In a heart rending yet profoundly inspiring act, a 10-month-old baby girl, who lost her life in a road accident, has become the youngest organ donor in Kerala, offering hope and healing to others even in death, officials said on Friday. Alin Sherin Abraham, hailing from Mallappally in Pathanamthitta district, was declared brain dead following a tragic road accident. In the middle of unimaginable grief, her parents chose to donate her organs so that other lives could be saved. Their decision has touched the hearts of many across the state. The infant's kidneys, liver and heart valves are being donated. Her two kidneys will be transplanted to a 10-year-old child undergoing treatment at the S.A.T. Hospital attached to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. The organs are being transported by road to ensure timely transplantation procedures. State Health Minister Veena George expressed deep appreciation for the family's extraordinary gesture. Sharing her condolences, she said the parents' decision to think of others' lives even at a time of intense personal sorrow reflects remarkable courage and humanity. She also conveyed that the state government stands in solidarity with the grieving family. "The loss of a child is an immeasurable tragedy. Yet, in choosing organ donation, Alin Sherin's parents have transformed their personal pain into a beacon of hope for families awaiting life-saving transplants. Their act underscores the growing awareness about organ donation in Kerala and the life-affirming impact such decisions can have," Veena George said in her social media page. While nothing can compensate for the loss of their daughter, the knowledge that her organs will give other children and families a renewed chance at life may offer some solace. "In remembering Alin Sherin, Kerala also remembers the quiet strength of her parents who, in the darkest of moments, chose compassion over despair and life over loss," Minister George said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 09:29 PM IST | Thiruvananthapuram | IANSMore than 32,000 cancer cases have been reported across Jammu and Kashmir in recent years, with nearly 79 per cent of the total cases recorded in the valley alone, Health Minister Sakeena Itoo said on Friday, February 13. Replying to an unstarred question by PDP legislator Waheed Ur Rehman Para in the Assembly, the minister said 25,621 cases were registered in Kashmir division (2022â¿¿2024), while 6,804 cases were reported from Jammu division (2023-2025). She said the most commonly detected cancers include that of lung, breast, oral, cervical and prostate. Gastro-intestinal malignancies, including cancers of the esophagus, stomach and colorectal region, are also frequently reported, Itoo said. Sharing the details compiled by the Health and Medical Education Department, the minister said the Kashmir division recorded 8,021 cases in 2022, 8,621 in 2023 and 8,979 in 2024, indicating a steady increase over the years. In the Jammu division, 2,036 cases were reported in 2023, 2,187 in 2024 and 2,581 cases in 2025, also reflecting a rising trend in reported cases, she said. On the steps taken for prevention, early, detection and treatment of cancer and other terminal diseases, the minister said various health institutions like the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) and the State Cancer Institute (SCI) at Government Medical College, Jammu, provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary cancer care encompassing medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and clinical hematology. These institutes are equipped with advanced diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including PET-CT, CT scan, dedicated CT simulators, modern radiotherapy systems, and other specialised oncology services, she said. The minister said due emphasis is laid on public education regarding early warning signs of cancer and modifiable risk factors such as tobacco cessation, healthy dietary habits, and lifestyle modification, with a view to facilitating cancer prevention and early treatment. She said the patients suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses are managed at SKIMS, Soura, Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) and their associated hospitals, as well as at district hospitals and Community Health Centres (CHCs). Wherever required, patients are referred to GMCs and other tertiary care institutions for specialised treatment, she said. The minister said the PET scan facility is available at SKIMS, Soura and another such unit is being procured at a cost of Rs 16 crore for GMC Srinagar. Additionally, PET scan facilities are being provided by Narayana Super Specialty Hospital, Kakryal (Katra) and the American Oncology Institute, ASCOM, in the private sector in Jammu division. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 02:47 PM IST | Jammu | PTIThe Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati researchers have developed a new system that can effectively remove 99 per cent arsenic from contaminated water at a low cost. The electrocoagulation system has demonstrated the ability to remove contaminants within a few minutes, making it suitable for use in regions with limited access to complex water treatment infrastructure. Due to rapid industrialisation and urban growth, global reliance on groundwater has increased significantly. In many regions, groundwater contains arsenic released from natural rock formations or human activities such as mining and agriculture. In a press release, IIT Guwahati stated that Long-term exposure can cause serious health problems, including organ damage and cancer. "Around 140 million people globally are exposed to unsafe arsenic levels, with India, Bangladesh, and parts of South America among the worst affected. To address this, many conventional methods have been developed, and while some have been successful, these are difficult to implement in uncontrolled environments. Most methods rely on the addition of chemicals, extensive treatment periods, and sophisticated equipment. Moreover, the methods need to be performed on site and have the potential to create surplus sludge, increasing the time and energy costs to disposal," said in the press release. It also stated that, electrocoagulation offers a different approach. Instead of adding external chemicals, it uses an electric current to release metal ions from electrodes immersed in the water. "These ions attach to arsenic and other contaminants, allowing them to clump together and be removed from the water through settling or flotation. The process is relatively simple to operate and reduces the need for chemical handling. Traditional electrocoagulation systems use stationary electrodes, which can slow the process and cause deposits to form on the electrode surface over time, reducing efficiency. To overcome many of the noted system inefficiencies, the IIT Guwahati team, under the guidance of Prof. Mihir Purkait, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, configured an electrocoagulation system with a rotating anode and a stationary cathode," said in the press statement. Speaking on the application of the technology for arsenic mitigation, Prof. Mihir K. Purkait from the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati said, "Electrocoagulation, combined with a rotating electrode system, offers an efficient solution for arsenic-contaminated water. In this process, a controlled electric current dissolves a sacrificial iron electrode while its rotation enhances mixing and mass transfer, leading to uniform generation of iron coagulant species that effectively bind arsenic present in the water." Simultaneously, fine gas bubbles formed during the process attach to the arsenic-laden flocs and lift them to the surface for easy separation. According to Prof. Purkait, the use of rotating iron electrodes significantly improves removal efficiency while maintaining low operational cost, making the technology well-suited for arsenic removal under optimised conditions. Laboratory tests using both synthetic water and real groundwater samples showed that the system could treat 1 m3 of contaminated water using only approximately 0.36 units of electricity. At prevailing electricity tariffs, this translates to a treatment cost of roughly Rs. 8-9 per 1,000 litres. Under optimised conditions, arsenic concentrations were reduced to well below the World Health Organisation's guideline of 10 micrograms per litre within two to three minutes. The rotating anode system also produced significantly less sludge than conventional electrocoagulation setups, with faster settling and easier handling. The EC technology is a cost-effective alternative to conventional membrane and adsorption systems, particularly for arsenic removal. For a small community-scale plant (10-50 kilolitres per day), an EC system typically costs Rs. 8-15 lakh, while a conventional system costs between Rs. 12-20 lakh. At medium-scale capacities (100-500 kilolitres per day), the EC system costs Rs. 30-80 lakh, whereas RO-based systems often exceed Rs. 1-2 crore. Operationally, the EC system does not require expensive membranes or frequent chemical dosing, and maintenance is largely limited to electrode replacement. In contrast, membrane systems include high operating costs due to membrane fouling, replacement, and energy-intensive operations. The developed technology is particularly suitable for rural and semi-urban areas, where affordability, robustness, and ease of operation are critical. The findings of this study have been published in the prestigious Separation and Purification Technology Journal in a paper co-authored by Prof. Mihir Kumar Purkait and his research scholar Mukesh Bharti. As the next step, the team plans to test the developed system in real-field conditions and evaluate its long-term performance in groundwater containing multiple contaminants such as fluoride and iron. The research team is in discussion with M/S Kakati Engineering Pvt. Ltd., Sivasagar, Assam, for the fabrication and installation of the system. Further commercialisation of the developed technology will be initiated once an appropriate funding source is confirmed. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 February,2026 02:04 PM IST | Guwahati | ANIHuman evolution has long been tied to growing brain size, and new research suggests prenatal hormones may have played a surprising role. By studying the relative lengths of the index and ring fingers, a marker of prenatal exposure to oestrogen and testosterone, researchers found that higher prenatal oestrogen exposure was associated with larger head size in newborn boys. Human evolution is closely tied to a steady increase in brain size. New research suggests that this expansion may be partly influenced by pre-birth oestrogen levels, with an unexpected indicator in the length of our fingers. Professor John Manning, part of Swansea's Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Med-icine (A-STEM) research team, has spent years studying what is known as digit ratio. This measure compares the length of the index finger to the ring finger, a relationship called the 2D:4D ratio. Scientists have shown that this ratio reflects the balance of estrogen and testosterone a fetus is exposed to during the first trimester of pregnancy. When prenatal oestrogen levels are higher relative to testosterone, the index finger tends to be longer than the ring finger. In these cases, the 2D:4D value is considered high. In his latest study, Professor Manning worked with researchers from Istanbul University's Department of Anthropology. Their findings were recently published in the journal Early Human Development. Because head circumference in newborns is strongly linked to brain size and later measures of intelligence, the research team examined both finger ratios and head size in a group of 225 newborns. The group included 100 boys and 125 girls. The results showed a clear pattern in boys. Higher 2D:4D ratios, which point to greater prenatal estrogen exposure, were associated with larger head circumference. This relationship did not appear in girls. Professor Manning explained the broader significance of the findings. "This finding is relevant to human evolution because increases in brain size are found alongside feminisation of the skeleton, what is known as the estrogenized ape hypothesis." High values of 2D:4D in males have been found to be related to elevated rates of heart problems, poor sperm counts and predisposition to schizophrenia. "However, increases in brain size may offset these problems. Thus, the evolutionary drive for larger brains in humans may inevitably be linked to reductions in male viability including cardiovascular problems, infertility and rates of schizophrenia," added Manning. The researchers say the study adds to growing evidence that prenatal estrogen has played a positive role in shaping the evolution of the human brain, even if it came with biological costs. Professor Manning's earlier work has also linked digit ratio to a wide range of outcomes. Past studies have explored connections between finger length and alcohol consumption, recovery after Covid-19 infection, and oxygen use in football players. Together, this research highlights how a simple anatomical trait may reflect powerful influences during early human development. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 February,2026 09:37 AM IST | Washington | ANIOn the occasion of World Cancer Day observed on February 4 earlier this week, health experts have raised concerns over the rising number of gallbladder cancer cases in Delhi, particularly among women. Often mistaken for common digestive issues, early symptoms such as acidity, bloating, nausea, or gastric pain are frequently ignored or treated with over-the-counter antacids. This delay in medical consultation leads to late-stage diagnosis, when treatment options become limited. Timely screening and diagnostic testing can play a critical role in improving outcomes and survival. Gallbladder cancer is a relatively rare but aggressive cancer that develops in the gallbladder, a small organ located beneath the liver. Dr Kavita Jain, senior consultant in oncology pathology, Apollo Diagnostic Delhi, said, “In Delhi, its incidence is steadily increasing. Women are at a higher risk than men, particularly those above the age of 40. Common risk factors include gallstones, obesity, long-term gallbladder inflammation, infections, and a sedentary lifestyle. Gallbladder cancer is often called silent cancer because its early symptoms are easily overlooked. Early symptoms are often vague and non-specific, such as persistent acidity, abdominal discomfort, bloating, nausea, unexplained weight loss, or pain in the upper right abdomen. Because these signs mimic routine digestive problems, nearly 70–80 per cent of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage.” Dr Kavita further added, “Early diagnosis plays a critical role in improving outcomes in gallbladder cancer. Investigations, such as abdominal ultrasound, are often the first step in identifying abnormalities, while contrast-enhanced CT scans and MRI help in accurately assessing the extent of the disease. Blood tests, including liver function tests and tumour markers, provide additional clues that should not be overlooked. In some cases, endoscopic investigations help confirm the diagnosis at an early and treatable stage. When testing is done on time, treatment can be planned more effectively, often with less aggressive interventions. This improves survival rates and quality of life. Women with gallstones or long-standing digestive symptoms should seek medical advice early rather than ignoring persistent discomfort.”
07 February,2026 09:52 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentAs tuberculosis (TB) continues as the deadliest infectious cause of deaths globally, a new study has shown that artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled digital stethoscopes can help fill critical screening gaps, especially in hard-to-reach areas. In a commentary published in the journal Med (Cell Press), global experts contended that stethoscopes combined with digital technology and AI can be a better option against the challenges faced in screening programmes, such as under-detection, high cost, and inequitable access. “AI-enabled digital stethoscopes have demonstrated promising accuracy and feasibility for detecting lung and cardiovascular abnormalities, with promising results in early TB studies. Training and validation in diverse, high-burden settings are essential to explore the potential of this tool further,” said corresponding author Madhukar Pai from McGill University, Canada, along with researchers from the UAE, Germany, and Switzerland. Despite advancements in screening and diagnostic tools, an estimated 2.7 million people with TB were missed by current screening programmes, as per data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Routine symptom screening is also likely to miss people with asymptomatic or subclinical TB. While the WHO recently recommended several AI-powered computer-aided detection (CAD) software, as well as ultra-portable radiography hardware, higher operating costs and upfront hardware act as a deterrent. This particularly appeared difficult in primary care settings and or among pregnant women due to radiation concerns. At the same time, AI showed significant potential for screening, including applications beyond CAD of TB from radiographs, said the researchers. “One application of AI for disease screening is to interpret acoustic (sound) biomarkers of disease, with potential to identify sounds that appear nonspecific or are inaudible to the human ear,” they added, while highlighting the potential of AI in detecting and interpreting cough biomarkers and lung auscultation to analyse breath sounds. Studies from high-TB burden countries, including India, Peru, South Africa, Uganda, and Vietnam, highlighted that AI-enabled auscultation could hold promise as a TB screening and triage tool. "AI digital stethoscopes may become useful alternatives to imaging-based approaches for TB screening, with the potential to democratise access to care for populations underserved by radiography," the researchers said. "Importantly, AI digital stethoscopes offer a scalable, low-cost, and person-centered tool that could bring us closer to reaching TB case finding goals," they added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
06 February,2026 08:07 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSAmid several claims of vaccination and reduced fertility, a study of nearly 60,000 women showed that the Covid vaccine played no role in a decrease in childbirth. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, unfounded rumours have circulated, especially on social media, alleging that vaccination impairs chances of becoming pregnant. In the later stages of the pandemic, there was a decrease in the number of children born in some countries, including Sweden. This raised the question of whether this could be due to the new vaccines. "Our conclusion is that it's highly unlikely that the mRNA vaccine against Covid-19 was behind the decrease in childbirth during the pandemic," said Toomas Timpka, professor of social medicine at Linkoping University, Sweden. The study, published in the journal Communications Medicine, found no statistically significant difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated women in childbirths and miscarriages. "We see no difference in childbirth rates between those who have taken the vaccine and those who haven't. We've also looked at all registered miscarriages among those who became pregnant, and we see no difference between the groups there either," Timpka said. Their analysis is based on a study of almost 60,000 women aged 18 to 45 years in Sweden. Of these women, 75 per cent were vaccinated once or more against Covid from 2021 to 2024. The researchers used data on childbirths, vaccinations, miscarriages, and deaths from health care records. The results are in line with several previous studies that have not found any association between the Covid vaccine and fertility. Importantly, the study examined conception and pregnancy in the general population, unlike most previous research, which “focused on couples undergoing fertility treatment.” The researchers also adjusted their findings for factors other than Covid that could have affected conception rates, such as age and underlying illness. Several studies have shown that Covid infection can be dangerous for pregnant women, but vaccination can reduce that risk substantially. “Present scientific evidence is clear that the protection against severe disease a Covid-19 shot provides clearly outweighs possible risks,” Timpka said. “Women who want to start a family and who are on the fence about whether to get a Covid-19 shot should not hesitate about having the vaccine,” Timpka added.
06 February,2026 12:06 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSA world-first Australian trial has found that a simple fingerstick test for hepatitis B DNA is as accurate as standard lab testing, paving the way for wider access in remote and resource-limited settings. Published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, the study showed that the point-of-care test can deliver results within an hour and be performed in decentralised clinics, Xinhua news agency reported. The fingerstick test can help overcome delays caused by laboratory-based testing, according to a statement from the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales in Australia. "The results of our trial found that the fingerstick point-of-care test is highly accurate, closely matching the accuracy of traditional tests," said Professor Gail Matthews, who led the research at the Kirby Institute. The finding has the potential to "expand access to testing and treatment globally," especially where access to testing is limited, Matthews said. Hepatitis B, a viral infection that attacks the liver, affects an estimated 254 million people worldwide and causes over 1 million deaths annually, as per global statistics. Though preventable by vaccine, only about 8 per cent of those living with chronic hepatitis B receive treatment, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Currently, hepatitis B DNA testing, for both diagnosis and monitoring, requires collecting a venous blood sample to be processed in centralised laboratories, meaning patients can need to travel long distances to take the test, and then often wait days or weeks for results. This delay and the multiple clinic visits involved can hinder timely treatment and care. In comparison, the new point-of-care test can be done in small health clinics using a finger stick blood sample, which can be performed by a broader range of health care workers, and provides a result within 60 minutes. It is an effective alternative to laboratory testing for many infectious diseases, including hepatitis C, but until now, its efficacy for hepatitis B DNA using finger stick blood has been unknown. The new test could also support global efforts to meet the WHO target of eliminating hepatitis B as a public health threat by 2030, the researchers said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
05 February,2026 10:30 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSResearchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed a simpler and more efficient method to recover immune cells grown in the lab for T-cell–based cancer therapies. In immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell, T-cells (a type of immune cell) are taken from a patient’s blood and modified in large numbers in the laboratory and infused back into the patient’s bloodstream to help fight cancer. These cells, grown outside the body, must be collected gently so that they remain alive and functional when returned to the patient. Finding safe and efficient ways to grow T-cells and retrieve them is therefore an important part of making these therapies work. “Cell recovery sounds simple on paper, but in practice it turns out to be one of the biggest challenges,” said Prof. Prakriti Tayalia, from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at the IIT Bombay “Without enough healthy cells, you cannot test them properly or use them for therapy,” she added. To better mimic the body’s natural environment, Tayalia’s team worked with a specific type of scaffold made using a process called electrospinning. These electrospun scaffolds look like thin mats made of very fine fibres, similar to a dense fishing net. The team grew Jurkat T-cells (a human cell line grown and used in the laboratory to study T-cell biology, cancer, and HIV) inside electrospun scaffolds made from a material called polycaprolactone. Under a microscope, the researchers observed that the cells actively moved into the scaffold and became tightly lodged between the fibres. Further, the research showed that collecting the cells using trypsin, an enzyme, led to higher cell death. In contrast, cells recovered with accutase, a milder enzyme, survived in greater numbers and behaved more like healthy T-cells. They formed clusters, an essential step before T-cells divide, and continued to grow well after recovery. “Harsh treatments to cells, using enzymes such as trypsin, can damage key surface proteins needed for immune signalling and activation, reducing the cell’s therapeutic usefulness. Accutase appears mild enough to avoid this problem,” Tayalia said. The study's findings, published in the journal Biomaterials Science, could help laboratories use such scaffolds when preparing cells for therapies such as CAR T-cell treatment. “If we want these advanced therapies to reach patients, every step matters. How we grow cells, and how we retrieve them, can make a real difference,” Tayalia said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
05 February,2026 10:08 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSDoctors at AII India Institute of Medical Sciences successfully performed a complex medical procedure to save the life of a 14-month-old girl who had swallowed a two-inch-long metal spring, it said on Thursday, February 5. The metal spring stuck in the oesophagus, also known as the food pipe, was successfully removed after an endoscopic surgery, AIIMS said in an official statement. The child, a resident of Yamunanagar, was brought to the hospital after suffering from continuous vomiting for about a week and not eating for two days. “During the examination, an X-ray revealed a large metal spring lodged in the upper part of the child's oesophagus,” AIIMS said, "with ulcerations extending along the mucosa". “The spring was stuck on the upper part of the food pipe. And the thickness of the spring was much more than the normal spring, which we see in our pens. It was approximately half an inch wide and at least 1.5 to 2 inches long,” Professor Dr. Vishesh Jain, from the Paediatric Surgery Department, told IANS. He noted that an attempt was made to remove it endoscopically at a private hospital in Dehradun, but due to swelling and lesions in the oesophagus, the procedure was deemed risky, and the child was immediately referred to AIIMS. Jain and his team used advanced endoscopic techniques in the operating room. The spring was carefully rotated and removed, preventing any perforation, the statement said. “After the surgery, the child's condition improved rapidly, and she was started on oral feeding the next day,” AIIMS said. Jain advised parents to keep items such as springs, batteries, coins, and small toy parts out of reach of young children, as swallowing them can be fatal. He also said that if parents see a baby swallow something, they should take the baby to a doctor immediately so the doctor can assess the size of the object and decide on the proper treatment.
05 February,2026 10:03 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSA team of researchers in Japan has announced a clinical trial to confirm a vaccine's efficacy against the deadly Nipah virus in humans. The vaccine candidate developed at the University of Tokyo is set to start clinical trials in Belgium in April, Nikkei Asia, a Japan-based English-language news magazine, reported. The new vaccine offers a potential breakthrough against a disease whose fatality rate is estimated to be between 40 per cent and 75 per cent. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for Nipah virus infection. The latest development comes even as India reported two confirmed cases of Nipah virus from West Bengal in January. The new vaccine is reportedly being developed by inserting a portion of the Nipah virus's genetic information into the measles virus. “When the vaccine is introduced in humans, antigen proteins similar to those of the Nipah virus are produced. The immune system's response is seen strengthening the body's defenses, helping to prevent the onset of symptoms,” the report said. “The modified measles virus, widely used globally for measles vaccines,” it added. The team has already established the vaccine's efficacy and safety in animal trials with hamsters. To confirm the vaccine's safety in humans, the Phase 1 clinical trial will involve 60 subjects. Separately, a team from Oxford University began Phase 2 clinical trials with a Nipah vaccine candidate in Bangladesh in December. About 300 people aged 18 to 55 are expected to participate. Nipah virus infection has also been designated as a priority disease under the World Health Organization's (WHO) Research and Development Blueprint. Nipah is a zoonotic disease that is primarily transmitted from bats to humans, either directly or through contaminated food. It can also spread from animals such as pigs to humans, and in some cases between people through close and prolonged contact, particularly in health-care settings. In humans, Nipah virus infection can range from asymptomatic illness to severe respiratory disease and fatal encephalitis. Globally, the case fatality rate is estimated to be between 40 per cent and 75 per cent, depending on early detection and quality of clinical care. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
05 February,2026 10:13 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSADVERTISEMENT
