For the first time in 19 years, scientists has detected a new strain of HIV.

The strain is part of the M-group version of HIV-1, the same family of virus subtypes that should be blamed on the global HIV pandemic, according to Abbott Laboratories, which conducted the research in collaboration with the University from Missouri. Kansas City

The findings were published Wednesday, Nov. 7 in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. HIV has many different subtypes or strains and, like other viruses, has the ability to change and mutate over time.

This is the first new HIV strain in group M identified since the establishment of guidelines for classifying subtypes in 2000. It is important to know which strains of virus are circulating to ensure the effectiveness of the tests used. to detect the disease.

"This can be a real challenge for diagnostic tests," said Mary Rodgers, co-author of the report and principal scientist at Abbott. His company tests more than 60% of the world's blood supply, he said, and needs to research new strains and track those in circulation so that "we can accurately detect it wherever it is. in the world".

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said current HIV treatments are effective against this strain and others. However, identifying a new strain provides a more complete picture of the evolution of HIV.

"There is no reason to panic or even worry a bit," Fauci said. "Few people are infected with this, it's an atypical case." For scientists to declare that this is a new subtype, three cases must be detected independently. The first two were found in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1983 and 1990. Both strains were "very unusual and did not match any other," Rodgers said.

The third sample found in the Congo was collected in 2001 as part of a study to prevent transmission of the virus from mother to child. The sample was small and although it looked a lot like the two oldest samples, the scientists wanted to test the entire genome to be sure. At that time, there was no technology to determine if it was the new subtype. Scientists from Abbott and the University of Missouri then developed new techniques for studying and mapping the 2001 sample. According to Rodgers, it was like "looking for a needle in a haystack" then "take out the needle with a magnet".

"This discovery reminds us that to end the HIV pandemic, we must continue to believe that this virus is constantly evolving and using the latest technologies and resources to keep pace with its evolution," co-authored Carole McArthur, a professor at The Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, said in a statement.

According to the World Health Organization, some 36.7 million people around the world are living with HIV. UNAIDS estimates that in 2016, some 1.8 million people have recently been infected.

Government ready To Revive 10,000 Primary Healthcare Centers

Nigeria's government is set to revive 10,000 primary care centers in the country, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said.
Mr Ehanire said this when some members of Association of Nigeria's Health Journalists, ANHEJ, led by its President, Hassan Zaggi visited the ministry in his office on Friday in Abuja.

He said the government was trying to create a balance of services for all Nigerians, even those in rural areas, villages, and difficult to access areas.

"That is the reason that we should not forget those people in the country. Almost 10,000 primary health care to be revitalized.

"Many of them are already there because they are neglected, they are being revived and modernized and the standard of care is expected to be higher.

"We also expect digital service so we can be able to take care of many of the diseases that occur. We do it in partnership with States and the Local Governments.

"The federal government has been teaming up with the local government to create the network; Our expectation is that 60 per cent of diseases in the country can be taken care of by the Primary Health Carees, '' he said.

Customs seized 33 containers of expired rice

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Command, seized 54 containers loaded with contraband, including expired rice and banned drugs.

Comptroller General Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali, who briefed reporters at the Tin Can Island Customs Inspection Camp, said the seized items included 33 containers of expired rice, a container of rice concealed with spare parts , 11 unregistered pharmaceutical containers, two used tire containers, a used clothing container and four containers of refined vegetable oil in retail packaging.


The value of the seizure was fixed at 2,713 billion naira and was packed in 50-kg bags bearing the labels of the Nigerian companies. Some include Master Rice Bags labeled 31A Remi Fani Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja and labeled Masters Energy Commodities Trading Limited. The cargo "Jasmine Rice" bore the inscription "Packaged for Yumfei International Trading Company Limited", with an address such as 103 Ebittu Ukiwe Street, Jabi, Abuja.



The Comptroller General of Customs said that it was planned to arrest the persons listed in the various consignments. He added that the closure of land borders meant that all goods destined for the Nigerian market were transported by seaports.



"An important thing about this seizure is that all the rice has expired or is about to expire. It is also worth noting the seizure of variants and unregistered drugs that improve the performance of pharmacists.

"Without a doubt, those who imported these dangerous items do not wish us the best. Imagine if they were able to introduce the expired rice, put it in a bag and change the expiry date so that Nigerians consume it.

"Realizing that there may be a violent reaction to the closure of the land borders, I have ordered all seaports and airports to strengthen their surveillance and to intercept all illegal and prohibited shipments for which smuggling could be attempted by these means. Entry points This decision was taken as these shipments may have been paid and importers will find ways to ensure that they are delivered to their warehouses in Nigeria, "said Ali.

Yellow fever kills 115 people in Katsina

An outbreak of yellow fever in the Matazu area of ​​Katsina state reportedly killed 115 people.

While members of the affected communities reported losing 115 people, local authorities said only 18 people died within three weeks of the outbreak. A former councilor in the Kogari constituency who spoke with the Daily Trust said that Kogari had been touched by the disease before spreading to the Unguwar-Sarka community.



He said: "In the past three weeks we have recorded more than 115 deaths."



Dr. Shamsu Ahmad, Executive Secretary of the State Agency for Primary Health Care Development, reported that 6,729,000 people had recently been immunized against yellow fever throughout the state.


"This is a suspected case of yellow fever.According to our list of lines and documents, 45 people became ill and 18 deaths were recorded.To date (Monday), there are 45 cases In the field, 11 blood samples were taken from the patients, five were negative for the yellow fever, and we are waiting for the result of another 6. Normally, we bring the samples to Abuja and Lagos for confirmation, because we we can not do it here. "

Pasta food can help you lose weight

Pasta can be good for your waist. A study of the diet of more than 23,000 people has found that moderate pasta consumption is associated with a thinner waist and healthier waist and buttock ratio.

Want to maximize the benefits of your favorite carbohydrates? First cooling. It is all about creating resistant starch. As processed carbohydrates, found in white bread, biscuits and cake, are easily absorbed by the body, allowing their calories to be easily stored as fat, resistant starch (hereinafter called digestive resistance) turns into fatty acids with a chain short, that burn much more easily as energy.


Whole grains, legumes, cashews, raw oats and raw bananas are full of resistant starch, but so are potatoes, white pasta and rice when cooked and chilled. Surprisingly, leaving the potatoes, rice or cooked pasta to cool in the freezer creates resistant starch due to changes in the molecular chain of foods. Once cooled, they can be eaten cold or reheated. Potato starch is also a great source of resistant starch, try using corn starch instead of thickening starches in pots or soups.



If you combine a resistant starch source with a protein source, it has been found to speed up fat burning if you compare it to resistant starch alone or protein only, so toss a boiled egg or two into the potato salad and cover the remaining plate of potatoes. rice with some pieces of chicken or tofu. This combination will boost metabolism but also help to stay longer satiated.

And it's not just that. It has also been found that resistant starch acts as a powerful prebiotic, strengthening intestinal health. It appears to reduce inflammation, increase absorption of certain minerals, and decrease insulin resistance. The wonderful molecule can also help prevent type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. "Some populations and cultures have long benefited from resistant starch," researcher Paul Arciero told Time magazine. "In my opinion, this has protected them against the damages of a modern-day carbohydrate-rich diet."



So, cool the carbohydrates once and then you can enjoy them without worry.

Over exposure to Smartphone, Computer & Digital Device can lead to Blindness - Expert

Chioma Uchendu: Over Exposure To Phones, Computers & TV Screens Could Blind

The information was passed in Umuahia On Friday, April 1, 2011 with interview with NAN, Uchendu said that

The medical expert revealed that the human blue-violet light was harzardous to the eyes, and could lead to long-term problems, including blindness.

"It is advisable to reduce 'computer vision syndrome', which is," Feasting your eyes on a computer for a long time, because of the rays that come out of it, especially when it is said to be ".

"Putting your eyes for a long time on the face of a person.

"Read for a while, at least for about 30 to 40 minutes, then remove your eyes from the screen for about five to six minutes so that you do not end up with eye strain."

She advised people who used glasses, who did not have refractive error, to use anti-glare glasses, and recommended by an opthalmologist.

According to Her, such glasses will protect the light rays from coming straight into the eyes.

The ophthalmologist also expressed concern over growing world-wide problems, stressing that about 80 percent of blindness were avoidable or treatable.

She, therefore, urged people to consult ophthalmologists regularly in order to know the condition of their eyes.

Death toll increases to 22 People in Bauchi State as a Cause of Yellow Fever

A New report shows that about Six people have died after suffering from Yellow Fever in Bauchi state, Adding to the total number of confirmed Deaths to reach 22, even as immunisation has begun for workers in oil exploration sites of the state.

The information was made known to the public by the Chairperson of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BSPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, while giving an update on the deadly disease, on Monday.


Mohammed disclosed that no fewer than 143 suspected cases of Yellow Fever were recorded out of which 24 cases were confirmed and 22 died. He also confirmed that all the cases were from Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.
He disclosed that 10 out of the 22 people that died of Yellow Fever were rangers working with the Yankari Games Reserve.
He said only 79 per cent coverage was recorded in the on going immunisation campaign against the vector that carries the disease.

The BSPHCDA Executive Chairman lamented that some people were still declining to take the vaccine hence the deaths that are still being recorded.


He disclosed that besides the 500,000 doses of vaccine provided by the federal government, the state has received another batch of 600,000 vaccines.

He explained that the immunisation would now be extended to Kirfi local government in the state, oil oil exploration sites, and parts of villages in Gombe and Gombe States.

Meanwhile, at least 500 personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps have been vaccinated against the killer disease.
The Zonal Commander, Assistant Corps Marshall, Imoh Etuk, said vaccines were donated by the Bauchi State Ministry of Health.

“We cannot do this end of year patrol without us being sound and fit, so if there’s an outbreak of yellow fever, you can be sure that it will affect our staff and people will not be able to ensure that they do the needful,” he said
Eruk thanked the Bauchi State Ministry of Health for the gesture saying it would  also be extended  to their families.

Cancer Prevention: Breastfeed Your Babies Not Men – Mrs Abigael Shona

Mrs Abigael Shona, A medical expert has Declared that breastfeeding a baby and not men could go a long way to prevent breast cancer in women.

The medical expert told the Nigeria News agency today in Ilorin that having Generally believed by many that men sucking their wife’s breasts could prevent breast cancer, it could only help detect it.

She said mothers who breastfeed lower their risk of pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer.

“Most women who breastfeed experience hormonal changes during lactation
that delay their menstrual periods.

“This reduces a woman’s lifetime exposure to hormones like estrogen, which can promote breast cancer cell growth.

“And what sucking the breast by a man can only do is to detect breast cancer by feeling the lumps early enough so as to seek medical help,” Shona said.

She, however, said it was encouraged that women allow their spouses to massage and handle their breasts to detect cancer early.

“We are encouraging women not to deprive their husbands from the pleasure of breast sucking and handling as it will also be beneficial to them.

“This is because in as much as we preach self examination by women for early detection, most women don’t do it.

“So, if they allow their husbands help them with it, it will help a lot because early detection is the major panacea to address the scourge.

“If breast cancer is detected early before it gets to an advanced stage, it could be survived,” Shona said.

The medical expert, however, noted that men can also have breast cancer, advising them to also be on the look out.

NHIS Now Covers Cancer Surgeries, Chemotherapy

National Health insurance Scheme (NHIS) Secretary, Prof. Mohammed Sambo, announced that some of the surgeries and chemotherapy are now covered under the Scheme. Prof. Sambo made this known while receiving the First Lady of Kebbi State, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, who was working in Abuja Wednesday. He expressed concern about the high prevalence of cancer, noting that NHIS will continue to explore ways of working with public-spirited organizations and patients to increase support for cancer patients.

Prof. sambo explained the whole pleasure of the Scheme in its benefits package.

The ES said, innovative healthcare financing will open up resources for effective support for patients with capital-intensive conditions, such as cancer.


It is a non-governmental organization that is involved in the development of cancer prevention and cancer care. dedicated to funding for the vulnerable among us, as well as cancer patients. Prof Sambo Commended Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu, who is also the founder of the Medicaid Cancer Foundation, who is selflessly and tirelessly over the years, by pushing so hard to help in the scourge of cancer while expressing the commitment of NIHS to work with the First Lady and her Foundation to ensure that

Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu requested the support of NHIS in the various activities of the Foundation in the areas of cancer awareness, cancer screening, support for victims and advocacy. She expressed regret that most of the patients in the world of cancer, who is the challenge we must accept and rise up to face, noting that together we can do much.

How You can test for HIV / AIDS with Your urine

Usually, antibodies are detected in the blood when a person is HIV positive and vice versa for HIV-negative people.

These antibodies are usually detected in blood samples and sometimes saliva by an oral swab. In addition to the body fluids mentioned above, it has been proven that you can test the virus with your urine.

This may seem odd, but according to a report (hivinsite), urine could also be used to identify antibodies.

In this case, we will use an ELISA test to detect antibodies. For the ELISA test, the urine sample will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. A lab technician will add the sample to a device containing an HIV antigen and HIV antibodies.

If not, you can use the test at home by simply following the principles. Collect urine in a bowl.

Transfer the urine sample to a petri dish containing the specific antigen. If your blood contains anti-antigen antibodies, the two will bind together. You will notice this by an amplification of the signal that will give a lighter color on the background.

It normally takes a few hours to detect the antibodies. However, the Western blot will be used to confirm the positive results of an ELISA test. Basically, it is usually used as a confirmation test.

Positive results in this case mean; if the antibodies are detected, you are HIV positive. While if the antibodies are not detected, then you are in a stable, HIV negative state.

New DNA Tool Predicts Height, Shows Promise for Serious Illness Assessment

A new DNA tool developed by Michigan State University can accurately predict the size of people and, more importantly, assess their risk for serious diseases such as heart disease and cancer.


For the first time, the tool or algorithm provides predictors of human characteristics, such as height, bone density, and even the level of education that a person might achieve solely on the basis of their genome. But the applications can not stop there.

"While we validated this tool for these three results, we can now use this method to predict other complex features related to health risks such as heart disease, diabetes, and breast cancer," said Stephen Hsu, lead study investigator and vice president of research and graduate studies at the MSU. "That's just the beginning."

Other applications have the potential to dramatically advance the practice of precision health. Doctors can intervene as early as possible in patient care and prevent or delay diseases.

The study, presented in the October issue of Genetics, analyzed the total genetic makeup of nearly 500,000 adults in the UK using machine learning, with a computer learning from data.

In validation tests, the computer has predicted the height of each human being within about an inch. Although bone density and predictors of educational attainment were not accurate, they were accurate enough to identify upstream individuals at risk of having very low bone density associated with osteoporosis.

Traditional genetic tests typically look for a specific change in a person's genes or chromosomes that may indicate a higher risk of developing diseases such as breast cancer. The Hsu model takes into account many genomic differences and creates a predictor based on tens of thousands of variations.

Using data from UK Biobank, an international source of health information, Hsu and his team used the algorithm to assess each participant's DNA and teach the computer to eliminate these significant differences.

"The algorithm examines each person's genetic makeup and size," Hsu said. "The computer learns from each person and ultimately creates a predictor that can determine just how big they are from their genome."

Hsu's team will continue to improve the algorithms while using larger, more diverse data sets. This would further validate the techniques and continue to help demonstrate the genetic architecture of these important traits and disease risks.

With more computing power and lower DNA sequencing costs, what used to be five to ten years is now much closer to this kind of work, Hsu added.

"Our team believes that this is the future of medicine," he said. "For the patient, a genomic test can be as simple as a cheek swab, costing about $ 50. Once we've calculated the predictors of genetic disease, early intervention can save billions of treatment costs and, more importantly, save lives. "

UK Records First Case Of Monkeypox Via A Nigerian

The first case of monkey pox is included in the United Kingdom. The rare viral infection was recorded Friday by a Nigerian citizen who resided at a naval base in Cornwall, according to Public Health England (PHE).

The patient was transferred to the infectious diseases unit at Royal Free Hospital in London on Saturday morning.

It is thought that they contracted the infection in Nigeria before traveling to the United Kingdom.

PHE said that monkeypox does not spread easily and that most patients recover within a few weeks, but in some people it can cause serious illness.

Diarrhea: 25 Hospitalized in Borno State

Dr. Haruna Mshelia, Health Commissioner of Borno State, said that Acute Watery Diarrhea, AWD, had hit Borno State with 1,068 cases in 10 areas of state government.

Of the reported cases, 25 patients were hospitalized at the Benisheikh Hospital and Dala and El-Miskin treatment centers. Dr. Mshelia made the announcement yesterday, while informing journalists about public awareness of hygiene and sanitation to prevent waterborne diseases.

He attributed the epidemic of diarrhea and other water-related diseases to "defecation and poor sanitation" among displaced people, IDPs, camps and communities in Borno.

Ebola May Be Spreading Undetected In Congo's Conflict Zones - WHO

According to report, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, revealed Tuesday in Geneva that the Ebola virus could spread without being detected in the forbidden areas of North Kivu.

So far, 57 confirmed and suspected cases, including 41 deaths, have been known since the end of July in this northeastern region.

Tedros, who visited North Kivu last week, said that WHO workers will struggle to fight the virus in so-called "red" areas.

These areas are inaccessible because of the hundreds of armed groups that compete mainly for access to mineral resources.

"This environment is really conducive to the transmission of the Ebola virus," said the director general of WHO at a press conference.

"These red areas could be hiding places for Ebola," he added.

Ghebreyesus warned that external access difficult, patients in these areas would have trouble finding medical help.

The movement of internally displaced persons in North Kivu and cross-border movements to neighboring countries such as Uganda further complicate the situation.

Ebola is a highly infectious disease that causes fever and often leads to massive internal bleeding and death.

The Congo Ministry of Health has launched a vaccination campaign that has reached more than 200 health workers and 20 people who have had contact with infected patients since last week, according to the WHO.

The new outbreak became public only days after July 24, when Congo said its previous Ebola outbreak was over.

This outbreak killed 33 people from May in Equateur province (west).

Why Eating Catfish is Very Dangerous for Your Health

Speaking in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, a medical practitioner, Dr. Arikawe Adeolu, revealed that excessive consumption of catechyr could increase the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases.

According to Vanguard, the practitioner at the Federal Medical Center, Jabi, Abuja, who gave the warning, said that omega-6 fatty acids contained catfish contained, which could increase the level of inflammation in the body.

He added that inflammation was the underlying cause of cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers and diabetes. He said that the catfish also contained omega-3 fatty acids, which had a lot of health benefits, the ratio of omega-6 was greater than omega-3 fatty acids.

While explaining further, Adeolu said that this is necessary for the sake of being consumed in moderation to prevent health complications. "Catfish is rich in two fatty acids - omega-3 fatty acids and the omega-6 fatty acids.

"The omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the concentration of bad cholesterol in the blood stream and increase the concentration of good cholesterol in the blood stream.

It also helps protect the heart and the cardiovascular system from any form of disease, and prevents inflammation in the body.

"The underlining basis for most cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and many other diseases that we know today, is chronic inflammation, which means a long standing inflammation in the body.

"This is where catfish controversy comes in. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, which contains many health benefits, it contains more omega-6 fatty acids.

"Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory in the sense that they increase the level of inflammation within the body and make it more likely to any type of disease.

"When catfish features a lot in your diet, you consume more omega-6 fatty acids in your diet than the omega-3 fatty acids.

"The optimal ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids is presumed, but because the catfish is reared artificially and is fed with synthesized food, the ratio can be up to ten to one, '' he said.

Adeolu also said that there is a lot of controversy surrounding the consumption of catfish, it still has some advantages over most fishes. different tissues in the body.

He explained that a moderate amount of calories per serving or per gram, hence, was an ideal choice for those watching their body weight.

According to him, catfish is rich in phosphorus and magnesium, which are essential micronutrients that play a significant role in a lot of biochemical processes in the body.

"Catfish has a very low amount of mercury, which is very toxic to the human body and can, when consumed in large quantities, damage the nervous system," Adeolu said.

Ebola Cases In DR Congo 'Will Rise In Coming Days' - WHO Raises Serious Alarm

 

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised the alarm that cases from the resurgent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are expected to rise in the coming days.

 

WHO’s Deputy Director General of Emergency Preparedness and Response, Peter Salama, said in Geneva that there had been around 20 deaths as a result of the Ebola virus.

 

Mr Salama also said protecting vulnerable people in eastern DRC from the latest Ebola Virus outbreak was going to be “very, very complex”, given the huge logistical challenges and ongoing conflict there.

 

The WHO emergency preparedness and response chief said: “We know for example that there have been around 20 deaths. We can’t at this stage confirm whether they are all confirmed or probable Ebola cases.

“We expect however that the overall case count will rise in coming days to weeks, based on the trajectory of epidemics at this stage in their development.”

 

Salama said that WHO was unaware of the public health emergency in North Kivu province when the UN agency a week ago declared the last Ebola episode over.

 

The outbreak on the western side of the country in June, infected dozens, and led to 33 deaths, but in spite of several cases appearing in a major city on the Congo River, it was fully contained after a massive international and national response.

 

The top WHO official said that there was “no evidence” to suggest a link between the two outbreaks, although it appeared “very likely” that they shared the same deadly Zaire strain.

 

“The death toll from the current Kivu episode is likely to rise,” the WHO official said, adding that the alert was raised on July 25 after a woman and many members of her immediate family died after exhibiting symptoms consistent with Ebola.

 

“That event appears to have been a woman who was admitted to hospital around Beni, and on discharge had recovered from the original complaint.

 

“After leaving however, she came down with a fever and other symptoms that were clinically consistent with Ebola, and later on, seven of her direct relatives also contracted the disease,” he added.

 

Salama explained how longstanding conflict in Eastern DRC – involving more than 100 armed groups in the Kivu area and elsewhere – created an additional level of difficulty in trying to contain the deadly disease.

 

In the first week of February 2018 alone around Beni, attacks displaced more than 2,200, in addition to 1,500 displaced at the end of January.

 

In the Djugu Territory to the south of North Kivu, inter-ethnic violence led nearly 30,000 to flee their homes to the provincial capital Bunia, at the beginning of 2018.

 

“It’s going to be a very, very complex operation,” he said, noting that the vast country is home to the UN’s largest peacekeeping operation, the UN Stabilisation Mission in the DRC.

 

One million of the province’s eight million inhabitants are displaced and getting access to some of those in danger of coming into contact with Ebola, will require an armed escort in some cases, the WHO official explained.

 

There is also the additional threat that those fleeing violence may also head into nearby Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi, taking the infection with them, Salama said, noting that additional surveillance measures are being implemented at crossing points.

 

“On the scale of difficulty, trying to extinguish a deadly outbreak pathogen in a war zone is at the top of the scale,” he added.

 

In the most recent Ebola outbreak, a key part of the emergency response involved tracing anyone who had come into contact with suspected carriers of the disease, he said.

 

WHO staff could travel hundreds of miles on a motorbike to do this vital work, but this is likely to be much more difficult in view of the high level of insecurity in the Kivus.

 

One immediate priority is to confirm whether the latest outbreak involves the Zaire strain, since this can be treated with the same vaccine that was employed in Equateur province.

“It’s good news and it’s very bad news. The bad news is that this strain of Ebola carries with it the highest case-fatality-rate of any of the strains of Ebola, anywhere above 50 per cent and higher, according to previous outbreaks.

“So, it’s the most-deadly variant of the Ebola virus strains that we have, that’s the bad news. The good news is that we do have – although it’s still an investigational product – a safe and effective vaccine, that we were able to deploy last time around,” Salama said. 

Culled from Tori ng

How The ' Burial' Of An Infected Woman Triggered New Ebola Outbreak In Congo

According to a Reuters report, the World Health Organization on Friday revealed that the death and burial of a 65-year-old woman in Mangina, Democratic Republic of Congo, was the critical event that triggered the latest epidemic of the disease. Ebola late July.

The head of the WHO emergency response, Peter Salama, said that seven members of the woman's immediate family later died of Ebola-like symptoms and that potential cases were now localized in ten localities.

Aside from Mangina in North Kivu province, there were now suspicious cases in the local city of Beni and the neighboring province of Ituri, said Salama at a regular United Nations briefing in Geneva.

WHO also warned that the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC was probably tens of kilometers long and posed a high regional risk due to its proximity to borders.

The Ministry of Health said four people were tested positive for the Ebola virus in and around Mangina, a town of about 60,000 in North Kivu province, 100 km from the Ugandan border.

About 20 people died of unidentified haemorrhagic fevers in the region, mainly in the second half of July.

On July 29, a previous outbreak on the other side of the Central African country was declared over after killing 33 people.

"It seems that the risk, as we can assume for the DRC, is high, for the region, it is high given the proximity of borders, including Uganda," said the head of the response. WHO emergency, Peter Salama.

"We are talking about tens of kilometers but I stress that this is very preliminary information at this stage."

The Ebola virus would be transported long distances by bats and could end up in bushmeat sold in local markets and consumed. Once present in humans, it causes haemorrhagic fever, vomiting and diarrhea and spreads through direct contact with body fluids.

More than 11,300 people died of an epidemic in West Africa from 2013 to 2016.

This is the tenth epidemic of the vast forest country of Central Africa since 1976, when the virus was discovered near the Ebola River in northern Congo.

This is more than twice as many epidemics as any other country.

The response to the previous outbreak in Congo was considered a success despite the 33 deaths, as the use of a vaccine made by Merck helped contain the virus.

The kind of Ebola in the latest outbreak has been confirmed as the strain of Zaire against which the vaccine protects Merck, said Thursday the Congolese Ministry of Health.

This should allow health officials to use again what has become the best weapon against Ebola outbreaks to date.

Yet this epidemic poses new challenges. Eastern Congo is a pudgeon of conflict over land and ethnicity, fueled by decades of ongoing war, which could hinder efforts to contain the virus.

About 1,000 civilians have been killed by armed groups and government soldiers around Beni since 2014, and the wider region of North Kivu is home to more than one million internally displaced persons.

Mangina officials rushed to educate people about the risks of spreading the virus in a city on Thursday as a local nurse told Reuters there was no ambulance service.

Agents were deployed to warn people of the need for strict hygiene and the local radio station sent messages on how to act, a local journalist said by phone.

"There is a great panic among the local population following the outbreak of the Ebola outbreak," said a nurse by phone, who asked not to be named.

The hospital where she works has seen three people die recently from haemorrhagic fever.

The hospital was waiting for help from the Red Cross to properly bury the bodies, she said.

Meanwhile, Uganda has put in place a control at the land border that it shares with Congo and at Entebbe International Airport.

"The Ebola virus is very contagious and we have put measures in place," Ugandan Youth Minister Sarah Opendi told Reuters.

An international delegation comprising representatives of the UN, the World Bank and WHO is located in Beni, 30 km from Mangina.

New Blood Test Could Reveal Your Body's REAL Age & How Long You Have Left To Live

Scientists have developed a blood test that could measure how much time you have left to live. The study is one of countless research programs around the world currently underway to develop the best "life calculator", which would be able to quantify the age of your cells as opposed to your "age" chronological".

Researchers at Yale University behind this new paper insist that their measurements offer the most accurate, practical and easy-to-interpret result of any study to date since they have widely used factors that are measured in a annual physics.

They say the results could easily be translated into a 23AndMe style test in the near future. But unlike genetic tests, these results are not engraved in stone.


Lead author Dr Morgan Levine, a pathologist at Yale, told Daily Mail Online that his next goal was to identify the factors responsible for cellular aging so that doctors can help their patients extend their life by adjusting their diet or their habits.
"In young or middle-aged people, everyone thinks they are healthy and well, but that's not always the case," Dr. Levine told Daily Mail Online.

"This test could actually tell people their real risk, so they can monitor these factors before they become a problem."

Most of the previous studies in this field have taken a microscopic approach, dipping deep into cell makeup to determine their molecular age. Dr. Levine, too, has done some work using these kinds of measures. But this time, she sought to see how readily available measures, such as blood glucose levels, could do the same thing.

"Basically, it's more of a measure of physiological age, rather than a measure of molecular age. This shows us the manifestation of all these changes, "says Dr. Levine.

"I find that they are better predictors of life expectancy than more molecular measures, because they actually capture elements of the aging process.

"They say that there are seven pillars or features of aging, and many of the previous studies focus on just one of these pillars, which includes several hallmarks.

The blood test is based on nine biomarkers.

To determine which biomarkers deserve to be followed, Dr. Levine's team analyzed 42 different measurements available in the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) large dataset, a set of studies that tracks thousands of Americans for years.

They selected 10,000 people between 1988 and 1994 and identified factors that appeared to determine their risk of death. They then examined another set of 11,000 people between 1999 and 2010 and did the same.

Finally, they used an algorithm called the "elastic net model" to measure the strongest predictors and landed on nine biomarkers, including white blood cell counts and globular protein levels.

"It worked very well," said Dr. Levine. "Many studies do not really compare if their measurement is a better predictor of mortality over chronological age, so we compared ours to others. We found that it predicted better.

She added, "I think the good thing about the steps that go into this area is that they usually measure in a physical when you go to a doctor. Many people probably have their lab results for most of them. You can simply enter your data from your last physical and get your reading.

The next step, and one that Dr. Levine is most excited about, is developing concrete ways to show how a person's lifestyle could accelerate their biological age faster than it should be.

His team is conducting an ongoing study to understand what contributes to differences, from lifestyle factors to genetics to socioeconomic factors. In fact, they already have preliminary evidence that different dietary habits, reduced BMI (within reasonable limits), stopping smoking, and increased physical activity may reduce biological age.

"You could really try to guide people to improve on that basis," said Dr. Levine.

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