Diseases

3 children die after fever in UP's Kushinagar; health dept launches probe

Three children of a family have died within 48 hours after coming down with fever in a village here, prompting the authorities to dispatch a team of doctors to the area to test other children for diseases like malaria and dengue, according to officials. Medical reports of the three children who died in Gularhiya Tola village of Nebua Naurangia block are awaited to ascertain the cause of death, the officials said on Saturday. Pintu Gaur's daughter Manju (7) took ill a week ago. She was taken to a local doctor but she did not get better. She was then taken to the district hospital, where she died on Wednesday, according to the officials. Soon after, Gaur's younger daughter Khushi (3) also developed high fever. As her condition deteriorated, she was referred from the district hospital to BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, where she died on Friday morning. In a third blow to the family, Krishna (5), the son of Gaur's elder brother Dashrath, also came down with fever. He died while he wa

NCDC aims to deploy real time data, AI to boost disease surveillance

Officials say upcoming predictive model will integrate AI surveillance, climatic and population movement patterns to anticipate outbreak trajectories

An autoimmune encephalitis wiped a man's memory. Here's how he's coping

My year of unraveling is how a despairing Christy Morrill described nightmarish months when his immune system hijacked his brain. What's called autoimmune encephalitis attacks the organ that makes us us, and it can appear out of the blue. Morrill went for a bike ride with friends along the California coast, stopping for lunch, and they noticed nothing wrong. Neither did Morrill until his wife asked how it went and he'd forgotten. Morrill would get worse before he got better. Unhinged and fighting to see light, he wrote as delusions set in and holes in his memory grew. Of all the ways our immune system can run amok and damage the body instead of protecting it, autoimmune encephalitis is one of the most unfathomable. Seemingly healthy people abruptly spiral with confusion, memory loss, seizures, even psychosis. But doctors are getting better at identifying it, thanks to discoveries of a growing list of the rogue antibodies responsible that, if found in blood and spinal fluid, aid ..

AI tool aids disease surveillance, issued 5,000 outbreak alerts: Study

An artificial intelligence tool deployed by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in 2022 may have helped issue more than 5,000 alerts of infectious outbreaks to health authorities in real-time since installation, according to a study. Developed by WadhwaniAI, a New Delhi-based healthcare AI solutions provider, the 'Health Sentinel' tool could have helped slash 98 per cent of manual workload, enabling a quicker detection of an outbreak and proactive public health response, findings published as a pre-print paper and yet to be peer-reviewed suggest. Nearly 200 countries are legally bound by the International Health Regulations (IHR) to operate a national disease surveillance system. The IHR and World Health Organization work together in protecting global health security. News reports in print, electronic and online media are scanned by media scanning and verification tool under India's 'Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme' (IDSP) for unusual health events, which are th

Diphtheria resurges in war-torn nations as health systems fail children

A Somali hospital ward packed with gasping children shows how war, climate and mistrust of vaccines is fueling the disease's return

Amazon rainforest on Indigenous lands can prevent some diseases: Study

Every time humans cut into the Amazon rainforest or burn or destroy parts of it, they're making people sick. It's an idea Indigenous people have lived by for thousands of years. Now a new study in the journal Communications Earth & Environment adds to the scientific evidence supporting it, by finding that instances of several diseases were lowered in areas where forest was set aside for Indigenous peoples who maintained it well. With the United Nations climate summit set for Brazil in November, the study authors and outside experts said the work highlights the stakes for people around the world as negotiators try to address climate change. Belem, the city hosting the conference, is known as the gateway to the Amazon, and many who will be attending, from activists to delegates, think the role of Indigenous communities in climate action and conservation will be highlighted in a distinct way. The forest man' or man forest,' according to the Indigenous perspective, has always been ...

4 persons detected with Guillain-Barre Syndrome in MP's Mandsaur: Official

Four persons have been diagnosed with the Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare immunological nerve disorder, at a village in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district, an official said on Thursday. Some (suspected) cases of GBS have been reported in Multanpura village, but their number is still less, Mandsaur Collector Aditi Garg told PTI Videos. "A total of seven such cases have been reported, and the infection has been confirmed in four of them," she said. After the confirmation of GBS, investigation and survey teams have been deployed in Multanpura. They were going door-to-door to find out if anyone else was suffering from the disease, she said. GBS is a rare neurological condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. Though it is uncommon, it can affect anyone and usually occurs after infection. Early identification of GBS symptoms and timely treatment are crucial for recovery. Garg said they have got information that some

The contagion scale: From measles to TB which disease spread fastest?

The R0 measure indicates how an infection will spread in a population. If it's greater than one (as seen above), the outcome is disease spread

'Symptom-free isn't disease-free': Apollo report reveals hidden epidemic

he report zeroes in on three pressing public health challenges: the rise of fatty liver disease, deteriorating health among post-menopausal women, and escalating obesity

Record outbreaks of acute stomach flu in India show lurking health risks

The health agency reported over 300 outbreaks of food poisoning across the country, the highest since 2019

Goa health officials to create awareness about HMPV, respiratory disorders

Goa Minister Vishwajit Rane has said that officials of the state health department have been asked to create awareness among people about the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) to prevent panic. Rane stated the same in a written reply to a starred question tabled by St Cruz MLA Rudolfo Fernandes on Friday, the last day of the Goa legislative assembly's winter session. MLA Fernandes had asked if the state Government was aware of the recent spread of the HMPV in a few states in India and sought to know the precautions being taken to prevent the spread of the virus in Goa. State Health Minister Rane said all health officers have been asked to create awareness about HMPV, ILI and SARI among the general public to prevent any panic. He said that while strengthening and reviewing surveillance for ILI and SARI, officials have been asked to investigate severe cases of SARI or pneumonia with tests for H1N1, COVID-19, etc.,

Flu season in the US is most intense it's been in at least 15 years

The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in 15 years. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor's office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that number was clearly higher than the peak of any winter flu season since 2009-2010, when a swine flu pandemic hit the nation, according to data posted Friday morning by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of course, other viral infections can be mistaken for flu. But COVID-19 appears to be on the decline, according to hospital data and to CDC modeling projections. Available data also suggests another respiratory illness, RSV, has been fading nationally. The flu has forced schools to shut down in some states. The Godley Independent School District, a 3,200-student system near Fort Worth, Texas, last week closed for three days after 650 students and 60 staff were out Tuesday. Jeff Meador, a district spokesman, said the vast majority of illnesses there have bee

Guillain-Barre Syndrome cases in Pune under investigation: DG ICMR

Samples of stool and blood of those infected are being tested at the NIV Pune lab, but yet to get any definite leads

No need to panic as J'khand still unaffected by HMPV cases: Health minister

Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari on Tuesday said the state has been unaffected by the human metapneumovirus infection, and there is no need to panic over the detection of such cases in other parts of the country. Ansari said he is closely monitoring the situation. The infection of HMPV has been reported in parts of the country but there is no impact in Jharkhand. I have been closely monitoring the situation. There is no need to panic as no cases of the HMPV infection have so far been reported in the state, Ansari told reporters at Congress headquarters here. Human metapneumovirus is one of the many respiratory viruses that can cause infections in people of all ages, particularly during the winter and early spring months. The infection is usually a mild and self-limiting condition and most cases recover on their own, according to doctors. The Centre has advised states to step up surveillance for respiratory illnesses, including ILI and SARI, and spread awareness about the ...

HMPV scare: Centre asks states to enhance surveillance, create awareness

Seven HMPV cases detected in India; health secretary says country prepared for any potential surge in respiratory illness cases

Bangladesh former PM Khaleda Zia to seek medical treatment abroad

The 79-year-old former prime minister, who has been battling multiple health complications, including liver cirrhosis, heart disease, and kidney issues, will stay at her son Tarek Rahman's residence

Is HMPV another Covid-19-like scare in China? What we know so far

China is witnessing a surge in respiratory illnesses, including HMPV, influenza, and Covid-19, predominantly affecting children and the elderly, as healthcare systems face mounting pressure

Global disease resurgence in 2024 highlights growing health threat

The year also saw unprecedented number of human contracting avian influenza caused by the H5N1 virus in the US

Cause of 'Disease X' investigated after it killed 79 people in Congo

Almost 200 of the 376 afflicted with a flu-like illness are younger than five, said Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

Prez Murmu calls for extensive research in Ayurveda for disease remedies

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday stressed the need for extensive research in Ayurveda as it holds remedies for many diseases. Addressing the 75th Foundation Day celebration of Gopabandhu Ayurveda College here, Murmu said a person can remain disease-free all along life by remaining connected with yoga and nature. "Research is capable of proving the scientific basis of any method. Evidence builds trust among people and trust widens the path of acceptance," the President said while calling upon Ayurveda students to undertake research. Stating that she was aware of the method of treatment prevalent among tribal people for treatment of certain diseases, Murmu said that some elder tribal people know about various diseases and the herbs needed to treat them. "But that traditional knowledge is slowly disappearing. I hope some of you (students) will be interested in exploring the scientific basis of that treatment. By doing so, the method can be saved from extinction and also be ...