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The World Health Organization on May 30, 1995 reported an increase, to 153, in the number of deaths from infection with the Ebola virus in Zaire. But it said the new numbers represent cases that occurred in the earliest phase of the epidemic, from January to March, and are just now being confirmed

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is in the front line of the world's response to the deadly Ebola virus epidemic in Zaire, is finding itself hard pressed to cope with the crisis. Budget constraints have left its highest security laboratory critically understaffed, and there is grave concern that overwork could lead to a fatal accident, officials of the agency here and independent experts said in interviews. They have led the inquiries into Legionnaires' disease, AIDS, the hantavirus outbreak and many other threats to public health. And, despite being understaffed, the laboratory was able to identify the cause of the Zaire outbreak as Ebola in just two days

Dipping a wafer into the communion cup does not abolish the risk of infection to the communicant but it is safer than sipping wine from a common cup, according to a study reported at a scientific meeting here this week. Anne LaGrange Loving, a professor of microbiology at Felician College in Lodi, N.J., undertook the study because of widespread concern about the potential hazards associated with sipping communal wine. Although no illness has been documented, the current concern is that the practice of sipping wine from a communion cup could be hazardous for those people with cancer and AIDS, as they have impaired immune systems, Loving said. For that reason, the alternative of dipping wafers into the wine, either by the communicant or the minister, has become popular among many denominations, Loving said

According to a study reported at a scientific meeting in Washington DC during the week of May 22, 1995, dipping a wafer into the communion cup does not abolish the risk of infection to the communicant, but it is safer than sipping wine from a common cup. The potential hazards from sipping communal wine has been a topic of religious debate and scientific investigation for more than a century

The World Health Organization, citing only six new cases of Ebola infection in the last week, said May 26, 1995 that the epidemic of the deadly viral disease in Zaire was 'coming under control.' WHO has now identified a total of 160 confirmed or suspected cases, including 121 deaths

With only six new cases of Ebola infection reported in Zaire in the past week, the World Health Organization said Friday that the epidemic of the deadly viral disease in the African country is 'coming under control.' The international team of scientists investigating the epidemic has now identified a total of 160 confirmed or suspected cases, including 121 deaths, that have occurred in Zaire since late December. Of the 160 cases, 138 were in Kikwit, a city of about 600,000 about 300 miles from Kinshasa, the capital. The remaining cases occurred in five other areas near Kikwit in Bandundu province. The victims ranged in age from 3 months to 71 years. Only five were younger than 16. The number of cases is smaller than health officials had predicted. Last week, WHO officials warned that the total would rise substantially. They said they suspected that people were incubating the virus and would become ill in a new wave of the epidemic. Some health officials involved in the investigation estimated that the total might reach several hundred cases

A bacterium that causes stomach ulcers has been identified in contaminated drinking water, researchers reported Tuesday at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. The bacterium, known as Helicobacter pylori, is known to be an important cause of stomach ulcers throughout the world. Epidemiologic studies have also shown that it increases the risk of stomach cancer. Many scientists believe H. pylori is spread from person to person from fecal contamination and are reluctant to accept an environmental source of H. pylori, said Dr. David B. Schauer, a member of the team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that found the bacterium in water

Researchers at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Washington DC on May 23, 1995 said they have identified the bacterium that causes stomach ulcers in contaminated drinking water, which may therefore be the source of infection. Many had hitherto favored person-to-person contact as the route of spread

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is in the front line of the world's response to the deadly Ebola virus epidemic in Zaire, is finding itself hard pressed to cope with the crisis. Budget constraints have left its highest security laboratory critically understaffed, and there is grave concern that overwork could lead to a fatal accident, officials of the agency here and independent experts said in interviews. The federal agency is renowned for its epidemiological and laboratory studies of disease outbreaks, and its scientists are in frequent demand by countries throughout the world. They have led the inquiries into Legionnaires' disease, AIDS, the hanta virus outbreak, and many other threats to public health. And despite being understaffed, the laboratory was able to identify the cause of the Zaire outbreak as Ebola in just two days

WASHINGTON - Army scientists have developed a vaccine against hantavirus infection, and initial tests on a small group of people indicate that it is safe and stimulates the immune system to defend against the virus, the researchers said yesterday at a scientific meeting here. The vaccine is experimental, but it may be available in about a year to protect military personnel in South Korea and other areas of the world where hantavirus infection is common, said Dr. Connie Schmaljohn, a scientist with the Army's Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Md