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.
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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 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 Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has become Congo’s largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic on record. It is also the world’s second-largest recorded Ebola outbreak, behind the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa. Ituri province remains the main center of transmission. The province accounts for about 85% of confirmed cases and 88% of reported deaths, making it the most heavily affected area in the current public health emergency. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said health teams still have not identified every chain of transmission. Many recent deaths involved people who did not appear on known contact lists. Community deaths and unsafe burials also continue to complicate efforts to control the virus. Africa CDC reported that more than 60% of deaths during the latest seven-day period occurred in communities rather than health facilities.
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. The agreement covers open-platform tests that laboratories can use with existing systems. 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.
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 International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision approved the release after the government requested doses from the global Ebola stockpile. WHO said 20,000 doses will support a Phase 3 clinical trial focused on Bundibugyo virus disease. The other 50,000 doses will go to frontline and health workers under current vaccination recommendations. WHO and Africa CDC welcomed the allocation, which officials announced on Aug. 20.
The latest official report recorded 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths through Aug. 16. Cases now span 55 health zones across six provinces, while the case fatality ratio has reached 47.4%. The toll makes this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history. It is also the second-largest Ebola epidemic recorded globally. 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.
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.