News

Forensic teams have collected 3,175 DNA samples as authorities work to identify victims and reconcile missing-person records. The total includes 1,286 samples from recovered bodies and 1,889 from relatives of missing people. Officials have also recorded 13,742 rescues since the disaster struck northern Nepal. Another 587 foreign nationals remain on the missing list. The figures reflect the scale of the search across remote mountain districts and communities affected by floodwaters and debris.

Health

South Kivu has reported no new Ebola cases since May, adding to evidence of improvement in some affected areas. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said recent trends offered encouraging signs after months of widespread transmission. He also said the outbreak continues to expand and cause deaths. Health authorities have identified cases across 62 health zones, underscoring large differences between provinces. Declining transmission in some locations has occurred alongside sharp increases elsewhere in the country.

City health officials sampled 24 cooling towers while investigating the cluster. Ten produced positive PCR results, including the tower at Yankee Stadium at 1 E. 161st St. PCR testing can detect genetic material from Legionella bacteria. However, it cannot determine whether the bacteria are alive. Only live Legionella bacteria can cause illness, and additional laboratory culture testing is underway to help determine whether viable bacteria were present in the sampled towers.

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%.

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.