Plus: A mystery disease is currently circulating in Congo, how patients are using AI to fight claim denials and raw milk may have caused a bird flu infection.
Earlier this week, police arrested 26 year-old Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last week. He faces additional charges related to firearm possession and forgery. He also faces firearms and forgery charges in Pennsylvania, where he was apprehended. Today, police said that shell casings found at the scene of the crime matched the gun Mangione had in his possession at the time of his arrest. His fingerprints were also found at the scene.
The gun itself appears to be 3D-printed, a trend among criminals that has been growing over the past few years. According to reports, Mangione appears to have suffered from a rare back condition called spondylolisthesis. A review of his reddit account revealed multiple discussions about his back pain. Mangione has not yet pleaded guilty or not guilty on any charges. He remains in jail in Pennsylvania and is currently fighting extradition to New York.Initial Tests Of Unknown Disease In Congo Suggest Malaria, But Experts Are Still Concerned
Since October, over 400 people in the Kwango province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been infected with an unknown disease that has killed at least 31 people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The outbreak appears to be affecting mostly malnourished children under the age of 14. Yesterday, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said that of 12 initial lab samples collected, 10 tested positive for malaria. The organization is doing more testing to isolate the cause.
This may take some time as the region is relatively remote. Getting teams there during the rainy season took several days and its infrastructure and telecommunications are limited. Ghebreyesus also noted that the area has “high levels of malnutrition and low vaccination coverage,” which complicates identification of any particular culprit.
It’s likely this may not be a new disease but rather “something that is not extraordinary, but occurring in a place where there are very limited resources,” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
