Swine Flu Death Toll in Orissa rises to 19

A five-year-old girl became the latest victim of Swine Flu in Orissa. Two more deaths reported on Sunday, taking the toll to 19. The 18th and 19th Swine Flu deaths were reported from Burla. Both victims were women.

Swab samples of the girl, who died in Cuttack, were later tested positive. The victim was identified as Tamisha Dabang. She hailed from Samitipada in Angul. She was first admitted to Cuttack Sishu Bhavan and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

One of the two women, who died at VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla, was pregnant. She gave birth to a dead infant a day before.She hailed from Sundargarh. The other woman was from Balangir.

The number of Swine Flu positive cases in Orissa has now gone up to 79. While 17 of them died of H1N1, 49 people have been discharged after treatment. Thirteen people are still being treated at various hospitals.

Source http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/odisha/3620-swine-flu-death-toll-in-orissa-rises-to-17.html

Swine flu toll rises to 14 in Orissa

Swine flu has claimed four more lives in Orissa, taking the total number of deaths due to the virus in the state to 14 this year, official sources said today.

Two women died at a private private hospitals here while the other two died at hospitals in Cuttack and Burla yesterday, they said.

Urging the people not to panic because of the fresh deaths, the state government said many swineflu patients had recovered after treatment while some were being treated.

Steps have been taken to ensure adequate supply of Tamiflu tablets and vaccines.

The state government had also launched an awareness campaign through advertisements in newspapers and television channels.

Source http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_swine-flu-toll-rises-to-14-in-orissa_1427971

Swine flu toll rises to 10 in Orissa

A woman died of swine flu in Bhubaneswar on Monday, taking the H1N1 toll since July to 10 in Orissa, an official said. "The latest victim of swine flu was a woman. She died early Monday in a private hospital," a senior state health official told IANS. At least three patients in Bhubaneswar on Sunday tested positive for swine flu, taking the total number of people infected by the virus since July to 62.

"Nineteen of them are undergoing treatment in various hospitals. The condition of all patients is stable," the official said.

Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Swine-flu-toll-rises-to-10-in-Orissa/Article1-590543.aspx

Woman in Kerala sells child for Rs 5,000

The police on Thursday arrested a woman who sold her newborn child through a broker at a leading government hospital here for a sum of Rs 5,000 and later came back to claim it.

The incident would not have come to light had Dr Lakshmipriya, a house surgeon of the hospital, not noticed a heated argument going on between a woman and a suspected broker near the hospital canteen. She immediately alerted the police who arrested the mother and the broker and secured the child back.

Police said that Ambika Kumari, native of Chadayamangalam in the neighbouring Kollam district had given birth to the infant four weeks ago at the SAT Hospital. According to the mother, it was a part-time sweeper of the hospital who made an offer to keep the child sensing her poor financial condition. “I was given Rs 5,000 for purchasing medicines and she took the child after intimidating me,’’ claimed Ambika.

However, when she returned to her native place, local people and relatives grew suspicious and threatened to inform the police. That was when she decided to claim back her child and approached the sweeper with whom she had the argument.

The medical college police arrived at the scene and arrested the mother for trying to sell her child. Curiously, the police let off the broker and didn’t bother to inquire about the buyer saying that the mother had not lodged a complaint.

Source http://www.deccanherald.com/content/90000/woman-kerala-sells-child-rs.html

Energy drink risks outweigh benefits

The number of energy drinks available over the counter is unlimited these days, but how beneficial are these drinks really?

"Energy drinks typically feature caffeine and a combination of other ingredients, including taurine, sucrose, guarana, ginseng, niacin, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin," says Stephanie Ballard from Nova Southeastern University.

"Caffeine has been consistently been observed to enhance aerobic performance, although its effects on anaerobic performance may vary," she added.

The impact of energy drinks on weight loss has different theories. Some data suggest that combined with exercise, they may lead to weight loss. However, other studies suggest that users may get addicted to caffeine, with increasing calorie-burn and weight loss.

However, being loaded with sugar, energy drinks may be contributing to the obesity epidemic alongside less caffeinated, sugary drinks like soda, warned Ballard.

"For the National Collegiate Athletic Association, athletes are considered to be doping if urinary caffeine is greater than 15 µg/mL, which is about the same as drinking eight cups of coffee, each containing 100 mg of caffeine," Ballard said.

Caffeine has been reported to cause insomnia, nervousness, arrhythmias, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy and childbirth complication, gastrointestinal upset and death.

But small amounts can be safe and still boost performance.

"Caffeine in amounts of up to 6 mg/kg may produce benefits with low risk of adverse effects," she added.

Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/Energy-drink-risks-outweigh-benefits/articleshow/6329495.cms

No beds for dengue patients, says hospital

Residents of Jamia Nagar saw fogging machines for the first time this year on Monday even as the 300-bedded Holy Family Hospital put up boards at the emergency saying patients could not be admitted because the wards were full. On Monday, HT highlighted how Jamia Nagar, home to five lakh people, was reporting 40 dengue cases a day, twice the number of cases reported from across the city. More than 100 people suspected to be suffering from dengue arrived at local hospitals every day.

Most of the people suffering from dengue-like symptoms in the area visit Holy Family, as it is a bigger hospital with better facilities.

The hospital's casualty ward has been getting close to 50 patients with dengue-like symptoms every day for the past two weeks, and had already added 20 extra beds last week to accommodate dengue patients.

"Even after adding extra beds in the casualty as well as other wards, we still cannot accommodate the rush. As many as 80 per cent of the suspected cases test positive for dengue every day, so we are left with no choice but to refer them to nearby hospitals after administering the first-aide," said Dr Sanjeev Kumar, a senior resident in the department of medicine in the hospital.

The hospital is referring critical cases to nearby hospitals such as Apollo, Batra, Moolchand, Bansal, etc.

Two of the most affected localities are Abul Fazal Enclave part I and II and Batla house, where every family has a member down with high fever and other dengue-like symptoms.

Some of the families even have more than one member, mostly children, recuperating from the disease.

Officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCDs) health department visited the area on Monday.

"We have pulled resources from other zones. Eight hand-operated and two vehicle-mounted fogging machines are functioning," said N.K. Yadav, medical health officer, MCD.

Yadav said only a joint initiative would help curb the outbreak in the area. "We have zero participation from residents. I drained accumulated water from old coolers and broken buckets. Fogging will help for a day or two, but for long-term benefits, residents need to participate," said Yadav.

20 new cases of dengue were confirmed on Monday, taking the total number of people affected in Delhi to 254.

Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/No-beds-for-dengue-patients-says-hospital/Article1-587755.aspx

Insurance fraud: Indian-origin doctor jailed for 5 years

An Indian-origin cardiologist has been sentenced to five years in prison for defrauding the US government's Medicare scheme and other public and private health care insurance programmes of a whopping $13 million through false medical claims.

Sushil Sheth, a Chicago area physician, was sentenced on Wednesday by US District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer and ordered to begin serving the 60-month prison term in two months.

Fifty-year-old Sheth, who had already surrendered his medical licence, pleaded guilty a year ago to one count of health care fraud after being charged in January 2009.

He was also ordered to pay restitution totalling approximately $13 million and he agreed to forfeit property and funds worth more than $11.3 million that the government seized from him.

He had privileges at three unnamed area hospitals and lied thousands of times to Medicare and other insurers in order to receive millions of dollars for medical services he purportedly rendered to patients he never treated, according to a US department of Justice statement.

Sheth, whose business office was in Flossmoor, used the fraud proceeds to live a lavish lifestyle, purchasing a suburban mansion, property in Arizona, luxury automobiles and investing in various venture capital opportunities, it said.

"Health care fraud is one of the highest priorities of federal law enforcement. We will make every effort to recover any fraudulently obtained funds and to ensure that dishonest physicians and other medical providers do not profit from cheating Medicare and private insurers," Patrick J Fitzgerald, US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said.

Sheth admitted that he obtained approximately $13 million between January 2002 and July 2007, including approximately $8.3 million from Medicare and some $5 million from over 30 other public and private health care insurers in fraudulent reimbursement for the highest level of cardiac care when those services were not performed and then used the proceeds for his own benefit.

The Justice Department statement said Sheth used his hospital privileges to access and obtain information about patients without their knowledge or consent.

He then hired individuals to bill Medicare and other insurance providers for medical services that he purportedly rendered to patients whom he knew he never treated. Typically waiting almost a year after the treatment was purportedly provided, Sheth submitted more than 14,800 false claims for reimbursement for providing the highest level of cardiac care requiring hands-on treatment in an intensive care unit on multiple days during patients' hospital stays.

Sheth regularly submitted claims seeking payment that, when added together, had him providing more than 24 hours of medical services and treatment in a single day.

Federal agents searched Sheth's Burr Ridge home in June 2007 and seized more than 600 uncashed checks from various insurers totalling more than $6.7 million.

Source http://business.rediff.com/report/2010/aug/12/insurance-fraud-indian-origin-doctor-jailed-for-5-years.htm

Chennai hosts youth carnival to boost AIDS awareness

A folk performance held as part of the ‘Illavattam – Youth Carnival 2010’ in Chennai on Tuesday.

A three-day youth carnival has been organised in Chennai to spread AIDS awareness and sensitise masses about the deadly disease.

Pledging their solidarity with the people living with HIV, scores of people participated in the special 'Illavatam' (Youth Carnival) amid fanfare and exuberance.

In a bid to strengthen social amalgamation, the activists also held plays and musical shows with a 'humanist' approach and condemned the widespread practice of marginalisation and discrimination against the HIV infected people.

Hosted by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation (ICWO), a spate of mesmerising cultural performances and breathtaking acrobatics were also held during the course of the inaugural session.

The organisers said the main objective behind the festival is to enlighten youngsters about HIV-AIDS and remove misconceptions and doubts that instigate fear with regard to the ailment.

"Specifically, this platform is used to give opportunity for the HIV infected people to come and express their status and mobilize support for people living with HIV-AIDS. There are also performances by them, lot of interactions and small group meetings," said A.J. Hariharan, Founder Secretary of the ICWO.

"This platform is to provide information, not to discriminate or isolate people living with HIV-AIDS," he added.

The event that began on Tuesday garnered a lot of support with the participation of the locals.

Exhibition matches of volleyball and football were also organised to spread AIDS awareness, while over 3,000 students from schools and colleges of the city actively presented their artistic skills in diverse competitions.

"In today's scenario, people are not even aware of the difference between HIV and AIDS. They are two different things and people are not aware of that. I think it will be good if they are educated on HIV," said Bharathi, a college student.

"This will be more beneficial because it is told through entertainment which reaches people very easily. I am very happy to be a part of this programme, and I am very happy to contribute a little bit for the eradication of AIDS," he added.

As per the report of the United Nations, over 5.7 million people in India are infected with HIV/AIDS. (ANI)

Source http://sify.com/news/chennai-hosts-youth-carnival-to-boost-aids-awareness-news-national-kilmafecjgj.html

Popeye encourages children to eat more vegetables, claims study

But now the cartoon sailor man’s impact on children’s eating habits has been recognised by scientific research.

Experts found that children who regularly watched Popeye scoffing spinach before his animated bouts with his arch-rival Bluto, doubled their vegetable intake.

The youngsters, aged four and five, ate four portions of vegetables a day after watching the cartoon hero compared to two before the study.

Professor Chutima Sirikulchayanonta, who led the research at Mahidol University in Bangkok, said: "We got the children planting vegetable seeds, taking part in fruit and vegetable tasting parties, cooking vegetable soup, and watching Popeye cartoons.”

Researchers said that the experiment, which also encouraged children to plant their own vegetables, led to the 26 volunteers taking more interest in eating healthily.

Prof Sirikulchayanonta added that Popeye did not influence an increase in the children’s fruit consumption, but that this was possibly because they already enjoyed plenty of fruit in their diet.

The findings of the study are published in journal Nutrition & Dietetics.

Research earlier this year found that sales of tinned spinach, like the kind eaten by Popeye, rose by 24 per cent last year to become one of Britain’s fastest selling canned vegetables.

Popeye, who was created by Elzie Crisler Segar for the Thimble Theatre comic strip and first appeared on screen in 1933, is credited with helping save the US spinach industry in the 1930s.

His influence in boosting sales among children was recognised by the spinach-growing community in Crystal City, Texas, who erected a statue of the fictional sailor in 1937.

Popeye has not regularly been seen on British television since The Popeye Show – the most recent incarnation of the cartoon – ended its run in 2004. The cartoons are still aired in Asia.

Source http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7933292/Popeye-encourages-children-to-eat-more-vegetables-claims-study.html

American gets Indian heart

When Ronald Lemmer wanted to come to India to get a heart transplant done, doctors in his native United States frowned and tried to discourage the 65-year-old man, saying that the Asian country did not have an efficient medical fraternity. He would not survive for sure, was the refrain.

But Lemmer and his wife took the “bold step”, and travelled down to South India. And, finally, when he underwent a heart transplant at the Apollo hospitals in this metro, the result was successful. The donor was a 36-year-old male from the outskirts of the city, who died in a road accident.

On Thursday, addressing the press, Lemmer said the first choice offered in America is an artificial heart. “The next option is to get a heart transplant, but for that you have to wait for another year-and-a-half or two: the queue for heart transplant recipients in my country is long,” he said.

The Lemmers decided not to wait for long. It was then that they read an article in the Forbes magazine about the optins of organ donation available in India. “It carried a reference to the Apollo hospital. That is how we came down here early this summer,” he said.

Dr Paul Ramesh, primary consultant cardiac surgeon, Apollo hospital, said the Indian laws did not permit its doctors to transplant a heart to a foreigner recipient till there is no other Indian recipient suiting the requirements available. Lemmer, who came to India in May, was registered at the transplant registry - and had to wait for three months till he got another heart.Doctors say Lemmer would be able to survive for the next ten to fifteen years, with the transplanted heart. The treatment at the Apollo hospital cost him $50,000.

He has earlier had a bypass surgery, an angioplasty with coronary stents and a pacemaker.

Source http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/american-gets-indian-heart/195873.html

Swine flu infection rate at 40%, alert sounded

National Institute of Virology (NIV) has advised people to be alert and take precautionary measures to ward off swine flu as the infection rate has risen to 40% now.

‘‘There has been a significant rise in the number of people suffering from the H1N1 influenza this year compared to 2009, when the rate was between 15% and 25%. However, it has already touched 40% now with a spurt in cases during the second wave. Precaution is the key to protection from the infection,’’ NIV director AC Mishra told TOI on Wednesday.

‘‘We, at the NIV, have been receiving about 200 throat swab samples from all over Maharashtra daily. Many of these are coming from far flung areas that remained unscathed last year. There has been an increase in the number of cases,’’ he said.

Elaborating, Mishra said, ‘‘The pandemic H1N1 virus has become a dominant strain now,’’ he said.

Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Swine-flu-infection-rate-at-40-alert-sounded/articleshow/6258866.cms

Red wine can give you longer, better life

If you drink red wine then you can live longer. A new study states that red wine can help people live long.

According to the research, the secret lies in a popular plant extract called resveratrol, discovered in the skin of red grapes and red wine. In human beings it can restrain inflammation.

When embattled by pathogens like bacteria or fungi, resveratrol is formed naturally by various plants. Because of its anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant properties, the extract is already known to extend life in yeast and lower animals.

According to Husam Ghanim, research assistant professor of medicine, even insulin resistance can be helped by the compound.

The observation stated that free radicals were inhibited by resveratrol, damage in blood vessel lining could also be stopped by stopping unstable molecules known to result in oxidative tension and release proinflammatory factors into the blood stream.

Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, UB distinguished professor of medicine and senior author on the study, said, "The product we used has only 20 percent resveratrol, so it is possible that something else in the preparation is responsible for the positive effects."

Source http://topnews.net.nz/content/26750-red-wine-can-give-you-longer-better-life

Keep Your Heart Healthy to Slow Down Brain Aging

Want to slow down the aging process of your brain? Well, then start keeping you heart healthy, suggests a new study.

In the study, people whose hearts pumped less blood had brains that appeared older than the brains of those whose hearts pumped more blood.

Decreased cardiac index, the amount of blood that pumps from the heart in relation to a person's body size, was associated with decreased brain volume using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Researchers observed the link even in those participants who did not have cardiovascular disease, such as heart failure or coronary heart disease. As the brain ages, it begins to atrophy (shrink) and has less volume.

The decrease in brain volume is considered a sign of brain aging. More severe brain atrophy occurs in those with dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease.

"The results are interesting in that they suggest cardiac index and brain health are related," said Angela L. Jefferson, the study's lead author and associate professor of neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine.

"The association cannot be attributed to cardiovascular disease because the relationship also was seen when we removed those participants with known cardiovascular disease from our analyses," Jefferson added.

In the observational study, which cannot establish cause and effect, researchers examined brain and heart MRI information on 1,504 participants of the decades-long Framingham Offspring Cohort who did not have a history of stroke
, transient ischemic attack or dementia. Participants were 34 to 84 years old and 54 percent were women.

Read more: http://www.medindia.net/news/Keep-Your-Heart-Healthy-to-Slow-Down-Brain-Aging-72216-1.htm#ixzz0vXRiEKB1

Northern India might have more H1N1 cases

Due to heavy rains in coming months, northern parts of India might have more cases of H1N1 viral infection in the second pandemic phase and the doctors may need to adopt a different strategy for treating such cases, a top public health official has said. "With Kerala experience, we are now advocating to all doctors across the country, especially in northern parts of India where good rainfall is expected in the coming months, should strictly follow government public health policies and use ABC management guidelines," Dr Amar Fettle, Chief Nodal Officer, H1N1 control programme, Kerala, said during the day-long seminar on 'Swine Flu H1N1--Flu Fears' held at Nair hospital yesterday. The northern states must be prepared with the 'surge' capacity -- to put the large number of patients -- and with the state-of-the-art labs for testing as well, he said. "Do not wait for the test results to start the treatment as it would be late for the patient.

If the symptoms are clear, immediately start start treating the cases for H1N1," Fettle said. Out of the 75 deaths during this second wave of H1N1 infection in the state of Kerala, 21 were pregnant women. "Therefore, we appeal to all gynaecologists also to follow the public health policies to save several pregnant women from dying," he said. The virus is more prevalent in the population in the second stage and so the treatment will begin even before the sample test results are available, unlike the first phase. "In the first phase, we had to adopt different methods like keeping a vigil at entry ports, keeping lot of isolation wards and sending all the samples for testing and then start the treatment. But the strategy now is to strictly follow the public health policy and start the treatment even before the test results are available," he told us. This will prevent any delay in treatment as each day is important for the patient to cope up with the virus. Source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/--Northern-India-might-have-more-H1N1-cases--/654949