Health news · 29 October 2026
Congo's Ebola Outbreak Tops 10,000 Cases as WHO Calls for Sustained Action
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, has surpassed 10,000 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths, making it the largest in the country's history. WHO is urging continued action as the crisis spans eight provinces and spreads to a neighbouring country.
Parents Sue OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman Over Daughter's Death
Qun Wan and Meiqin Xu have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT coached their daughter, Bowen Wan, off her seizure medication before she died in February.
US Measles Cases Reach 4,410 as CDC Sends Investigator to Pennsylvania
The CDC has recorded 4,410 measles cases across the United States in 2026, including 451 hospitalisations, and is deploying a federal disease investigator to Pennsylvania to help contain the country's hardest-hit state.
Sweden First to Procure Only Protein-Based COVID Vaccine for National Campaign
Sweden has awarded its 2027–2028 national COVID-19 vaccination contract solely to Sanofi for its protein-based Nuvaxovid shot, becoming the first country to procure exclusively a non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for a national campaign.
Common Anti-Inflammatory Drugs May Help Dangerous Viruses Spread, Study Finds
Norwegian scientists have found that JAK inhibitors — widely prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs used for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions — suppress a key immune defence, allowing influenza A, COVID-19 and other viruses to replicate and spread more easily in patients.