Health

Washington, August 10: Researchers have found specific nerve cells responsible for itchiness, a discovery that could lead to better treatments for skin conditions.

Experiments on mice show they have nerve cells that convey only an itch sensation — contradicting common wisdom that itch and pain are closely related.

Reporting in the journal Science, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing said they created itch-free mice by killing their itch-specific neurons.

London, August 10: One of Britain’s biggest cosmetic surgery clinics claimed on Sunday to have carried out the nation’s first-ever eyelash transplant on a 19-year-old with a hair-pulling disorder.

During a four-hour procedure — pioneered in the United States — that cost USD 5,850, hairs were removed from the back of the teenager’s head, then replanted into cuts in the eyelid.

The lashes should gradually thicken between four and six months after surgery, said Transform, a network of 22 cosmetic surgery clinics that also claims to be Britain’s leading provider of breast surgery.

Rajahmundry, August 09: East Godavari District Collector, Gopalakrishna Diwadi said that Malaria fever will be controlled in the tribal areas of the district within a week.

Diwadi said yesterday that 21 vacant posts of doctors will be filled shortly and action will be taken against the medical officials for negligence in their duties in tribal areas.

All necessary medical kit with equipment has been kept ready to control Malaria fever in these areas, he said.

Chandigarh, August 09: The bulk of swine flu cases from Haryana have been reported from industrial township Gurgaon while a doctor from Sirsa also tested positive for the virus today.

“Out of 38 positive cases of influenza A H1N1, 33 alone are from Gurgaon while today a doctor from Sirsa also tested positive for the virus,” Haryana’s Nodal Officer for the swine flu cases, Dr Aparjita Sondh told.

New Delhi, August 09: The Centre has decided to introduce a slew of measures, including roping in private detective agencies and setting up a separate intelligence network, to check the growing menace of spurious and adulterated drugs in the country.

Union Health Ministry sources said steps are also being taken to set up drug testing centres at various ports besides offering rebates in ceiling price to drug manufacturers adopting latest packing technology to counter the menace.

Lucknow, August 09: A five-year-old boy, who had arrived here from London last month, has tested positive for the influenza A(HIN1) virus, officials said Saturday.

‘Hasan Rizvi, a native of London who came to Lucknow July 29 to meet his grandparents, has found been positive for swine flu,’ Lucknow chief medical officer A.K. Shukla told reporters.

Rizvi developed flu-like symptoms and was taken to the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) Monday. His throat swab samples were collected and he was discharged after primary medication.

Ahmedabad, August 09: A 43-year-old man died of swine flu early this morning at the city civil hospital here, a senior official said.

Confirming the first swine flu death in Gujarat, State Health Secretary Ravi Saxena said Praveen Patel, an NRI, died of swine flu at city civil hospital at around 1.30 am.

“He was admitted to the hospital in critical condition yesterday morning. His left lung was badly damaged,” Mr. Saxena said.

Mr. Patel, who had returned from Atlanta, United States, on July 31, was admitted to a private hospital for pneumonia and common flu on Friday.

Mumbai, August 08: A 53-year-old woman died of swine flu here Saturday evening, as the influenza A(H1N1) virus claimed its second victim in India in less than a week, officials said.

The woman, identified as Fehmida Panwala, a Mumbai resident, died at Kasturba hospital here, Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sharvari Gokhale told a media service.

A resident of Jogeshwari suburb in northwest Mumbai, Fehmida was Tuesday admitted to a hospital near her residence for diabetes and hypertension problems.

Dammam, August 08: With the third death due to swine flu in the Eastern Province announced by the Ministry of Health on Thursday, residents here are now worried about the spread of the disease, despite reassurances from the ministry that the situation is under control.

Most people here have expressed their concern over the incorrect diagnosis of the Indonesian housemaid which resulted in her death from swine flu.
Dammam is prone to seasonal flu outbreaks and the severe sandstorm that hit the region recently triggered respiratory diseases and flu-like symptoms in many.

Jaipur, August 08: A 35-year-old man, admitted to the SMS hospital here after showing symptoms of swine flu, todays neaked out of the hospital, hoodwinking the staff on duty.

Bhajan Lal was admitted to the hospital after his return from Sharjah this morning when the medical team at Sanganer Airport here detected him with symptoms of the influenzavirus, official sources said.

“Lal left the isolation ward without informing the authorities but left behind his bag,” they said.

Ahmedabad, August 08: An NRI couple, who arrived here from Atlanta in US, today tested positive for swine flu, state health officials said.

“The couple was admitted to the city civil hospital early this morning. They were tested for swine flu and the test results were positive,” Health Secretary Ravi Saxena said.

The couple had come from US on July 31 and developed symptoms of the disease from August 5, Saxena said adding that they initially went to a private hospital from where they were shifted to the civil hospital.

Jakarta, August 08: India, Indonesia and Pakistan have become key fronts in Asia’s fight against HIV/AIDS, health experts said ahead of the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific next week.

Delegates from 65 countries will gather on the Indonesian resort island of Bali from Sunday to Thursday to discuss strategy and “renew our commitment to fight the disease,” congress chairman Zubairi Djoerban said.

London, August 08: Novel marine microbes could open the way to more efficient and greener ways to manufacture new drugs for epilepsy, diabetes, flu and other viruses.

Micro-organisms account for more than 95 percent of ocean biomass but relatively little is known about them and their potential applications.

Researchers from Heriot-Watt University (HWU) and Plymouth Marine Lab (PML) in Britain along with Ingenza Ltd are looking for industrially relevant enzymes in marine microbes, which will reduce waste and increase productivity in the manufacture of drugs and agrochemicals.

Washington, August 08: A chemical in blueberry leaves halts reproduction of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which infects 200 million people worldwide and can eventually lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Currently, there is no vaccine for HCV, and though a combination drug regimen can clear HCV infection, this treatment is only about 60 percent effective and poses risks of severe side effects.

New Delhi, August 08: Homeopathy can both prevent and cure swine flu, sans any side effects, say doctors who practise this alternative medicine system in India where over 700 people have been diagnosed with the disease.

Amid panic over the spread of influenza A (H1N1) virus, homeopaths are now drafting a proposal for the health ministry to offer their services in tackling the crisis.

“Based on the symptoms, homeopathy can offer an effective cure to swine flu. Moreover, it does not have any side effects,” Harcharanjeet Kaur, a homeopath at Baksons homeopathy clinic, told IANS.

New Delhi, August 08: Even as the Union Health Ministry is asking the public not to panic over the spread of swine flu in India, especially after the death of a girl in Pune, the situation, it seems, suggests otherwise.

Several new cases of the H1N1 influenza A virus were reported from different parts of the country on Saturday, a day after hospitals across India received 96 cases – the maximum in a single day so far.

Pune, August 08: A six-year-old girl suffering from swine flu has been admitted to the ICU ward of a government hospital here even as two more patients hit by the virus— a doctor and a pharmacist— continued to battle for their life.

The girl, who was transported from a private clinic to the hospital last night, was “stable” and did not need ventilator support, hospital officials said today.

The hospital also admitted two suspected cases of H1N1 infection and test results were awaited, they added.

Close contacts of the critical two cases had been quarantined.

Pune, August 08: With swine flu gradually spreading its tentacle across the country, as many as 53 new cases of swine flu were reported across Maharashtra on Friday. With the new cases, the tally of total number of people affected by the H1N1 virus in the state have reached 225, health authorities said here. Medical centres saw a steady flow of people getting themselves tested as a precautionary measure.

London, August 08: Daily intake of beetroot juice boosts your stamina and could help you exercise up to 16 percent longer, according to new research.

A University of Exeter (U-E) led-study shows for the first time how nitrate in beetroot juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, therefore making exercise less tiring.

Study co-author Andy Jones, professor at the U-E School of Sport and Health Sciences, said: “We were amazed by the effects of beetroot juice on oxygen uptake because these effects cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training.”

New Delhi, August 08: With a surge in the number of A(H1N1) flu cases, the Centre on Friday issued fresh guidelines to states asking them to increase the designated hospitals for treatment besides allowing private hospitals to treat patients and setting up helplines to provide information.

In a letter to the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories, Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said it is necessary to identify more hospitals for examination and collection of samples of suspect cases of A (H1N1) flu.

Toronto, August 08: Canadian researchers have found that a hormone in the human gut could be used to lower sugar levels in diabetics.

Researchers of the Toronto General Research Institute and the University of Toronto have found in their study on a rat model that activating receptors of the cholecystokinin (CCK) peptide hormone in the gut rapidly lowers blood glucose levels.

The activation of the receptors of this hormone triggers a signal to the brain and then to the liver to lower glucose or sugar production, say researchers in their paper.

New Delhi, August 08: India is at the forefront of developing a swine flu vaccine that will be available in “four to seven months”, the government announced Friday as 96 new infections were reported.

Speaking to reporters here Friday, the Union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said: “The process has been already set in motion and India is at the forefront of developing a vaccine.”

“But the vaccine will be available by four to seven months from now,” he added.

There is no known vaccine so far to tackle the virus that has infected over 700 people in the country so far.

New Delhi, August 08: Reacting to the chaotic situation in some parts of the countries over spread of swine flu, the Government said on Friday there should not be any panic over the situation as India was not as badly affected as other countries around the world.

New Delhi, August 07: The government has decided to buy cheaper chemicals used for testing influenza A virus from a German-based company since the number of swine flu cases is increasing rapidly in the country, union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said Friday.
“The government has decided to procure reagents and chemicals used for testing H1N1 from a Germany based company,” Dayal told reporters here.

Till now the government has been procuring the reagents and chemicals from US firm Biosystem.

Pune, August 07: As many as 40 new cases of swine flu were detected across Maharashtra Friday, taking the total number of people affected by the H1N1 virus in the state to 212, health authorities said here. Medical centres saw a steady flow of people getting themselves tested as a precautionary measure.
The new cases include a female student in Pune’s Symbiosis College and two medicos, said Ashok Ladda, additional director of the government’s Family Welfare Department. The medicos’ condition is stated to be critical and they have been put on ventilators, he added.