Every year, World Toilet Day is observed to raise awareness about the global sanitation crisis and encourage action to solve it. The goal set by the United Nation is to achieve safe toilets for all by 2023, as a part of their Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN also states that 3.5 billion people live without proper sanitation and many children also lose their lives due to poor sanitation and unsafe water. This is why World Toilet Day is observed to raise awareness on this issue.

Theme

This year, the theme for World Toilet Day 2024 is "Toilets - A Place for Peace'. This focuses on the growing threat to sanitation that is caused by conflict, climate change, disaster and neglect. When there is a threat to using toilets, it can lead to many health risks.

Not using toilets for too long may lead to Urinary Tract Infection or UTI. For many who do not have access to clean toilets do not drink enough liquid or hold pee for too long. Doctors suggest that holding in pee for too long can cause bacteria to multiply and lead to UTI. By not drinking enough water, your bladder fails to tell the body to pee often, and can cause the bacteria to spread through the urinary tract, which can lead to infection.

Symptoms of UTI:

• Burning or stinging feeling while urinating
• Pain in pelvis or lower abdomen
• Constant urge to empty the bladder
• Strong or foul smelling urine
• Consistently dark urine
• Blood in urine

Holding in pee for too long can also cause your bladder to stretch, making it difficult or even impossible for the bladder to contract and release pee normally. It can also damage your pelvic floor muscles or could lead to kidney stones.

World Toilet Day History And Significance

To prevent such conditions, it is important that everyone has access to clean and safe toilets. In terms of history, the day was established in 2001, by the World Toilet Organization (WTO), which was founded by Jack Sim. However, it was officially recognised by the UN in 2013. The Government of Singapore worked with WTO to create the first UN resolution called Sanitation for All.

India too promotes safe and hygiene toilet through its Swachh Bharat Yojna.

A suspected case of pneumonic plague in Siberia has triggered quarantine measures after a laboratory worker at Russia’s Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute died following severe pneumonia.

Russian health authorities have not yet confirmed that the 28-year-old died due to plague. Rospotrebnadzor has described the illness as pneumonia of unknown origin and said tests have found no evidence linking her death to pathogens at the institute.

Reportedly, around 200 people who may have had contact with her have been placed under medical observation.

As of October 5, Russian health authorities said about 60% of contacts had completed observation successfully and no one reported symptoms of plague infection.

The incident has attracted international attention as unconfirmed reports claimed that the woman may have developed pneumonic plague after she accidentally broke a test tube at the research facility. Russian authorities have denied that there was a laboratory accident. The hospital where she died has also been placed under quarantine.

Pneumonic vs Bubonic vs Septicemic Plague: Which Is Deadlier?

Also read: Russia Plague Outbreak: Lab Worker Dies Of 'Unknown Infection' After Suspected Exposure; CDC Monitors The Situation

Bubonic plague is the most common form. It accounts for most number of naturally occurring human plague infections.

It usually develops after an infected flea bite. The bacteria this case travels to nearby lymph nodes and causing the characteristic painful swelling known as a bubo. If diagnosed early, it can be successfully treated with antibiotics.

Septicemic plague occurs when the bacteria enter the bloodstream. It can develop as a complication of bubonic plague, but it can also occur as a primary infection.

Because the bacteria are circulating throughout the body, patients can rapidly develop shock, bleeding and tissue death.

Pneumonic plague is the most dangerous from a transmission standpoint. It infects the lungs and can develop after inhaling Y. pestis or when infection spreads to the lungs from another form of plague.

Unlike bubonic and septicemic plague, pneumonic plague can spread directly from one person to another through respiratory droplets.

The CDC describes pneumonic plague as the most serious form of plague and says untreated pneumonic plague is almost always fatal. It can also progress rapidly, making early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment critical.

There isn’t a definitive answer to which one is deadlier as we have no simple ranking based purely on fatality percentage because outcomes depend heavily on how quickly treatment begins.

But pneumonic plague is generally regarded as the most dangerous form because it can be rapidly fatal and can spread directly between people.

The World Health Organization says untreated bubonic plague has a case-fatality rate of around 30% to 60%, while pneumonic and septicemic plague can be 100% fatal without treatment. Its incubation period is sometimes as short as one day.

Bubonic plague is less transmissible between humans and is usually more treatable when identified early.

Septicemic plague can also become rapidly life-threatening because the infection has entered the bloodstream.

Also read: Pneumonic Plague: COVID-19, Rhinovirus Detected in Russian Lab Worker’s Contacts; Trump Offers US Help

Russia Plague: Updates

Regarding Russia’s plague scare, the concern around pneumonic plague is not only its severity, but the possibility of respiratory transmission if a case were ever confirmed. No plague infection has been confirmed in the reported Russian case so far.

Russian authorities have repeatedly said there is no confirmed plague outbreak and urged people to rely on official information rather than rumours. The Kremlin has also said the situation is under control.

The WHO has said, based on unofficial information, that the risk to the general public appears to be low.

Meanwhile, the US State Department says it is monitoring the situation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the possibility of an infectious disease spreading from a laboratory was being watched closely, while stressing that it was not currently a cause for alarm.

There are also reports that preventive measures have been introduced in the region, including isolation of hospital contacts and mask use at a nearby aluminum plant.

Toronto has reported 14 confirmed mpox cases since September, prompting public health officials to urge eligible residents to get vaccinated.

Toronto Public Health (TPH) said wastewater monitoring by the Public Health Agency of Canada has also “consistently detected mpox” in the city.

Mpox Risk to Public Remains Low

Officials say the risk to the general public remains low, as mpox is primarily spread through close or sexual contact with an infected person.

Toronto has reported 41 confirmed cases so far in 2026, compared with 118 during the same period last year. The city recorded 158 cases in 2025.

“Mpox continues to circulate in Toronto, and we are currently seeing a rise in infections. Vaccination is the best way eligible residents can protect themselves. If you haven’t received your first dose or still need your second, please book an appointment at a TPH Sexual Health Clinic or visit your 2SLGBTQ+ health-care service provider,” said Dr. Michelle Murti, Medical Officer of Health, Toronto Public Health.

“Mpox is making a comeback. Now is a good time to check in with yourself and your friends about protection against the virus. If you’re eligible, get your first dose, and if you started the series but haven’t received your second, now is the time to complete it,” added Gilles Charette, Director, Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

Also read: Mpox Case Detected In Congo’s Ituri Amid Ebola Outbreak: Why Are Health Officials Concerned?

People eligible for vaccination include men who have sex with men who have multiple partners, those who visit venues for sexual contact, people working at such venues and sex workers, regardless of gender.

Mpox Cases Continue Worldwide

The rise in Toronto comes amid continued mpox transmission globally.

Earlier this month, a laboratory-confirmed mpox case was identified in the northeastern Congolese city of Bunia, raising concerns about the disease's spread as the country battles its worst Ebola outbreak on record.

The CDC has assessed the overall risk from the clade I mpox outbreak in the US as low. As of May 27, 2026, 23 clade I cases had been identified in the country, all linked to travel or people who had travelled to outbreak areas.

The WHO reported 1,370 mpox cases and seven deaths globally in July and continues to assess the public health risk from the multi-country outbreak as moderate.

From January 2025 through July 31, 2026, 65,784 cases and 264 deaths were reported across 105 countries.

WHO said the outbreak remains a graded emergency, with new outbreaks reported in multiple countries and more than 1,000 confirmed cases reported every month.

Eleven African countries reported active transmission between July 6 and August 16, with 1,153 confirmed cases and seven deaths. Chile and Hungary also reported clade Ib mpox for the first time, while several European countries have reported community transmission.

Read More: Russia Plague Scare: Could It Trigger A New Pandemic? Experts Explain

Mpox Symptoms

Mpox is a viral disease that spreads mainly through close physical contact with an infected person.

Some people recover without complications, while others can develop serious symptoms, particularly those with weakened immune systems.

Mpox symptoms can include:

• Rash
• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Fatigue.

A Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the past seven years has become the first person to die of Ebola Bundibugyo virus in Kenya.

According to Health Minister Aden Duale, the patient fell ill about a month ago and was treated at several hospitals in the DRC before traveling to Nairobi. The patient died days after arriving in the Kenyan capital, Reuters reported.

How Did the Patient Enter Kenya?

Also read: Ebola Bundibugyo Virus: American Health Worker Had 10x Higher Viral Load In Throat Than Blood

Duale said the patient boarded a flight on Saturday and underwent routine public health screening at Nairobi's main airport before being taken to a hospital by a relative.

The patient had traveled from the DRC via Uganda and was later isolated and treated at Nairobi Hospital after developing symptoms associated with viral hemorrhagic fever.

The patient died late Monday while receiving treatment.

Kenyan health authorities have placed the country on high alert and are monitoring for possible additional cases. At least 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers who cared for the patient, have been identified.

Authorities are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who traveled on the same flight. The contacts will remain under monitoring for 21 days and will be released after testing negative for the virus, Patrick Amoth, the ministry's director, said.

The patient is to be buried within 24 hours in accordance with recommended public health protocols.

What Symptoms Did the Patient Develop?

Duale confirmed that testing showed the patient was infected with the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus.

After being taken to Nairobi Hospital, the patient was transferred to an isolation facility built during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The patient developed "fever, chills, intense fatigue and weakness, painful swallowing, muscle pain and bleeding under the skin," Duale said.

"Doctors suspected a viral hemorrhagic fever based on his symptoms and travel history and collected samples for testing. The sample tested positive for Ebola Bundibugyo virus," he added.

Read More: Ebola Bundibugyo Strain: All You Should Know About The Rare Virus

Ebola Situation in Congo

According to the WHO, the DRC has recorded 4,082 deaths among 8,463 cases since the emergence of the Bundibugyo species earlier this year. It is the second most deadly known outbreak of the disease.

Shortly after the DRC declared an Ebola outbreak in May, cases were also reported in Uganda, where two people died. The WHO declared Uganda free of the disease in August.

Since then, cases have continued to be reported in the DRC, while Kenya is now monitoring contacts linked to the imported case.

What Is Bundibugyo Virus Disease?

READ: Can Obeldesivir Prevent Ebola Symptoms After Exposure? Drug Trial Moves Forward As Death Toll Crosses 4,000

Bundibugyo virus disease is a rare and deadly illness that has caused outbreaks in several African countries in the past.

It is distinctly different from other known ebolaviruses like the Zaire ebolavirus or Sudan ebolavirus. The 2007 outbreak, where Bundibugyo was detected for the first time, resulted in over 100 cases and was officially declared over in early 2008.

According to the US CDC, the Bundibugyo strain is spread by contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who is infected with or has died from BVD.

It is also spread by contact with contaminated objects (such as clothing, bedding, needles, and medical equipment), or by contact with animals, such as bats and nonhuman primates, that are infected with BVD.

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and unexplained bleeding or bruising (a late stage of illness).