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Congo Ebola deaths pass 4,000; U.S. measles cases reach 3,887; Mirum says brelovitug meets phase 3 goal in hepatitis delta
THE SHORT READ
Congo's health ministry reported 4,018 deaths among 8,300 confirmed cases in an Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus, and Médecins Sans Frontières said a staff member was infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) counted 3,887 U.S. measles cases this year, and companies reported topline phase 3 antibody results in hepatitis delta and COVID-19.
THE DETAILS
- Public health Oct 1, 2026Congo's health ministry reported 4,018 deaths among 8,300 confirmed cases in what CBS News called the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history; the Bundibugyo virus behind it has no known treatment or vaccine. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said Oct. 1 that a staff member working on the response tested positive for Bundibugyo virus disease and was being evacuated to a designated hospital in the Netherlands. MSF called it the largest Ebola disease outbreak ever recorded in the country, with more than 8,000 confirmed cases since May.Sources: Médecins Sans Frontières, CBS News
- Public health Oct 1, 2026The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 3,887 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. in 2026 as of Oct. 1, including 3,869 reported by 47 jurisdictions, and said 95% were outbreak-associated, with 42 new outbreaks this year. According to CIDRAP, the 2025 total of 2,289 cases was the most since 1991 until the country passed that level in July. Pennsylvania's 2026 total reached 977 cases, 69% of them in adults, and the state confirmed a fifth measles-associated death, CIDRAP reported.
- Research Sept 28, 2026Mirum Pharmaceuticals reported topline results showing that brelovitug, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the surface antigen of hepatitis delta and hepatitis B viruses, met the primary end point in the phase 3 portion of its AZURE-1 study, which enrolled 153 treatment-naive patients. At week 24, 56% of patients on 300 mg weekly and 45% on 900 mg every four weeks achieved combined virologic response and alanine aminotransferase normalization, versus 0% with delayed treatment. Mirum expects to file a biologics license application in the first half of 2027 and said no hepatitis delta treatment is approved in the U.S.Sources: Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Contagion Live
- Research Sept 29, 2026Invivyd reported topline results from its phase 3 LIBERTY trial, which randomized 210 healthy adults to a single 250 mg intramuscular dose of the monoclonal antibody VYD2311, the Comirnaty mRNA vaccine or both: 56.5% of VYD2311 recipients had a treatment-emergent adverse event, injection site reaction or hypersensitivity reaction over six days, versus 91.4% of vaccine recipients (P < .0001). Adding VYD2311 to the vaccine raised neutralizing titers about 2.5-fold, Contagion Live reported. The company intends to seek approval under the Food and Drug Administration's Accelerated Approval Program, pending results of its ongoing DECLARATION study.Sources: Invivyd, Contagion Live