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Rwanda begins vaccination drive to curb Marburg virus outbreak

Rwanda begins vaccination drive to curb Marburg virus outbreak

Government to prioritise those ‘most at risk’ and ‘most exposed healthcare workers’ following the deaths of 12 people. Rwanda has announced that it has started administering vaccine doses against the Marburg virus to try to combat an outbreak of the Ebola-like disease in the East African country. “The vaccination is starting today immediately,” Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana said at a news conference on Sunday in the capital, Kigali. The Marburg virus has killed 12 people in Rwanda since it was declared an outbreak on September 27. Authorities said at the time that the first cases had been found among patients in health facilities. There is still no confirmation of the source of the outbreak. The minister said the vaccinations would focus on those “most at risk, most exposed healthcare workers working in treatment centres, in the hospitals, in ICU, in emergency, but also the close contacts of the confirmed cases”. “We believe that, with vaccines, we have a powerful tool to stop the spread of this virus,” the minister said. The country has already received shipments of the vaccines including from the Sabin Vaccine Institute. The Marburg virus has a ‘filamentous’ structure and is transmitted by fruit bats [Shutterstock] The government said there were 46 confirmed cases, with 29 of them in isolation. Health authorities have identified at least 400 people who came into contact with confirmed cases of the virus. Like Ebola, the Marburg virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bedsheets. Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88 percent of people who fall ill with the disease. Its symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhoea, vomiting and, in some cases, extreme blood loss, often leading to death. There is no authorised vaccine or treatment for Marburg. Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have in the past been recorded in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana, according to the World Health Organization. Adblock test (Why?)

Video: Tunisia votes in election slammed as unfair by the opposition

Video: Tunisia votes in election slammed as unfair by the opposition

NewsFeed Tunisians are voting in an election that few doubt will return President Kais Saied to power for a second term. The vote, widely regarded by observers as not fair, is the first since Saied assumed executive authority in a 2021 constitutional coup. Published On 6 Oct 20246 Oct 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

Anti-Israel protester lights himself on fire outside of White House

Anti-Israel protester lights himself on fire outside of White House

A photojournalist lit himself on fire outside the White House on Saturday in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza and America’s support for the regime. The man, Samuel Mena Jr., lit his left arm on fire and was seen screaming in pain and shouting that the media was spreading “misinformation.” Law enforcement officers quickly surrounded Mena and restrained him, putting out the fire. One bystander could be seen pouring a bottle of water on Mena’s arm after the flames were extinguished. A blog posted to Mena’s website shortly before the incident suggested he only intended to burn his arm. HAMAS TERRORISTS ‘SYSTEMATICALLY AND INTENTIONALLY’ COMMITTED SEXUAL VIOLENCE DURING OCT. 7 ATTACK: REPORT “To the 10 thousand children in Gaza that have lost a limb in this conflict, I give my left arm to you. I pray my voice was able to raise up yours, and that your smiles never disappear,” Mena wrote. The blog also says Mena first tried to end the “genocide” in Gaza by making a documentary. He later gave up on the effort, however, convinced that it wouldn’t make a difference. DOJ CHARGES HAMAS LEADERS OVER ‘TERRORIST ATROCITIES’ IN OCT 7 ISRAEL ATTACK Mena’s social media profiles say he worked for the local CBS affiliate AZFamily and graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Authorities transported Mena to the hospital soon after the incident and confirmed that his injuries were not life-threatening. “The District of Columbia has a long and proud history of peaceful first amendment activities and the Metropolitan Police Department handles hundreds of protests, demonstrations and other events every year,” first responders said in a statement. “We will continue to support those who choose to protest peaceful and safely, and we will continue to hold accountable those who commit criminal acts while in our city,” the added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The incident comes months after a member of the U.S. Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in February. Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, also carried out the act in protest against Israel’s campaign in Gaza, saying in a recorded video that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide.”

KJP slammed after Hurricane Helene over mixed messages on whether FEMA resources used for migrants

KJP slammed after Hurricane Helene over mixed messages on whether FEMA resources used for migrants

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is facing heavy criticism after sending mixed messages on whether the Biden-Harris administration has been using FEMA resources to support migrants last week. Jean-Pierre flatly denied that FEMA resources were going to migrants in a press conference last week, but she stated the opposite when asked about the issue in the fall of 2022. “Former President Trump is accusing the Biden administration of using FEMA funding to support undocumented migrants.  How is the White House responding to that?” a reporter asked during a Friday press conference. “I mean, it’s just categorically false. It is not true. It is a false statement,” Jean-Pierre responded, going on to cite a Washington Post fact-check article on the subject. LAWMAKERS OUTRAGED OVER FEMA FUNDING CONCERNS Social media critics then compared her statement to comments made in 2022, where she appeared to explicitly state that FEMA resources were available to illegal immigrants. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ‘FAILED TO ACT’ IN HURRICANE HELENE AFTERMATH: REP. CORY MILLS She made the statement during a Sept. 16, 2022, press conference when Jean-Pierre was asked about assisting cities in handling the busloads of migrants being sent across the country from Texas. “FEMA Regional Administrators have been meeting with city officials on site to coordinate — to coordinate available federal support from FEMA and other federal agencies,” Jean-Pierre told reporters at the time. GEOGRAPHIC TERRITORY OF HURRICANE DISASTER IS ‘GIGANTIC’: REP JARED MOSKOWITZ “Funding is also available through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter program to eligible local governments and not-for-profit organizations upon request to support humanitarian relief for migrants,” she added. Scrutiny on the Biden-Harris administration’s use of FEMA funds comes amid catastrophic flooding in North Carolina. Vice President Kamala Harris announced a $100 million package to support the state. Critics pointed out, however, that the package was much smaller than the $157 million in foreign humanitarian support Harris had announced for Lebanon the same day. “The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there,” she wrote on X. “To that end, the United States will provide nearly $157 million in additional assistance to the people of Lebanon for essential needs such as food, shelter, water, protection, and sanitation to help those who have been displaced by the recent conflict. This additional support brings total U.S. assistance to Lebanon over the last year to over $385 million,” she added. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.