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 whopping 41 million children between the ages of 5 and 19 are living with high body mass index (BMI) in India, according to a recently released report.

The World Obesity Atlas 2026 shows that India is now among the top three countries globally for the highest number of children affected by overweight.

Nearly 14 million children in the same group were also found to be obese, the report showed.

In children aged 10-19 years, more than 26.402 million were overweight or obese.

Between 2010 and 2025, India had a 4.8 percent increase in the prevalence of high BMI and obesity among children aged 5-19 years.

High BMI To Surge Chronic Disease By 2040 In India

By 2040, the report also projected a substantial increase in the risk of diseases among children aged 5-19 years due to a high BMI in India. This includes:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure) is expected to spike by 4.21 million from 2.99 million
• hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) to 1.91 million from 1.39 million
• high triglycerides (excess fats in the blood) to 6.07 million from 4.39 million
• metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) to 11.88 million from 8.39 million

Childhood obesity in India is expected to surge to a whopping 56 million by 2040 -- nearly a 20 percent rise from 2025, according to the report released by the World Obesity Federation.

Of the 56 million, about 20 million children in the country will be obese, while the remaining 36 million will be overweight.

Globally, the number of children aged 5-19 years living with obesity or overweight is predicted to increase to 507 million by 2040 -- from 419 million in 2025.

Another report, Children in India 2025, raised the concerns of high triglyceride levels -- too much fat in the blood -- among children in India. Over one-third of Indian children aged 5–9 have high triglycerides.

High Triglycerides can increase the risk of heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, fatty liver, and pancreatitis, especially when combined with obesity or unhealthy lifestyles.

How To Prevent

“Don't keep on buying junk food from outside. Second, get the child involved in activity, physical activity, sports, and games. Third, the family as a whole should commit to being healthy,” Dr. V Mohan, Chairperson of Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, was quoted as saying to India Today.

He also urged to sleep on time, cut down on screen time, and not to watch toxic things on television.

"These three or four simple things if you do, childhood obesity can be reduced in India," the noted diabetologist said.

Amid rising levels of obesity in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2025 made a clarion call to fight obesity and reduce oil consumption. He called it a "hidden enemy" and a "silent crisis".

In response, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) oin May 2025 issued a directive to install "Sugar Boards" in schools.

Later in July, the Ministry of Health also asked for the installation of "sugar and oil boards" in government offices to help build a healthy India.

The boards consist of informative posters and digital boards highlighting the harmful impacts of the amount of sugar and oil present in popular food items. It also displays the effects of these foods on the human body as well as shares the recommended amounts of fat and sugar for individual intake.

Two adults living in Missouri have been diagnosed with the more severe Clade I Mpox, taking the total number of cases in the US to three this year.

As per the US CDC, since November 2024, there have been 12 reported cases of clade I Mpox in the country. With the two cases in Missouri, the total tally rises to 14.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), in a statement, said that both individuals had recent international travel to countries where Mpox is more prevalent.

Further investigation revealed that the two cases are unrelated to one another and are not believed to be connected to any locally acquired Mpox cases.

“While risk to the general public remains low, Mpox is still active,” said Dr. George Turabelidze, state epidemiologist.

“We recommend those who are at risk for Mpox infection to get vaccinated and ensure they complete the 2-dose series,” Turabelidze added.

Earlier this week, New York City reported the first case of Mpox Clade I in the US.

Last week, health authorities in Argentina announced the country's first locally acquired case of mpox clade Ib, raising concerns about the potential for community transmission in South America.

Clade 1 Outbreaks

According to the CDC, more than 53,000 clade I monkeypox cases, including more than 200 deaths, have been reported in several countries in Central and Eastern Africa since January 1, 2024.

Between March 2025 and March 2026, 30 countries have reported 37,170 confirmed cases of the deadly strain, including 165 deaths.

The majority of the cases are reported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.

The CDC maintains that the risk of clade I Mpox to the general public in the US remains low, while for men who have sex with men, it is low to moderate.

What is Mpox? Why is Clade 1 more deadly?

Mpox is a disease caused by two different genetic types of the mpox virus, called Clade I and Clade II.

The Missouri health department said that Clade I is more likely to cause severe illness and death, especially in people who have a weak immune system.

The latest records also show that Clade I has a mortality rate of 1-10 percent compared to Clade II’s 1-4 percent.

Both types of the virus spread primarily through direct physical contact with a symptomatic person with Mpox or through contact with used items contaminated with the Mpox virus. It is not spread through the air.

But, statistics have shown that Clade 1 infects children more than adults.

People with Mpox are considered infectious until all their lesions have crusted over, the scabs have fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed underneath, and all the lesions on the eyes and in the body (in the mouth, throat, eyes, vagina and anus) have healed too.

Other symptoms of mpox which may develop prior to a rash can include

fever,

chills,

headache,

exhaustion,

muscle aches,

sore throat,

swollen lymph nodes.

The CDC urges rapid response measures, such as contact tracing and vaccination, to effectively stop disease spread.

Vaccination reduces the risk of getting mpox and can reduce symptoms if infected.

Semaglutide: Weight loss drug like Ozempic and Wegovy are going to go generic in countries. This means the drug, but in cheaper rates, will be available to the 40 per cent of the world's population.

Novo Nordisk that until now had the monopoly over the drug will lose patent protection in several of the world's most populous countries. Health and Me had also previously reported that the first generic version is expected to arrive in India by this weekend. Soon after, generic drugs will also become available in China, Canada, Brazil, Turkey, and South Africa.

“The availability of these drugs, which have been restricted to high-income countries to very wealthy people, will now be democratized by the generics,” said Leena Menghaney, an activist in New Delhi focused on treatment access. The new markets will open up a huge customer base for the generic weight loss drugs. In India and China, there are more than 800 million obese adults or overweight, and more than 300 million adults have diabetes.

Drugs Could Be Cheaper By 90%

The generic drugs are expected to hit the shelves of Indian markets by 21 March, and costs are expected to be lower by 90 per cent. Drug makers like Nacto Pharma and Eris Lifesciences announced to roll out the weight loss jabs over 50 per cent cheaper than the innovator's price in April. They have also introduced vials for Rs 1,300 per month, which is about 90 per cent cheaper than Ozempic.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories is also gearing up to launch its generic semglutide injection in the country in March under the brand name Obeda. Other companies like Sun Pharma and Zydus Lifesciences too are entering the rat race of launching multiple generic versions to make the treatment more affordable for patients with obesity and weight-related health risks.

Until the patent is expired, the semaglutide therapies are owned by the original company. In India, semaglutide injections like Ozempic and Wegovy are soled at a high cost that has limited accessibility to many patients.

Industry analysts, as reported by NDTV, expect that one generic semaglutide enters the market from March 21, 2026, prices could be cut roughly by 50 per cent as compared to the prices it started with. This means Wegovy which was previously sold for around Rs. 10,000 per month could fall somewhere between Rs 3,500 to Rs. 4,000 per month for starter doses.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories have positioned their generic brands competitively, and could potentially offer discounts of up to 50 to 60 per cent in early competition.

How Does Semaglutide Work?

Semaglutide works as a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics the GLP-1 hormone to regulate appetite and blood sugar. It slows gastric emptying and makes you feel fuller longer. It also signals the brain to reduce hunger and cravings, and triggers the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar is high.

They work by increasing insulin release in a glucose-dependent manner, decreasing the liver's production of glucagon, and slowing down the emptying of the stomach, which helps lower blood sugar levels after a meal. They also act on the brain to suppress appetite and increase feelings of fullness, leading to reduced calorie intake.

In people with type 2 diabetes, notes Harvard Health, the body's cells are resistant to the effects of insulin and body does not produce enough insulin, or both. This is when GLP-1 agonists stimulate pancreas to release insulin and suppress the release of another hormone called glucagon.

These drugs also act in the brain to reduce hunger and act on the stomach to delay emptying, so you feel full for a longer time. These effects can lead to weight loss, which can be an important part of managing diabetes.