British vapers are safe, claim health experts after deaths in US

 A man exhales after vaping at the Vape Jam Convention in London in April 2018. Photograph: Amer Ghazzal/REX/Shutterstock Health experts have moved to reassure British vapers in the wake of a severe respiratory illness that has killed at least five people and hospitalised many more in the US. More than 450 possible cases – all linked to vaping – among otherwise “healthy young people” are being investigated, US officials said on Friday. They have reported that affected individuals have experienced respiratory symptoms including a cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Some…

Read More

Swine flu threat grows; 600 deaths, 12.5k cases this year

Swine flu, the viral illness that became a pandemic in 2009, has made a comeback this year, claiming nearly 600 lives across the country so far this year, with close to 12,500 cases being reported.Maharashtra, with 284 deaths, is the worst affected, followed by Gujarat (75), Kerala (63) and Rajasthan (59), government data shows. In Delhi, official figures state, 241 people have tested positive for swine flu and four have died, as on July 9. Doctors said the number of deaths could be higher. “People are visiting hospitals late. This…

Read More

Early Childhood Cancer Deaths 4 Times More Common Than Estimated

                  One of the biggest menaces of the medical world – cancer – shows no mercy to even the youngest of its victims. While scientists and medical experts across the globe are working day and night to curb the fatal disease, the recent study released in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has come up with findings bound to leave the world startled. The study suggests that the death rate for infants afflicted by cancer is about four times higher than previously estimated…

Read More

New HIV infections down, but AIDS deaths rise 35% in 3 yrs

Deaths due to full blown AIDSin the city have jumped by nearly 35% over the last three years though the number of fresh HIV infections has shown a decline, shows figures collated by the Mumbai District Aids Control Society. They suggest that a majority of the HIV cases are detected in the 35-49 age group, indicating that awareness campaigns are probably not making early inroads. AIDS deaths rose from 945 in 2013-14 to 1,270 in 2015-16 (see box). Activists are alarmed that the year-on-year increase in fatalities has ranged from…

Read More

Scientists solve blood clot deaths in cancer patients

New Zealand scientists have unlocked the mystery of why so many cancer patients die of blood clots while undergoing chemotherapy in a study. Chemotherapy stimulates release of tiny bubbles from the surface of cancer cells, causing the potentially fatal clots, said the study by University of Otago researchers that came out on Wednesday, Xinhua news reported. Most deaths from cancer were caused by uncontrolled growth of tumour in vital organs, but the second most common way that cancer kills is by triggering blood clotting resulting in thrombosis. The clots cause…

Read More

Europe Air Pollution Causes 467,000 Early Deaths a Year: Report

Almost nine out of 10 European city dwellers breathe air that is harmful to their health, though the continent’s air quality is slowly improving, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said today. Air pollution remains the single largest environmental cause of premature death in urban Europe, and was linked to around 467,000 early deaths in 41 European countries in 2013, according to an analysis of data from more than 400 cities. “Emission reductions have led to improvements in air quality in Europe, but not enough to avoid unacceptable damage to human…

Read More