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DISEASE & NUTRITION - Coggle Diagram
DISEASE & NUTRITION
Chelonoidis phantasticus: Giant Tortoise species
Chelonoidis phantasticus means “fantastic giant tortoise”. It is commonly called as Fernandina Island Galapagos giant tortoise
The species was discovered in 1906 and thought extinct. But a single female was discovered on Fernandina Island in February 2019.
In May 2021, a genetic test carried to confirm that the single tortoise is from a subspecies Chelonoidis niger phantasticus.
These islands are a part of Republic of Ecuador and are an archipelago of volcanic islands. They are located in the Pacific Ocean and are distributed on either side of the equator. The islands surround the centre of Western Hemisphere.
Fernandina Island is the third largest as well as youngest island of the Galapagos Islands
It is located to furthest west. It was formed by Galapagos hotspot. It is an active shield volcano, which is recently been erupting since April 11, 2009
ernandina has an area of 642 km2, with 1,476 m height. The Summit caldera is about 6.5 km wide. In 1968, the caldera underwent a collapse and the part of caldera floor dropped by 350 m.
Punta Espinoza is a narrow stretch of land, where several marine iguanas gather in large groups on the black lava rocks. Mangrove forests are found on the island.
Varroa Destructor or Mite
The recent outbreak of the deadly varroa mite has become massive threat to honey industry of Australia.
It was first spotted at a port near Sydney in June 2022.
Honeybee colonies have been put under lockdown, to limit the outbreak
Australian authorities have exterminated honeybees in recent weeks, for preventing a potentially devastating parasitic plague, that is affecting the southeast region Australia.
The Varroa mite, also called Varroa destructor, is a parasitic insect. It attacks and feeds on honeybees. It is reddish-brown in colour. It is known to kill entire colonies of honeybees.
The insect travel from bee to bee and through beekeeping equipment, like extracted combs. Mite can feed and live on adult honey bees.
But it mainly feed and reproduce on larvae and pupae in developing brood. This results in to malformation & weakening of honey bees and transmission of numerous viruses.
Anthrax outbreak in Kerala
Anthrax is a serious infectious disease, which is caused by spore-forming bacteria.
It has usually been found in southern states of India. It is less frequently found in northern states.
The disease has been reported in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Orissa and Karnataka.
Anthrax is also called as woolsorter’s disease or malignant pustule. It is a rare but serious disease, caused due to rod-shaped bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. These bacteria occur naturally in soil.
As per WHO, Anthrax is a disease of herbivores, affecting wild as well as domestic animals. It is a zoonotic disease; thus, it is transmissible from animals to humans. There are some cases of person-to-person transmission. However, it is a rare phenomenon.
Humans get infected with Anthrax disease directly or indirectly from animals or animal products. They get infected when spores enter the body, through eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, breathing, or through scrapes or cuts in the skin. After entering the body, spores get activated and start multiplying & spreading in body
Wild and domestic animals can get infected, when they ingest spores in or breathe in in contaminated soil, water or plants.
Infected animal shed the bacteria on ground, which sporulates after getting exposed to air. These spores can persist in soil for decades and wait till it is taken up by another host. The bacteria subsequently germinates and multiply, causing to its spread.
Herbivorous animals can get infected through contaminated soil and feed. On the other hand, omnivorous & carnivorous animals get the disease through contaminated bones, meat, and other feeds
Marburg virus Disease
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), two suspected cases of Marburg virus disease were reported in Ghana. Marburg virus Disease is similar to Ebola.
The Marburg Virus disease is an infectious haemorrhagic fever. It belongs to same family as Ebola.
The virus is transmitted to people via fruit bats. People to people transmission also takes place, if the uninfected person comes in direct contact with bodily fluids of infected person or surfaces.
Marburg virus has an incubation period of 2-21 days. This disease is potentially very harmful and deadly. Fatality rates in previous outbreaks have ranged from 24% to 88%.
Earlier, Marburg Virus disease has been reported in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. Single case was confirmed in Guinea, in September 2021.
Common symptoms of Marburg virus disease include- high fever, severe malaise, severe headache, Muscle aches and pains. Patient may also see severe watery diarrhoea, nausea & vomiting, abdominal pain & cramping on the third day following the contracting. These symptoms persist for a week.
No treatment or vaccine has been developed for Marburg, yet. Patients are treated through rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids
Nairobi flies (Dragon bugs)
Nairobi flies are also known as dragon bugs or Kenyan flies. They are small, beetle-like insects.
They are categorized among two species, namely Paederus eximius and Paederus sabaeus. They are found in orange and black colour.
Flies prosper in areas of high rainfall. They get attracted towards bright light, similar to most insects
Nairobi flies usually attack pests consuming crops and pests that are good for humans. But they sometimes come in direct contact with humans, harming them. These flies do not bite
But if they are disturbed while sitting on skin, a “potent acidic substance” called pederin is released. Pederin causes burns and irritation, resulting into colouring or lesions or unusual on the skin
The skin starts to heal after a week or two. However, it can also lead to secondary infections, if the infected person scratches the irritated skin.
Past instances of outbreaks have been reported in Kenya and other parts of eastern Africa. Heavy rain in 1998 resulted in large number of insects into this region
Monkeypox Variants
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) rechristened the variants of monkeypox virus that are currently in circulation. It was done to avoid any cultural or social offence. Monkeypox variant has been renamed as “Clades I, IIa and IIb”.
India: Target to eliminate Kala-azar by 2023
Kala Azar
Kala Azar is also called as Leishmaniasis. It is a neglected tropical disease, by which over 100 countries are affected, including India.
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Types of Kala Azar
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Only drug that is used to treat kala azar is miltefosine. However, this drug is losing its effectiveness rapidly, because of parasite’s resistance to this drug. A protein called ‘P4ATPase-CDC50’, helps in intaking the drug by parasite. But other called ‘P-glycoprotein’, throws this drug out from parasite’s body.
Only drug that is used to treat kala azar is miltefosine. However, this drug is losing its effectiveness rapidly, because of parasite’s resistance to this drug. A protein called ‘P4ATPase-CDC50’, helps in intaking the drug by parasite. But other called ‘P-glycoprotein’, throws this drug out from parasite’s body.
Postpartum Depression
After childbirth, mothers experience mood swings, anxiety, and crying spells. They are generally referred to as “Baby Blues” and are technically called postpartum depression.
A recent UK study says that the intensity of postpartum depression is increasing lately and has become one of the leading causes of suicides among new mothers.
Causes of postpartum depression-
Hormonal changes. The estrogen and progesterone change rapidly during childbirth. Their levels drop all of a sudden Such sudden reduction cannot be handled by some ladies and they face severe postpartum depression
It is not a weakness or character flaw. It is a side effect of giving birth! The mothers feel sad and have an urge to cry aloud; as if something terrible has happened
GNB1 Encephalopathy’ Disease
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India’s First Indigenous Monkeypox Test Kit
Xylitol’: New sugar substitute
Xylitol, recently developed by researchers at IIT Guwahati, has reduced the fermentation time to 15 hours as against about 48 hours in conventional processes and also increased the yield of the product by about 20%.
Previously only 8-15% of the D-xylose from which xylitol is made is converted to xylitol which translates to a higher price for the consumer.
The research has also been published in the journal Bioresource Technology and Ultrasonics Sonochemistry.
Xylitol is a natural sugar substitute safe for diabetics. It is not an artificial sweetener but is a natural sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibres of many fruits and vegetables, and can be extracted from various berries, oats, and mushrooms, as well as fibrous material such as corn husks and sugar cane bagasse. Xylitol is roughly as sweet as sucrose with only two-thirds the food energy.
Xylitol, a sugar alcohol derived from natural products.
It has potential antidiabetic and anti-obesogenic effects, is a mild prebiotic and protects teeth from caries.
It is a colorless or white crystalline solid that is soluble in water.
Xylitol is manufactured industrially by a chemical reaction in which wood-derived D-xylose, an expensive chemical, is treated with a nickel catalyst at very high temperatures and pressures which makes the process highly energy-consuming.
Nanoplastics in human food chain
Nonplastics are plastic debris particles that are smaller than 1,000 nanometre, which is equal to one billionth of a metre.
Because of their miniscule size, nanoplastics are capable of passing through physiological barriers and enter different organisms through the food chain.
The researchers used a novel metallic fingerprint-based method to a model food chain that has three tropic levels.
Sambhav’ and ‘Svavlamban’ initiatives
Sambhav’ and ‘Svavlamban’ are the initiatives to tackle the issue of plastic waste in India.
Lecanemab Approved for Alzheimer’s Treatment
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody developed by Eisai and Biogen, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Lecanemab
The drug is administered intravenously and is intended to be used in the early stages of Alzheimer’s to allow individuals to “have more time to participate in daily life and live independently
Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody that targets amyloid beta protein. By binding to and neutralizing this protein, lecanemab aims to reduce the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid beta protein in the brain, leading to the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
These abnormalities cause damage and death to brain cells, leading to memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, and treatment options are limited to therapies that aim to slow the progression of the disease and improve symptoms.
The approval of lecanemab has been controversial, with some questioning the decision to grant approval on the basis of phase II data and concerns about patient deaths
Lecanemab received approval through the FDA’s “accelerated approval” pathway, which is reserved for therapies for diseases with few treatment options and does not require phase III clinical trial data. However, lecanemab was granted approval on the basis of phase II data, rather than the more comprehensive phase III data,