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.

The H1N1 virus continues to surge in India’s national capital, Delhi, with vulnerable groups more likely to develop severe illness. While the infection is self-limiting in most cases, it is leading to increased hospitalizations, with some patients requiring ventilator support.

Delhi has reported 2,308 cases of swine flu, with the number described as around eight times higher than the average in previous years. However, no deaths have been reported so far.

The government has asked people to follow precautions similar to those followed during COVID, including the use of masks, and hand hygiene. However, it advised people not to panic but remain alert to symptoms.

To understand more about H1N1, HealthandMe interviewed Dr GC Khilnani, Chairman, PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, PSRI Hospital, New Delhi, who explained the current surge, symptoms, warning signs, treatment and preventive measures.

Q. H1N1 cases are rising sharply in Delhi. What is driving this surge, and how concerning is it?

A. There has been a clear rise in H1N1 cases, which is concerning because influenza can occasionally cause severe pneumonia, ICU admissions, and deaths. The virus is also known to mutate, raising concerns about severe disease and wider outbreaks.

However, the current H1N1 virus is the same as in 2025. In healthy people, it usually causes a self-limiting illness lasting three to five days, with sore throat, fever, body aches, headache and sometimes mild chest pain.

Severe illness is more likely in vulnerable groups, including those aged 70–80 years or older, people with diabetes or chronic lung disease, and those who are immunocompromised due to long-term steroids, cancer treatment or other conditions.

We currently have patients on ventilators at PSRI Hospital because of H1N1, though thankfully there have been no deaths so far. The actual number of cases may also be higher than reported because not everyone gets tested.

Q. Is the H1N1 strain currently circulating in India different from previous years? How contagious is it?

A. It is a highly contagious strain. The ICMR has already said that it is the PDM09 Missouri type of virus, the same as it was in 2025. It has a very short incubation period of one to four days, and that means that it spreads very fast.

The attack rate is very high. That means that if it occurs in a family, all the family members are affected, and the contacts are affected. The spread is by droplet infection and also by touching non-living things like tables, chairs, or hands, as was happening in COVID. It spreads very fast. It's a short-term illness; therefore, the numbers are very high at this moment.

Q. What are the early symptoms of H1N1, and which warning signs mean a person needs hospital care?

A. Usual symptoms start with body aches, sore throat, headache, and fever, sometimes a very high-grade fever. Sometimes there is nausea and vomiting, and sometimes a little bit of chest pain is also there. It is sort of short-lived, and doesn't last for more than three to five days.

But if a person becomes breathless on mild exertion or at rest, or if the elderly person becomes drowsy or less responsive, then it's a point of worry.

If the oxygen level is below 91-92%, or the body turns blue, that means cyanosis (marked by a bluish or purplish tint to the skin or mucous membranes); these are signs of worry. Sometimes, if the chest pain is very severe, that should also not be ignored, and one should immediately go to the hospital.

Q. How can H1N1 progress from a routine flu infection to severe disease or complications?

A. It is a usual viral infection of the respiratory tract, upper as well as lower respiratory tract. It does cause a cytokine storm. It also causes multi-organ failure, and secondary infections are very common.

It is important for people who are susceptible and get admitted to hospital to look for secondary bacterial infection as well.

Q. Do antibiotics have any role in treating H1N1? How should it be treated?

A. There is absolutely, no role for antibiotics. We have the antiviral drugs, the most common being oseltamivir, popularly known as Tamiflu.

An important thing is that antivirals should be started within 48 hours of the start of the symptoms. After that, the role is very limited.

So, it is important that if the symptoms are there, it should be tested. The reports are available in 2–3 hours, and Tamiflu, is to be taken for five days, in a dose of 75 milligrams, that is, one tablet twice a day for five days.

The family members who are exposed, especially those who are susceptible, should also take a prophylactic dose of a 75-milligram tablet once a day for 7-10 days to prevent getting influenza illness.

Q. Does the seasonal flu vaccine protect against H1N1? Who should get vaccinated?

A. The flu vaccinations that are available in India definitely protects against H1N1. Like in COVID, it reduces the chances of infection, but more importantly, the severity of infection and mortality are reduced, underscoring the importance of vaccination.

Q. What is the best time to get the flu vaccine, especially now that cases are already rising?

A. One should take the flu vaccine once a year. The best months to receive this vaccination are before the expected outbreak.

Now that the outbreak is already underway, vaccination may offer limited immediate benefit, as it takes at least two weeks for the vaccine to become effective.

The best time to take it is, July-August because the outbreak usually comes in the monsoon period, or you can take it in January-February because the next outbreak occurs in March.

Q. What precautions should people take at home, workplaces and schools to prevent H1N1 transmission?

A. It is a question of—you know, during COVID, everybody was scared because mortality was highest. Everybody was following COVID-appropriate behavior.

Even now, people who develop symptoms should wear masks, even without testing, and avoid social events and crowded places to prevent spreading the infection to others.

The other thing which is more important is that those people who are likely to get severe disease—I have already described those people—should refrain from going to crowded places, like crowded markets or social gatherings and marriage parties.

Because, at this point in time it is likely that one person or another will be infected. Importantly, that person starts transmitting the virus one day before even getting the first symptom. So, you actually do not know who will be spreading it.

The infection rate is so high at this time that it is important for everybody not to go to crowded places if you are susceptible, meaning if you are 70-80 years old or your immunity is low.

And it is important that if you have to go to crowded places, then you should wear a mask and protect yourself.

Florida recently recorded one more locally acquired dengue case, taking the toll to 23 in 2026. Infections were reported across four counties, which raised fresh concerns about the spread of a disease more commonly associated with tropical and subtropical regions.

The recent rise has been concentrated in Hillsborough County, which has reported 15 cases, followed by Miami-Dade with four, Pinellas with three and Palm Beach with one.

The Florida Department of Health has issued mosquito-borne illness alerts in affected areas. In Hillsborough, officials issued an alert after the eighth locally acquired case was identified, while Pinellas issued its own alert after two local cases were confirmed.

Dengue Is Not Just A Tropical Disease

Dengue is caused by the dengue virus and is mainly spread through bites from infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Florida is not considered an endemic dengue region, but local transmission has occurred there before. The state reported 62 locally acquired cases in 2025, while 2024 saw a much larger total of 90.

What makes the current situation striking is that infections are occurring in people who did not acquire the virus while travelling abroad.

Why Does Dengue Surface In The US?

This can create a chain of local transmission. Warm weather also creates favourable breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes. Florida's warm weather, combined with stagnant water, provides opportunities for breeding and transmission.

Also read: Why Self-Medicating During Dengue Can Be Dangerous?

Reason Behind Spike In Florida Cases

Florida has a large number of international travellers and close links with regions where dengue is common. At the same time, warm temperatures and mosquito-friendly environments can fuel further transmission.

Recent surveillance has also shown mosquito-borne disease activity across several Florida counties. The state’s health department routinely monitors mosquito populations and human cases to identify transmission early and nab an outbreak.

Also read: World Mosquito Day: How Dengue Can Damage Your Kidneys

Complications Due To 'Breakbone Fever'

Many dengue infections cause no symptoms or result in a mild illness. When symptoms occur, they commonly include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea and rash. The disease is sometimes called “breakbone fever” as it can trigger intense muscle and joint pain.

Most people recover, but some develop severe dengue, which can cause bleeding, organ damage and death, in extreme cases.

How To Protect Yourself From A Dengue Infection?

There is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue. The treatment generally focuses on rest, fluids, monitoring and appropriate management of symptoms. Florida health officials have urged residents to reduce mosquito exposure by:

• Using an EPA-registered insect repellent
• Wearing long sleeves and long trousers when possible
• Keeping doors and windows screened
• Removing standing water from containers around homes
• Taking extra precautions during periods of increased mosquito activity

Being rich is usually linked with better chances at living longer as one may have access to the best healthcare services, healthier food, free time for exercise and wellness and more. But a large international study has found a striking exception. It observed that the wealthiest individuals in America had survival rates comparable to some of the poorest people in Northern and Western Europe.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, analysed data from 73,838 adults aged 50 to 85 in the US and 16 European countries, following participants from 2010 to 2022. Researchers compared people according to their relative wealth within their own countries.

The findings suggest that wealth improves survival in both regions, but Americans had higher mortality at every wealth level than their European counterparts.

About 80% Of Wealthiest Americans Survived

The researchers found that about 80% of the wealthiest Americans were still alive at the end of the study period. That was roughly comparable to the survival rate among the poorest participants in Northern and Western Europe. Among the wealthiest Northern and Western Europeans, the survival rate was approximately 90%.

Lead author Irene Papanicolas, professor at Brown University School of Public Health, said, “We were surprised by that result.”

She said researchers might expect wealthy Americans to have access to high-quality healthcare, healthier food and safer environments, yet the data showed that their survival still lagged behind wealthy Europeans as well as the poorer populations .

Why Do Americans Have Higher Mortality Rate Than Europeans?

Also read: Bryan Johnson Reveals Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: What To Know About This Dry Eye Condition

The study does not find any one specific reason for the significant difference. However, researchers point to several possible contributors, including economic inequality, healthcare access, social safety nets, diet, smoking, _{physical activity}, stress and environmental risks. Differences in social and economic conditions could also affect health even among healthier people.

Papanicolas said the findings highlight factors that can affect health across different wealth levels, including “economic inequality or risk factors like stress, diet or environmental hazards.”

Co-author Sara Machado, a research scientist at Brown’s Center for Health System Sustainability, said where someone stands within their country’s wealth distribution matters for longevity, but so does how that country compares with others. She also noted that improving health outcomes is “not just a challenge for the most vulnerable”, as even people in the highest wealth group can be affected.

The US-Europe Life Expectancy Gap Has Widened

The findings come against a broader backdrop of declining US life expectancy compared with other wealthy nations. Researchers noted that the US and Western Europe had broadly similar life expectancy several decades ago, but the gap began widening around 1980 and kept going until it is now hard to ignore.

The study therefore raises a bigger question about whether individual wealth alone can protect people from broader health risks within a society.

The observational study cannot prove that living in the US itself causes higher mortality. The researchers identified possible explanations, but further research is needed to determine exactly why mortality remains higher among Americans across wealth groups.