Medindia Health News

Roadmap to Tackle Stunting in Tribal Kids in India
TB Remains Virulent Due to Public Spitting
New 'Antivenomics' Technique to Create Universal Snake Bite Anti-venom
American Rapper Eminem Fulfills Terminally Ill Fan's Wish by Visiting Him in Person
Hyaluronon Protects Against Premature Births Caused by Infection
Government Says HIV Outbreak in Cambodia Likely a Result of Contaminated Needles
Life Satisfaction Depends on Whether the Local Environment Suits Your Personality or Not
Mass Mortality Events High Among Birds, Fish, Marine Invertebrates Over Past 70 Years
Culls Continue as Taiwan Tries to Curb Bird Flu Outbreak
New Nicotine Vaccine to Help Smokers Overcome Their Addiction
Radiation-free, Non-contact Breast Tissue Screening Tool
Bird Flu Scare: Sultanpur National Park Shut After 40 Birds Found Dead
Top Ten Budget-Friendly Foods
New Blood Test Which Predicts Alzheimer's Disease
Extend Life Beyond the Age of 120 for (Dollar) 1 Million Reward
India is an Important Place to Study Microbiology, Says Senior French Microbiologist
Health Benefits of Whole Grain Oats
Deaths Due to Road Accidents Higher Than Deaths Due to Militancy
With Obamacare Tax Returns Could be Complicated
5-year-old Girl in China Contracted HIV Through Blood Transfusion
Large Employers Are Bringing An End To 'Cadillac' Health Plans
Cancer is Often Caused by Lifestyle Factors Than Innate Biology
Learning a Second Language Boosts Brainpower
Health Warnings Inspires People to Save Electricity

Roadmap to Tackle Stunting in Tribal Kids in India

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The Indian government has drawn up a road map to tackle under-nutrition or stunting, which contributes to one-third of under-five child deaths among tribal children. A two-day conclave in Bhubaneswar will be conducted by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs from January 15 in collaboration with the Government of Odisha and Unicef to chart a road map for Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. ...

TB Remains Virulent Due to Public Spitting

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Pulmonary tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The person can contact it by inhaling air droplets from a sneeze or a cough of an infected individual. This medical condition is known as primary tuberculosis. Dr Mini Khetrapal,TB officer, Mumbai, said, "bacteria that cause tuberculosis are present in the infected person's spit for a long time. Thus, they are told to follow a hygienic routine which includes not spitting in public and covering their ...

New 'Antivenomics' Technique to Create Universal Snake Bite Anti-venom

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A team of researchers from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is working towards creating universal snake bite anti-venom with the help of a new technique called 'antivenomics'. Researchers are using this method to increase the potency of venom extraction, which has traditionally had a low success rate due to the weakness of the venom taken. The head of LSTM's Alistair Reid Venom Unit, Robert Harrison, said, "There are over 20 species of deadly snakes ...

American Rapper Eminem Fulfills Terminally Ill Fan's Wish by Visiting Him in Person

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Hyaluronon Protects Against Premature Births Caused by Infection

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Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified the substance hyaluronon (HA) protects against premature births caused by infection. Senior author Dr. Mala Mahendroo said, "We found that HA, a critical substance made by the body, is required to allow the epithelial lining of the reproductive tract to serve as the first line of defense against bacterial infections. Because of this action, HA offers cervical protection against the bacterial infections that cause ...

Government Says HIV Outbreak in Cambodia Likely a Result of Contaminated Needles

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Health authorities in Cambodia were alarmed when a cluster of villagers living near Battambang, tested positive for HIV in December. More than 200 people there are now known to have contracted the virus. The government blames an unlicensed medico who was allegedly reusing needles, and has pledged a countrywide crackdown against quacks. Experts say Roka village is the worst hit village in the outbreak where 12 percent of villagers tested so far ...

Life Satisfaction Depends on Whether the Local Environment Suits Your Personality or Not

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Life satisfaction depends on whether the local environment suits your personality or not, according to researchers from University of Helsinki. Researcher Markus Jokela said, "It's very common for people to talk about where is the best place to live, but most research has tended to look at factors such as income and low crime rates, and only on a very broad geographical scale, failing to consider individual differences in personality. As a result, studies imply that all ...

Mass Mortality Events High Among Birds, Fish, Marine Invertebrates Over Past 70 Years

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Scientists have recorded mass mortality events in nearly 2,500 animal species from the past 70 years, and found a rise in the events among birds, fish and marine invertebrates. The study also showed that the number of individuals killed appeared to be decreasing for reptiles and amphibians, and remained unchanged for mammals. This points towards disease, bio-toxicity and other stressors. Researchers at UC Berkeley, the University of San Diego and Yale University, ...

Culls Continue as Taiwan Tries to Curb Bird Flu Outbreak

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Taiwanese authorities slaughtered nearly 5,830 geese at three farms in Chiayi, after 14 more farms were confirmed to have been infected in the latest outbreak of avian influenza that has led to the culling of more than 140,000 birds. According to the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, the confirmation brought to 21 the total number of farms infected by the bird flu outbreak since last week. Further culls are expected as authorities ...

New Nicotine Vaccine to Help Smokers Overcome Their Addiction

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A promising nicotine vaccine to help smokers overcome their addiction has been developed by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). Researcher Kim Janda said, "This study provides new hope that one could make a nicotine vaccine that succeeds in clinical trials." Nicotine vaccines train the body to look at nicotine as a foreign invader. To prompt an immune response, scientists tried attaching nicotine derivatives called 'haptens' to a larger carrier ...

Radiation-free, Non-contact Breast Tissue Screening Tool

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A new product for radiation-free and non-contact breast tissue screening by TiaLinx, an Irvine, California firm, is released. The AR60-A is a laptop size, portable, and non-contact screening system designed to detect abnormal tissues in female breasts. The AR60-A device emits non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, focusing the beam using special wafer-thin panels and detecting the response using planar antennas. The technology detects the ...

Bird Flu Scare: Sultanpur National Park Shut After 40 Birds Found Dead

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The Sultanpur National Park, a bird sanctuary in Gurgaon, India, has been shut down after nearly 40 birds were found dead inside on Saturday, triggering fears of bird flu. "More than 40 migratory birds were found dead inside the sanctuary on Saturday morning. Later, a team of veterinarians from the Animal Husbandry Department took blood samples. We have decided to shut down the sanctuary as precautionary measure," said District Forest Officer K.S. Khatkar. ...

Top Ten Budget-Friendly Foods

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Cut down on cost and include healthy foods in your daily diet. Cooking creatively helps you eat healthy and also within your budget.

New Blood Test Which Predicts Alzheimer's Disease

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Extend Life Beyond the Age of 120 for (Dollar) 1 Million Reward

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Scientists are promised a reward of (Dollar) 1 million to find the elixir of life that can extend life beyond age 120, the theoretical maximum human lifespan. As of today, 15 scientific teams are already on the job to find the elusive fountain of youth. According to hedge fund manager Joon Yun, an entrepreneur, the chance of dying between ages 25 and 26 is only 0.1 percent. He wants scientists to 'hack the code of life' and make that percent consistent across ...

India is an Important Place to Study Microbiology, Says Senior French Microbiologist

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The presence of infectious diseases found in third world countries along with infections that exist in technologically developed countries makes India an important place to study microbiology, says Philippe Sansonetti, a professor at the Pasteur Institute and College de France in Paris. According to him, climatic conditions and high population are the main reasons for prevailing infectious diseases in the country. "India is important in ...

Health Benefits of Whole Grain Oats

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A wholesome breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Did you know that whole grain oats are one of the most popular breakfast cereals? Find out what makes it a healthy breakfast cereal.

Deaths Due to Road Accidents Higher Than Deaths Due to Militancy

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Jammu and Kashmir traffic police commemorated Road safety week with the theme, 'Zero tolerance to road accidents' and organized awareness skits on road safety performed by Kashmir's traditional artists. Deputy Inspector General of Traffic, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar mentioned that 281 human lives were lost and 2, 536 were injured in 1,865 traffic accidents that took place in the Valley last year. Kumar said the total number of road accidents that took ...

With Obamacare Tax Returns Could be Complicated

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This year when health insurance will show up on tax returns some people will find filing returns very frustrating. Those who availed insurance subsidies and those who did not have insurance will face new forms with additional questions and complicated math. "The Internal Revenue Service, in addition to being a tax collection agency, is now a health care agency," says Michael Greenwald, an accountant and partner with Friedman LLP. It won't be complicated for everyone. ...

5-year-old Girl in China Contracted HIV Through Blood Transfusion

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A 5-year-old girl in China has reportedly contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. The official news agency Xinhua stated, "The girl, nicknamed Maomao, was infected during an operation for congenital heart disease in 2010 in the eastern province of Fujian. She tested positive for HIV last year after she had come down with a fever for 17 days." A Fujian government official told the news agency that one of the donors whose blood was used during the operation was ...

Large Employers Are Bringing An End To 'Cadillac' Health Plans

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Large employers are stopping their most generous plans for health cover like the 'Cadillac' plans due to high taxes under the federal health insurance laws. Bankers at J P Morgan Chase, professors at Harvard University etc. find that companies are increasing deductibles and co-payments. As the tax will be effective in 2018, employers are taking steps to avoid a 40% surcharge. "I don't think there's any employer that's planning on paying that tax," Steve Wojcik, vice ...

Cancer is Often Caused by Lifestyle Factors Than Innate Biology

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New evidence from the recent World Cancer Congress suggests that cancer is an environmental disease that is often caused by avoidable lifestyle factors than innate biology. Cancer Council Queensland spokeswoman Katie Clift said, "The key to reducing cancer incidence lies in prevention, for example, about 47,000 breast cancer deaths worldwide could be avoided every year if physical inactivity was eliminated as a risk factor. It is also important that all eligible ...

Learning a Second Language Boosts Brainpower

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Learning a second language around age 10 can boost brainpower, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. During the study, researchers studied brain scans from 20 people, all around the age of 30, who had lived in Britain for at least 13 months; and had all started learning English as a second language around age 10. Their imaging analyses were compared to 25 people of the same age who spoke only English. Researchers ...

Health Warnings Inspires People to Save Electricity

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Telling people about the health hazards of pollution on kids' health inspires them to use less electricity than telling them how much money they could save by cutting back on power use, according to US researchers. People living in 118 apartment units in Los Angeles were part of the four month study and residents were given weekly feedback about their energy usage. One group was told about their electricity use compared to a more energy-efficient apartment nearby, ...