Intro: Nipah virus (NiV), that has claimed three lives in Kerala's Kozhikode district, poses no threat in other parts of the country and there is no need to panic as it is just another viral infection, said a senior doctor. "Nipah virus is just another viral infection which affects the respiratory and central nervous systems with symptoms like drowsiness. Like most other viral infections, Nipah, too, has no treatment and can only be managed through intensive supportive care," said Atul Gogia, Senior Consultant, Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Gogia said the virus is spread by fruit bats, which are usually found in forests but due to urbanisation, are sometimes found even in cities. He did not rule...

The Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging communicable disease that is transmitted to humans from animals (mainly pigs, bats and other infected humans). It is named after a Malaysian village where it was first detected in 1998. The outbreaks of Nipah were currently reported in only Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and India. The Nipah virus transmission to humans occurs directly through contact with infected bats or pigs or from other virus infected people.The infection with Nipah virus often results in the inflammation of brain (encephalitis), severe respiratory illness and even death can occur. Following an exposure and incubation period of 5 to 14 days with this virus several signs and symptoms can be noticed in different time scales. Subsequently, in 3 to 14 days after incubation period the infected person displays some...

The Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja on Wednesday said that the outbreak of Nipah virus (NiP), which has claimed 10 lives, has been contained and there was no need to panic. Shailaja said that though the virus had been contained, there was a need be alert. "There need not be any panic over bats. The government is awaiting the supply of ribavirin, a drug that's commonly used for treating similar cases," she said. The drug ribavirin has been shown to be effective against the viruses in-vitro. Ribavirin is primarily used primarily to treat Hepatitis C and viral hemorrhagic fevers.  Side effects of Ribavirin Ribavirin is a...

A bacteria associated with travellers' diarrhoea and children in underdeveloped areas of the world causes more severe disease in people with Blood type A but not Blood type O or B, finds a study. Enterotoxigenic E. coli are responsible for millions of cases of diarrhoea and hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, mainly of young children. The bacteria releases a protein that latches onto intestinal cells in people with Blood type A, but not Blood type O or B.  A vaccine, targeting that protein could potentially protect people with type A blood against the deadliest effects of enterotoxigenic E. coli (Escherichia coli) infection. "We think this protein is responsible for this blood-group difference in disease severity," said James Fleckenstein, Associate Professor at the Washington University in St....

Influenza, or flu, is a respiratory illness triggered by a virus. It is highly communicable and is usually spread by coughs and sneezes by those affected from the virus.Symptoms Often people confuse flu with a bad cold. Symptoms of both flu and cold include a runny nose, sore throat and cough. People with flu may generally feel these following signs and symptoms that starts abruptly, not slowly. ✓        High temperature ✓        Cold sweats and chills ✓        Cough, runny nose and sore throat ✓        Headache ✓        Aching joints and...

Chickenpox is a contagious disease caused by varicella-zoster virus infection causing itchy rash with fluid-filled blisters. The disease spreads by droplets from a sneeze or cough or by direct contact with the infected person or his belongings such as clothes, bed linens, and other commodities. The infected person develops infection from 10 to 21 days, and the symptoms usually last for 5-10 days.SymptomsMajor symptoms of Chickenpox that are accompanied with itchy blisters include fever, loss of appetite, headache, tiredness and breathing difficulties. The skin around rashes is painful and red. The rashes that are observed during infection occur in various stages;Rash- These become severe when they cover the whole body. Spots- They are small, red and itchy and develop in clusters. Blisters- They develop...

 Too busy or lazy to exercise? Men and women take note. Living without physical activity for six years during their middle age could be at an increased risk of suffering heart failure, researchers have warned. The findings, described in the journal Circulation, suggest that consistently participating in the recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week, such as brisk walking or biking, in middle age can reduce the heart failure risk by 31 percent. While it is known that people who are more physically active have lower risks of heart failure than those who are less active, but little is known about the impact of changes in exercise levels over time on heart failure risk. "Going from no exercise to recommended activity levels over six years in middle age may reduce heart failure risk by 23 per cent," said...

Summer is one of the hardest seasons for skin care. Scorching heat, pollution and sweat makes it impossible for one to keep their skin clean and glowing so a rescue potion is activated bamboo charcoal.During the hot days of summer, your skin also absorbs impurities from surroundings hence causing blemishes and blackheads so to prevent your skin from these damages, Vanlalmuanpuii from green trends Unisex Hair & Style Salon and Bina NG, Salon Director from Page 3 Luxury Salon & Makeover Studio, shares ways in which activated charcoal can be infused into your everyday skin care routine: * Scrub: Developing...

Chickenpox is an unpleasant and irritating disease, causing itchy rashes and lesions to appear all over the body. The best thing to do is to allow the virus to run its course. The infected person should take adequate rest and be careful not to scratch the pustules. Simple dietary strategies will help boost your immune system and speed-up recovery. Here are some diet tips:Foods for a recovering patient:Adding a lot of raw fruit and vegetables in your diet can boost the immunity. Including a rainbow diet with different colours of fruit and vegetables...

Hypertension is a medical condition which refers to high blood pressure. In severe conditions, it leads to risks of heart attack and stroke, and kidney failure. While several medications are available nowadays to help lower blood pressure, but they all come with side effects such as leg cramps, dizziness, and insomnia. Fortunately, a number of natural home remedies have proven to be effective in treating hypertension. These vary from maintaining an adequate body weight to regular exercise and following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.Regular Physical Exercise- Moderate-intensity exercise including walking, jogging,...