Paradise News

Category: Health

  • Nigerian Universities engage cats to prevent Lassa fever on a new research

    Authorities of the various universities in the country have deployed various strategies, including the use of cats, in order to prevent an outbreak of Lassa fever on campuses, findings by our correspondents reveal.
    From the University of Benin, Edo State; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State; Enugu State University of Science and Technology to the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the race for hunting of rats has taken a new dimension.
    Before now, many, particularly animal scientists, did not bother about the danger of co-habiting with rodents, which they considered as part of the ecosystem. For the majority of the students also, provided these rodents did not eat their books and personal belongings, they could afford to allow them to exist on campuses.
    But this situation has changed. Both the students and the workers no longer see these common rodents as co-partners. In fact, while some of the institutions employ the conventional approach such as preaching the “gospel” of cleanliness, sensitising students and members of staff to the danger of co-habiting with rats, and fumigation, others use the unorthodox mechanism like purchasing of cats to “de-rat” their campuses.
    Even in some schools, students have thrown aboard the idea of indulging in their regular “drinking” of garri pastime.
    That the authorities and the students now employ these strategies is not out of place. Rats, especially the Natal multimammate mice (Mastomys natalensis), found in many sub-Saharan Africa, are believed to be the major carrier of Lassa fever or Lassa hemorrhagic fever. And statistics so far show that no fewer than 60 persons have lost their lives to the virus in Nigeria.
    From Benin, the authorities of UNIBEN are not giving anything to chance, especially with the reported death of a final-year engineering student. The student was said to be an occupant in Hall Three, one of the hostels on Ugbowo campus of the university.
    But the UNIBEN management, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Michael Osasuyi, dismissed the speculation about the death of a student of the university.
    According to him, there is no truth in the story that a final-year student died of the virus.
    Osasuyi, who, however, said the university was carrying out proactive measures to forestall any outbreak in the institution, added that a committee had been set up to sensitise members of staff and students to the dangers of the virus.
    He also hinted of plans to “de-rat the university” as part of efforts to check the prevalence of rodents in the community.
    Osasuyi added, “The vice-chancellor has mandated the student union to organise sensitisation programmes. Before any outbreak, the university is even proactive. The population of student is much; so, we cannot take chances. It is no news that we have rats everywhere.”
    However, it was also learnt that the various hostels had been fortified with cats allegedly provided by the university management to control the number of rats within the community.
    But to escape contracting the virus, a 400-level medical student, Eddy Uwughiren, said many students on campus had increased their commitment to personal hygiene.
    Uwughiren said, “I know that the school has organised a seminar to enlighten students on Lassa fever. There are school cats that kill the rats. Rats are very common in our hostels but the cats do kill them. For me, I ensure that I cover all my edibles well. It is the same with my roommates; we try to maintain a high level of hygiene.”
    The use of cats to prevent an outbreak of the virus is also fashionable in ABU. It was gathered that the authorities, in declaring war on rats, provided cats on hostels, especially on Samaru and Kongo campuses.
    The Director, Health Services of the ABU, Dr. Hauwa Nana-Madugu, who confirmed this, however, said the university was free of Lassa fever.
    According to her, all the hostels – Amina, Suleiman, Akenzua, Danfo-dio, ICSA/Rammat – have been provided with cats to eliminate all rats.
    Besides fumigating and clearing the surroundings, students and members of staff, she said, had been sensitised to the danger of the disease.
    She added, “Apart from fumigating the environment, clearing of the bushes and rats’ (reservoir), the various hostels have been provided with cats to attack the rats. The university has no option but to safeguard the lives of the residents of the community.”
    But students of UNICAL and the Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, have reduced the consumption of garri with cold water (‘soaking’) due to the fear of the virus.
    Though there has not been any reported case of Lassa fever in the state, the authorities of UNICAL have embarked on fumigation of hostels to reduce the number of rats in the institution.
    A 400-level Human Anatomy student, Soso Jumbo, said students had been discouraged from consuming garri “soaked” in cold water.
    He said, “We constantly get advice from the garri sellers on campus not to soak it the usual way in cold water to avoid contracting the virus. They have advised us to use to the hot water version for now and that is what I do if the need arises.”
    Another student, Rosemary Johnson, said the fumigation by the management had reduced the presence of rodents on campus.
    A 200-levels student in the Department Visual Arts, CRUTECH, Eme Archibong, said students had jettisoned the idea of “soaking” to avoid contracting Lassa fever.
    The UNN management has also embarked on a campaign to sensitise the students to the virus.
    Its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Okwun Omaku, said the management embarked on the campaign in order to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the institution.
    He said, “We have been sensitising the students, creating awareness on the causes of Lassa fever and ways of preventing it. We did a memo on that and placed it on notice boards.
    “Also, the campus radio station, Lion FM, is being used to create the necessary awareness among the students. The message is that they should ensure a clean environment, maintain hygiene and keep food and foodstuffs properly covered.”
    But the Director for Public Affairs, ESUTECH, Mr. Ossy Ugwuoti, noted that Lassa fever was not in the state.
    However, some of OAU students on Monday described rats at “co-tenants” in their halls of residence.
    A student, who lives at Awo Hall, Timothy Okewale, said many students did not consider the presence of rats as a danger to their lives any longer because they had been living with these rodents since they were admitted to the university.
    He said, “Rats are still around. They cannot go to anywhere because they get food easily and I think the environment makes them thrive.”
    A resident at Mozambique Hall, who identified herself as Tope, agreed with Okewale on the presence of rats in the university.
    She said although there had not been any recent fumigation in her hostel, the management placed a notice at the entrance of the hostels, advising students on the preventive measures.
    She said, “The hall has not been fumigated since the outbreak of Lassa fever but we have plenty of rats around. Everybody is making efforts to prevent infection.
    Students of the university last November embarked on a series of protests against the poor condition of their hostels.
    However, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, said there were no rats in the university. He said the neatness of the campus made it unattractive to rats.
    He said, “There are no rats in OAU. The environment is not conducive to them. Rats prefer to live in dirty places where they can hide. That is not the case on our campus. The neatness and cleanliness of the OAU does not make the campus attractive to rats.”
    A UNIPORT student, John Nnadum, said that the institution had begun the campaign against Lassa fever since last week, adding that lectures were organised in the institution on how to avoid the disease.
    The spokesperson for the university, Dr. William Wodi, confirmed the contribution the authorities were making to prevent the virus on campus.
    He added that the university had trained its health workers.
    However, a student of the Kenule Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori, Favour Udonkwa, said the institution had not begun any campaign on Lassa fever.
    Udonkwa, a Mass Communication student, explained that though it was not long that the polytechnic resumed after a long break, no campaign against Lassa fever was going on in the institution.
    The Deputy Registrar/ Head of the Information Unit, UNILAG, Mr. Toyin Adebule, said the authorities were not giving anything to chance. Beyond fumigation and sharing of pamphlets to sensitise members of the community, Adebule added, the authorities had posted all the needed information about the virus on the university’s website.
    He said, “Following the bedbug saga, we had fumigated the hostels and other parts of the institution. Since then, we have continued to carry out the exercise to ensure that the environment is habitable. With the strategies put in place by the directorate of works and health services, I do not think the university will be caught napping with regard to Lassa fever.”
    Even UI, whose students are on vacation, is putting in place some preventive measures. The UI Director of Health Services, Dr. Femi Akingbola, said the school had taken measures to ensure that no student came to the school with the Lassa fever.
    He said the school would also screen the students when they arrived on February 13, adding that the institution needed the support of the Oyo State Government to guide against dumping of refuse by residents of the community outside the campus at the school gate.
    Additional reports by Alexander Okere, Godwin Isenyo, Ihuoma Chiedozie, Femi Makinde, Chukwudi Akasike and Femi Atoyebi.
    Curled from Punch News

  • Nigerian Universities engage cats to prevent Lassa fever on a new research

    Authorities of the various universities in the country have deployed various strategies, including the use of cats, in order to prevent an outbreak of Lassa fever on campuses, findings by our correspondents reveal.
    From the University of Benin, Edo State; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State; Enugu State University of Science and Technology to the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the race for hunting of rats has taken a new dimension.
    Before now, many, particularly animal scientists, did not bother about the danger of co-habiting with rodents, which they considered as part of the ecosystem. For the majority of the students also, provided these rodents did not eat their books and personal belongings, they could afford to allow them to exist on campuses.
    But this situation has changed. Both the students and the workers no longer see these common rodents as co-partners. In fact, while some of the institutions employ the conventional approach such as preaching the “gospel” of cleanliness, sensitising students and members of staff to the danger of co-habiting with rats, and fumigation, others use the unorthodox mechanism like purchasing of cats to “de-rat” their campuses.
    Even in some schools, students have thrown aboard the idea of indulging in their regular “drinking” of garri pastime.
    That the authorities and the students now employ these strategies is not out of place. Rats, especially the Natal multimammate mice (Mastomys natalensis), found in many sub-Saharan Africa, are believed to be the major carrier of Lassa fever or Lassa hemorrhagic fever. And statistics so far show that no fewer than 60 persons have lost their lives to the virus in Nigeria.
    From Benin, the authorities of UNIBEN are not giving anything to chance, especially with the reported death of a final-year engineering student. The student was said to be an occupant in Hall Three, one of the hostels on Ugbowo campus of the university.
    But the UNIBEN management, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Michael Osasuyi, dismissed the speculation about the death of a student of the university.
    According to him, there is no truth in the story that a final-year student died of the virus.
    Osasuyi, who, however, said the university was carrying out proactive measures to forestall any outbreak in the institution, added that a committee had been set up to sensitise members of staff and students to the dangers of the virus.
    He also hinted of plans to “de-rat the university” as part of efforts to check the prevalence of rodents in the community.
    Osasuyi added, “The vice-chancellor has mandated the student union to organise sensitisation programmes. Before any outbreak, the university is even proactive. The population of student is much; so, we cannot take chances. It is no news that we have rats everywhere.”
    However, it was also learnt that the various hostels had been fortified with cats allegedly provided by the university management to control the number of rats within the community.
    But to escape contracting the virus, a 400-level medical student, Eddy Uwughiren, said many students on campus had increased their commitment to personal hygiene.
    Uwughiren said, “I know that the school has organised a seminar to enlighten students on Lassa fever. There are school cats that kill the rats. Rats are very common in our hostels but the cats do kill them. For me, I ensure that I cover all my edibles well. It is the same with my roommates; we try to maintain a high level of hygiene.”
    The use of cats to prevent an outbreak of the virus is also fashionable in ABU. It was gathered that the authorities, in declaring war on rats, provided cats on hostels, especially on Samaru and Kongo campuses.
    The Director, Health Services of the ABU, Dr. Hauwa Nana-Madugu, who confirmed this, however, said the university was free of Lassa fever.
    According to her, all the hostels – Amina, Suleiman, Akenzua, Danfo-dio, ICSA/Rammat – have been provided with cats to eliminate all rats.
    Besides fumigating and clearing the surroundings, students and members of staff, she said, had been sensitised to the danger of the disease.
    She added, “Apart from fumigating the environment, clearing of the bushes and rats’ (reservoir), the various hostels have been provided with cats to attack the rats. The university has no option but to safeguard the lives of the residents of the community.”
    But students of UNICAL and the Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, have reduced the consumption of garri with cold water (‘soaking’) due to the fear of the virus.
    Though there has not been any reported case of Lassa fever in the state, the authorities of UNICAL have embarked on fumigation of hostels to reduce the number of rats in the institution.
    A 400-level Human Anatomy student, Soso Jumbo, said students had been discouraged from consuming garri “soaked” in cold water.
    He said, “We constantly get advice from the garri sellers on campus not to soak it the usual way in cold water to avoid contracting the virus. They have advised us to use to the hot water version for now and that is what I do if the need arises.”
    Another student, Rosemary Johnson, said the fumigation by the management had reduced the presence of rodents on campus.
    A 200-levels student in the Department Visual Arts, CRUTECH, Eme Archibong, said students had jettisoned the idea of “soaking” to avoid contracting Lassa fever.
    The UNN management has also embarked on a campaign to sensitise the students to the virus.
    Its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Okwun Omaku, said the management embarked on the campaign in order to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the institution.
    He said, “We have been sensitising the students, creating awareness on the causes of Lassa fever and ways of preventing it. We did a memo on that and placed it on notice boards.
    “Also, the campus radio station, Lion FM, is being used to create the necessary awareness among the students. The message is that they should ensure a clean environment, maintain hygiene and keep food and foodstuffs properly covered.”
    But the Director for Public Affairs, ESUTECH, Mr. Ossy Ugwuoti, noted that Lassa fever was not in the state.
    However, some of OAU students on Monday described rats at “co-tenants” in their halls of residence.
    A student, who lives at Awo Hall, Timothy Okewale, said many students did not consider the presence of rats as a danger to their lives any longer because they had been living with these rodents since they were admitted to the university.
    He said, “Rats are still around. They cannot go to anywhere because they get food easily and I think the environment makes them thrive.”
    A resident at Mozambique Hall, who identified herself as Tope, agreed with Okewale on the presence of rats in the university.
    She said although there had not been any recent fumigation in her hostel, the management placed a notice at the entrance of the hostels, advising students on the preventive measures.
    She said, “The hall has not been fumigated since the outbreak of Lassa fever but we have plenty of rats around. Everybody is making efforts to prevent infection.
    Students of the university last November embarked on a series of protests against the poor condition of their hostels.
    However, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, said there were no rats in the university. He said the neatness of the campus made it unattractive to rats.
    He said, “There are no rats in OAU. The environment is not conducive to them. Rats prefer to live in dirty places where they can hide. That is not the case on our campus. The neatness and cleanliness of the OAU does not make the campus attractive to rats.”
    A UNIPORT student, John Nnadum, said that the institution had begun the campaign against Lassa fever since last week, adding that lectures were organised in the institution on how to avoid the disease.
    The spokesperson for the university, Dr. William Wodi, confirmed the contribution the authorities were making to prevent the virus on campus.
    He added that the university had trained its health workers.
    However, a student of the Kenule Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori, Favour Udonkwa, said the institution had not begun any campaign on Lassa fever.
    Udonkwa, a Mass Communication student, explained that though it was not long that the polytechnic resumed after a long break, no campaign against Lassa fever was going on in the institution.
    The Deputy Registrar/ Head of the Information Unit, UNILAG, Mr. Toyin Adebule, said the authorities were not giving anything to chance. Beyond fumigation and sharing of pamphlets to sensitise members of the community, Adebule added, the authorities had posted all the needed information about the virus on the university’s website.
    He said, “Following the bedbug saga, we had fumigated the hostels and other parts of the institution. Since then, we have continued to carry out the exercise to ensure that the environment is habitable. With the strategies put in place by the directorate of works and health services, I do not think the university will be caught napping with regard to Lassa fever.”
    Even UI, whose students are on vacation, is putting in place some preventive measures. The UI Director of Health Services, Dr. Femi Akingbola, said the school had taken measures to ensure that no student came to the school with the Lassa fever.
    He said the school would also screen the students when they arrived on February 13, adding that the institution needed the support of the Oyo State Government to guide against dumping of refuse by residents of the community outside the campus at the school gate.
    Additional reports by Alexander Okere, Godwin Isenyo, Ihuoma Chiedozie, Femi Makinde, Chukwudi Akasike and Femi Atoyebi.
    Curled from Punch News

  • Do you know that Survive a Heart Attack Without Drugs?

    There’s no 100% effective way to avoid a heart attack, but doing this could significantly reduce your chances of surviving one if you do

    The advice for people who are at higher risk of having a heart event is pretty straightforward. If you have high cholesterol, are overweight or obese or have high blood pressure—among other risk factors—you should eat less animal fat, eat more plants and exercise to keep the heart muscle strong. In fact, rehabilitation programs for people who have had heart problems revolve around this advice.

    Studies show that people who watch their diet and exercise are less likely to have a heart attack. But if they do have a heart event, how well do they fare—and how much of a difference do these changes really make?

    Dr. Michael Blaha and his colleagues from the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease has some good news on that. In a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, they found that people who had better fitness before their first heart attack are more likely to survive the attack than those with lower fitness.

    The researchers studied the electronic health records of more than 2,000 men and women who took a treadmill test as a way to measure how fit they were. The people with the highest fitness scores were 40% less likely to die after their first heart attack than those with lower fitness scores. And a third of the people with the lowest fitness died within a year of their first heart attack.

    “The thinking here is that if you are more fit at baseline, you are more willing to withstand lots of insults and have a good outcome if you do have a heart attack,” says Blaha. “It’s quite a remarkable effect.”

    The findings are especially relevant since so many people have at least some risk factors for heart disease, he says. These results suggest that making changes to address them can be important in helping more people to remain healthy even if they do have a heart attack. “Most of my patients come to me because they are concerned about their risk of having a heart attack,” says Blaha. “They have a family history of heart problems, or high cholesterol, or smoked in the past, and they want to know what they can do. Now we know that if they get their risk factors under control and increase their fitness level that they are more likely to survive a heart attack if they have one.”

    Curled from: http://time.com/4201850/heart-attack-drugs-exercise/?xid=bbm

  • Do you know that Survive a Heart Attack Without Drugs?

    There’s no 100% effective way to avoid a heart attack, but doing this could significantly reduce your chances of surviving one if you do

    The advice for people who are at higher risk of having a heart event is pretty straightforward. If you have high cholesterol, are overweight or obese or have high blood pressure—among other risk factors—you should eat less animal fat, eat more plants and exercise to keep the heart muscle strong. In fact, rehabilitation programs for people who have had heart problems revolve around this advice.

    Studies show that people who watch their diet and exercise are less likely to have a heart attack. But if they do have a heart event, how well do they fare—and how much of a difference do these changes really make?

    Dr. Michael Blaha and his colleagues from the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease has some good news on that. In a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, they found that people who had better fitness before their first heart attack are more likely to survive the attack than those with lower fitness.

    The researchers studied the electronic health records of more than 2,000 men and women who took a treadmill test as a way to measure how fit they were. The people with the highest fitness scores were 40% less likely to die after their first heart attack than those with lower fitness scores. And a third of the people with the lowest fitness died within a year of their first heart attack.

    “The thinking here is that if you are more fit at baseline, you are more willing to withstand lots of insults and have a good outcome if you do have a heart attack,” says Blaha. “It’s quite a remarkable effect.”

    The findings are especially relevant since so many people have at least some risk factors for heart disease, he says. These results suggest that making changes to address them can be important in helping more people to remain healthy even if they do have a heart attack. “Most of my patients come to me because they are concerned about their risk of having a heart attack,” says Blaha. “They have a family history of heart problems, or high cholesterol, or smoked in the past, and they want to know what they can do. Now we know that if they get their risk factors under control and increase their fitness level that they are more likely to survive a heart attack if they have one.”

    Curled from: http://time.com/4201850/heart-attack-drugs-exercise/?xid=bbm

  • FG – We’re conducting tests on mosquitoes to keep out Zika virus from reaching us

    This is coming as the Director General of the World Health Organisation, WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan is convening an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus today in Geneva, Switzerland, to ascertain whether the Zika virus outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
    Meanwhile, German researchers say they have developed a diagnostic test that can accurately detect the Zika virus in humans. Previously, there was no way to diagnose the illness apart from appearance of the distinctive symptoms.
    In a telephone chat with Vanguard, the Director-General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Prof Abdulsalam Nasiru, said already the Federal Government has put in place mechanisms to stop the Zika virus from entering the country.
    Part of the measures includes conducting epidemiological tests on mosquitoes to ensure they do not carry the virus.
    According to him, as a follow up, there has been regular monitoring already and a meeting of stakeholders comprising experts on public health among others would be convene on Wednesday in Abuja.
    Over the weekend, the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, issues a travel alert to pregnant women from Nigeria not to travel to Brazil and other Latin American countries.
    Briefing the WHO Executive Board during its 138th session, Chan said the level of alarm as extremely high.  The Director General noted that WHO is generally worried about the rapidly evolving situation and decisions are expected to be taken at the meeting to step up international efforts to fight the threat.
    The Zika virus has been tied to severe birth defects, including babies born with brain damage to infected mothers. There is no vaccine that can prevent the infection and very few tests available to detect it.
    Worse still, people in most countries have never been exposed to the virus before, so there’s very little natural immunity to the virus in the general population.
    The mosquito that carries the Zika virus, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is the same mosquito that spreads the Chugwuniya fever and the yellow fever diseases, and is found in most parts of the world including Nigeria. A species of the same mosquito carries Dengue fever.
    In recent times, public health officials around the world have expressed concern about the fast-spreading Zika virus
    Speaking on the Zika threat, Assistant Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Bruce Aylward, said 3-4 million Zika infections in the Americas over the next 12 months.
    In her contribution, Principal Deputy Director of the Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention, CDC, Dr. Anne Schuchat, noted that even though most people aren’t in any serious danger from Zika, the worrisome aspect to health officials, is that “increasing lines of evidence suggest that some women infected with Zika during their pregnancies may go on to deliver a baby with a serious brain injury.”
    Since October 2015, Brazil has seen more than 4,000 cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect that stunts the growth of a baby’s brain and head. Many children with microcephaly have some degree of mental disability, and the condition is linked to a shorter life span.
    In a related development, German researchers say they have developed a diagnostic test that can accurately detect the Zika virus in humans.
    Until now, the only way to determine if someone had the illness was to wait to see if the disease’s distinctive symptoms appeared.
    The biotechnological company, Genekam, claims the technology can not only reveal the presence of Zika pathogens in a blood sample, but also shed light on the quantity in the patient’s blood.
    The new test is said to be able to determine if a person is a carrier of the Zika virus, and renders diagnostic results in real time.
    According to a virologist and co-developer of the innovation,  Sudhir Bhartia, the test examines DNA and works with chemicals that react to the Zika virus only.
    The researcher also added that the test provides sufficient accuracy, as “similar pathogens like Dengue fever won’t show up in the results.
    The technology which is cost effective however, has its limitations, as it can only be employed in specialized medical facilities and laboratories having the appropriate equipment and personnel with sufficient know-how.
    Indications reveal that the first kits containing the new tests have already been sent to Brazil, where up to 1.5 million people may have been infected by the Zika virus.
    Under normal circumstances, the test would go through a lengthy authorization phase. However, due to the emergency situation in South America, authorities have made an exception in this case.
    Curled from:
    http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/zika-virus-were-conducting-tests-on-mosquitoes-fg/

  • FG – We’re conducting tests on mosquitoes to keep out Zika virus from reaching us

    This is coming as the Director General of the World Health Organisation, WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan is convening an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus today in Geneva, Switzerland, to ascertain whether the Zika virus outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
    Meanwhile, German researchers say they have developed a diagnostic test that can accurately detect the Zika virus in humans. Previously, there was no way to diagnose the illness apart from appearance of the distinctive symptoms.
    In a telephone chat with Vanguard, the Director-General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Prof Abdulsalam Nasiru, said already the Federal Government has put in place mechanisms to stop the Zika virus from entering the country.
    Part of the measures includes conducting epidemiological tests on mosquitoes to ensure they do not carry the virus.
    According to him, as a follow up, there has been regular monitoring already and a meeting of stakeholders comprising experts on public health among others would be convene on Wednesday in Abuja.
    Over the weekend, the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, issues a travel alert to pregnant women from Nigeria not to travel to Brazil and other Latin American countries.
    Briefing the WHO Executive Board during its 138th session, Chan said the level of alarm as extremely high.  The Director General noted that WHO is generally worried about the rapidly evolving situation and decisions are expected to be taken at the meeting to step up international efforts to fight the threat.
    The Zika virus has been tied to severe birth defects, including babies born with brain damage to infected mothers. There is no vaccine that can prevent the infection and very few tests available to detect it.
    Worse still, people in most countries have never been exposed to the virus before, so there’s very little natural immunity to the virus in the general population.
    The mosquito that carries the Zika virus, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is the same mosquito that spreads the Chugwuniya fever and the yellow fever diseases, and is found in most parts of the world including Nigeria. A species of the same mosquito carries Dengue fever.
    In recent times, public health officials around the world have expressed concern about the fast-spreading Zika virus
    Speaking on the Zika threat, Assistant Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Bruce Aylward, said 3-4 million Zika infections in the Americas over the next 12 months.
    In her contribution, Principal Deputy Director of the Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention, CDC, Dr. Anne Schuchat, noted that even though most people aren’t in any serious danger from Zika, the worrisome aspect to health officials, is that “increasing lines of evidence suggest that some women infected with Zika during their pregnancies may go on to deliver a baby with a serious brain injury.”
    Since October 2015, Brazil has seen more than 4,000 cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect that stunts the growth of a baby’s brain and head. Many children with microcephaly have some degree of mental disability, and the condition is linked to a shorter life span.
    In a related development, German researchers say they have developed a diagnostic test that can accurately detect the Zika virus in humans.
    Until now, the only way to determine if someone had the illness was to wait to see if the disease’s distinctive symptoms appeared.
    The biotechnological company, Genekam, claims the technology can not only reveal the presence of Zika pathogens in a blood sample, but also shed light on the quantity in the patient’s blood.
    The new test is said to be able to determine if a person is a carrier of the Zika virus, and renders diagnostic results in real time.
    According to a virologist and co-developer of the innovation,  Sudhir Bhartia, the test examines DNA and works with chemicals that react to the Zika virus only.
    The researcher also added that the test provides sufficient accuracy, as “similar pathogens like Dengue fever won’t show up in the results.
    The technology which is cost effective however, has its limitations, as it can only be employed in specialized medical facilities and laboratories having the appropriate equipment and personnel with sufficient know-how.
    Indications reveal that the first kits containing the new tests have already been sent to Brazil, where up to 1.5 million people may have been infected by the Zika virus.
    Under normal circumstances, the test would go through a lengthy authorization phase. However, due to the emergency situation in South America, authorities have made an exception in this case.
    Curled from:
    http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/zika-virus-were-conducting-tests-on-mosquitoes-fg/

  • Most Concrete Reasons for beer/Alcoholic consumption.

    “… alcohol not only relieves the sorrowful and distressed, but gives courage to the soldier, endurance to the traveller, forsights to the statesman and inspiration to the preacher… “Krout..

    There are two types of Alcoholic consumers :
    1.Social drinkers:They consume relatively small quantities within their homes, at parties or during outings, usually in the company of close friends or family members.

    2.Alcoholics : They tend to visit bars or other drinking establishment where they meet and drink with similar consumers. They can’t do without. Drunks!!

    Reasons for beer consumption include : as component of standard diet, hygienic or medical reasons, for relaxation and euphoric effects, for recreational purposes, for artistic inspiration, and as an aphrodisiac.

     Other reasons include mood elevation, to cope with stress, to provide transient courage or boost courage, and for nutritional and non-nutritional properties.

    Why is it important for you to consume alcolhol?
    Why is it important for you to stop alcolhol?
    Why do women tend to get intoxicated faster after consuming a pinch of alcolhol than men?

    Well, relax, get a glass of star beer,  cross your fingers,  smile and
    Watch out for Part 2 of this write-up (Nutritional and Non-nutritional Values of beer).

    Hit like, share or comment if you need more enlightenment about what you consume.

    Welcome to Brewing Science Class.

  • Most Concrete Reasons for beer/Alcoholic consumption.

    “… alcohol not only relieves the sorrowful and distressed, but gives courage to the soldier, endurance to the traveller, forsights to the statesman and inspiration to the preacher… “Krout..

    There are two types of Alcoholic consumers :
    1.Social drinkers:They consume relatively small quantities within their homes, at parties or during outings, usually in the company of close friends or family members.

    2.Alcoholics : They tend to visit bars or other drinking establishment where they meet and drink with similar consumers. They can’t do without. Drunks!!

    Reasons for beer consumption include : as component of standard diet, hygienic or medical reasons, for relaxation and euphoric effects, for recreational purposes, for artistic inspiration, and as an aphrodisiac.

     Other reasons include mood elevation, to cope with stress, to provide transient courage or boost courage, and for nutritional and non-nutritional properties.

    Why is it important for you to consume alcolhol?
    Why is it important for you to stop alcolhol?
    Why do women tend to get intoxicated faster after consuming a pinch of alcolhol than men?

    Well, relax, get a glass of star beer,  cross your fingers,  smile and
    Watch out for Part 2 of this write-up (Nutritional and Non-nutritional Values of beer).

    Hit like, share or comment if you need more enlightenment about what you consume.

    Welcome to Brewing Science Class.

  • Lassa fever: 2 die in Nasarawa, one under surveillance due to Lassa fever

    The state commissioner for health, Dr Daniel Iya, confirmed the incident in Lafia during a public hearing organised by the Nasarawa State House of Assembly’s committee on health.
    Iya disclosed that one victim was still under surveillance while another has been discharged.
    He said the state did not have an isolation unit but only isolation rooms at the DASH, adding that there was no single isolation unit for the treatment of Lassa fever across the state.
    The commissioner also hinted that Governor Umaru Al-Makura had already released the sum of N5.9m to control the spread of the virus across the state, promising to build an isolation unit in the state capital to effectively isolate and treat persons affected with the virus.

    He said, “We have already bought 2000 injections of Ribavirin, 1000 tablets of Rivabirin and we are tracking about 130 persons in the state.”

    According to him, there are plans are by the state ministry of health to sensitise people at the grass-roots on Lassa fever from next month.
    Curled from Punch 

  • OMG! See How This 3-year-old Boy Is Smoking Weed And Pouring The Smoke Out Of His Nose (Photos)

    This is so so bad! Exposing a child of this age to smoking is very bad. For nothing will make this child not to be a drug addict. The abuse is beyond an abuse.

    Smoking generally is not good to human health, but with a child of that age, he’s not going to live long. He’ll surely die young. The federal Ministry of health warns that smokers are liable to die young. But people still produce and sell cigarettes. In a nonsense way, they’ll tag it 18+.

    For the boy of this age exposed to even Marijuana, he’s lungs will surely develops infections before he’s 18 years which will even lead to dead in short life.
    See the photo after the cut….