Health
Deadly Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda has health officials on high alert
Amid reports of a deadly viral outbreak in Central Africa, researchers are reportedly scrambling to develop treatments and vaccines to combat the Marburg virus.
As of Sept. 30, 2024, the country of Rwanda — which is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — has reported 27 cases of the virus and nine subsequent deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Most of the cases have affected health care workers at two health facilities in the city of Kigali, the same source stated.
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The patients are being cared for in hospitals, as noted by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sept. 29.
“Contact tracing is underway, with 300 contacts under follow-up,” WHO stated.
This is the first time the Marburg virus has been reported in Rwanda.
What is the Marburg virus?
Similar to Ebola, Marburg is a “rare but severe hemorrhagic fever” that can cause “serious illness and death,” with a 20% to 90% fatality rate.
There have not been any confirmed cases in the United States, and the CDC says the risk of infection in the country is low.
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“It is highly fatal in humans and there is no treatment — and unlike Ebola, there is no vaccine,” Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, told Fox News Digital.
“It is very similar to Ebola in that it causes hemorrhagic fever,” he added.
Marburg is “difficult to catch,” Siegel noted, as it requires close contact with bodily secretions.
The virus is spread by the Egyptian fruit bat (Egyptian rousette bat), which is found in both Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania, per the CDC.
An infected human can transmit the disease to other humans through exchange of bodily fluids and contaminated objects.
Marburg is a “rare but severe” hemorrhagic fever with a 20% to 90% fatality rate.
Marburg isn’t new — it was first discovered in 1967, when outbreaks happened in labs in Marburg and Frankfurt (both in Germany) and in Serbia (formerly Belgrade, Yugoslavia).
In 2023, there were outbreaks of the virus in Tanzania (resulting in five deaths) and Equatorial Guineau (12 deaths).
Symptoms, treatment and prevention
Initial signs and symptoms of the virus include fever, chills, a rash with flat and raised bumps, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.
Advanced stages of the disease can be marked by delirium, liver failure, shock, hemorrhagic bleeding and organ failure.
Symptoms typically emerge within two to 21 days of infection.
“In fatal cases, death occurs most often between eight and nine days after symptom onset, usually preceded by severe blood loss and shock,” WHO stated in its health alert.
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There are currently no treatments for Marburg other than “supportive care,” the CDC noted.
Patients should be under the care of a doctor who can monitor oxygen status and blood pressure, provide intravenous fluids, and treat any secondary infections, the agency stated.
Rest and hydration are also key to recovery.
To prevent outbreaks, the CDC recommends avoiding contact with blood and bodily fluids of sick people and those who have recovered from the virus until tests confirm the complete absence of the virus.
People should also refrain from touching items that may have been contaminated with an infected person’s bodily fluids, the CDC cautioned.
No vaccine is currently available for Marburg, although “some candidate vaccines are currently under development,” according to WHO.
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“There are promising vaccines and therapeutic candidates for MVD, but these must be proven in clinical trials,” the organization added.
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“WHO assesses the risk of this outbreak as very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the outbreak and this risk assessment will be updated as more information is received.”
Health
Anyone over 50 should be getting these 5 vaccines, doctors say
Heading into the thick of flu and COVID season, there have been some recent changes to vaccine recommendations for people over age 50.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently lowered the age for pneumonia vaccinations by 15 years.
Instead of recommending the pneumococcal vaccine for those 65 and over, the shot is now suggested starting at age 50.
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“Everyone over 50 should be thinking about vaccines, because as we age, our immune system can become more vulnerable,” Dr. Susannah Hills, surgeon and assistant professor at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
When choosing which vaccinations to get, it is also important to consider personal risk, she said.
“Are there underlying health conditions like diabetes, immunodeficiency or cancer? If so, getting vaccinated becomes even more important.”
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To help people 50 and older keep track of immunization guidance for their age group, Fox News Digital gathered insights from several infectious disease experts.
1. Flu vaccine
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older gets a flu vaccine every year, including those 50 and up.
Dr. Jennifer Dunphy, a public health doctor in Los Angeles, California, noted that the flu vaccine is known to significantly reduce deaths and hospitalizations (from 40% to 52%) in the 50 and older population.
“Everyone over 50 should be thinking about vaccines … As we age, our immune system can become more vulnerable.”
“It is recommended to get the vaccine at the end of summer, preferably in September, before the weather changes and viruses become more common,” she told Fox News Digital.
Common side effects include body aches and low-grade fever, the doctor noted.
“In some cases, there are very rare but more serious side effects that may impact the nervous system,” Dunphy said.
“The benefits of the vaccine for most people over 50 will outweigh any risks, but it is recommended to talk to your doctor.”
2. COVID-19 vaccine
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older is vaccinated against COVID-19 and receives an updated vaccine each year, typically in the fall before the end of October.
The agency also advises people 65 and older to receive a second dose of the vaccine.
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“Together with flu and RSV, COVID is part of a triad of respiratory viruses that cause high rates of hospitalization and death in older adults, with increased risk seen with advancing age,” Dr. Amy Edwards, an infectious disease expert at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, told Fox News Digital.
For the COVID-19 vaccine, it is recommended that people get two full doses spaced at least three weeks apart followed by annual boosters, according to Dunphy.
The boosters are tailored to be effective against the most current strain of the virus, she said.
“The COVID vaccine works to increase the development of antibodies that fight against exposure turning into infection, and infection from transitioning into serious infection,” she said.
“Side effects vary, but are mostly limited to mild, flu-like symptoms.”
Some serious adverse effects have been linked to COVID vaccines, including anaphylactic shock, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining surrounding the heart), according to the CDC.
3. Pneumococcal vaccine
The pneumococcus (pneumonia) vaccine is recommended for children younger than 5 years and adults 50 years or older.
This is an update to previous guidance, which called for vaccines in adults 65 and older.
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This one-time vaccine is designed to protect against bacterial infections that can cause pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis.
The agency recommends giving one of three available vaccines — PCV15, PCV20 or PCV21 — to all adults 50 years or older who have never received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or who are uncertain of their vaccination history.
“The rate of hospitalizations and death from pneumonia goes up at age 50 and then again by a lot at age 65 years old,” Edwards told Fox News Digital.
“Typically, adults are advised to get a single dose, but some higher-risk adults may get a dose every five years.”
Side effects are generally minimal from this vaccine, she noted.
Fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, or redness, swelling, pain or tenderness at the injection site are some possible side effects, according to the CDC.
4. Tdap vaccine
The Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine helps to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.
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Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, has seen a spike in the U.S. in 2024, with more than five times the cases reported at the same time last year.
“All adults should get the tetanus vaccine every 10 years, as that is the longest protection lasts,” Edwards advised.
“Vaccination against whooping cough is sometimes recommended for some older adults, especially those who will spend time with very young children (grandchildren), as infants are at very high risk for death from whooping cough.”
The most common side effects after a Tdap vaccination include mild fever, headache, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and pain, swelling or redness at the injection site, the CDC stated.
Adults should discuss with their doctors about whether this vaccine is necessary.
5. Shingles vaccine
It is recommended that adults 50 and older receive two doses of Shingrix, the shingles vaccine, two to six months apart, per the CDC.
The vaccine protects against a condition called herpes zoster, more commonly known as shingles.
The infection causes a painful rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which can cause nerve damage, chronic nerve pain and sometimes inflammation of the brain, according to Edwards.
“Shingles becomes more common with each decade past 50,” she said.
“This vaccine tends to be kind of rough, with high rates of fever and body aches,” Edwards cautioned.
“Many people who have had both say the shingles vaccine is as bad or worse than the mRNA COVID vaccines as far as making you feel bad for a day or two afterward.”
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The shingles vaccine is currently administered as a one-time, lifetime dose with no boosters recommended later in life for those vaccinated at around age 50, Edwards noted.
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Experts agree it’s best for each person to discuss a vaccine plan with his or her primary care physician.
Hills added, “Some people may be at higher risk and may need to get these vaccines earlier or may need other vaccines as well.”
Health
Parents trust AI for medical advice more than doctors, researchers find
Artificial intelligence is gaining more of parents’ trust than actual doctors.
That’s according to a new study from the University of Kansas Life Span Institute, which found that parents seeking information on their children’s health are turning to AI more than human health care professionals.
The research, published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, also revealed that parents rate AI-generated text as “credible, moral and trustworthy.”
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More than 100 parents ranging from 18 to 65 years old were asked to rate text generated by either a human doctor or ChatGPT (the AI chatbot made by OpenAI) under the supervision of an expert.
The study concluded that ChatGPT is “capable of impacting behavioral intentions for medication, sleep and diet decision-making.”
There was also “little distinction” between ChatGPT and the experts on benchmarks of perceived morality, trustworthiness, expertise, accuracy and reliance, the study found.
But when differences were seen, ChatGPT’s responses were rated higher in trustworthiness and accuracy, with participants saying they would be more likely to rely on the chatbot’s information.
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Lead study author Calissa Leslie-Miller, a doctoral student in clinical child psychology at the University of Kansas, noted that the research began right after the launch of ChatGPT.
“We had concerns about how parents would use this new, easy method to gather health information for their children,” she wrote in a press release.
“Parents often turn to the internet for advice, so we wanted to understand what using ChatGPT would look like and what we should be worried about.”
Leslie-Miller said the results were surprising to the researchers, as it was early on in ChatGPT’s availability.
“We’re starting to see that AI is being integrated in ways that may not be immediately obvious, and people may not even recognize when they’re reading AI-generated text versus expert content,” she noted.
Although ChatGPT can “work well in many cases,” the AI model “isn’t an expert” and can still generate wrong information, the researcher cautioned.
“People may not even recognize when they’re reading AI-generated text versus expert content.”
“In children’s health, where the consequences can be significant, it’s crucial that we address this issue,” she said.
“We’re concerned that people may increasingly rely on AI for health advice without proper expert oversight.”
Leslie-Miller suggested that AI users be cautious of chatbot-provided information, and that they should only rely on information that’s “consistent with expertise that comes from a non-generative AI source.”
Dr. Harvey Castro, an ER physician and AI expert in Texas, told Fox News Digital that he understands why parents might turn to tools like ChatGPT for “quick health care advice,” as the technology has become “increasingly woven into our lives.”
“The immediacy and convenience of AI can be incredibly appealing, especially for busy parents seeking answers at all hours.”
“The immediacy and convenience of AI can be incredibly appealing, especially for busy parents seeking answers at all hours,” he said.
Castro agreed with the researchers that combining human expertise and AI is “far more effective” than relying on unsupervised AI, especially when it comes to children’s health.
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“AI can provide valuable preliminary information, but it cannot fully grasp a child’s unique medical history, subtle symptoms, and nuances from years of specialized training,” he noted.
“This is where the human element is irreplaceable — involving a qualified health care professional, specifically a pediatrician, ensures that the information is accurate, personalized and safe,” Castro went on. “It’s crucial to keep the right human in the loop.”
Castro added that a pediatrician can interpret AI-generated information on children’s health and make “informed decisions” that AI cannot.
The expert encouraged parents to use AI tools as a starting point when looking for answers about their children’s health, but to then “always consult with a pediatrician.”
By combining the two, Castro said, health care professionals can “enhance the quality of care, catching nuances that might be missed otherwise.”
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“Together, we can leverage technology to provide faster, more efficient care without sacrificing the personal touch and critical thinking that only humans can offer.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for comment.
Health
Dogs who comfort sick children, leap out of helicopters are nominated for American Humane award
Five standout dogs are helping to improve the lives of others — including in the areas of physical and mental health. Now they’re being recognized nationally for their work.
The American Humane Hero Dog Awards announced the standouts to shed light on their remarkable efforts in a variety of areas. The organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1877 and is the country’s first national humane organization committed to animals.
The annual nationwide competition identifies America’s best dogs in five key categories: military dogs; law enforcement and first responder dogs; service and guide or hearing dogs; therapy dogs; and emerging hero and shelter dogs.
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Beginning in April, hundreds of dog owners across the country submitted the names of their pets for consideration for “Hero Dog.”
The winning dog in each category will be honored at a gala in Palm Beach, Florida, in November — where the animals will walk, sniff and run down a red carpet.
American Humane president and CEO Robin Ganzert, PhD, told Fox News Digital that the canine heroes this year are “unsung heroes.”
“I’m in awe of these inspiring canine heroes, who sniff out criminals, leap out of helicopters, comfort sick children and more,” she said. “All five dogs are a winner in their category and deserve to be recognized for serving their communities and our country.”
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She added, “American Humane is honored to shine a spotlight on these unsung heroes who make the world a better, kinder place.”
Ahead of its annual event, American Humane announced the finalists. Here are the top five dogs in their respective categories.
Military: Niki
Niki is a five-year-old Belgian Malinois-German shepherd mix who lives in Seattle, Washington.
She started with the U.S. Coast Guard in 2021 and helps detect explosives alongside her human partner, Petty Officer Alicia Horn.
Niki has completed over 250 high-stakes operations and logged more than 4,000 working hours protecting the American public, per the American Humane. She helps protect the safety and security of the Washington State Ferries and has boarded over 250 vessels thus far.
The shepherd mix is known for being a hero in her community. She often visits schools to help educate children about military dogs and their handlers.
Law enforcement & first response: Bo
Bo is an 18-month-old bloodhound male from Gastonia, North Carolina, who works with the Gastonia Police Department. Though still young, he’s been saving lives and solving crimes since he was just eight months old, according to the American Humane.
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He started his career in law enforcement in 2023 after the police department handpicked him from a litter of puppies — a move his handler Sgt. David Rowland is happy about, he said.
Rowland brought Bo home during his training to help strengthen their bond — and his family took a liking to him.
A bloodhound breed was new for the Gastonia Police Department, American Humane noted, as the department had only ever had German shepherds and other classic law enforcement breeds prior to Bo.
Bo has located many lost senior citizens.
Bloodhounds, known for being easily frightened and gentle giants at heart, are not the typical K-9 officer pick — but American Humane said Bo broke the mold.
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Although still terrified of Halloween decorations, Bo is able to approach and comfort people he tracks down — making him a secret weapon. Since he began working, Bo has tracked down a missing 11-year-old child with autism and a 7-year-old kidnapping victim. He’s also found many lost senior citizens.
Service: Sampson
Sampson is an 11-year-old golden retriever service dog up for an American Humane Hero Dog Award.
The service dog based in Sierra Vista, Arizona, recently retired after spending years with his other half — a woman named Joey who was in an accident in 2006. She suffered a traumatic brain injury and over 23 broken bones.
For almost a decade, Sampson was by Joey’s side helping her recover and manage a new way of life.
Joey told American Humane that Sampson learned over 245 commands to help her with her recovery. He was even able to go into a medicine cabinet, open it, grab the correct medication and carry it to Joey, followed by a bottle of water to swallow the pills.
When Joey decided to pursue a neuroscience degree after her accident, she encountered issues with getting Sampson into science labs, as there were concerns about contamination and safety hazards.
After she fought hard to find ways to include Sampson, he took on the nickname of “Science Service Dog.” Today, the pair advocates for service dog handlers in science while Sampson spends his golden years off-duty, according to American Humane.
Therapy: Dayo
A nine-year-old Rhodesian ridgeback male dog is the top therapy dog nominated for the American Humane Hero Dog Award this year.
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Dayo, of Dublin, California, began his life as a puppy companion to a baby cheetah named Pancake at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon.
Dayo and the cheetah were born on the same day. They grew up together as pseudo-siblings until Pancake tragically passed away in 2017 from health complications.
After officials decided to remove Dayo from the zoo, he was placed with an owner named Liz — who put his lovable personality and emotional intelligence to good use as a therapy dog, according to American Humane.
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Today, Dayo brings love and hope to people in need at several life-changing facilities, such as the George Mark Children’s House, Camp Erin, Children’s Hospital and more.
Shelter: Penny
Penny is a four-year-old mixed breed dog from Louisville, Kentucky, and was named a finalist in the shelter dog category.
Penny was rescued in 2020 after she was thrown out of a moving car and left on the side of the road, according to American Humane.
After making a recovery from what appeared to be long-term abuse, Penny was fostered by two owners. The two high school teachers loved the three-legged dog at first sight, American Humane said.
For over a year, the foster parents helped Penny relearn how to walk — even carrying her in a backpack or stroller when necessary. They ended up adopting her into their home.
Today Penny shows no signs of physical or emotional trauma. She’s described as trusting, loving and gentle.
She works as a therapy dog for children of all ages and is an advocate for stricter anti-animal abuse laws, per the American Humane.
The winner of the 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Award will be announced on Nov. 8.
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