Browsing: Health

The mutation occurs in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene, which regulates cell growth and division across pulmonary tissue. While somatic EGFR mutations acquired during a person’s lifetime are known drivers of non-small cell lung cancer, the T790M germline variant is inherited at birth and present in every cell. Data compiled by the National Cancer Institute shows the mutation occurs in approximately 1 out of every 15,850 people in the United States. Lead study author Dr. Jaclyn LoPiccolo noted that carrying the variant raises lung cancer odds roughly 62 times in never-smokers, compared to about 11 times in individuals with a history of smoking.

The World Health Organization says Ebola transmission is declining in some of the hardest-hit areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The improvement is most visible in parts of Ituri province, the main center of the outbreak. However, the epidemic continues to expand in other areas. Official data through Sept. 13 showed 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces, with the national case fatality ratio at 48.4%.

NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – New York City health officials detected Legionella DNA in a Yankee Stadium cooling tower during an investigation into a South Bronx outbreak. The city had confirmed 11 Legionnaires’ disease cases by Tuesday night. One person died, while three patients remained hospitalized. The New York City Health Department found preliminary positive PCR results in 10 of 24 cooling towers sampled across ZIP codes 10451 and 10456.

The World Health Organization has urged a wider Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as transmission continues across several provinces. Congo had recorded 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 deaths by Sept. 1, according to the latest government figures. The outbreak has affected 60 health zones in six provinces. Authorities have also recorded 1,439 recoveries, while the case fatality rate stands at 48.6%.

Health Minister Roger Kamba confirmed that the government initiated the immunization campaign utilizing doses of the Ervebo vaccine to safeguard frontline personnel operating across impacted eastern provinces.

The European Commission has expanded its Ebola response with a €2.1 million purchase of PCR tests for the Bundibugyo virus outbreak. Shipments are due to start in August as health teams confront a large outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and affecting parts of the wider region. The latest supply package adds laboratory resources at a time when authorities continue to monitor transmission across several provinces and health zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Australian researchers from Adelaide University and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute have identified a novel molecular switch that drives the spread of aggressive tumors. Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the breakthrough study reveals that Australian researchers uncover a promising new way to tackle triple-negative breast cancer by restoring a critical regulatory molecule known as miR-342. The discovery opens new avenues to prevent life-threatening secondary cancers in organs such as the lungs and bones.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo will receive 70,000 Ervebo Ebola vaccine doses as the Bundibugyo outbreak expands. Congolese authorities reported 5,208 confirmed cases and 2,476 deaths as of Aug. 18. The outbreak now affects 56 health zones across six provinces in the east and northeast. Authorities also listed 1,115 recoveries, while 730 patients remained in isolation or hospital care.

WHO incident manager Thierno Baldé said the three-month timeline depends on securing the resources required for the response. The agency has received about $69.3 million of the $115 million it says it needs, or roughly 60%. Teams added more than 400 treatment beds during the past two weeks. They also deployed 100 additional epidemiologists and more than 500 community health workers for surveillance and contact tracing. The response requires vehicles, ambulances, medical supplies and personnel across a growing affected area. Transmission has reached Bas-Uélé, making it the sixth affected province. As of Aug. 12, Ituri accounted for 85% of confirmed cases and 79% of reported deaths nationwide. Officials said 70% to 80% of new cases had no known link to existing patients. Health teams are expanding surveillance to identify cases faster and transfer patients into treatment centers. Bas-Uélé’s first confirmed case had traveled from Haut-Uélé before symptoms began on Aug. 4.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded 26,064,143 malaria cases in 2025. The country also reported 29,938 deaths linked to the disease during the year. Guy Esebe Dembo, deputy director of the National Malaria Control Programme, announced the figures during a campaign launch in Ituri province. Dembo said malaria remains the country’s main public health challenge. The new totals confirm a heavy disease burden across one of Africa’s most malaria-affected countries.