Health

Respiratory droplets might play a role in the spread of Mpox but not as efficiently as Covid-19 or even flu, said infectious disease experts on Wednesday. Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions. The disease is currently seeing an outbreak in Africa with over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been reported, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a global health emergency. It majorly causes fevers, headaches, and muscle aches, as well as painful boils on the skin. It spreads from person to person through close, skin-to-skin contact. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prolonged face-to-face interactions (such as talking or ...

Microwave ovens harbour specialised communities of highly adapted microbes, according to a new study.  This finding is significant for hygiene and potential biotechnological applications, as the hardy bacteria inside microwave ovens could be utilised in industrial processes. “Our results reveal that domestic microwaves have a more ‘anthropised’ microbiome, similar to kitchen surfaces, while laboratory microwaves harbour bacteria that are more resistant to radiation,” said Daniel Torrent, a researcher at Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence SL in Paterna, Spain. Torrent and colleagues sampled microbes from 30 microwave ovens: 10 from single-household kitchens, 10 from shared domestic spaces like corporate centers and cafeterias, and 10 from molecular biology and microbiology laboratories. T...

Doctors in Bengaluru on Tuesday successfully treated a 39-year-old mother of two with stage III uterine prolapse -- a condition where the uterus slips out of its normal position.  Her condition was so advanced that her uterus was protruding through the vagina, a rare occurrence for someone her age, as this typically happens post-menopause. The patient had been independently managing her household responsibilities, including heavy lifting, which worsened her condition. Her symptoms included severe back pain, chronic lower abdominal pain, discomfort between her thighs due to the bulging, and difficulty emptying her bladder, which could have led to kidney swelling. These symptoms significantly disrupted her daily life and well-being. After four years of suffering and multiple recommendat...

Climate change is significantly impacting mental health and psychosocial well-being, the World Health Organization said, while calling on countries to strengthen mental health systems and services to address this growing challenge. A recent report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) revealed that rapidly increasing climate change leads to emotional distress, anxiety, depression, grief, and suicidal behaviour. Yet large gaps exist in mental health needs and the availability and accessibility and services to address them. “Climate change exacerbates many social, environmental, and economic risk factors for mental health and psychosocial well-being,” said Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia. Among WHO regions, South-East Asia is most vulnerable to ...

Amidst the heart-wrenching turmoil in his country, an Iraqi man came to Mumbai to restore his 6-year-old daughter’s smile after she was born with a rare congenital vascular malformation.The father-daughter came to get treated at Gleneagles Hospitals in Parel as a dedicated team led by Dr Nilesh Satbhai, head of Plastic, Hand, Reconstructive Microsurgery, and Transplant, performed a groundbreaking surgery on young Raimas Ali Karim, aiming to bring back her facial symmetry and her joy.Raimas`s was born with the condition on the left side of her face. This condition led to severe bleeding and infections, casting a shadow over her early years.Amidst the chaos and dangers of war in Iraq, Raimas and her father faced immense challenges, risking everything to seek treatment in India.Their journey ...

Your peers can actually change your lives, for the worse, as a new study shows that peers` genetic traits can significantly influence substance use and impact mental health. The study highlights the long-term consequences of peers` genetic makeup on individual risk for drug and alcohol use disorders, depression, and anxiety. "Peers` genetic predispositions for psychiatric and substance-use disorders are associated with an individual`s own risk of developing the same disorders in young adulthood," said Jessica E. Salvatore, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and lead author of the study. "What our data exemplifies is the long reach of social genetic effects," she added. Socio-genomics, the influence of one person`s genotype on another`...

If you come across brightly coloured, cloth-bound books from the Victorian era, handle them carefully, or avoid them altogether. These books could be hiding toxic dyes that pose health risks to readers, collectors, or librarians, according to research on Sunday.  Researchers at Lipscomb University in the US assessed the dangerous dyes in a university collection and found some volumes may be unsafe to handle. Users risk exposure if pigments from these cloth covers rub off onto their hands or become airborne, they said. “These old books with toxic dyes may be in universities, public libraries, and private collections,” said Abigail Hoermann, an undergraduate chemistry student at Lipscomb University. The research began when Lipscomb librarians approached the chemistry department to test 19...

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Sunday launched an innovative project to tackle the growing concern of microplastic contamination in food.  Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastics that range in size -- from five millimetres to one micrometre. From human blood to testicles, to flora and fauna, these have long been known as a significant environmental and health concern worldwide. FSSAI initiated the new project in March this year to develop and validate analytical methods for detecting micro and nano-plastics in various food products. It is also aimed at assessing the prevalence and exposure levels of microplastics in India. The project will develop standard protocols for micro/nano-plastic analysis, conduct intra- and inter-laboratory comparisons, and gener...

A 72-year-old man’s 15-year struggle with non-healing ulcers on his right leg, caused by neglected varicose veins, was brought to an end by a successful medical intervention by doctors.   The patient Abdul Mabood, a mill worker, faced the risk of leg amputation due to the severity of his condition. He had suffered from non-healing ulcers with dilated veins and skin discoloration, which worsened over the years. Despite seeking treatment at multiple hospitals, he was advised to undergo an above-knee leg amputation. However, doctors at Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Kanpur, saved his leg and restored his quality of life using a minimally-invasive procedure. The team performed an endovenous laser ablation with a foam sclerotherapy procedure, which involved puncturing the vein, using a laser fi...

A new study on Friday showed that engaging in arts and crafts may be crucial in the fight against mental health problems suffered by millions of people globally. The research found that participating in creative activities significantly enhances people`s sense of life satisfaction, happiness, and the belief that life is worthwhile, suggesting that arts and crafts could play a key role in promoting public mental health. Dr. Helen Keyes of Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, the lead author, highlighted the meaningful impact of crafting, noting that its positive effects on well-being were more significant than those of employment. "Crafting provides a sense of achievement and a meaningful route to self-expression, which is not always the case with employment," she explained. The study ev...