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vector-borne diseases

Malaria and COVID-19: The dual crisis continues

Last year, we prefaced our coverage of World Malaria Day with the note that “the era of COVID-19 masks the manifold health issues the world – India included – is grappling with. Malaria is among those issues – and with March 25th marking World Malaria Day, it is important to pay attention to the disease …

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Protein protection from Lyme disease

Researchers from Yale University have discovered a protein that can help protect individuals from infection with the tick-borne spirochete that causes Lyme disease. The findings have been reported in the journal PLOS Pathogens. Lyme disease is rare in India. When it does occur, it is typically found within northern regions and, for the most part, …

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HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria: A surge in deaths?

It is not news that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to public health – and as managing the pandemic ostensibly takes top priority for health systems worldwide, the ramifications for management of other diseases is a real concern. This concern has been raised in a modelling study released by The Lancet Global Health …

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Fewer malaria-endemic districts in India

There are substantially fewer malaria-endemic districts in India, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey informed lawmakers last week.  In 2016, the Government identified 132 malaria-endemic districts in the country. In 2018, this number had been reduced to 63. 429,928 malaria cases were recorded in the country last year, the Minister informed MPs in a …

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Mosquito sterilisation to curb disease?

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 …

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Action on dengue urged in Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh government has urged officials to take action to curb dengue fever in the state.  Dengue fever is considered the fastest-growing mosquito-borne disease in the world by the World Health Organization. Across India, more than 67,000 cases of the vector-borne disease — transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species of mosquito …

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Lymphatic filariasis: Can India eliminate it?

At the beginning of October, the island nation of Kiribati announced that it had eliminated lymphatic filariasis. By 2021, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has pledged that India will do the same.  What is lymphatic filariasis? Lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that attacks the lymphatic system. It is caused …

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A Rs 50 lakh price tag on dengue fever in Telangana

If the Telangana state government fails to control cases of dengue fever, it should be prepared to pay out Rs 50 lakh to casualties’ families per the High Court in the state.  The news came after the death of a district court magistrate M. Jayamma due to dengue shock syndrome earlier this week, which spurred …

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Dengue fever: More than 67,000 cases

India has reported more than 67,000 cases of dengue fever as of October 13th, according to data released by the Directorate of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).  Of the 67,377 total cases reported, Karnataka bore the highest burden out of the country with 12,756 cases. It also accounted for eight of India’s …

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Suspected dengue fever leads to 2,000 hospitalisations in Mumbai after monsoon

Almost 2,000 Mumbai residents were hospitalised with suspected dengue fever in the beginning of October, amidst the withdrawal of monsoon rains.  The first fifteen days of October marked a slight spike in cases of suspected dengue fever compared to the same period in September. In total, 1,970 suspected dengue fever cases have been reported in …

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