Health
Growing number of whooping cough infections in the US and Europe raises concerns among medical professionals
Cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, are increasing in the US and Europe. Experts claim they don’t know why. Health professionals throughout the European continent began to notice something strange in the winter of 2023. Pertussis, another name for whooping cough, was becoming more common. Furthermore, it wasn’t limited to Europe. Additionally, US health officials started to record an increase in instances of whooping cough. Furthermore, the number of cases in the UK has reached its highest level in twenty years.
The number of cases in Europe had increased by March 2024 compared to the previous ten years (the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) did not issue numbers before to 2011). In Europe, reports of 32,000 instances were received between January and March of 2024. The ECDC estimates that 38,000 cases of pertussis are reported annually on average throughout Europe. Whooping cough incidences could tenfold rise in 2024 compared to a normal year if the current trend persists.
The bulk of instances in Europe occurred among newborns, a population for which whooping cough can be fatal, according to data from the ECDC’s most recent study on the matter. Ten to fourteen-year-olds accounted for the second-highest reported case group.
Paul Hunter, an English professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said DW that these numbers should be regarded cautiously. He indicated there might be more cases than were recorded. Babies are significantly more likely than other demographic groups to be diagnosed with whooping cough because they are at such a high risk of contracting it. It’s possible that a large number of elderly people suffer undiagnosed whooping cough as well.
However, Hunter added that there’s a chance that a similar spread is occurring. According to him, doctors may be more inclined to diagnose cases now that they are aware of whooping cough than they were in the past, which could further skew the statistics.
Use of vaccines during pregnancy
The symptoms of whooping cough initially resemble a cold. A low-grade fever, runny nose, sneezing, and sporadic coughing are possible symptoms for patients. However, after a few weeks of having pertussis, coughing fits that sound like a high-pitched “whoop” may begin. While minor cases might not have the accompanying whoop, the sickness is most severe in youngsters and newborns. Up to ten weeks may pass during this phase.
Say experts, they have no idea why there is a spike in instances. Like most infectious illness outbreaks, this one might be caused by a number of unrelated events happening all at once. It might be the outcome of the consistent drop in pertussis vaccinations given to expectant mothers throughout Europe, in addition to a general reduction in infant vaccination rates. This would provide some insight into the newborns’ situation. If their mothers did not receive a vaccination throughout their pregnancies, the newborns have no defence against whooping cough.
“You only start vaccinating children against whooping cough at about eight weeks,” Hunter stated. “And the majority of the most serious illnesses typically occur earlier than that.” The May ECDC report states that rates of pertussis immunisation during pregnancy vary greatly around the European continent. In 2023, 88% of expectant Spanish citizens received a pertussis vaccination. Just 1.6% of people in the Czech Republic, where instances of pertussis have sharply increased, had received the vaccination in the same year. Pregnant women’s uptake in the UK has decreased over the last ten years, going from over 70% in 2016 to roughly 60% in 2023.
The role of COVID
Furthermore, the increase may have resulted from a decline in population-wide immunity following the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by health experts. The pandemic’s stringent measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2, such as mask use, hand washing, and limiting social interaction in public areas, resulted in historically low levels of flu and strep infections.
Cases have resumed growing since the pandemic’s termination. However, according to Hunter, that is insufficient to account for the sharp rise in whooping cough cases. This is because, before to the pandemic, whooping cough was not a serious illness in the general population. It was uncommon, but it was there. Not the flu, though. In the years after the pandemic, the number of flu cases may have doubled.
vaccination against pertussis
According to specialists, the whooping cough vaccines themselves may be the third potential aggravating reason. Midway through the 20th century, developed nations including the US, Canada, and portions of Europe saw the introduction of the first pertussis vaccination. It has unfavourable side effects despite being incredibly powerful. The ensuing dramatic decline in uptake resulted in outbreaks during the 1970s and 1980s.
Countries started rolling out second-generation pertussis vaccines in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Instead of using a full cell, this new version used an acellular shot. It was somewhat less successful than the first vaccine, providing immunity for a shorter duration, even though it did not cause the side effects.
What should I do next?
According to Andrew Preston, a professor and whooping cough expert at the University of Bath in the UK, the increase in instances raises challenging questions for medical professionals treating whooping cough, as reported by DW. He stated that while using boosters to reduce spread would be a possibility, “it’s not entirely clear how often you can boost without losing effectiveness.”
Or are we content with the current state of affairs, where everyone else only has to occasionally deal with a persistent cough as long as we can prevent newborns from being seriously sick and dying? Preston mentioned that there are pertussis vaccinations available now, some of which have the potential to confer “far superior” immunity in comparison to the two now in use.
But he said that it would be difficult to include these doses into the present immunisation regimen. In the UK and much of Europe, the pertussis vaccination is given in combination with five other vaccines in a single shot; therefore, adding a new vaccine would need redesigning the existing combination vaccine. “You’d have to reformulate all those other vaccines, and that’s just a monstrous task,” Preston added.
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Festival
Learn the date, time, meaning, customs, and mantras to recite on Utpanna Ekadashi in 2024.
Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: Know date, time, significance, rituals, mantras to chant
Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: From puja vidhi to significance, here’s all that you need to know about this auspicious day
Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: There are 24 Ekadashis observed throughout the year with each Ekadashi having specific significance in Hinduism. It is believed that observing Ekadashi fast can make Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi happy, and bless the devotees with wealth, longevity and prosperity. Utpanna Ekadashi marks the start of the Ekadashi fasting tradition and is observed with a lot of dedication and devotion. Also read | Ekadashi 2024 full list: Complete list of Ekadashi fasting days for the year
Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: date and time
Utpanna Ekadashi is observed during the Krishna Paksha of the Margashirsha month, and is observed after Devutthana Ekadashi. According to Drik Panchang, Utpanna Ekadashi will be observed on November 26 this year. The Ekadashi Tithi will begin at 1:01 AM on November 26 and will end at 3:47 AM on November 27. Also read | Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2024: Date, shubh muhurat, puja and vrat time, significance, rituals
Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: significance
According to legends, it is believed that Lord Vishnu was in deep meditation when demon Mura came to attack him. At that time, Goddess Ekadashi emerged and vanquished demon Mura and saved Lord Vishnu. Since then, Goddess Ekadashi is worshipped for her valour and bravery. Observing Utpanna Ekadashi fast can bring prosperity and wealth in the lives of the devotees.
Performing charity on this day helps in getting rid of the sins of this life and attain salvation. Observing the Utpanna Ekadashi fast and performing the rituals can bring inner peace and happiness in the hearts of the devotees. Also read | Rama Ekadashi 2024: Correct date is October 28; know Rama Ekadashi vrat rituals, auspicious time, significance
Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: rituals
On this day, devotees wake up early and take a holy bath. Then yellow sweets are prepared as yellow is believed to be Lord Vishnu’s favourite colour. Goddess Lakshmi is also worshipped on this day. It is believed that watering the peepul tree on the auspicious occasion of Utpanna Ekadashi has spiritual significance.
Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: mantras to chant
On Utpanna Ekadashi, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya and Ekadashi Vrat Katha are chanted to please Lord vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.
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ELECTION
Here is a simple recipe for you to attempt at home as the BJP celebrates the Maharashtra Election 2024 results with jalebi.
“As BJP celebrates Maharashtra Election 2024 results with jalebi, here’s an easy recipe for you to try at home
BJP celebrates a sweeping victory in Maharashtra Election 2024 with jalebis. If you have a sweet tooth too, try this easy recipe at home
Jalebis and celebrations go hand in hand. But the deep-fried Indian delicacy also has a special connection to elections in our country. It all started when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi showed a box of jalebis from the famous Matu Ram Halwai during a rally in Haryana’s Gohana, stating that it should be sold across the nation. He wanted these jalebis to be exported in order to generate more employment opportunities in India. Well, on the day of the Haryana assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders celebrated their party’s victory in the state by eating jalebis. BJP leaders even got jalebis delivered to Gandhi’s home. Today, as the Mahayuti alliance— comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP— marks a landslide victory in Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024, BJP leaders are once again celebrating with piping hot jalebis.
Well, if this makes you crave jalebis too, try out this easy recipe by Swasthi. All you need for the jalebi is 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons corn starch, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 cup curd, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, oil or ghee as needed. Coming to the ingredients for the sugar syrup: 1 cup sugar, 1/2-3/4 cup water, 1 pinch saffron, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder, 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
Let’s start with the sugar syrup. Begin by adding sugar and water to a pot. Boil on medium heat until it reaches the consistency of a single string. Pour lemon juice, cardamom powder and saffron. Remove from the stove, stir and set aside.
Mix maida, cornflour and turmeric in a bowl. Add curd to this mixture before making a batter by pouring in the water. Beat the batter with a whisk until smooth. Now that your batter is ready, let’s begin frying! Heat the ghee/oil on medium heat. To the batter, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Add soda to this concoction and mix. Now take 2-3 tablespoons of the batter and put it in a zip lock bag or a cloth bag. Squeeze the bag gently over the hot oil/ghee in circular motions from the center, slowly moving outside to get a spiral jalebi. Fry until crispy and then dip this into the sugar syrup. Let it rest for two minutes before taking it out and serving hot.
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Health
Meaty rice’: what is it? A sustainable protein that will revolutionise the world’s food supply
Scientists from South Korea are hoping to transform global eating habits by introducing individual rice grains with grown cow cells in a tiny lab in Seoul. Team leader and professor Hong Jin-kee thinks his new so-called “meaty rice” might become an ethical and environmentally sustainable way for people to receive protein, from preventing famines to feeding astronauts in space.
The meal, which is made without using any animals, has the appearance of a typical bowl of rice (although pink), but because it contains beef muscle and fat cell culture, it has a subtle buttery scent. Hong, of Yonsei University in Seoul, stated that “we can obtain animal protein without the slaughter of livestock” by using cultured meat.
Due to environmental worries about greenhouse gas emissions from animal husbandry and ethical qualms about industrial livestock rearing, businesses all over the world have been looking to commercialize meat substitutes like plant-based or cultured meat. With a background in organoids and biomedical sciences, Hong decided to focus his research on rice because it’s the most popular grain in Asia for protein.
Currently, this can be a laborious process: a typical rice grain is individually injected with beef cells, coated with fish gelatin to aid in adhesion, and then cultivated in a petri dish for up to 11 days. According to Hong, rice has a “slightly porous structure,” and after the beef cells are injected, the grain provides “an ideal structure for cells to grow uniformly from the inside out”.
carbon footprint
Compared to ordinary rice, Hong’s “meaty” rice has 7% more fat and 8% more protein. Although Hong and his colleagues are still figuring out how to scale the procedure, he intends to have their invention certified as emergency relief food for two African nations. “For those who are limited to… just one meal a day, a slight increase in (protein content), even by just a few percent, becomes incredibly important,” he stated.
Although it hasn’t authorised any meat that has been grown for human consumption, South Korea declared in 2022 that it would invest millions of dollars in a “foodtech” fund and designated cell-cultured meat as a top research priority. Singapore and the United States sell meat that has been raised. but Italy banned it last year citing a need to safeguard its livestock industry. Some scholars say potential ethical concerns with cultured meat include the sourcing of the initial animal cells.
It’s hard to be “certain about the safety of the serum used in culture media, and the antibiotics and hormones added during the culturing process” , Former Seoul National University emeritus professor Choi Yoon-jae,
By removing the need to produce and farm animals, Hong’s team’s hybrid rice approach greatly reduces the carbon footprint of protein. He calculates that it releases 6.27 kilogrammes (13.8 pounds) of carbon dioxide for every 100 grammes (3.5 ounces) of protein produced, which is eight times less than standard beef production.
Would you consume it?
According to Neil Stephens, a technology and society lecturer at the University of Birmingham, cultured meat has long been “presented as a climate solution compared to traditional livestock”. However, he pointed out that the industry faces difficulties, such as the requirement to be “produced at scale, and cheap, with low energy needs and environmentally friendly inputs,”
“The ‘meaty’ rice might have an advantage over some other cultured meat products” , because it’s a hybrid item that involves “mixing animal cells with plant material — the rice — making cheaper and less energy intensive,” he stated. Nevertheless, it would still need to persuade people to eat it and demonstrate its environmental merits on a large scale. Both could provide difficulties.”
By 2040, only 40% of the world’s meat consumption would come from conventional sources, according to global firm AT Kearney, upending the whole meat sector. According to a 2019 article, “Products such as milk, egg white, gelatin, and fish can be created with similar technology.” Hong is adamant that biotechnology has the power to improve human nutrition consumption.
For instance, he explained, eating lab-grown beef made exclusively of muscle cells rather than fat could help an elderly person suffering from sarcopenia, or muscle loss. He stated that “more biological information becomes available and we need to meticulously control our food” as a new era approaches.
He added that this might imply that a future AI-infused kitchen could assess a person’s health through a blood analysis, then instruct a robot to prepare the most suitable breakfast.
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