Emma Marsden's life changed on February 28th due to an accident that occurred while working with horses. The 47-year-old woman fell headfirst into a trough containing a mixture of water and dirt. After this, she washed her face and hands to remove the grime, but left her contact lenses in.
According to the British newspaper The Mirror, four days after the incident, Emma began experiencing severe pain in her right eye. She went to the hospital, where doctors initially suspected an ulcer, prescribed eye drops, and sent her home.
However, the problem and pain persisted until Emma lost vision in her right eye. During a subsequent appointment on March 7th, she was diagnosed with keratitis caused by Acanthamoeba—an infection triggered by a parasite that settled in the cornea.
Emma Marsden was told that the cause of this situation was washing her face while continuing to wear contact lenses. The parasite 'ate away' at the cornea, and the British woman's eye became gray and cloudy. There is a risk that Emma may permanently lose sight in her right eye, which The Mirror described as a 'heartbreaking' situation.
Doctors performed eyelid sutures on the affected eye to begin the recovery process. However, in the future, Marsden may face the need for a corneal transplant. Because of this, she appeals to all contact lens users to handle them carefully and properly.
The cholera outbreak continues to spread in the Central African Republic; as of July 6, 435 suspected cases have been registered and 36 deaths have been recorded.
The outbreak, which affects the health districts of Bangui 2, Bimbo, and Maiki, was officially declared on June 26, 2026, following laboratory confirmation by the Pasteur Institute in Bangui.
Medical workers are managing the influx of patients in isolated treatment centers. Jean de Diu Longo, an employee of the Ministry of Health's research department, explains that the transmission of this waterborne disease is linked to the Ubangi River. He notes that the priority task was to interrupt the chain of transmission, as the suspected source of the water is a river from which residents of coastal settlements draw drinking water, and some also defecate into it.
Longo emphasizes that the public has been informed about the need to raise awareness about basic hygiene, including handwashing and water purification, as well as the resumption of water intake, especially wells located throughout the region.
Residents are also appealing to the authorities to establish proper drainage infrastructure. Ornella Mondri points to the necessity of diverting contaminated wastewater away from residential areas, calling: 'Please help us clean up our environment.'
The population is urged to take preventive measures and follow relevant health recommendations to reduce the level of cholera infection. Meanwhile, UNICEF is increasing its support to the country's Ministry of Health and Population to assist in containing the outbreak, as active transmission continues in the affected areas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is developing at the fastest rate, recording nearly 2,000 confirmed cases and over 700 deaths.
The global body strongly urged the international community not to relax vigilance, noting the confirmation of over 80 new cases. The Bundibugyo strain outbreak, declared two months ago, reached 1,926 confirmed cases and 702 deaths across five provinces as of July 11, making it the third largest Ebola outbreak in history.
The Executive Director of the WHO's Emergency Programme, Chikwe Ihekweazu, noted that one of the most alarming aspects is that about 80% of new infections are occurring through 'unknown transmission chains.' This means they are not among the identified contacts tracked by health authorities.
He added that many recent fatalities occurred in communities where patients never reached medical facilities, raising concerns that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times higher than officially reported figures.
The outbreak remains concentrated in the Ituri province, where about 95% of new cases are registered, but the virus has recently spread to neighboring Haut-Uele and Tshopo provinces. Ihekweazu compared the situation's development to a rapidly spreading fire, stating: 'Something is fueling the fire at its heart, and it is simultaneously expanding.'
Currently, there is no approved treatment for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, although several experimental methods are undergoing clinical trials. The WHO emphasized that early supportive care significantly improves survival chances and stressed the need for earlier patient detection to reduce community transmission. Furthermore, the organization called for sustained international assistance, warning that closer global cooperation serves the interests of every country.
According to the situation report published by the country's health authorities, the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has exceeded 2000, reaching 2011 cases. Of those infected, 754 fatalities have been registered.
The outbreak has affected five provinces: Ituri, which is now considered the epicenter, as well as North Kivu, South Kivu, Auto-Uele, and Tshopo. The report emphasized that virus transmission remains intense specifically in the Ituri province, confirming its status as the main focus of the disease.
Currently, 366 patients have recovered, while 753 people remain in isolation. The emergence of new cases in Auto-Uele indicates further geographical spread of the disease, which requires immediate strengthening of diagnostic capabilities, operational readiness, and surveillance systems.
According to the report, the outbreak is in a phase of 'sustained transmission,' characterized by a rapid increase in the number of cases since its onset. This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus and was officially declared on May 15.
