Latest news with #Vibriocholerae
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Vizag's King George Hospital among 10 centres in country to participate in oral cholera vaccine trials
Visakhapatnam: King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam is one of 10 centres in the country that participated in phase III trials of oral cholera vaccine Hillchol, developed by Bharat Biotech. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Of the 1,800 enrolled participants across these 10 sites, 1,794 completed the clinical study, which assessed the safety, immunogenicity, and non-inferiority of Hillchol in comparison to a comparator vaccine in this diverse participant group. Post-vaccination, the percentage of participants in the Hillchol group who exhibited a four-fold increase in anti-Vibrio cholerae antibody titres was 68.25% for Ogawa and 69.52% for Inaba. For the uninformed, among the various serotypes of the Vibrio cholerae O1 biotype, Ogawa and Inaba are primarily associated with cholera outbreaks, as they exhibit distinct antigenic variations in their lipopolysaccharide structure. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. Approximately, V. cholerae affects 1.3 to 4.0 million people per year, causing between 21,000 and 1.43 lakh deaths worldwide, predominantly in developing nations across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Children under five years of age account for about half of all cases and deaths, although individuals of all ages are susceptible. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently reported that the dynamics of cholera outbreaks are becoming increasingly complex, with a rise in the number of cases since 2021, highlighting the escalating challenge of controlling V. cholerae infections and transmission. The global demand for OCVs is close to 100 million doses per year. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Yet, given that only a single manufacturer supplies them, a global shortage persists. According to Bharat Biotech, its facilities in Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar have the capacity to produce up to 200 million doses of Hillchol. The new-generation OCV, featuring a simplified single stable O1 Hikojima strain, aims to enhance production efficiency and affordability. It induces robust antibodies against both Ogawa and Inaba serotypes, improving accessibility, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries where waterborne diseases continue to pose serious health threats. A total of 1,800 participants were screened based on health status across the 10 trial sites to ensure a diverse demographic analysis. Participants with a history of cholera vaccination or infection, hypersensitivity to past vaccinations, immune disorders, significant acute symptoms, or recent treatment for diarrhoea were excluded. All trial sites were tertiary care centres, including KGH Visakhapatnam, located in urban areas. Participants were enrolled after obtaining informed consent. The other centres were located in states such as Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, and Bihar. The trial achieved a completion rate of 99% (1,782 participants), with a discontinuation rate of 1% attributed to various reasons. No serious adverse events were reported, with the majority of adverse events being mild. According to the researchers, this highlights the safety of the vaccine as a viable OCV option and the reliability of its manufacturing processes. Its scalability and logistical benefits also highlight its potential to mitigate the OCV shortage. The study findings have been published in Vaccine, a journal from ScienceDirect.
3 days ago
- Health
What to know about a cholera outbreak in Sudan that has killed over 170 people
CAIRO -- A fast-spreading cholera outbreak has hit Sudan, killing 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill in the past week. Centered around Khartoum, the disease has spread as many Sudanese who had fled the country's war return to their homes in the capital and its twin city of Omdurman. There, they often can only find unclean water — a dangerous conduit for cholera — since much of the health and sanitation infrastructure has collapsed amid the fightiing. It is the latest calamity for the African nation, where a 2-year-old civil war has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Here is what to know about the new outbreak: The latest outbreak has killed 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill over the past week, according to the Health Ministry. UNICEF said Wednesday that the number of reported cases surged ninefold from 90 a day to 815 a day since from May 15-25. Since the beginning of the year, more than 7,700 people have been diagnosed with cholera, including more than 1,000 children under the age of 4, it said. Most cases have been reported in Khartoum and Omdurman, but cholera was also detected in five surrounding provinces, the ministry said. Joyce Bakker, the Sudan coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, said the group's treatment centers in Omdurman are overwhelmed with patients. The 'scenes are disturbing,' Bakker said. 'Many patients are arriving too late to be saved … We don't know the true scale of the outbreak, and our teams can only see a fraction of the full picture.' Khartoum and Omdurman were a battleground throughout the civil war, nearly emptying them of residents. The region of the capital was recaptured by the military in late March from its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Since then, some 34,000 people have returned. But the city has been wrecked by months of fighting. Many found their homes damaged. Clean water is difficult to find, in part because attacks on power plants have disrupted electricity and worsened water shortages, UNICEF said. Sanitation systems are damaged. 'People have been drinking polluted water and transferring water into unhygienic containers,' said Dr. Rania Elsayegh, with Sudan's Doctors for Human Rights. Health workers fear the outbreak could spread quickly, since many people are packed into displacement centers making it difficult to isolate those infected. The health system has also broken down. More than 80% of hospitals are out of service and those that are operating have shortages of water, electricity and medication, said Dr. Sayed Mohamed Abdullah, of Sudan's Doctors Union. The World Health Organization describes cholera as a 'disease of poverty' because it spreads where there is poor sanitation and a lack of clean water. It is a diarrheal disease caused when people eat food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is easily treatable with rehydration solutions and antibiotics. Most of those infected have only mild symptoms but, in severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated. The WHO's global stockpile of oral cholera vaccines has dropped below its minimum threshold of 5 million doses, making it increasingly difficult to stop outbreaks. At the same time, cholera epidemics have been on the rise around the world since 2021, because of poverty, conflict and extreme climate events like floods and cyclones, the U.N. says. The civil war has devastated Sudan since it erupted in April 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the country. At least 24,000 people have been reported killed, though the number is likely far higher. More than 14 million have been displaced and forced from their homes, including over 4 million who streamed into neighboring countries. Famine was announced in at least five locations with the epicenter in the wrecked Darfur region. The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that the U.N. and international rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Devastating seasonal floods have compounded Sudan's misery. Each year, dozens of people have been killed and critical infrastructure washed away. Cholera is not uncommon in Sudan. In 2017, cholera left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months. But the war's destruction has fueled repeated outbreaks. Cholera spread across 11 of the country's 18 provinces in September and October, sickening more than 20,000 people and killing at least 626, according to health authorities. Over the course of two weeks in February and March, another outbreak infected more than 2,600 people, and 90 people died, mostly in the White Nile province, according to Doctors Without Borders. Other diseases have also spread. In the past week, an outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, sickened about 12,900 people and killed at least 20, the Health Ministry said Tuesday. At the same time, at least 12 people died of meningitis, a highly contagious, serious airborne viral disease, it said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What to know about a cholera outbreak in Susan that has killed over 170 people
CAIRO (AP) — A fast-spreading cholera outbreak has hit Sudan, killing 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill in the past week. Centered around Khartoum, the disease has spread as many Sudanese who had fled the country's war return to their homes in the capital and its twin city of Omdurman. There, they often can only find unclean water — a dangerous conduit for cholera — since much of the health and sanitation infrastructure has collapsed amid the fightiing. It is the latest calamity for the African nation, where a 2-year-old civil war has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Here is what to know about the new outbreak: What's the latest development? The latest outbreak has killed 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill over the past week, according to the Health Ministry. UNICEF said Wednesday that the number of reported cases surged ninefold from 90 a day to 815 a day since from May 15-25. Since the beginning of the year, more than 7,700 people have been diagnosed with cholera, including more than 1,000 children under the age of 4, it said. Most cases have been reported in Khartoum and Omdurman, but cholera was also detected in five surrounding provinces, the ministry said. Joyce Bakker, the Sudan coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, said the group's treatment centers in Omdurman are overwhelmed with patients. The 'scenes are disturbing,' Bakker said. 'Many patients are arriving too late to be saved … We don't know the true scale of the outbreak, and our teams can only see a fraction of the full picture.' What's driving the outbreak? Khartoum and Omdurman were a battleground throughout the civil war, nearly emptying them of residents. The region of the capital was recaptured by the military in late March from its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Since then, some 34,000 people have returned. But the city has been wrecked by months of fighting. Many found their homes damaged. Clean water is difficult to find, in part because attacks on power plants have disrupted electricity and worsened water shortages, UNICEF said. Sanitation systems are damaged. 'People have been drinking polluted water and transferring water into unhygienic containers,' said Dr. Rania Elsayegh, with Sudan's Doctors for Human Rights. Health workers fear the outbreak could spread quickly, since many people are packed into displacement centers making it difficult to isolate those infected. The health system has also broken down. More than 80% of hospitals are out of service and those that are operating have shortages of water, electricity and medication, said Dr. Sayed Mohamed Abdullah, of Sudan's Doctors Union. What is cholera? The World Health Organization describes cholera as a 'disease of poverty' because it spreads where there is poor sanitation and a lack of clean water. It is a diarrheal disease caused when people eat food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is easily treatable with rehydration solutions and antibiotics. Most of those infected have only mild symptoms but, in severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated. The WHO's global stockpile of oral cholera vaccines has dropped below its minimum threshold of 5 million doses, making it increasingly difficult to stop outbreaks. At the same time, cholera epidemics have been on the rise around the world since 2021, because of poverty, conflict and extreme climate events like floods and cyclones, the U.N. says. Why is this happening in Sudan? The civil war has devastated Sudan since it erupted in April 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the country. At least 24,000 people have been reported killed, though the number is likely far higher. More than 14 million have been displaced and forced from their homes, including over 4 million who streamed into neighboring countries. Famine was announced in at least five locations with the epicenter in the wrecked Darfur region. The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that the U.N. and international rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Devastating seasonal floods have compounded Sudan's misery. Each year, dozens of people have been killed and critical infrastructure washed away. Were there previous cholera outbreaks? Cholera is not uncommon in Sudan. In 2017, cholera left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months. But the war's destruction has fueled repeated outbreaks. Cholera spread across 11 of the country's 18 provinces in September and October, sickening more than 20,000 people and killing at least 626, according to health authorities. Over the course of two weeks in February and March, another outbreak infected more than 2,600 people, and 90 people died, mostly in the White Nile province, according to Doctors Without Borders. Other diseases have also spread. In the past week, an outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, sickened about 12,900 people and killed at least 20, the Health Ministry said Tuesday. At the same time, at least 12 people died of meningitis, a highly contagious, serious airborne viral disease, it said. ___ AP correspondent Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
What to know about a cholera outbreak in Susan that has killed over 170 people
CAIRO (AP) — A fast-spreading cholera outbreak has hit Sudan, killing 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill in the past week. Centered around Khartoum, the disease has spread as many Sudanese who had fled the country's war return to their homes in the capital and its twin city of Omdurman. There, they often can only find unclean water — a dangerous conduit for cholera — since much of the health and sanitation infrastructure has collapsed amid the fightiing. It is the latest calamity for the African nation, where a 2-year-old civil war has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Here is what to know about the new outbreak: What's the latest development? The latest outbreak has killed 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill over the past week, according to the Health Ministry. UNICEF said Wednesday that the number of reported cases surged ninefold from 90 a day to 815 a day since from May 15-25. Since the beginning of the year, more than 7,700 people have been diagnosed with cholera, including more than 1,000 children under the age of 4, it said. Most cases have been reported in Khartoum and Omdurman, but cholera was also detected in five surrounding provinces, the ministry said. Joyce Bakker, the Sudan coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, said the group's treatment centers in Omdurman are overwhelmed with patients. The 'scenes are disturbing,' Bakker said. 'Many patients are arriving too late to be saved … We don't know the true scale of the outbreak, and our teams can only see a fraction of the full picture.' What's driving the outbreak? Khartoum and Omdurman were a battleground throughout the civil war, nearly emptying them of residents. The region of the capital was recaptured by the military in late March from its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Since then, some 34,000 people have returned. But the city has been wrecked by months of fighting. Many found their homes damaged. Clean water is difficult to find, in part because attacks on power plants have disrupted electricity and worsened water shortages, UNICEF said. Sanitation systems are damaged. 'People have been drinking polluted water and transferring water into unhygienic containers,' said Dr. Rania Elsayegh, with Sudan's Doctors for Human Rights. Health workers fear the outbreak could spread quickly, since many people are packed into displacement centers making it difficult to isolate those infected. The health system has also broken down. More than 80% of hospitals are out of service and those that are operating have shortages of water, electricity and medication, said Dr. Sayed Mohamed Abdullah, of Sudan's Doctors Union. What is cholera? The World Health Organization describes cholera as a 'disease of poverty' because it spreads where there is poor sanitation and a lack of clean water. It is a diarrheal disease caused when people eat food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is easily treatable with rehydration solutions and antibiotics. Most of those infected have only mild symptoms but, in severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated. The WHO's global stockpile of oral cholera vaccines has dropped below its minimum threshold of 5 million doses, making it increasingly difficult to stop outbreaks. At the same time, cholera epidemics have been on the rise around the world since 2021, because of poverty, conflict and extreme climate events like floods and cyclones, the U.N. says. Why is this happening in Sudan? The civil war has devastated Sudan since it erupted in April 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the country. At least 24,000 people have been reported killed, though the number is likely far higher. More than 14 million have been displaced and forced from their homes, including over 4 million who streamed into neighboring countries. Famine was announced in at least five locations with the epicenter in the wrecked Darfur region. The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that the U.N. and international rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Devastating seasonal floods have compounded Sudan's misery. Each year, dozens of people have been killed and critical infrastructure washed away. Were there previous cholera outbreaks? Cholera is not uncommon in Sudan. In 2017, cholera left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months. But the war's destruction has fueled repeated outbreaks. Cholera spread across 11 of the country's 18 provinces in September and October, sickening more than 20,000 people and killing at least 626, according to health authorities. Over the course of two weeks in February and March, another outbreak infected more than 2,600 people, and 90 people died, mostly in the White Nile province, according to Doctors Without Borders. Other diseases have also spread. In the past week, an outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, sickened about 12,900 people and killed at least 20, the Health Ministry said Tuesday. At the same time, at least 12 people died of meningitis, a highly contagious, serious airborne viral disease, it said. ___ AP correspondent Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.
The Print
18-05-2025
- Health
- The Print
Grant Government Medical College celebrates a legacy of 180 years
The proposal, made in March 1838 by Grant, was approved by the British Government, but unfortunately, the news of its sanction arrived in India nine days after Grant's death at Dapodi, Pune. Conceived by Sir Robert Grant, then Governor of the Bombay Presidency, the iconic institution was envisioned to train native Indians in modern medicine. Notably, Rs 44,000 was raised through crowdfunding for its construction. Mumbai, May 17 (PTI) One of South Asia's oldest medical institutions, Grant Government Medical College (GMC) aka Sir J.J. Hospital, turned 180 on May 15, marking nearly two centuries of pioneering contributions to medical education and research in India. A memorial meeting in Mumbai led by civic leader Jagannath Shankarsheth commemorated Grant's vision. It was here that he proposed naming the upcoming medical college after Sir Grant. Philanthropist Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy contributed Rs 1 lakh to construct a hospital to accompany the college. An additional Rs 44,000 was raised through crowdfunding—an early example of community-supported public healthcare, recalled Dr. Rewat Kaninde, a devoted chronicler and alumnus of GMC. Known as the centre of excellence in medical education, research, and patient care in Central India, the Grant Government Medical College and Sir J J Hospital is the alma mater for thousands of doctors. The foundation stone for the hospital was laid on January 3, 1843, and the 'School of Practice' began functioning on May 15, 1845. The college building's foundation was laid on March 30, 1843, with its construction completed by October of the same year, ushering in a new era in healthcare and medical education. Spread over 44 acres, the 2,800-bed Sir J.J. Hospital now serves more than 12 lakh outpatients and 80,000 inpatients annually, drawing patients from across Maharashtra and neighbouring states. 'Sir Grant had come up with the suggestion that native Indians should learn modern medicine. He discussed the concept with his physician surgeon and wrote to the then British Government in March 1838. 'The proposal was approved. Unfortunately, the news about the sanction reached India nine days after Grant died at Dapodi,' Dr Kaninde said. In 1893, world-renowned bacteriologist Waldemar Haffkine developed the first vaccine against bubonic plague within the college's premises—a breakthrough that saved millions. His research, conducted in room '000' of what is now the Blood Bank building, was pivotal during the early response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The room was later converted into the Laboratory of Scientific Medical Research on February 17, 1891, and today serves as a Pharmacology lecture hall for second-year MBBS students, Dr Kaninde said. The college also hosted the pathbreaking research of Dr. Robert Koch on Vibrio cholerae, further cementing its status as a hub of medical advancement. Dr. Pallavi Sapale, Joint Director of Medical Education and Research and the first woman dean of GMC, highlighted the institution's groundbreaking legacy. 'Grant Medical College was the first institution to open doors for Western medicine training for Indians 180 years ago. It's known for many firsts—procedures like laparoscopy and neuro-endoscopy were conducted here for the first time,' she told PTI. She noted that the Grant Medical College was the first institution to open the doors for Western medicine training for Indians 180 years ago. An alumna of Grant Medical College, Dr Saple credited the institution for shaping her training and career as a paediatrician. 'Professors, students, and patients taught us a lot. We owe our achievements to them,' she added. GMC's distinguished alumni include luminaries such as Dr. Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar, a renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist, and Dr. Jivraj Narayan Mehta, the first Chief Minister of Gujarat. Dr Kaninde, who has been working at the GMC for the past 19 years, rued the absence of individuals who can emotionally identify themselves with the medical institution. PTI DC NSK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
