The death of over 100 children in about a month in Muzaffarpur district of north Bihar due to low blood sugar level is caused by a toxin present in litchi fruit. When under-nourished children eat the fruit and go to bed on empty stomach, the blood glucose falls sharply causing severe brain malfunction (encephalopathy) and … Continue reading Litchi toxin kills over 100 children in Muzaffarpur
Dr. T. Jacob John
Waking up to MCPG toxin’s role in causing litchi mystery disease
There is evidence that as late as March 2014, Delhi’s National Centre for Disease Control, India (NCDC) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta (CDC) researchers were in the dark about the possible role of methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG) toxin present in litchi in causing illness in children aged 15 years or younger in Muzaffarpur, Bihar … Continue reading Waking up to MCPG toxin’s role in causing litchi mystery disease
Litchi: Controversy erupts over Muzaffarpur mystery disease study
The scientist who investigated the mystery disease that proved fatal for many 15-year old children in Muzaffarpur, Bihar at the instance of the State government has raised ethics issues about the way the research has been published by the journal Lancet Global Health on January 30. “Not giving due credit for work done by others … Continue reading Litchi: Controversy erupts over Muzaffarpur mystery disease study
IPV vaccine boost to India’s polio fight
After nearly five polio-free years, and with the launch of the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) injection in the national immunisation programme tomorrow (November 30), India will be pushing for “endgame polio”. The injectable vaccine, which uses killed polio viruses, will be used alongside the oral polio vaccine (OPV). For now, immunisation using IPV will be … Continue reading IPV vaccine boost to India’s polio fight
Why oral polio vaccination must for India-bound Pakistanis
With no cases of polio being reported for three consecutive years, India will be declared as polio-free by the WHO on February 11 when random samples tested by the global health body turns out to be negative for polio. On February 24, 2012 WHO removed India from the list of countries with active, endemic, wild … Continue reading Why oral polio vaccination must for India-bound Pakistanis
‘We are fighting a war against polio without a General’
A 10-month-old baby in Beed district, Maharashtra who was recently diagnosed of polio caused by the vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) type 2 turns the spotlight on the shortcomings of using a live, weakened polio virus in oral polio vaccine. Dr. T. Jacob John, member of the WHO committee on global polio eradication, in an email to … Continue reading ‘We are fighting a war against polio without a General’
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