People with heart failure are likely to
experience a significant decrease in cognitive abilities like attention and
problem-solving, according to a study on Thursday.
Key Points
1 Cognitive abilities decline significantly within 7
years of heart failure diagnosis
2 Mental aging equivalent to 10 years accelerated
3 Affects attention and problem-solving skills
4 Largest impact on older adults and women
Researchers from the University of Michigan,
US examined the cognitive abilities of nearly 30,000 adults over time,
comparing those who did and did not develop heart failure.
The researchers found heart failure is
associated with a significant decrease in cognition at the time of diagnosis.
Global cognition and executive functioning
also declined more rapidly over the years after heart failure diagnosis.
The team found that people with the condition
mentally aged the equivalent of 10 years within just seven years of a heart
failure diagnosis.
“Heart failure is a disease that never goes
away and treating it relies heavily on a patient’s ability to follow specific
instructions, monitor their symptoms, and keep up with many different
medications,” said Supriya Shore, first author and clinical assistant professor
of internal medicine-cardiology at University of Michigan Medical School.
“Seeing this cognitive decline among
patients, and how it worsens over time after a diagnosis of heart failure,
should be a warning for providers to assess a patient’s cognitive ability early
and factor it into the care plan,” she added.
Notably, the study, published in the journal
Circulation: Heart Failure, showed that the typical risk factors for cognitive
impairment, such as high blood pressure and heart attack, did not explain the
accelerated decline observed in the participants with heart failure.
The largest decrease in global cognition -- a
composite of several features of cognitive ability, including attention and
problem-solving -- occurred among older adults, women, and white participants.
Adults with heart failure reached the
threshold for meaningful decline in global cognition nearly six years earlier
than people without it. Executive functioning would diminish around
four-and-a-half years earlier.
Globally, an estimated 64 million people
suffer heart failure. Monitoring these people, although complex, may prevent
cognitive decline in adults, said the team.
“Regular cognitive monitoring of older adults
with heart failure would help identify individuals with the earliest signs of
cognitive decline who require supportive care,” said Deborah A. Levine,
Professor of internal medicine and neurology at the varsity.
A groundbreaking study by researchers from
the University of Pittsburgh and Yale University has uncovered how common gut
bacteria can significantly impact the effectiveness of crucial medications. The
research revealed that bacterial strains can metabolize and transform drugs
targeting cellular receptors, potentially reducing their therapeutic potential.
Scientists discovered that out of 127 tested drugs, 30 were metabolized, with
12 experiencing substantial chemical transformation. These findings underscore
the complex interactions between human microbiome and pharmaceutical
treatments, highlighting the need for more personalized medical approaches.
"Understanding how GPCR-targeted drugs
interact with human gut microbiota is critical" - Dr. Qihao Wu, University
of Pittsburgh
Common gut bacteria can make diabetes, cancer
drugs less effective: Study
Common gut bacteria can metabolise some oral
medications potentially rendering these important drugs against migraines,
depression, type 2 diabetes, and prostate cancer less effective, according to a
study on Thursday.
Key Points
1 Gut bacteria metabolize over 30 critical
medications targeting cellular receptors
2 Research identifies potential challenges in
personalized medicine approaches
3 Bacterial transformation can significantly alter
drug concentration and efficacy
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh
and Yale University in the US showed that gut bacteria metabolises oral drugs
that target cellular receptors called GPCRs.
Drugs that act on GPCRs, or G protein-coupled
receptors, include more than 400 medications approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for the treatment of many common conditions such as
migraines, depression, type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer, and more.
“Understanding how GPCR-targeted drugs
interact with human gut microbiota is critical for advancing personalised
medicine initiatives,” said Qihao Wu, Assistant Professor at the Pitt School of
Pharmacy.
“This research could help open up new avenues
for drug design and therapeutic optimisation to ensure that treatments work
better and safer for every individual,” Wu said.
The effectiveness of a drug varies from
person to person, influenced by age, genetic makeup, diet and other factors.
Recently, researchers discovered that
microbes in the gut can also metabolise orally administered drugs. It breaks
down the compounds into different chemical structures which then alters the
drugs' efficacy.
To learn more about which gut bacteria
metabolises which drugs, the team built a synthetic microbial community
composed of 30 common bacterial strains found in the human gut.
In the lab study, they added each of the 127
GPCR-targeting drugs individually to tubes containing the bacteria.
The experiment showed that the bacterial mix
metabolised 30 of the 127 tested drugs, 12 of which were heavily metabolised.
This meant that concentrations of the original drug were greatly depleted
because they were transformed into other compounds.
Overall, the findings, published in the
journal Nature Chemistry, suggest that “specific gut bacteria could make
GPCR-targeting drugs less effective by transforming them into other compounds,”
the team said. The team urged for more research to understand the potential
impact in people and that patients shouldn’t stop taking or, change their
medication without consulting their provider.
A landmark study reveals that blood pressure
patterns during early pregnancy could be a critical predictor of future
cardiovascular risks. Researchers tracked over 170,000 women and discovered
that specific blood pressure trajectories can indicate hypertension potential
years after childbirth. Women with elevated-stable blood pressure patterns were
found to be at significantly higher risk of developing hypertension. This
research offers promising insights for early intervention and preventive healthcare
strategies.
"Blood pressure trajectories during
early pregnancy can stratify cardiovascular risk" - University of
Pittsburgh Research Team
Blood pressure patterns in early pregnancy
can predict hypertension risk years later
Blood pressure patterns observed in the first
half of pregnancy, even among women without hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
(HDP), can predict the risk of developing hypertension up to 14 years after
giving birth, according to a study.
Key Points
1 First comprehensive study tracking 174,774 women's
cardiovascular health post-pregnancy
2 Six distinct blood pressure risk groups identified
4 Early detection can prevent potential heart
complications
High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart
disease, the leading cause of death.
The study, appearing in the journal
Hypertension, focusses on a group of postpartum women who are not currently recognised
as being at high risk for future hypertension and cardiovascular disease
because they did not develop HDP during pregnancy.
HDP includes serious complications such as
preeclampsia and gestational hypertension during pregnancy and is known to increase
the risk of heart disease later in life.
The team led by researchers from the
University of Pittsburgh, in the US, found that women who showed certain blood
pressure patterns during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy were more likely to
develop hypertension later in life.
The study followed 174,774 women who received
prenatal care at a US-based healthcare non-profit Kaiser Permanente Northern
California between 2009 and 2019.
None of these women had hypertension, kidney,
liver, or heart disease, or a history of preeclampsia before pregnancy.
Researchers tracked their health records up to 14 years after delivery to
identify new cases of hypertension.
The team identified six distinct risk groups
of blood pressure trajectory -- ranging from ultra-low to elevated-stable
patterns. Women with elevated-stable blood pressure patterns were found to be
at the highest risk.
This study shows that blood pressure
trajectories during early pregnancy can stratify this risk, even for women
without HDP.
The study showed that these blood pressure
patterns could differentiate risk levels among women with and without HDP.
Among groups of women who did not develop
HDP, those with higher-risk blood pressure patterns -- including
elevated-stable patterns -- during early pregnancy were still 11 times more
likely to develop hypertension years later than those women with less risky
blood pressure patterns.
The researchers called for identifying women
at higher risk, offering targeted surveillance and early interventions, potentially
preventing future heart problems.
A new blood test could help doctors
diagnose and identify the stage of Alzheimer’s.
There are currently a few tests, including blood tests, that can be
used to help diagnose Alzheimer’s and determine which stage the disease is
in.
Researchers at WashU Medicine have developed a blood test that can
not only help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, but can also provide
information to doctors on how far the disease has progressed.
This builds on previous research on a new protein biomarker for tau
tangles in Alzheimer’s disease.
However, people are not always
diagnosed at the beginning of the disease — they can be diagnosed at different stages, which can influence how they
are treated.
Now, researchers at WashU Medicine in St. Louis, MO, have developed a
blood test that can not only help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease but also provide
insight to doctors on how far the disease has progressed, helping them
determine the right treatment path.
“MTBR-tau243
is a chipped (off) piece of the protein in Alzheimer’s tau tangles,” Randall J.
Bateman, MD, the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Distinguished
Professor of Neurology at WashU Medicine in St. Louis, MO, and co-senior author
of this study explained to Medical News Today. “The blood test measures this
piece of tau tangles in the blood as a measure of how many tangles are in the
brain.”
“New
biomarkers are tools that allow us to track the disease in different ways,”
Bateman continued. “Just like doctors use a stethoscope, x-ray, and CAT scan to measure different aspects of
the disease, these biomarkers enable us to measure different aspects of
Alzheimer’s disease. By tracking different processes of Alzheimer’s disease, we
can better diagnose, predict and even develop new and better treatments for
Alzheimer’s disease.”
“The new biomarker — plasma eMTBR-tau243 —
reflects changes in tau pathology occurring in the
clinical symptomatic phase of Alzheimer’s disease and can be used to stage
Alzheimer’s disease tauopathy, and to determine if cognitive symptoms are
likely due to Alzheimer’s disease tau pathology,” added Kanta Horie, PhD, voluntary research
associate professor of neurology at WashU Medicine in St. Louis, MO, and both
co-first and co-corresponding author of this study.
“Also,
many therapeutic developments are ongoing including anti-amyloid and anti-tau
drugs. We believe that this new biomarker becomes the key to establish the
plasma biomarkers panel to stage Alzheimer’s disease, which would open the new
window of precision medicine era
for Alzheimer’s disease.”
Biomarker up to 200 times higher in late-stage Alzheimer’s
During the study, researchers tested
study participants from three main stages of Alzheimer’s disease:
presymptomatic, early-stage with mild
cognitive impairmentsTrusted Source,
and late symptomatic disease where participants have been diagnosed with
dementia.
The
scientists found that blood MTBR-tau243 levels reflected the amount of tau
tangles in the brain with 92% accuracy.
Among
participants showing cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers
discovered that MTBR-tau243 levels were significantly higher for participants
at the mild cognitive stage, and up to 200 times higher for those in the late
symptomatic disease stage.
A NEW
PROTEIN BIOMARKER FOR ALZHEIMER’S
“The cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s
disease is highly associated with (tau) neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) pathology
in (the) brain, not amyloid plaques pathology. Since we know that NFTs are more
generated in the dementia stage in Alzheimer’s disease, it is reasonable for us
to see the drastic increase of MTBR-tau243 in the dementia stage compared to the
preclinical Alzheimer’s disease stage, which suggests the validation to
characterize the plasma MTBR-tau243 biomarker as the tau NFTs-specific
biomarker.”
— Kanta Horie, PhD
“The significance of finding increasing
amounts of MTBR-243 related to Alzheimer’s symptoms — memory loss and thinking
impairment — is (that) this discovery now allows us to track the clinical
symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease with a blood test,” Bateman explained.
Blood tests: Next step in Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatment
“This new blood test can confirm the
amount of tau tangles in the brain that helps determine the stage of
Alzheimer’s disease and if cognitive decline is likely due to Alzheimer’s
disease. This test can be used to accelerate new treatments, and with further
validation, improve diagnosis and stage of Alzheimer’s disease.”
— Randall J. Bateman, MD
MNT spoke with Manisha Parulekar, MD, FACP, AGSF,
CMD, director of the Division of Geriatrics at Hackensack University
Medical Center and co-director of the Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health
at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, about this study.
Parulekar
commented that this blood test represents a logical next step in Alzheimer’s
diagnosis and treatment, building upon previous research and addressing
significant unmet needs.
“Scientists have identified key biomarkers
associated with Alzheimer’s, such as amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles in
the brain,” she explained. “Earlier diagnostic methods, like PET scans and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, could
detect these biomarkers, but they are expensive, invasive, and not readily
accessible.”
“A blood test offers a much simpler
and less costly alternative. There’s a growing understanding that early
diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, which is a complex process, is crucial for effective
intervention. Current treatments, while limited, may be more beneficial in the
early stages of the disease. A readily available blood test could enable much
earlier detection than current methods, allowing for earlier intervention and
potentially slowing disease progression.”— Manisha Parulekar, MD, FACP, AGSF, CMD
“The
initial study needs to be replicated in larger and more diverse populations to
confirm its accuracy and reliability across different demographics,
ethnicities, and stages of the disease,” Parulekar added. “This includes
testing individuals with other neurological conditions to ensure specificity.
Clear and standardized protocols for blood collection, processing, and analysis
must be established to ensure consistent and reproducible results across
different laboratories and healthcare settings.”
A groundbreaking study reveals a promising new
method for detecting tuberculosis in HIV-positive adults using molecular stool
testing. Traditional sputum tests often fail for patients with advanced HIV,
creating significant diagnostic challenges. The research, conducted in
Eswatini, Mozambique, and Uganda, demonstrates that the Stool Ultra test can
identify TB cases missed by conventional methods. This innovative approach
could significantly improve early detection and treatment for vulnerable
populations living with HIV and tuberculosis.
"The results support the use of Stool
Ultra test as a complementary tool for diagnosing tuberculosis in people living
with HIV" - Alberto L. Garcia-Basteiro
Moving beyond the traditional sputum tests, a
new study on Friday showed that a molecular stool test may increase detection
of tuberculosis (TB) in people living with HIV.
Key Points
1 Molecular stool test shows 23.7% sensitivity for
TB diagnosis
2 New method helps HIV patients unable to produce
sputum
3 Study conducted across three African countries
4 Complements existing TB diagnostic strategies
The research, published in the journal The Lancet
Microbe, showed that using a molecular test (called Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra),
currently used on respiratory samples, on stool samples -- until now
recommended only for children -- could be established as an additional test for
diagnosing TB in adults living with HIV.
It could represent a paradigm shift in the
diagnosis of the disease in this population, said the team of researchers led
by Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Spain.
“People living with HIV are at higher risk of
developing pulmonary TB, but diagnosis in these cases is particularly
challenging due to the low sensitivity of conventional tests,” explains George
William Kasule, a doctoral student at ISGlobal and the University of Barcelona,
and the first author of the study.
TB, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, was responsible for 1.25 million deaths in 2023. Of these, 13 per
cent were among people living with HIV.
Currently, the main diagnostic strategy for
TB focuses on sputum samples -- obtained by deep coughing and expectoration of
secretions produced in the lungs. For people living with HIV, a molecular
sputum test is recommended in addition to urine antigen detection (TB-LAM).
However, these diagnostics are not effective
for all people living with HIV, as they often struggle to produce sputum, and
more than half of those in advanced stages of the disease are unable to do so.
Moreover, the concentration of bacteria in
the sputum is often so low that it is undetectable.
To tackle this, the new research focused on
stool samples. The team recruited 677 patients over 15 years old with HIV and
suspected TB in medical centres in three African countries -Eswatini,
Mozambique, and Uganda between December 2021 and August 2024.
Participants provided sputum, urine, stool,
and blood samples.
The results showed that the stool test had a
sensitivity of 23.7 per cent and a specificity of 94.0 per cent, compared with
the reference standard.
“The results of our study support the use of
the Stool Ultra test as a complementary tool for diagnosing tuberculosis in
people living with HIV, especially in those with advanced AIDS, where the risk
of tuberculosis is higher,” said Alberto L. Garcia-Basteiro, a researcher at
ISGlobal and head of the Vaccine and Immune Response to Infections Unit at
Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.
The Stool Ultra
test identified additional cases that were not detected by TB-LAM, Ultra in
sputum, or bacterial culture. Most importantly, it could confirm the disease in
many cases where respiratory tests are negative.
Over
160 measles cases have been reported in nine U.S. states this year, mostly
among unvaccinated individuals, with one death and over 30 hospitalizations.
Health experts warn that declining vaccination rates and rising hesitancy could
threaten the U.S.’s measles-free status, despite the vaccine being highly
effective and widely available.
Over 160 measles cases in 2024
have raised alarms about vaccine hesitancy and declining immunity, threatening
the U.S.’s measles elimination status despite the effectiveness of the MMR
vaccine.
More than 160 measles cases have been
reported across nine states so far this year, including one death and over 30
hospitalizations, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
The CDC reports that 95% of these
cases occurred in individuals who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination
status is unknown. Only 5% of cases involved people who had received one or two
doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
What’s worrying is that “outbreaks
are happening in the context of increased rates of vaccine hesitancy and
decreased rates of immunity,” said Dr. Patrick Jackson, an associate professor
of medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine who specializes in
infectious diseases.
“It’s an incredibly contagious virus, so we rely on high levels of
vaccination to contain the spread,” he said. “That makes me worry about when
we’ll have a lower vaccine level and see more sustained transmission of
measles.”
A Disease Once
Thought Eliminated
First introduced in 1963, the vaccine virtually eliminated
the disease in the U.S. by 2000. There have been occasional case clusters
since, usually involving an unvaccinated person being exposed to measles while
traveling, Jackson said.
In 2019, 649 cases were confirmed in
New York’s Williamsburg neighborhood. An estimated 93% of the cases were in the
Orthodox Jewish community after an unvaccinated child was exposed to measles
while traveling abroad. The overwhelming number of cases were in young,
unvaccinated people, with 81.2% of patients under 18.
“If people have received appropriate
measles vaccination, we believe immunity is lifelong and there is no need to
pursue additional protection,” Jackson said.
Measles, an airborne illness, is
extremely infectious. Before the measles vaccine became available, the illness
killed between 400 and 500 people in the United States each year and
hospitalized an estimated 48,000 every year, according to CDC data.
The World Health Organization
declared measles eliminated in the U.S. in 2000; both North and South America
were declared free from the virus in 2016. But, with the new outbreaks across
the country, the Pan-American Health Organization warns the eliminated status
may be at risk.
“This is a disease that should not be
a thing anymore in this country,” Dr. Taison Bell, UVA’s acting chair of
medicine, said. “We have a vaccine that prevents it and the ability to
eradicate it.”
The Importance
of Full Vaccination
The recommended protection is two doses of the vaccine, which
is 97% effective at preventing measles. The Pan-American Health Organization
recommends that 95% of the population should be vaccinated, with a focus on
children and young adults.
Roughly a third of cases reported
this year by the CDC were in children under 5, and almost half of cases were in
children 5 to 19 years old.
Others at risk are healthcare
workers, immunocompromised people, pregnant women, and unvaccinated children.
Infants are at higher risk because they cannot get vaccinated before their
first birthday.
“There are some higher risk
categories but, for most people, if you’re fully vaccinated, you should have
nothing to worry about,” Bell said. “Even though measles is highly infectious,
it doesn’t mutate much like COVID or the flu, so the vaccine is very effective
and gives lifelong immunity.”
UVA requires incoming students to
show proof of vaccination against measles, with few exemptions, including a
religious exemption, Bell said.
“We’re a reasonably well-vaccinated
population,” he said.
Doctors began recommending two doses
of the vaccine in 1989, according to Bell. He said anyone vaccinated before
that year should check to see if they should go back in for their second dose.
“I was actually in this category,” he
said. “It’s never too late to get vaccinated.”
Breakthrough AI technologies are revolutionizing the treatment of
Parkinson’s disease in various ways, offering renewed hope to millions of
individuals suffering from this neurodegenerative disorder.
The most exciting breakthrough is Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation
(aDBS), which reduces Parkinson’s symptoms by up to 50%. While earlier DBS
devices gave the brain continuous electrical stimulation, aDBS employs artificial
intelligence that monitors brain activity in real time. This smart system adapts stimulation at the exact time it is required,
providing a tailored therapy strategy that significantly enhances symptom
management while minimizing unwanted side effects. AIDP diagnostic tool achieves 96% accuracy in
MRI-based Parkinsonism differentiation A University of California, San Francisco study, reported in
Nature, points to how the AI-based approach improves the quality of neural
signals chosen for symptom management. Through dynamic adaptation to the
evolving states of the brain of the patient, aDBS delivers better therapy and
significantly enhances quality of life.
The diagnostic landscape for Parkinson’s is similarly being revolutionized
through AI applications. Researchers at the University of Florida have
developed a remarkable diagnostic tool called Automated Imaging Differentiation
for Parkinsonism (AIDP). This
software analyzes diffusion-weighted MRI scans using sophisticated machine learning algorithms
to achieve an impressive 96% diagnostic accuracy rate.This technology solves a major
problem in Parkinson’s therapy—minimizing diagnostic mistakes and
differentiating Parkinson’s from other movement disorders. With better and more
accurate diagnosis, patients can be treated earlier in the right way, and this may
lead to better long-term results. AI Revolutionizing Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Parkinson’s drug development
was previously slow and costly, but that too is being revolutionized by AI.
Researchers at Cambridge used machine learning to discover compounds that block
alpha-synuclein aggregation, a protein with very strong correlations with
Parkinson’s pathology. Their computer-based approach
has accelerated chemical library screening by tenfold at a fraction of the
expense. It has already identified five lead compounds for further
investigation, potentially speeding the development of disease-modifying
treatments that have been elusive for decades. Outside of clinical
environments, AI is improving daily patient care through groundbreaking
monitoring devices. DXC Tele-Parkinson is one such example, applying AI to
streamline remote patient care. The AI-powered smartphone app analyzes daily
activity such as drawing spirals and tracks vital information on mood, sleep
patterns, and medication response.
This technology allows patients to become actively involved in monitoring their
condition without adding to the hassle of repeated hospitalization. The
continuous flow of information allows greater personalized management of the
disease and timely interventions when and where they are required. Together, these advances are a
giant step forward for humanity in the battle against Parkinson’s disease on
multiple fronts—symptom control, diagnosis, drug discovery,
and chronic care. To families and patients with Parkinson’s disease, these
technologies are tangible sources of hope. As researchers continue to
develop these complex applications, the use of AI in the treatment of Parkinson’s
has the potential to transform what has historically been a static disease into
a more manageable one that improves life expectancy and improves the quality of
life of those suffering from it.
Health officials
investigating the case discovered that the child had consumed a small piece of
raw chicken on February 26, which they believe was the likely source of
infection
A two-year-old girl from
Andhra Pradesh has died after contracting H5N1 bird flu, marking what appears
to be the first human infection and fatality from the disease in the country
since at least 2021.
The case comes amid growing international concern about H5N1
and its potential for wider transmission. While human cases remain exceedingly
rare, the virus’s high mortality rate — approximately 50% in documented cases—
has kept the disease on the radar of scientists around the world.
State health officials said
the child, who resided in Baliah Nagar in Narasaopet town, Palnadu district,
died on March 16 while receiving treatment at AIIMS-Mangalagiri. The Pune-based
National Institute of Virology (NIV) confirmed on March 24 that she had
contracted bird flu, with additional confirmation from the Indian Council of
Medical Research in Delhi.
Health officials
investigating the case discovered that the child had consumed a small piece of
raw chicken on February 26, which they believe was the likely source of
infection. Family members reported that the girl occasionally ate raw chicken,
a practice that significantly increases transmission risk.
“The girl developed fever and other symptoms
on February 28 and was initially admitted to a local hospital,” a health
department official said. “On March 4, she was transferred to AIIMS Mangalagiri
after her condition worsened with acute fever, breathing difficulties and
diarrhoea.”
The child’s parents have
tested negative for the virus, as have all other family members, indicating the
pathogen involved in this case did not jump to or from another human being – a
scenario that would have otherwise been worrying. To be sure, there have been
no recorded cases of human to human transmission of bird flu.
Dr T Damodar Naidu, Director
of the Animal Husbandry Department, stated that extensive surveillance has
revealed no other cases of bird flu in Palnadu or neighbouring districts.
“We conducted physical surveillance of all poultry farms in the region and
found no symptoms of bird flu among poultry,” Dr Naidu said. He emphasised that
thorough cooking is crucial for prevention, noting that “the bird flu virus
does not survive in temperatures above 60-70 degrees Celsius.”
The health department has
deployed rapid response teams to conduct fever surveys in and around the
locality where the girl lived, with no abnormal cases identified thus far.
Surveillance will continue for the next two weeks, with testing organised for
any suspected cases.
The Union ministry of health
and family welfare has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to
Andhra Pradesh to investigate and assist the state following the child’s death.
Officials from the ministry
said they are closely watching the situation and believe the state is equipped
to manage it.
“Human to human transmission of H5N1 virus is uncommon and the risk of any
other epidemiologically-linked case being reported is assessed to be low. But,
due to abundance of caution, the following public health measures have been
initiated: Union health ministry has reviewed the status; the centre has
deployed the National Joint Outbreak Response Team to undertake an
epidemiological investigation and to assist the State,” said a senior health
ministry official.
The official noted that
according to data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP),
there has been no unusual surge in Influenza-like illness or severe acute
respiratory illness cases in the district over the past few weeks.
“AIIMS, Mangalagiri is an
ICMR VRDL (Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory) that has sufficient
quantities of kits and reagents for testing suspected influenza patients. Union
health ministry through Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, National
Centre for Disease Control, is closely monitoring the situation,” the official
added.
Evolution growing concern
A highly pathogenic subtype
of H5N1 was first detected in birds in China in 1996, with the first human
cases appearing shortly thereafter, with most infections originating in contact
with infected bords. Since then, nearly 1,000 human infections have been
documented worldwide.
The statement from the Andhra
Pradesh government noted that only four other cases of human avian influenza
(H5N1 and H9N2) have been reported in India over the past five years: one each
from Maharashtra in June 2019 and Haryana in July 2021, and two from West
Bengal in April and May 2024.
In the case of H5N1, the
July 2021 case was the last known infection and fatality. It involved an
11-year-old boy from Gurugram in the National Capital Region who was being
treated for acute myeloid leukemia at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) in New Delhi. The child died on July 12, 2021 after developing
multiorgan dysfunction.
In that case, family interviews revealed that the child frequently visited a
family-owned poultry business, suggesting possible exposure to birds with undetected
infection, although no infected domestic or wild avian sources had been
reported in the area at that time.
In recent days, experts have
said they are tracking the virus closely. “In 2022, a new subtype of H5N1 clade
2.3.4.4b emerged in North America and spread to domestic poultry and many wild
mammal species. Over the past year, this subtype has also been spreading in
dairy cows,” professor Jeremy Luban of UMass Chan Medical School said during
the Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness (MassCPR) in March.
“The virus diversified as it
replicated in birds, and migratory bird species spread multiple subtypes around
the planet,” Luban noted.
This expansion into new species—particularly the jump to dairy cattle—is at the
heart of the concerns since they signal the virus’s adaptive capabilities.
While most recent human cases have been mild and there has been no confirmed
human-to-human transmission, experts have pointed to documented human-to-cat
spread, suggesting humans can transmit the virus under certain conditions. No
cat-to-human transmission, however, has been recorded.
Health officials continue to
advise the public to cook poultry and eggs thoroughly, avoid direct contact
with sick or dead birds, and practise good hand hygiene, especially after
handling raw poultry products.
The Andhra Pradesh health
department has urged residents to report unusual bird deaths and to seek
immediate medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms after contact
with birds or poultry.