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Eliminate Your Fears And Doubts About Hantavirus.

The world is already facing challenges to knock down coronavirus amidst that death due to hantavirus in China has added up worries. Hantavirus is associated with rodents, unlike COVID-19 which is betacoronavirus, associated with bats. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe respiratory disease in humans known to be caused by infection with hantaviruses. It may sometime prove to be fatal, however, it is rare and the chance of getting the diseases is 1 in 13,000,000. A person who is exposed to rodents carrying hantavirus is at the risk of developing the disease. Only some kinds of mice and rats can give people hantaviruses that can cause HPS. In North America, they are the deer mouse, the white-footed mouse, the rice rat, and the cotton rat. Hantavirus spreads to humans through contact (inhalation or ingestion) with rodent droppings, urine and saliva as well. We can even get the infection if we touch their eyes, mouth, and eyes.

 Discovery of Hantavirus.

 Hantavirus is not a newly discovered virus and was first recognized in the early 1950s. Nearly about 3,000 United Nations troops stationed in Korea were infected by this virus. It was formerly known as Korean hemorrhagic fever; it got its name Hanta after the Haantan river of Korea. HPS, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome became nationally notified disease in 1995 and about 20-40 cases of HPS are reported each year in the US.

 Different types of illnesses caused by Hantavirus. 

 Hantavirus is known to cause three different illnesses.

 1 HFRS (Hemorrhagic fever with Renal syndrome).

 2 NE (Nephropathia epidemica)

 3 Pulmonary syndrome.

 HFRS and NE primarily affect kidneys while pulmonary syndrome affects the lungs. Pulmonary syndrome is more common in Americans, while HFRS and NE are common among European and Asian countries. HFRS and NE last from 3days to 3 months. Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, nausea and abdominal pain, HFRS can also cause late symptoms like leaking blood vessels and failure of the kidney.

 HPS is more severe and generally, 4/10 people infected die, its symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain. Late symptom developed after 4-10 days of illness includes coughing, trouble in breathing and inability to breathe since the lungs are filled with fluid. 

Transmission of hantavirus. 

 Rodents shed virus via their urine, feces or saliva and when a healthy person inhales air contaminated with the virus (airborne transmission) they get infected. A person may also get infected if a rodent with hantavirus bites someone or eats food contaminated by droppings, urine or saliva from an infected rodent. However, person-to-person contact occurred in the case of the Andes virus in Argentina and Chile. Unlike COVID-19 it is not spread through social contact, caring for someone infected by Hantavirus and use of communal utensils. So, hantavirus does not spread from person to person.

Hantavirus prevention and control. 

 To date, there is no reliable cure for hantavirus, however, early treatment in the intensive care unit can help a person recover. Some preventive measures to control hantavirus includes:

 1. Stay away from all those places where droppings of rodents are found.

 2. Always wear gloves and masks to avoid exposure to mouse droppings.

 3. Areas with mouse droppings should be sanitized using disinfectants so that the infected dust does not spread in the air.

 4. Keep the population of rodents under control by using traps.

 5. Never leave your food unattended and should always be kept properly covered.

 6. Eliminate any sort of contact with rodents at homes and workplaces.

 So, we don’t need to worry about as there is no indication of global public health threat by the hantavirus as it spreads only due to close contact with rodent urine, droppings or saliva.

Things Nobody Told You About Covid-19.

COVID-19 stands for the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease. The word coronavirus refers to spikes seen (under a microscope) on the surface of the virus (corona is the Latin word for crown). It is also called a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as the virus is genetically related to the coronavirus responsible for the SARS outbreak that occurred in 2003. SARS-CoV-2 is a betacoronavirus, which means it had its origins in bats. It is also known as Wuhan pneumonia. It was first identified in 2019 from Wuhan, China in late November or early December from where it spread globally. The World Health Organization declared it a pandemic as it is likely to spread globally.

Symptoms associated with the disease.

The most common symptom observed among patients who got infected with the virus is fever. Besides high temperature, the person may also experience fatigue, runny rose, and dry cough. Abdominal pain and diarrhea have also been reported sometimes. Muscle pain and difficulty in breathing was also noticed in 1/3rd persons suffering from this disease. A person on day 1 has a fever, experience fatigue, muscle pain, and dry cough. By day 5th the patient experiences difficulty in breathing, and by day 8th they develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It takes about 17 days for a person to recover fully from the disease. Thus young and healthy people may not get the disease, but they may still spread the disease.

Age groups at risk.

Elderly people above 60 years of age are most at risk according to the data collected by the World Health Organisation. The highest death rate was observed in the people who were above 80 years old. Besides elderly people suffering from chronic conditions like high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer is more susceptible than others. Only a few children in China developed the disease, probably because they have a strong immune system, although they might act as a carrier of the disease.

Know the different stages of the spread of the virus.

Stage 1 (Imported Cases): these include all those people who have traveled abroad to virus-hit foreign countries and are tested positive. There is no local transmission in this case.

Stage 2 (Local Transmission): this stage includes the local transmission of the virus from the infected person. At present India is in the second stage of coronavirus transmission. In this stage, very few people are infected, we know thus a source of the virus transmission.

Stage 3 (Community Transmission): It is the stage of community transmission and it is difficult to identify the source of virus transmission and thus large areas of the country gets affected. It occurs when a patient who is not exposed to any infected person or has not traveled to any affected country is tested positive.

Stage 4 (Epidemic): This is the last and the worst stage where the disease takes the form of an epidemic and many people become get infected at this stage.

Protective measures against the disease, as suggested by WHO.

1.Frequent washing of hands either with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand rub. It helps to kill the viruses on the hands.

2.Social distancing: A distance of about 1metre or 3 feet needs to be maintained between two persons, this prevents the transmission of the virus. When a person coughs or sneezes the small liquid droplets released in the air contain a virus, a person can inhale that thus social distancing is essential.

3. Avoid contact with mouth, nose, and eyes. When we touch any surface with our hands, we may pick up the virus and hence we may get infected by the virus via our mouth, nose or eyes.

4.The practice of good respiratory hygiene: always cover your mouth or nose by means of bent elbow or tissue to prevent the transmission of the virus. The used tissue should be disposed of immediately. Also, clean your hands by using either alcohol-based hand rub or using soap and water.

5. Seek medical advice if you are suffering from fever, dry cough and have difficulty breathing.

6. Any person who has recently visited any place where COVID-19 is spreading should remain in isolation and avoid contact with others and should seek medical advice immediately if symptoms like fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing happen.

A disinfectant can also be used to disinfect doorknobs, light switches, desks, keyboards, sinks, toilets and cell phones which are most frequently touched. CDC recommends the use of a face mask for people suffering from COVID-19 and for health care workers and other people in direct contact with them. The masks only provide moderate protection against the virus as they provide some filtration of the air. Voluntary social distancing is also important, and we should avoid large crowds.

Remember, “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE”.

Are fortified foods essential for healthy living?

Definition

Fortified foods are the foods to which extra vitamins (like vitamins A, B, and D) and minerals (like folic acid, iodine, calcium, and iron) are added. It aims to reduce nutrient deficiency within a population. For example, milk is generally fortified with iron and vitamin D, while to fruit juices calcium is added. Likewise, wheat flour has folic acid, riboflavin, and iron. Thus the main aim of fortification of food is to prevent the deficiency of vitamin A, iron, folic acid, iodine and many more.

Common fortified foods.

1. Cereal and cereal-based products are one of the most commonly fortified foods. These foods are fortified with vitamin A, D, thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc, iron, and calcium.

2. Fortified salt with iodine helps in the prevention of goiter, especially important to those who don’t consume seafood.

3. Wheat and maize flours are fortified with iron, folic acid, B vitamins, vitamins A and zinc.

4. Milk is commonly fortified with vitamin A, D, and iron. The United States in the 1930s fortified milk with vitamin D to eradicate rickets that were quite common among poor children in the northern United States.

5. Cooking oils and fats: FSSAI has made a fortification of edible oils compulsory because of the widespread use of cooking oils, these are commonly fortified with vitamins A and D. Vitamin A and D were added to vanaspati in India since 1954.

Fortified foods for toddlers, elderly and pregnant women.

Since toddlers are quite choosy in what they eat, it is a common practice to fortify different foods for toddlers with iron and calcium. Although different foods are available, iron-fortified breakfast cereals are common. Other foods fortified with iron include peanut sandwiches, dark chocolate, fruits, vegetables, etc. Toddlers' calcium intake is also increased by means of calcium-fortified cereals and loaves of bread, calcium-fortified orange juice is available. Hershey’s milk booster, chocolate-flavored, is fortified with Vitamin D and Ca.

Malnutrition is also common in the elderly thus they can consume foods fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Calcium-fortified foods like orange juice, fortified soy, almond, and rice beverages helps in the prevention of osteoporosis. Fortified cereals, milk and fortified beverages are also common. Vitamin B12 deficiency is also quite common in them, thus to prevent this they can include fortified cereal, lean meat, and plates of seafood in their diet.

During pregnancy fortified beverages and supplementary foods are given during pregnancy that helps in the prevention of anemia in mother. Iron, zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, vitamins A, D, E, C, B1, B2, B6, and B12, folic acid, niacin, and pantothenic acid are important nutrients that have been included in fortified beverages and supplemental foods for pregnant and lactating women.

Advantage of fortified foods.

1. Help to deliver the necessary amounts of micronutrients.

2. Vitamins and minerals e.g., vitamin C helps in the absorption of iron.

3. Fortified foods reduce the risk of multi-nutrient deficiency.

4. Since nutrients are provided through the regular food supply, it helps to reduce costs.

Disadvantages of fortified foods.

1. Many fortified foods are heavily processed and packaged and thus have high sodium, fat, and sugar content in them.

2. Prolonged cooking of fortified foods causes a 90% loss of vitamin C.

3. Fortification of food is not the ultimate solution to nutrition deficiency.

4. Fortified foods are comparatively more expensive.


Fortified foods or supplements.

It is always advisable to keep a check on the nutrition labels on the packaged goods to see the daily nutrient intake as consumption of fortified foods along with supplements may exceed the daily recommended intake. For example, Calcium is better absorbed and utilized if consumed in smaller amounts spread out during the day. Since Calcium-fortified foods typically contain smaller amounts of calcium than dedicated supplements, calcium-fortified foods are always better than supplements. Also, too much-added calcium increases risk of calcium stones. Thus, fortified foods can help us maintain good health if taken wisely keeping in mind the recommended daily intake.

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CARRION (CORPSE) FLOWERS.

When we talk about flowers, what is the first thing that appears in your mind? Probably vibrant colors, nectar, and fragrance, bees and butterflies hovering over the flowers isn’t. Well, that is not always the case, as not all flowers have an appealing fragrance. Carrion flowers or corpse or stinking flowers emit an odor similar to rotting flesh. So why do these flowers stink? These produce stinking smell to attract carrion beetles and different flies as pollinators, probably looking for a prime location to lay their eggs and therefore mostly females visit such plants. The petals of these carrion flowers are typically fleshed-colored and have a dense covering of hairs (like the skin of a mammal).

 Most of the carrion flowers, unlike insect-pollinated flowers, do not reward its pollinators by juicy nectar, though some of them produce nectar. Carrion flowers are most common in plant families like Apocynaceae, Orchidaceae, Araceae, and Aristolochiaceae. The carrion flowers emit oligosulfides (dimethyl mono-, di- and trisulfides) responsible for the characteristic odor of rotten flesh. These oligosulfides result from protein degradation, particularly the result of sulfur-containing amino acids like methionine and cysteine. The antennae of these carrion flies and beetles respond to dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl trisulfide. Below includes a list of five plants known as carrion flowers:

1. Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum)

This plant produces the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world up to 3 m tall, It does not bloom annually, in cultivation it blooms after 7-10 years. The flower opens for only 48 hrs and when it blooms it produces heat  (32℃) to spread smell and attract pollinators. It is native to tropical rainforests of Sumatra and Indonesia.

2.Rafflesia arnoldi

It is the single largest flower about 3 ft across, found in the rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. It is a parasitic plant and doesn’t have visible roots, stems, and leaves.  It is commonly known as corpse lily and considered rarest because of its large gigantic petals. The bloom is hollow at the center, white and red-spotted with five petals. It grows inside its host Tetrasigma vine of grape family and thus lives inside the woody stems and roots of its host. It becomes only visible when its bud emerges out of the bark and develops into a flower. Sir Raffles was the one who first discovered it in Sumatra, along with his friend Dr. Joseph Arnold, after whom R. arnoldii is named. 

3.Stapelia gigantea (Zulu giant)

These are low perennial succulents that belong to the milkweed family and are a native of dry desert areas like Tanzania and South Africa. Its flowers are hairy to imitate the appearance of a small dead animal, star-shaped and generate odor of rotten flesh. Its flowers can reach up to 16 inches in diameter when in bloom.  Thus, its hairs, coloration, and surface mimic decaying organic matter and its smell attracts pollinators that collect pollen before they fly away.

 4.Smilax herbaceae

Smilax from Greek meaning “rasping” regarding thorns and herbaceae from Latin refers to a herb (non-woody). It belongs to the catbrier family, is a climber with simple alternate leaves. We commonly know it as Jacob’s-ladder or smooth carrion flower. The plant reaches a height of about 2.1m and is Native of North America. The plant bears green to yellowish flowers in spring. The flowers are carrion scented to attract flies, which are the main pollinators. The shiny carrion flies often hang out near the flowers to find a place to lay their eggs. We can eat its growing tips and unfolding leaves raw as a salad. 

5.Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis

 It is a species of orchid that is a monstrous plant from lowland Papua New Guinea. We well know it is well for its stinky flowers and long leaves. It gets its name because of its foliage, similar to Phalaenopsis, not flowers. The plant bears a hairy, pinkish-red flower that smells like dead mice and its petals resemble decaying flesh.

So why are carrion flowers like titan arum so huge? It is so as during night time the cool air forms beneath the tree canopy and this prevents the plants smell to rise. Thus, they grow tall and shoots hot steam, helping the scent to rise above the crown of trees to attract the pollinators. This is however energetically expensive for the plant, and thus it blooms for only two nights.