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Know More About Zika Outbreak

Posted by Kevin Nash on
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Health

Zika is a virus threatening the global health emergency. The infection has reached unborn babies and a state of emergency has been declared in certain regions. The doctors have alerted the people calling it “a pandemic in progress”. Some affected countries are asking women to put off pregnancy. The people affected by Zika virus rarely develop any symptoms and death is also rare. Though, some of the prominent symptoms include headache, mild fever, conjunctivitis, joint pain and rash. Seldom nervous system disorder leading to temporary paralysis is reported. Right now there is no treatment in terms of drugs or vaccines for the condition. Patients affected with Zika are advised to take lot of fluids.

The risk lies in impacting the fetus and in the rise in microcephaly. It is a condition of the baby born with a small head with an underdeveloped brain. The severities vary with the functionality of the brain being affected. Infections like substance abuse, genetic abnormalities or rubella is common. Zika is linked with pregnancy complications like stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth, eye problems among others. The US Centers for Disease Control informs that Zika remains in the blood for a week and it can be spread during sexual intercourse. Though the infection is not caused in the baby conceived after the virus is out of the body.

The couple are advised to follow safe sexual practices and abstain from sexual intercourse for about 8 weeks if they are returning from a Zika virus infected country. If the male develops Zika symptoms then abstinence of sex is recommended for six months.

Zika is a public health emergency because it spreads fast and has ravaging consequences. It is an international concern and the disease is considered a global threat, just like Ebola. But unlike Ebola it is more connected with microcephaly. World Health Organisation is coordinating with the health agencies of various countries to conduct trials to identify the risks.

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How Hawaii Tackles Dengue Fever?

Posted by Kevin Nash on
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Health

Hawaii officials claim that the last dengue fever outbreak was reported 30 days back. Celebrating this milestone success, Director of the State Department of Health, Virginia Pressler stated that though the celebrations are on, it is not the end. Tourism thrives in Hawaii and it receives around 200,000 visitors in a day. To add to this residents of the state travel to various places infected by Zika and dengue fever, both are endemic. Calling it just the beginning and asking the state to be prepared for any type of disease outbreak, the Tourism Authority CEO George Szigeti said that the state has to be prepared for the peak tourism season.

The CEO said that the state is open for tourism and travelers can now book for a vacation to Hawaii without any apprehensions. Though, health officials have concerns over the resources available to fight the disease in the future. The legislators are allocating less funds to the mosquito-fighting team of the state said Gov. David Ige. During the economic recession the mosquito control state were cut down drastically. The statistics has that that from 56 in 2009 to 25 in 2016. More funds are needed to hire 33 more people but the approval has been given only for 20 recruits.

Meanwhile the state and the county team are put on continuous surveillance and regular cleanups. In this effect, 1,000 tires that were the breeding ground for harmful mosquitoes were removed recently from the Big Island property. The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency administrator Darryl Oliveria states that such threats are being eliminated, the state is still not clear. Since February this year, Hawaii has been on the war footing to eradicate mosquito borne diseases. Meanwhile the recent dengue outbreak has helped the state to be prepared for such health emergencies states Ige.

Artificial Pancreas A Relief To Diabetic Patients

Posted by Kevin Nash on
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Health

Diabetic patients have to undergo the drill of regular blood checks, doses of insulin and counting the intake of carbohydrates. This could be a taxing exercise in comparison with the discomfort of being diagnosed of the disease. The research from the Harvard University has given a ray of hope with the release of artificial pancreas. This technology helps to improve the health of 1.2 million people suffering from the diabetes. The quality of life suffers with diabetes patients spending 30% of their day managing the disease. Imagine if 50% of the effort is cut down.

The pancreas is a gland that is an integral part of the digestive system. The major function of the system is to release enzymes to help in the digestive process. The other job of the pancreas is to regulate the blood sugar levels though the release of insulin and glucagon hormones. The Harvard team has come up with an artificial pancreas that manages diabetes using the existing system. A few Type 1 diabetics use the two artificial pancreas constituents, CSII and CGM. These devices help the patients to stay away from poking their fingers. The latest technology receives glucose sensor information and administers the insulin dosage appropriately.