Health

Pathogens were found in 11.1 per cent of the 4.5 lakh patients tested by the network of labs under the Indian Council of Medical Research as part of efforts to identify viral infections of public health significance. The top five pathogens detected were Influenza A in acute respiratory infection (ARI)/ severe acute respiratory infections (SARI cases), dengue virus among acute fever and haemorrhagic fever cases, Hepatitis A in jaundice cases, Norovirus in among acute diarrheal disease (ADD) outbreaks and Herpes simplex virus (HSV) in Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) cases. The spread of infectious diseases rose from 10.7 per cent in the first quarter to 11.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, according to the report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) According to the ...

Struggling with memory and stress issues? A bite of dark chocolate or a handful of berries may help boost your memory levels and also cut down stress, according to an animal study.   The improved memory and cognition may be due to flavanols, found abundantly in cocoa and berries, said the team from Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan. The study, published in the journal Current Research in Food Science, demonstrated that flavanol intake can trigger wide-ranging physiological responses resembling those induced by exercise -- functioning as a moderate stressor that activates the central nervous system and enhances attention, arousal, and memory. Flavanols also protect against neuronal damage. “Stress responses elicited by flavanols in this study are similar to those elicited by physic...

Doctors in Kolkata have successfully treated a five-year-old boy, for a massive right-sided pleural empyema, which is a serious infection marked by the accumulation of pus in the space between the lungs and the chest wall.  The boy, a resident of Alipurduar, had been experiencing high fever and severe breathing difficulties for nearly a week before being admitted to a local hospital in North Bengal. As his condition deteriorated, he was referred to Manipal Hospital in Mukundapur.   At the time of admission, the child was in severe respiratory distress, as the infected fluid was compressing his right lung and making breathing extremely difficult.  He was then treated by Dr Subhasis Saha, consultant – Paediatric Surgery, and Dr. Sayantan Bhowmick, associate consultant, Paediatric Pulmonol...

One in every 20 agricultural workers in Tamil Nadu could be having chronic kidney disease (CKD), with every other affected individual possibly having CKDu (chronic kidney disease with an unknown cause) -- a type known to affect mainly agricultural workers, a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal has estimated. The study points to factors associated with chronic kidney disease, including an increased age, diabetes, hypertension, anaemia and duration in a week spent working outdoors. Researchers, including those from Madras Medical College, said CKDu -- linked to heat stress due to working outdoors and exposure to agricultural chemicals and environmental toxins -- has been reported in "hotspots" around the world, including India, Sri Lanka and Central America...

An international team of scientists from Japan, the US, Australia, and Belgium has detected a new Covid-19-like virus from a species of moustached bats in Brazil, stoking fears of a potential spillover and a new disease.  Bats are natural reservoirs for many viruses, including betacoronaviruses -- which include the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus (MERS-CoV). The team from the universities of Osaka and Sydney detected the virus called BRZ batCoV from the Pteronotus parnellii -- a small insect-eating bat known for tiny hair tufts on its face. Even though the bat species is common in South America, experts fear the virus might have been gaining ground for months. “We identified a full-length genome of a novel bat CoV (BRZ b...

Jemimah Rodrigues has become India`s newest cricket hero after the historic five-wicket win over Australia in the ICC Women`s World Cup semi-final in Navi Mumbai yesterday. It was a moment of cheers and triumph for India, however it was a moment of release and quiet triump after times of emotional struggle for her. During the post-match press conference, she opened up about her experience hoping it`ll help others, revealing her struggle with anxiety and self-doubts in the weeks leading up to the semi-final match.  She spoke about how her family, friends and fellow team members helped her during this time. Rodrigues revealed, "And also at this time my mom, my dad supported me a lot. And also there  was Arundhati (Reddy), who I think almost everyday I`ve cried in front of, almost everyday ...

The national capital`s continued poor air quality and thick smog engulfing the city are not only harmful for the lungs but also eye health, said ophthalmologists on Thursday, while reporting a 50 per cent surge in eye-related problems.  The thick blanket of smog and dangerously high levels of pollution have led to a spike in cases of eye allergies, dryness, burning sensations, and excessive watering, affecting both adults and children. Doctors say that the toxic cocktail of smoke, particulate matter, and chemical residues released during firecracker burning is not only harmful for the lungs, but for the eyes as well. "If your cornea gets damaged, you need a corneal transplant to restore your vision. However, if pollution levels continue to rise, a time will come when no corneal transpla...

Personal bias and blind belief are time and again reigniting the claim that childhood vaccines are increasing the risk of autism -- a neurological condition, said health experts on Wednesday.  Recently, a self-published report by the US-based McCullough Foundation claimed that vaccination is “the most significant preventable driver” of autism. The report, not being peer-reviewed, has garnered significant attention from many anti-vaccine campaigners, including Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu. “There are many people who take an anti-vaccine stand. We saw the damaging effects of their propaganda during the early part of the pandemic -- when tens of thousands of people died of severe Covid-19 simply because they were afraid to vaccinate,” Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan of the Indian Medical Association, K...

A stroke can occur suddenly, often without warning, and its impact can be life-altering within minutes. Despite advances in medicine, awareness about its early signs and timely intervention remains limited — making education and prevention crucial in reducing its toll.  On World Stroke Day, mid-day spoke to Dr. Prashant Makhija, Consultant Neurologist at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, and Dr. Dipesh Pimpale, Consultant Neurologist at KIMS Hospitals, Thane. The experts shed light on common warning signs, risk factors and awareness details everyone should be aware of. What is a stroke, and why is it considered a medical emergency?Makhija: A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is suddenly blocked or when a blood vessel bursts. The brain can’t store oxygen, so every mi...

Attention lapses due to sleep-deprivation could be because the brain is trying to catch up with waste cleansing -- which typically happens while sleeping -- during the day, a new study has suggested. The cerebrospinal fluid, which flows into and around the brain and spinal cord cushions the central nervous system from shocks, helps remove waste from the brain that was built during the day through `flushing`. It is considered important for maintaining brain health and function. "If you don`t sleep, the cerebrospinal fluid waves start to intrude into wakefulness where normally you wouldn`t see them. However, they come with an attentional tradeoff, where attention fails during the moments that you have this wave of fluid flow," said Laura Lewis, associate professor of electrical engineering...