Tag: Health

In News  Recently, Scientists at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, have raised an alarm about the spread of the Zika virus  across several States and Union Territories  Zika virus (ZIKV) About: It is  a vector-borne flavivirus and is transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The […]

In News  An experimental Alzheimer’s drug aimed at slowing or preventing cognitive decline in people at risk of developing the disease early has failed in clinical trials. What is Alzheimer’s disease? It is the most common type of dementia. Discovery: The disease was discovered after Dr Alios Alzheimer examined a memory-loss patient’s brain after her […]

In News Recent study of the bacteria Salmonella Typhi, published in The Lancet Microbe, has found emergence of drug-resistant typhoid strains. Key Findings Typhoid fever causes 11 million infections and more than 100,000 deaths per year.  Typhoid fever is a life-threatening systemic infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (commonly known as Salmonella […]

In Context The 8th edition of the International Day of Yoga is being observed across the world.  About the International Day of Yoga It is celebrated every year on June 21 across the world to spread awareness about the benefits of yoga for health and well-being. The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness […]

In Context  Recently, A group of scholars from different disciplines have attempted to solve this much-debated mystery for origin of Black Death.  In a study published in the journal Science researchers have claimed that the disease originated in modern day northern Kyrgyzstan around 1338-1339 – nearly 7-8 years before it ravaged large parts of the […]

In  Context  Some 1,229 cattle across five districts of Gujarat have been infected with Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), an infectious viral disease, in the past one month. Lumpy Skin Disease About: It is caused by infection of cattle or buffalo with the poxvirus Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). The virus is one of three closely […]

In News  Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber has been diagnosed with a condition called ‘Ramsay Hunt Syndrome’. What is the Ramsay Hunt syndrome? About:  It is a rare neurological disorder caused by the varicella-zoster virus of the human herpesvirus family.  It is characterised by facial paralysis and may also present as ear abnormalities, including ringing […]

In News India’s life expectancy at birth inched up to 69.7 in the 2015-19 period, well below the estimated global average life expectancy of 72.6 years.  It has taken almost ten years to add two years to life expectancy.  Major Points  Data shows that the gap between life expectancy at birth and life expectancy at […]