Eli Lilly plans to begin a Phase 2 trial by the end of 2026, which should provide more information about the treatment’s safety, effectiveness and durability.

Men in the UK could face limited access to prostate cancer testing under updated guidance that gives GPs authority to decide if some men without symptoms should receive a PSA blood test.

The development comes after the UK Government rejected calls for routine prostate cancer screening for all men. It instead backed a targeted approach in which those at highest genetic risk would be considered first.

Why Is The UK Changing Prostate Cancer Testing Guidance?

Under existing NHS guidance, men aged 50 and over can request a PSA test after discussing the benefits and limitations with their GP.

The new guidance states that the decision to authorise PSA testing ultimately rests with the doctor. Recent reports suggested that the policy has sparked criticism from cancer charities and campaigners.

Regardless, a PSA test can find prostate cancer, but it cannot reliably tell doctors which cancers are dangerous and which may be manageable with treatment.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) concluded in May that routine screening of the whole male population could do more harm than good.

It said that for every 1,000 men aged 50 to 60 screened using PSA, up to two lives could be saved, but as many as 20 men could experience overdiagnosis.

Also read: Prostate Cancer: NHS England's New Precision Radiotherapy Offers Hope In Just 5 Sessions

Who Will Be Eligible For Regular Screening?

The UK NSC has recommended targeted screening every two years for a much smaller group who are more likely to get prostate cancer. It includes men in the age group of 45 to 61 who have a BRCA2 gene variant and a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer.

Importantly, the committee did not recommend targeted screening for other groups at higher risk, including Black men or men with a family history but no BRCA2 variant. It said that more evidence is needed to take a call on those matters.

What Is A PSA Test?

PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by prostate cells. Higher levels can be associated with prostate cancer. But they can also increase because of non-cancerous prostate enlargement or inflammation.

This means screening can produce false alarms and lead to biopsies or treatment that some men may never need. Cancer Research UK says PSA testing may also fail to detect some prostate cancers.

Also read: Testicular Cancer Warning: Be Vigilant About These Unnoticeable Signs, Doctor Warns

Why Are Black Men Ineligible Despite Being In Higher Risk Group?

Black men have a substantially higher risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer, but the UK NSC said there is currently insufficient evidence to establish whether routine screening of Black men would help.

At the same time, the UK Government has expanded access for Black men to the TRANSFORM prostate cancer screening trial, which is designed to find a better way of detecting clinically significant prostate cancer.

The change does not mean PSA testing is being banned. Men with symptoms or particular risk factors can still be assessed by their GP, and doctors can request testing when it is clinically appropriate.