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.

No more scribbling, notes a BBC report from October 1, 2025, where the Punjab and Haryana court tells doctors to fix their handwriting. Now, the National Medical Commission or NMC has issued nationwide order to the doctors to ensure their prescriptions are written in a clear and legible manner.

While jokes around the notoriously bad handwriting of many doctors that only can be read by pharmacist are common in India, but after the High Court's ruling, this joke is taken seriously. The High Court noted that "legible medical prescription is a fundamental right" as it can make a difference between life and death.

Also Read: Delhi Sees Rising Cancer Burden With Sharp Increase in Oral and Lung Cancers; Breast Cancer Remains Most Common

What Are The New NMC Guidelines On Doctor's Handwriting?

Under the new directive, the NMC ordered that doctors must:

• Write prescriptions in clear, legible handwriting, avoiding ambiguity.
• Arbitrary or unclear prescription writing will no longer be acceptable, as it compromises patient safety.
• Subcommittees will be formed in all medical colleges to monitor prescription practices and ensure compliance.
• Medical students will be taught the importance of clear prescription writing, making it a core part of clinical training.

The Background Of NMC Guidelines

The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered doctors to fix their handwritings while it was looking at a case that involved allegations of rape. While checking a medico-legal report written by a government doctor who examined the woman, the court found it incomprehensible.

Also Read: Delhi Is a Gas Chamber Where Nothing Comes In or Goes Out, Says Expert; Neighboring States Not to Blame for AQI

Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri said, "It shook the conscience of this court as not even a word or a letter was legible".

"At a time when technology and computers are easily accessible, it is shocking that government doctors are still writing prescriptions by hand which cannot be read by anybody except perhaps some chemists," said Justice Puri.

Importance Of Clear Prescriptions

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies medication errors as a major global patient safety challenge, contributing to avoidable injuries and deaths worldwide. Illegible prescriptions are a well-recognised cause of such errors.

A clear and readable prescription also:

Prevents misinterpretation

Poor handwriting leads to misinterpretation of the intended drug name, dosage, or instructions. Many drugs have names that look or sound alike, making clarity critical.

Ensures the right dosage

Unclear instructions when it comes to dosing result in giving out doses that are ten or one hundred times the correct amount, leading to toxicity or therapeutic failure.

Empowers patient understanding

When the patients are able to clearly read and understand the prescriptions and medication labels, they are more likely to take their medications correctly, reducing the margin for errors.

Reduces healthcare costs

Medication errors resulting from unclear prescriptions lead to increased hospital admissions, prolonged lengths of stay, and additional costs, placing a significant burden on the patient and the healthcare system.

Oral cancer cases recorded the sharpest in Delhi in 2025, as per the Union Health Ministry data presented in the Parliament. While there is no definitive explanation provided by the report by the Union Health Ministry, previous reports show that widespread use of tobacco has increased, and accounted for about 30% of all oral cancer cases in India alone.

As per the report shared by the Union Health Ministry, a 5.1% increase was scene in the reported increase of oral cancer, while lung cancer rose by 4.9% between the period 2023 and 2025.

Also Read: ‘Fix Your Handwriting’: Indian Doctors Told to Write Clear, Legible Prescriptions Under New Rules

The data showed that lung cancer increased among women, and it rose to 6.5%. In numbers, this would make 686 cases in 2025, which is up from the 644 cases recorded in 2024, and 604 in 2023. Among men, oral cancer had the highest growth, with a 5.8% increase. This led to 2,717 cases in 2025, compared to 2,569 cases in 2024 and 2,429 cases in 2023.

However, breast cancer remained the most prevalent cancer in the city. Data from the National Cancer Registry Programme indicate a steady rise in reported breast cancer cases, increasing from 3,198 in 2023 to 3,260 in 2024 and 3,321 in 2025. Oral cancer ranked as the second most common cancer overall, with combined cases among men and women reaching 3,208 in 2025.

A closer look at the data shows that oral cancer continued to rise in the city over the past three years. In 2023, Delhi reported 2,901 cases, including 2,429 among men and 472 among women. The number rose to 3,051 cases in 2024, with 2,569 cases in men and 482 in women. Among women, cases increased slightly further to 491 in 2025.

The International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences provide the tobacco use, betel quid chewing has seen a rising trend in India. Tobacco use includes chewing gutka and khaini in rural areas as well as smoking cigarettes in urban area, which continues to be the nation's leading preventable cause of cancer.

Cervical Cancer Shows a Decline

Cervical cancer followed a different pattern. Cases among women fell from 741 in 2023 to 716 in 2024, and then to 692 in 2025. This reflects a year-on-year decline of around 3.4 percent over both periods.

Rising Trends in Other Cancers Among Men

Among men, oral cancer showed the sharpest increase. Lung cancer cases also rose, climbing from 1,668 in 2023 to 1,814 in 2025. Prostate cancer followed a similar upward trend, with reported cases increasing from 1,168 in 2023 to 1,301 in 2025.

Delhi’s High Cancer Incidence Rate

The health ministry has pointed to Delhi’s relatively high Age-Adjusted Incidence Rate of cancer. Between 2015 and 2019, the AAIR stood at 146.7 per one lakh population among men and 132.5 among women. These figures are higher than those reported in cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune and Ahmedabad. The AAIR allows cancer rates to be compared fairly across regions with different age profiles.

Treatment Burden Extends Beyond Delhi

It is also important to note that Delhi attracts a large number of cancer patients from across north India and other parts of the country. Major tertiary care centres, including AIIMS and the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, contribute to a higher treatment load in the city.

Rougeole/Measles: Christmas is not even 10 days away and other festivities are also lining up. With the holiday season coming in, more cases of measles are likely to be added to the five which had already been recorded in Montreal.

"It's certain that the holiday season worries us, because we gather, we meet our families, we have more contact, and therefore more opportunities for transmission of the virus," said Dr. Paul Le Guerrier on QUB radio and television, broadcast simultaneously on 99.5 FM Montreal, Tuesday.

As per the medical advisor at Montreal's Regional Public Health Department, a surge in cases during this time of the year is conducive as there will be more gathering. In fact, "almost 95% of population would need to be vaccinated to prevent community transmission."

"At the end of secondary school, we reach levels of 86-88%. But we are not yet at the desired threshold," the doctor specifies.

Can Measles Be Prevented?

The spread could be curbed and a significant outbreak during the holiday season could be avoided, if vaccination is done in full flow. Public health department has sent letters to all schools in Montreal province. "If children do not have two doses of measles vaccine, [they are encouraged] to make an appointment or go see their family doctor to increase their vaccination coverage," explained Dr. Le Guerrier.

The public is also urged to keep a check of common signs and measles symptoms like:

• Fever
• Nasal congestion with runny nose
• Cough
• Conjunctivitis
• Eyes sensitive to light
• Widespread unease

Measles In Canada

The Global News reported that so far, Quebec has confirmed three measles cases linked to pediatric medical center in an off-island suburb of Montreal.

The first case was identified in early December, marking the province’s first measles infection since April. Health officials say people who visited the UP pediatric emergency centre in St-Eustache, Que., on the afternoon or evening of Nov. 28 may have been exposed.

So far this year, Canada has reported more than 5,300 measles cases, largely in Ontario and Alberta. Quebec recorded 36 cases during an earlier outbreak. The provincial government warns additional cases are likely and stresses vaccination as the strongest protection against the highly contagious disease.

Unique Symptoms Of Measles To Look Out For

Measles has a high transmissibility, and high measles immunity levels are required to prevent sustained measles virus transmission. This is why herd immunity for measles could be easily breached.

It easily spreads from one infected person to another through breathes, coughs or sneezes and could cause severe disease, complications, and even death.

Read: Unique Symptoms Of Measles In 2025 And How Long Does The Infection Last?

The most unique symptom or the early sign of measles in the Koplik spots. These are tiny white dots that look like grains of salt on red gums inside the cheeks that appear before the red rash starts to appear on a person's face and then the body.

Furthermore, the symptoms of measles are also characterized by the three Cs:

• Cough
• Coryza or runny nose
• Conjunctivitis or red and water eyes

The progression of the symptom comes in two stages, first is the prodromal stage or Days 1 to 4, where one would notice high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, sore throat, fatigue, and Koplik spots.

The second stage is called the rash stage or the days 5 to 10 or even more where rash start to appear on the hairline, and then it runs down the body. It lasts for several days and fades in the same order.

The first symptoms, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), appear 7 to 14 days after a measles infection. Often, it could also lead to ear infection, or even diarrhea. Though these complications happen in every 1 in 10 children or individual with measles.