Dengue is caused by a virus which is usually transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus mosquitoes and could lead attacks in three forms. Classical dengue fever Dengue haemorrhagic fever with shock. Dengue haemorrhagic fever without shock. Dengue epidemics, which have affected more than 100 countries all over the world, happen in overcrowded urban… [ Continue Reading ]
Probably the oldest disease known to mankind, leprosy, known as kustha rog in Hindi, is attributed to a curse. A leper is considered the cursed one mainly because of the deformities it can cause. Though it has been wiped out from most parts of the world, it continues to be a major health hazard in… [ Continue Reading ]
Your child has been crying nonstop and running a temperature through the night. You try desperately to pacify her and wonder what could be wrong. Oh yes! Realisation dawns on you. She was given a dose of the DPT vaccine the previous day. But isn’t a vaccine supposed to keep the baby healthy, you wonder…. [ Continue Reading ]
Fortunately, in April 1977, India was declared a small pox free country. Small pox was once a major killer throughout the world and its eradication has prevented two million deaths, a few hundred cases of blindness and 10-15 million cases of diseases. Causative Agent Small pox is an infectious disease caused by the variola virus…. [ Continue Reading ]
Hepatitis E, which is known to be a water born disease, was discovered in 1990. Incubation period Usually two to nine weeks. Age group It mainly affects young adults, between 15 to 40 years. Transmission Hepatitis E thrives in hot climes where water or food is contaminated by faeces containing the virus. Symptoms Acute viral… [ Continue Reading ]
Another infectious disease like measles or chicken pox, mumps is caused by a virus which attacks mainly the glandular and nervous tissues. Although the morbidity rate tends to be high, mortality rate is negligible. Causative agent Mumps is caused by a virus called Myxovirus parotiditis. Source of infection The disease is spread by direct contact… [ Continue Reading ]
Japanese Encephalitis, which is caused by a virus called the Flavivirus, is transmitted by mosquitoes. Previously an endemic disease in Japan, China and Korea, it has now spread to South East Asia, in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Burma and Srilanka. About 85 per cent of the people affected are children less than 15 years of… [ Continue Reading ]
Largely common in tropical climes, hook worm infection is caused by parasites called Ancylostoma Duodenale and Necator Americanus. Hookworms live in the small intestine of an infected person and are excreted in the faeces. The worms can find their way into your body by penetrating the skin, usually through the feet if you are walking bare… [ Continue Reading ]
An acute viral disease of the central nervous system, rabies is usually fatal. Normally, dogs, cats, jackals and wolves are carriers of the disease, which is transmitted to human beings if they are bitten or even licked by a rabid animal. Caused by a virus called Lyssavirus type 1, rabies is transmitted through the saliva… [ Continue Reading ]
The Hepatitis C virus is a fairly new entity for professional practitioners of medicine, since it was identified as recently as 1989. Transmission The virus is mainly transmitted through transfusion of contaminated blood or using contaminated equipment such as needles. Most of the Hepatitis C cases are intravenous drug users, who share needles. However, unlike… [ Continue Reading ]
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