Gambia on high alert for Ebola outbreak

Gambia’s ministry of health and social welfare said on Thursday that it is on high alert for a possible Ebola outbreak in the country and are taking preventive measures to tackle the disease.

Gambia, Ebola outbreak, Ebola alert, WHO

Modou Njai, director of health promotion and education at the ministry, said that so far there has been no confirmed case of the Ebola virus disease in Gambia, Xinhua reported.
“Currently there are public health officials stationed at all the border entry points, including at the airport and seaport and we are also increasing our surveillance teams countrywide to ensure that those going in and out are properly checked for Ebola virus,” Njai said.

According to Njia, 210 technical advisory committee members, 350 Red Cross volunteers, 75 local government authorities, 75 cluster monitors, 25 health journalists have been sensitised, including 36 representatives of youth groups who has been sent to various settlements in the country to sensitise people about the disease.

The preventive measures taken by the Gambia’s public health officials include reading passengers’ temperature and asking about their travel history. The public health officials are also in touch with regional health management teams posted in various regions, Njia added.

Gambia’s regional management teams coordinate and supervise surveillance teams posted to various locations in the country.

According to the World Health Organisation, the death toll due to the Ebola virus continues to rise in West Africa and currently stands at 1,350.

Source: IBN Live

Failing Vision Tied to Shorter Lifespans for Seniors

Among seniors, dimming vision may be tied to poorer survival, new research suggests. The study involved more than 2,500 people, aged 65 to 84, who were assessed when they enrolled in the study and again two, six and eight years later.

Failing Vision Tied to Shorter Lifespans for Seniors

Vision loss over time was associated with an increase in the person’s risk of death during the study period, the researchers reported.

Although the study couldn’t prove cause and effect, researchers led by Sharon Christ of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., offered up some theories on the link between fading sight and shorter survival.

They believe the effect may be partly due to a sight-related decline in an individual’s ability to perform basic daily tasks such as shopping, housework or using the telephone.

The risk of death among people who had difficulty with basic daily tasks rose by 3 percent a year over the study period, so that it was 31 percent higher by the end of the eight-year study.

People who had a vision decline of one letter size on an eye chart were expected to have a 16 percent increase in death risk during the study due to their declining ability to do basic daily tasks, the researchers said.

“Our findings have multiple implications. First, these findings reinforce the need for the primary prevention of visual impairment,” the Purdue team concluded. “Moreover, the early detection of disabling eye diseases is suboptimal in the U.S. health care system, leading to otherwise preventable vision impairment”.

“Finally, many Americans live with vision impairment that is correctable through the proper fitting of glasses or contact lenses,” the researchers added.

The Purdue group also believes that the study reinforces the notion that if a senior is burdened by impaired sight, helping them complete everyday tasks may be important to maintaining long life.

The study was published online Aug. 21 in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.

Source: webmd

 

Doctors remove skeleton of baby left inside mother for 36 years

Jyoti Kumar went to the doctor after she started experiencing constant abdominal pain—and experts in the Indian city of Nagpur discovered the cause was a baby skeleton that had been inside her for 38 years.

Doctors remove skeleton of baby left inside mother for 36 YEARS

Jyoti Kumar, 62, had an ectopic pregnancy when she was 24, and was told the fetus—growing outside of her womb—would likely not survive

At some point, “She apparently knew that the baby had died and that she would need an operation,” but she was scared of surgery and fled the hospital, instead opting to get treatment for her abdominal pain at a small clinic, her doctor says

When the pain came back decades later, however, she allowed doctors to remove the skeleton, which was inside a calcified sac, from her abdomen. “We found a lump on the lower right side of her abdomen, and feared it was cancer. A CT scan then revealed that the lump was made of hard, calcified matter,” one of the doctors says.

Doctors remove skeleton of baby left inside mother for 36 YEARS2

“But it was only after the patient underwent an MRI that we could make out that the mass was in fact a child’s skeleton. The amniotic fluid that protects the fetus might have been absorbed and the soft tissues liquefied over time with only a bag of bones with some fluid remaining.” The mass was removed from between Kumar’s uterus, intestines, and bladder.

Doctors believe it is the world’s longest ectopic pregnancy; prior to this, the longest known case involved a Belgian woman who had the remains removed after 18 years

Source: fox news

Combining vaccines boosts polio immunity: Study

Polio has been wiped out of many countries thanks to massive use of oral vaccine. But new research suggests trying a one-two punch where the disease is still a threat: Giving a single vaccine shot to children who’ve already gotten the drops boosted their immunity.

Combining vaccines boosts polio immunity

World Health Organization officials say the combination strategy could help finally eradicate polio.

Which vaccine works best has long been debated. They each have different strengths. Wealthy countries today use only injected polio vaccine, but the oral version is used in developing countries because it is cheaper, easier to administer and better at stopping virus transmission.

Thursday’s study tested nearly 1,000 children in India who had previously received several oral vaccinations and found giving a shot was a better booster dose than more oral drops.

SourcE: US news

BKS Iyengar: A pioneer who brought yoga to masses

World-renowned yoga guru BKS Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar Yoga, passed away at a hospital in Pune on Wednesday morning. Iyengar was 95 years old.

The internationally-acclaimed yoga guru introduced Iyengar Yoga to the world. It is a form of Hatha Yoga which lays emphasis on physical alignment of the body while one is performing different asanas.

According to Wikipedia, BKS Iyengar has systematised over 200 classical yoga poses and 14 different types of Pranayama (with variations of many of them) ranging from the basic to advanced.

BKS Iyengar A pioneer who brought yoga to masses

All about Iyengar Yoga

Yogacharya Iyengar, with his intellect and practices, invented the art of Iyengar Yoga. He opened classes all throughout the world, which help students learn this technique that involves physical unity which will be later reflected in the mind. Iyengar Yoga eventually evolved as a brand.

Iyengar Yoga is different from other forms of yoga mainly because it involves three different elements, namely, technique, sequence and timing.

Technique here refers to alignment of the body while one is performing various pranayamas.

Sequence refers to the order in which asanas and breathing exercises are practised. While, timing refers to the amount of time devoted while performing each pose or pranayama.

Iyengar Yoga makes use of `props` which may be ropes, belts, cushions, blocks, gadgets etc, which
are used to assist the students who are beginners to experience asanas more easily and attain ideal alignment.

Healing effects of Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga has gone a long way in helping patients with back pain, hypertension, depression, menopause and even myocardial infarctions.

Source: Zee news

A New Vegetable That Kills Cancer Cells

The unusual color of the vegetable comes from black pigment, which is produced when exposed to sunlight. The black tomato has great potential to prevent the spread of cancer in the body because it contains Anthocyanin, an antioxidant that kills its cells. Now, for the first time, it’s being grown in Great Britain.

A-New-Vegetable-That-Kills-Cancer-Cells. 1

Ray Brown is a 66 year-old man who works in agriculture. He found this plant when one of his clients sent him a package labelled with the words “black tomato”. He decided to plant the seeds and the tomato proved to be very useful.

A New Vegetable That Kills Cancer Cells 2

I thought that it was a joke, but when I planted the seeds and got a plant I was surprised by the product, says Ray. The taste of the tomato is very strong, but this is a very healthy vegetable, which has yet to be researched fully.

After the research has been done many benefits of this plant will certainly emerge.

Source: for healthy life style

14 lakh children do not live beyond the age of five: Dr Harsh Vardhan

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said, “It is a national shame that 14 lakh children do not live beyond the age of five. To change this reality the government needs the collective energy of the people, and should not rely on the government machinery.”

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan addresses press at Patna Airport on June 20, 2014. (Photo: IANS)

Speaking here at the launch of a music video, ‘Phool Khil Jayenge’ (The flower will bloom), on the subject of immunization, Dr Harsh Vardhan said, “Let’s make a pledge here to become ‘health sainiks’ and each of us would strive to inspire other ordinary people to become health volunteers to work for a healthy nation.”

In 1994, Dr Harsh Vardhan, in his capacity of Delhi’s Health Minister, had motivated hundreds of school children to become “polio sainiks” with the task of seeking out families with small children who needed polio immunization. It was their commitment and sincerity which resulted in the success of the first pulse polio day in Indian history –October 2, 1994.

“Today we are poised to replicate India’s success with polio eradication which was brought about by the unrequited and unpaid labour of thousands of people. We need more such heroes and heroines to make Universal Immunization in India a success,” the health minister said.

The music video, which emphasises the importance of providing immunity from disease to a child through timely inoculation, was made by Global Health Strategies in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The lyrics have been penned by Javed Akhtar, and the video features Vidya Balan and Farhan Akhtar. The music is by Lalit Pandit and the song is sung by Sonu Nigam.

Source: India medical Times

Medical mystery as boy grows giant 40-pound hands

Doctors in India are baffled over an 8-year-old boy whose hands have ballooned to a combined weight of nearly 40 pounds.

Identified only by his first name, Kaleem, the young cricket fan is now unable to use his hands for simple tasks such as tying his shoes because they have swelled to such mammoth proportions.

Medical mystery as boy grows giant 40-pound hands

His gigantic hands weigh around 18 pounds apiece and measure 13 inches from the base of his palm to the tip of his middle finger.

Kaleem lives with his parents in eastern India and they say it’s been hard to find help for their son because they only make around $20 a month.

Doctors who have had the chance to examine Kaleem have been mystified by his condition, but do believe it is most likely the result of lymphangioma or hamartoma

Medical mystery as boy grows giant 40-pound hands222

Lymphangioma is a rare condition of the lymphatic system that causes the development of non-malignant masses consisting of fluid-filled parts of the body.

A hamartoma is a benign tumor-like malformation that consists of an abnormal mixture of cells and tissues found in areas of the body where growth takes place. Both conditions are said to be treatable.

Source: New York Post

 

Admissions Closing Soon : Online Clinical Research Program at TAU

A clinical research is a study with the goal of answering specific questions about new therapies, vaccines or diagnostic procedures, or new ways of using known treatments. Clinical research (also called medical research and research studies), are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective. Carefully conducted clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatments that work in people.

Online clinical research
TAU’s Online clinical research program is one of the flexible ways by the flexible Online Learning from Web Campus i.e., TAU Online Learning Management System. For more details register here: http://www.tauedu.org/texila-connect/signup.html

Watch our Clinical Research video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEFrIS03gz4

What Kids’ Drawings Say About Their Intelligence

The number of features a child draws into their sketch of a person may say a little something about their intelligence

A large and long-term new study shows the way a 4-year-old draws a person not only says something about their level of intelligence as a toddler but is also predictive of their intelligence 10 years down the line.

What Kids’ Drawings Say About Their Intelligence

A team of researchers at King’s College London had 7,752 pairs of identical and non-identical 4-year-old twins draw a picture of a child. Every sketch was rated on a scale from 0 to 12 based on the presence of features, like legs, arms, and facial features. The kids also underwent verbal and nonverbal intelligence measurement tests.

When the kids turned 14, the researchers once again tested their intelligence. They found that a higher score on their drawing was moderately associated with the child’s intelligence both at age four and at age 14. The researchers expected to see a connection at age 4, but for the results to have consistency a decade later was surprising.

The researchers also found that the drawings of identical twins were more similar than the drawings of non-identical twins, suggesting that a genetic link was involved in drawing, though its exact mechanism was unknown. For instance the kids could be predisposed (or trained) to pay attention to detail well or hold their pencil in a specific way, the researchers say.

“The correlation is moderate, so our findings are interesting but it does not mean that parents should worry if their child draws badly,” said study author Dr. Rosalind Arden, the lead author of the paper in a statement. “Drawing ability does not determine intelligence, there are countless factors, both genetic and environmental, which affect intelligence in later life.”

The study was published Tuesday in the journal Psychological Science

Source: TIME