Latest news with #AES
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Has Chandipura changed its pattern? ICMR teams visit Gujarat as samples of all 14 deceased children test negative for virus
With samples of children, who died of suspected Chandipura virus over the last few weeks, testing negative for the infection, teams of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) visited Gujarat earlier in July in a bid to study the 'changing pattern' of the viral encephalitis. The teams collected samples of sandflies, domestic animals and residents from villages where suspected Chandipura deaths among children have been reported since June this year. the ICMR teams camped in four districts of the state – Panchmahal, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Valsad – and studied the pattern of the virus. According to officials in Panchmahal, the ICMR team visited the district last week to gather samples of sandflies, ticks, mosquitoes and other vectors along with the that of domesticated animals and cattle, rats and human beings from the areas where four deaths have been reported. Panchmahal Chief District Health Officer Dr Vipul Gamit told The Indian Express, 'The ICMR team has gathered samples of those in the vicinity of the family that witnessed a death in the last month. They will be studied for antibodies — IgM and IgG — to understand the spread of the virus. There is a changing pattern in the virus… the same case with Japanese encephalitis, which in the recent past, has not been detected positive in laboratory tests.' Dr Gamit said that much like 2024, the Chandipura suspected cases —that later turned out to be negative after tests in Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) — emerged sporadically from villages that were unrelated to one another. 'In one case, of a five-year-old boy from Panchmahal who died, and later tested negative, the other two children living in the same house — his cousins aged 7 and 8 — did not have any symptoms and are doing well,' Dr Gamit said, adding that the symptoms include high-grade fever, convulsions, followed by diarrhoea with 'little or no time' for medical response. 'Once the respiratory organs are involved, the children cannot be saved,' he added. Teams of ICMR also visited Bhavnagar, Valsad and Rajkot to collect samples of the vectors and other residents in close proximity to the deceased. Officials of the Gujarat government's medical department said that the ICMR will take the samples to its laboratory in Puducherry to check if the pattern of the virus has changed in the current season. An official said, 'The sudden increase in the number of negative cases of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), which are not showing a positive report, has prompted the ICMR to send across a team this year to study the pattern of the virus. Specific villages in certain areas where the cases have been high have been selected by the ICMR teams for the study.' Vadodara's SSG hospital has recorded 14 deaths out of the 24 cases, including a 1.5 year old infant from Dahod, of suspected Chandipura reported this year. In-charge Medical Superintendent and Dean of Baroda Medical College, Dr Ranjan Aiyer, said, 'Every year, around June, in the month of monsoon, Chandipura cases occur due to vectors and sandflies, especially among people living in mud houses in rural areas… This year, we received unknown virulent cases of around 24 children, who presented similar symptoms, particularly in areas of Panchmahal-Dahod and even Madhya Pradesh. They deteriorated very rapidly despite a paediatric team treating them.. However, all samples have tested negative for Chandipura.' What is Chandipura virus? Chandipura virus belongs to the Rhabdoviridae family, which includes rabies. It is transmitted by sandflies and mosquitoes, including Aedes aegypti, which is also a vector for dengue. The virus resides in the salivary glands of these insects and can be transmitted to humans or domestic animals through bites. The infection can lead to encephalitis and inflammation of the brain's active tissues. The symptoms include high-grade fever, convulsions, followed by diarrhoea with 'little or no time' for medical response, according to Panchmahal Chief District Health Officer Dr Vipul Gamit. The Chandipura virus was discovered in 1965, in the blood of two individuals suffering from febrile sickness, in a hamlet of the same name near Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Stuff.tv
2 days ago
- Stuff.tv
This might be the most affordable 24/7 security cam I've seen so far
While decking your house out with smart security camera can make your life easier, it comes with one big problem: charging. Most smart home devices run on battery, so you need to juice them up. Solar cams make up for this, but you usually need an extra bit of kit. But Baseus' new option doesn't, which makes it one of the best and most affordable 24/7 security cameras I've seen. The new Baseus S1 Lite has a built-in solar panel, which is arguably the star of the show. Two and a bit hours of sunlight per day is apparently enough to keep the 5200mAh battery happy for nearly half a year. Read more: Best wireless outdoor security camera in 2025 for your home and garden This built-in solar panel means you can finally slap a security camera on the far end of your garden without running cables or finding somewhere to mount a separate panel. You won't waste a weekend trying to set up a 'simple' security cam only to discover it needed a firmware update, twelve apps, and a priest – Baseus reckons theirs takes five minutes to install. On the image quality front, you get 2K video and a 135-degree field of view. That's not the highest spec security cam you can find, but it's not too shabby for the price. There's also 8x digital zoom, so you can really zoom in to footage – though I'm not sure how well it'll hold up. Plus, you get full-colour vision at night thanks to a spotlight that triggers when it detects movement. What I also like here is the local storage approach. You can pop in a microSD card (up to 512GB) and skip the monthly subscription to unlock the most basic feature. Baseus has thrown in AES+RSA encryption to keep footage secure, a two-year warranty, and customisable privacy zones. It's also IP67 rated, meaning this security cam can survive just about any weather. The S1 Lite plays nicely with Alexa and Google, with smart alerts pinged straight to your phone when it detects motion. Plus, two-way audio lets you yell at trespassers or coo at your cat from wherever you are. The Baseus S1 Lite 2K security camera is available to order now in white from Amazon US and Amazon UK. It'll set you back $80/£80, which is pretty decent for what you're getting. And if you order early, there's a $20/£30 discount you can bag.
New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
Stream ‘Love Island' early and surf the web safer with this $35 VPN
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. TL;DR: Enjoy better online security and an internet without borders forever with some help from this FastestVPN PRO Lifetime Subscription, now just $34.97 (reg. $600) through July 31. Don't want to wait for episode drops on Hulu to catch up on 'Love Island'? A VPN is a great way to bypass geographical restrictions and keep up with the happenings in the villa, while boosting your online privacy and security. FastestVPN is an easy-to-use option, and now you can protect up to 15 devices for life with this service for just $34.97 (reg. $600). But you'll need to act fast — this limited-edition offer for its PRO Lifetime Plan only runs through July 31. Advertisement Whether you're buying a VPN to stream your favorite steamy shows or to boost your online security, FastestVPN is an easy and affordable way to do it all. Protect yourself from hackers and cybercriminals and enjoy the internet without borders as you choose from more than 900 high-speed servers around the world. Once you pick your location, you'll see how FastestVPN got its name as you enjoy the internet with 99.9% uptime and minimal interruptions. FastestVPN's Wireguard protocol offers secure, unhindered speeds with 10 Gbps high-speed servers, so you don't have to deal with annoying buffering. Your real IP address is hidden as you browse. FastestVPN also features an internet kill switch that automatically cuts your connection if the VPN drops. Proving they are serious about safety and privacy, FastestVPN also offers a NAT firewall, military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, an ad blocker, anti-malware software, and a strict no-logging policy. Just pay once and enjoy a lifetime of perks with this FastestVPN PRO Lifetime Subscription, now for just $34.97 (reg. $600) until July 31. StackSocial prices subject to change.
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Exclusive: How misunderstanding with countries like France is worsening insecurity in West Africa
The relationship between France and most of West Africa, particularly the nations that comprise the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has changed dramatically in recent years. France's relationship with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has shifted significantly with these nations moving away from French support towards other allies. French military operations over the years, despite initial acceptance, faced criticism over perceived inefficacy and alleged neocolonial motives. Political instability, including military coups between 2020 and 2023, further strained ties between France and the Sahel nations. Formerly seen as key partners in the war against terrorism in the Sahel, these nations have grown more distant from their former colonial power, opting instead to chart a new course that challenges decades of French military and political dominance in the region. This subject was highlighted by Christophe Ouatarra, Regional Director for East Africa, World Neighbors, during an exclusive with Business Insider Africa. Following the emergence of Islamist insurgencies in the Sahel in the 2010s, France established itself as a crucial security partner for its former colonies. Military actions such as Operation Serval in Mali (2013) and Operation Barkhane (2014–2022) were conducted to combat terrorism and stabilize the area. Although initially welcomed by Sahelian administrations, these missions ultimately lost popularity due to their poor efficacy in quelling violence and rising views of neocolonial intervention. Between 2020 and 2023, the Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, saw a succession of military coups as a result of mounting unrest. In each case, the new military governments showed great mistrust about French motivations and began to shift their focus to other global allies, including Russia, Turkey and China. The junta governments accused France of prolonging the turmoil to legitimize its stay and plunder the region's resources, and thus buttressed resentment, which led to the Sahel countries expelling France's military from their borders. Christophe Ouatarra take on rural development in the Sahel region in the face of insecurity Christophe Ouatarra spoke about the insecurity in the region and how it affects rural development. He asserted that what is going on in the region could pass as a full-scale war, as opposed to a security challenge. 'The difference is that we are in a war. War is very expensive, so that means that the three countries, instead of financing development aspect, they have to finance the war,' he said when asked what the difference between the state of rural development is between AES countries and other West African countries. ' The war is very expensive; they have to buy weapons and other logistics,' he added. When asked about the progress of rural development in spite of what he had described as a war, he noted that there has been some progress in the last year. 'We are working with communities, and provided they let them cultivate their farms, there are good opportunities,' he stated. 'An example is Burkina Faso. Last year, the government bought tractors and fertilizers and deployed the land for farmers for free, and in one year, we noticed an increase in the crop yield, 80% compared to the previous year, and the increase of 21% compared to the 5% last year,' he explained. When asked about how international relationships key into the issue of security, Christophe Ouatarra noted that a lack of understanding from foreign parties has exacerbated a problem that can be handled. He specifically alluded to how some countries have hindered the ability of countries in the Sahel to defend themselves by denying said countries access to arms. 'The problem is to understand what people are facing in the region, not what people are saying about the region. If others can understand our problem without lies, that would help us a lot,' he said. 'For example, when terrorists were attacking the three nations, they (AES countries) wanted to buy arms to defend the population, but at the international level, they were blocked,' Christophe Ouatarra stated. He went on to elaborate on the issue, explaining; 'The governments wanted to buy weapons in order to protect the population, but at the international level, there was a breakdown, which means we are not understanding the problem in the same way. When asked for examples of countries that don't understand what the AES region is going through, Do Outarra stated; "I think you may have heard this in the media, even our president said that they ordered weapons and France blocked it, this is not a secret, it's well known in the media, our authorities are always talking about that.' The interview concluded with his thoughts on the growing popularity of Ibrahim Traore, the current Junta leader of Burkina Faso and in his opinion, Ibrahim Traore is loved because he seems like a leader that cares. 'What I can say is that the population really wants someone who cares for them, who is here to solve the problem, when they know you are here, not for your own interest, but for the well-being of the whole population, they will support you,' he stated.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Scrub typhus is now the most common infectious cause of acute encephalitis syndrome in southern India
A large multicentre study of 587 children with acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu has revealed that scrub typhus, a bacterial infection, is now the most common infectious cause of AES in southern India. The study by a team of researchers from NIMHANS, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, and St. John's Medical College Hospital has been recently published in The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia. Global challenge AES, characterised by acute onset fever and altered mental status and/or new seizures, presents a significant global public health challenge. It has an incidence of 3.5 to 13.8 cases per 1,00,000 patient-years, disproportionately affects children, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. In India, over 10,000 cases of AES are reported annually to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP). Historically, surveillance efforts have prioritised Japanese encephalitis (JE), even as its incidence has significantly declined due to widespread vaccination. Moreover, recent studies reveal a dynamic, region-specific, and evolving aetiology of AES in India. Scrub typhus (caused by bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi), an under-recognised cause of AES, has been increasingly reported in certain regions. Aimed at systematically investigating infectious aetiologies of AES in children from southern India and developing clinical prediction models for diagnosing scrub typhus, the study found that the bacterial infection is now the most common infectious cause (44%) of AES in southern India, far exceeding Japanese encephalitis virus (11%). Scrub typhus and other doxycycline-treatable infections are significant contributors of AES in India. However, limited surveillance in southern India has hindered their recognition and the inclusion of doxycycline in treatment protocols. From tertiary care hospitals The prospective study enrolled children aged above 28 days to 18 years with AES presenting to three tertiary care hospitals in Bengaluru - Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Vani Vilas, and St. John Medical College Hospital. Primary outcomes were microbiological diagnosis of AES and clinical prediction models for diagnosing scrub typhus and identifying patients with doxycycline-treatable causes. Models were developed using multivariable logistic regression, internally validated, and simplified into point-scoring systems. Between March 2020 and February 2023, 714 children were screened, of whom 587 were included. Of these, 315 (54%) had a microbiological diagnosis. Scrub typhus accounted for 138/315 (44%), and doxycycline-treatable causes were diagnosed in 193/315 (61%) of these cases. Key predictors associated with both scrub typhus and doxycycline-treatable causes were age, illness duration, lymphadenopathy, oedema, hepatomegaly, lymphocyte count, platelet count, and serum albumin levels, said Tina Damodar, clinical virologist and DBT-Welcome Trust fellow, Department of Neurovirology at NIMHANS, who is the lead author of the study. 'Among the 315 children with an identified infectious cause, dengue (10%), leptospira (5%), and chikungunya (5%) were also notable. Other detected pathogens included herpes viruses, enteroviruses, pneumococcus, tuberculosis, and measles, reflecting a diverse and region-specific AES landscape. These findings highlight the need to update AES surveillance and treatment protocols,' Dr. Damodar told The Hindu on Thursday. 'The study found that over 60% of microbiologically confirmed AES cases were caused by doxycycline-treatable infections, primarily scrub typhus. Despite this, doxycycline is not routinely included in empirical AES treatment in many parts of India,' she said. Recommendation Another author Reeta S. Mani, head of Neurovirology at NIMHANS, said that based on the results, the study recommends including doxycycline or azithromycin in the initial treatment of children with AES or acute febrile illness (AFI) in southern India - a change already implemented at the participating referral tertiary care hospitals. 'Timely treatment is critical. Among the 138 children with scrub typhus, nearly 40% either died or developed neurological complications, largely due to delayed diagnosis. To address this, the study calls for wider availability of scrub typhus diagnostic tests (IgM ELISA or PCR) at primary and secondary care levels,' the doctor said. The researchers have also developed a clinical prediction model - a simple point-based tool that can help frontline clinicians identify children likely to benefit from doxycycline, even before lab confirmation is available.
