A number of agencies are investigating mosquito-sterilisation as a technique to curb the spread of vector-borne diseases. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are partnering to explore the sterile insect […]
Chikungunya
Dengue fever outbreak fears in Bihar
Amidst fears of a dengue fever outbreak in Bihar state capital Patna, the state health department is readying itself. Waterlogged following a period of heavy rainfall, Patna has registered almost 250 dengue cases since September 27th – compared to 409 cases registered between January 1st and September 27th. Across the state, flooding has affected 1,400 […]
Spike in water-borne diseases in Hyderabad
Hyderabad is reporting a spike in water-borne diseases, sparking fears of water contamination. Diarrhoeal disease, viral hepatitis, and typhoid have all been reported in the Telangana state capital. At the time of writing, 16,178 people have fallen ill with diarrhoea and 1,301 are afflicted with typhoid fever. Viral hepatitis, meanwhile, is believed to have affected […]
Mobilising people to fight vector-borne diseases in Delhi
“Probably for the first time, the Centre, state and all local bodies will put together their efforts to mobilise the community for a public health activity,” said Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, as he announced a three-day campaign in Delhi beginning this week to increase public awareness of vector-borne diseases yesterday. Amidst the monsoon […]
Monsoon season: Delhi prepares for mosquito-borne diseases
The monsoon season brings with it mosquitoes. The mosquitoes bring with them diseases. And Delhi is committed to making sure they are kept under control before the arrival of the first showers . In a meeting with municipal corporation and hospital officials, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it is important that preventive action is taken […]
Doctors shocked by coinfection of diseases – in a single patient
At the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur an uncommon situation arose. One patient was coinfected with several infectious diseases. Such a situation is rare, but exposes a potential hazard in rapid diagnosis of a single condition. Such a situation is rare. While many infectious diseases are common in India, it is fairly unusual for […]
Disease profiles: Chikungunya
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne, viral disease. It is prevalent throughout India during the monsoon season and presents a particular threat due to the lack of any vaccines or treatment options. Prevalence Prior to 2013, chikungunya cases and outbreaks were prevalent in countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In late 2013, […]
The transport of infectious diseases in urban metros
Trains within Mumbai and its surrounding area cater to around seven million travellers a day. The transport systems of India allow for a faster route to work. They may also be considerably increasing the spread of disease. Many trains — particularly in the densely populated urban areas — hold far more passengers than their intended capacity. […]
Emerging infectious diseases in India: the scourge that could boost urban development
This article has been republished under a Creative Commons license from The Conversation. The piece was authored by Olivier Telle, research scientist at CSH, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS). It can be accessed here. Full credit goes to the original author and publisher. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Human societies have seen a significant decrease in mortality from infectious diseases […]
Human trials for chikungunya vaccine underway
A vaccine for the chikungunya virus is entering human trials, despite the vaccine only being in phase I trials, the media are once again hailing it as a predestined success. The vaccine is being developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. Currently there are no commercial chikungunya vaccines available; Bharat Biotech hopes its vaccine will become the first offering hope […]