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.

What sounds like science fiction is now a scientific reality. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have created the world's first synthetic cell built entirely from non-living chemical components that can eat, grow and reproduce—the defining characteristics of life.

The lab-made cell, named SpudCell, completes an entire life cycle and could help scientists better understand how life works while opening new possibilities in medicine, biotechnology and manufacturing.

"We've replicated in chemistry what only used to be possible in biology: the complete set of behaviors of a cell," said Associate Professor Kate Adamala. "It proves that the most fundamental functions of life... do not need a mysterious, magical spark."

The findings have been published as a preprint and have not yet been peer-reviewed.

"We have demonstrated key milestones towards construction of synthetic life: a complete cell cycle, including growth and division, and selection, in minimal cells with known identity of all components. This can serve as a chassis for further optimization of synthetic cells undergoing Darwinian evolution, advancing the field towards robust artificial life," the researchers wrote.

What Is SpudCell?

SpudCell is a synthetic cell assembled entirely from purified, non-living chemical components rather than modified living cells.

It contains:

• 36 purified enzymes
• A 90,000-base-pair genome spread across nine DNA molecules
• A lipid membrane

What Can SpudCell Do?

Replicate a Cell's Life Cycle

SpudCell can perform the essential functions of living cells, including:

• Feeding and acquiring resources
• Growing
• Replicating its genome
• Dividing
• Passing on genetically encoded traits

Unlike natural cells, SpudCell divides without a cytoskeleton. Instead, membrane-binding proteins build up on its surface until mechanical stress causes the membrane to split.

Researchers also engineered a faster-growing version of the cell. Within five generations, it outcompeted the original, demonstrating selection and evolution-like behaviour in a fully synthetic chemical system.

SpudCell: Why Is It Significant?

Scientists previously estimated that the smallest possible genome for a living cell would be around 113 kilobase pairs (kbp). SpudCell functions with just 90 kbp, making it one of the simplest known cell-like systems.

Its modular DNA design also allows researchers to program different cellular functions independently, making future synthetic cells easier to engineer.

SpudCell: Potential Applications

Researchers stated that synthetic cells could eventually perform chemical reactions beyond the reach of conventional industrial processes.

Possible applications include:

• Designing highly precise medicines
• Developing new drug molecules using amino acids not found in nature
• Producing advanced materials through biological manufacturing

"We could see materials that are grown, rather than synthesized... SpudCell provides, for the first time, a truly engineerable platform," the authors said.

SpudCell: Next steps

The researchers noted that in next steps they aim to combine the cell's multiple DNA molecules into a single stable genome, add more molecular machinery and develop common engineering standards before synthetic cells can be widely used.

"This work is just the beginning," Adamala said. "We are showing it's possible to engineer the basic functions of the cell."

Experts Urge Caution

While calling the work remarkable, Professor John Dupré of the University of Exeter questioned whether synthetic cells would outperform genetically modified bacteria in producing drugs, food, fuel and other materials.

He also argued that synthetic cells lack an important feature of living organisms—their relationships with other life forms.

"What is missing... is the relational aspect of life, which has become clear in the growing realization that life is almost universally symbiotic," he said.

An 11-year-old boy in Canada succumbed to rabies after waking up to find a bat on his face. The incident highlighted how even seemingly harmless contact with the animal, with no bites, can lead to a fatal infection if preventive treatment is not started in time, which is crucial in rabies.

Canada Boy Dies Of Rabies

The case was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). The incident occurred during the summer of 2024 while the boy was staying at a cottage in northern Ontario.

According to the report, he woke up with a bat on his face and instinctively swatted it away. His father caught the bat in a cooking pot and released it outdoors. Since there were no visible bite or scratch marks and the bat did not appear to behave aggressively, the family did not suspect rabies and seek medical attention.

However, 19 days later, the child developed facial tingling and numbness, followed by swelling, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

He was treated for a suspected viral infection initially, but his condition rapidly worsened. He went on to develop difficulty swallowing, fever, slurred speech, confusion, and visual hallucinations before being diagnosed with rabies. Despite being admitted in pediatric intensive care, he died after 17 days of admission.

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The authors of the case report said the family agreed to share the child's story to raise awareness about rabies and the importance of seeking immediate medical evaluation after any direct contact with a bat, even if there are no visible bite marks.

Bat Exposure Is Risky Even If There Are No Bite Marks

Because of this, public health authorities recommend seeking medical advice after direct contact with a bat.

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Immediate treatment with rabies vaccination is highly effective in preventing the disease if administered before symptoms develop. Once rabies symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal.

Rabies Remains One Of The Deadliest Infections

Human rabies cases are rare in Canada. Since 1924, only 28 human rabies cases have been reported in the country, and the Ontario child's death marked the province's first human rabies case since 1967.

While dogs remain the primary source of human rabies' deaths globally, bats are the leading source of human rabies infections acquired in North America.

According to the World Health Organization, rabies causes an estimated 59,000 human deaths every year, with the vast majority occurring in Asia and Africa.

The authors of the CMAJ case report stressed that healthcare providers should carefully assess any history of direct bat contact and consider post-exposure prophylaxis when appropriate.

They noted that early treatment is nearly 100% effective in preventing rabies before symptoms begin, making timely medical evaluation critical after any potential exposure.

Content creator and model Nara Smith recently revealed that her two-year-old daughter, Whimsy Lou, was diagnosed with cancer late last year. She shared the emotionally difficult journey her family faced over the past several months.

Nara is a South African-German model and influencer based in the United States. She is known for her short cooking videos in which she prepares meals from scratch, wearing extravagant and elegant outfits.

Nara Smith's Daughter Whimsy Diagnosed With Cancer

Smith said she and her husband, Lucky Blue Smith, took their daughter to the emergency room when they noticed “something suspicious” on her.

She said that although doctors were initially unsure of the cause, a visit to the pediatrician led to an urgent referral to a children's hospital. After undergoing X-rays, ultrasounds, and a biopsy, Whimsy was diagnosed with cancer. The influencer did not disclose the type of cancer her daughter has.

According to Smith, doctors informed the family that the cancer had already spread and that chemotherapy needed to begin immediately.

At the time, Nara was postpartum after welcoming her youngest child, Fawnie. She said that the diagnosis is one of the most challenging experiences her family has faced as she was caring for her other children and balancing work commitments.

She said spending time with other families in the hospital and connecting with parents through online communities helped ease the sense of isolation that often accompanies a childhood cancer diagnosis.

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Cancer In Young Children

Although cancer is relatively rare in children, it remains one of the leading causes of disease-related deaths among children worldwide.

Unlike many adult cancers, childhood cancers are usually not linked to lifestyle factors. Instead, they often develop because of genetic changes in cells that occur early in life.

The most common cancers diagnosed in children include:

• Leukemia (blood cancer)

• Brain and spinal cord tumors

• Lymphomas

• Neuroblastoma

• Wilms tumor (kidney cancer)

• Bone cancers

Early diagnosis can significantly improve treatment results, making it important for parents to seek medical evaluation as soon as possible.

Studies About Childhood Cancer

Although childhood cancer is uncommon, it remains a major global health concern. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 400,000 children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years develop cancer every year, making it one of the leading causes of disease-related death among children and adolescents worldwide.

A large international study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2025 analysed 16,821 childhood cancer cases from 47 population-based cancer registries across 23 countries.

For leukemia, the most common childhood cancer, three-year survival ranged from just over 30% in some regions to nearly 90% in others.

The study also supports the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, which aims to increase the global survival rate for children with cancer to at least 60% by 2030.