Latest news with #Nipah
News18
a day ago
- Health
- News18
Dengue To Nipah: NIV Developing Vaccines For These Deadly Viruses In India
Last Updated: With Nakshatra supercomputer at NIV Pune, virus mutations can be tracked in real time, speeding up vaccine development and enabling swift national response The National Institute of Virology's (NIV) fight against deadly viruses is gaining momentum far beyond dengue. While India's first indigenous dengue vaccine has reached the final phase of human trials—an important breakthrough in tackling the mosquito-borne illness—NIV is also developing vaccines and diagnostic tools for several other high-risk viruses, aiming to reduce the country's reliance on imported technology and boost epidemic preparedness. The Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) virus, prevalent in Karnataka and surrounding forests, causes a severe fever, and its vaccine is now in an advanced stage. Chandipura Virus The Chandipura virus, which induces high fever in children, is also being targeted by NIV for a vaccine. Nipah Virus India is developing a vaccine for the highly lethal Nipah virus using monoclonal antibody technology. CCHF Virus The zoonotic Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) virus is also under surveillance by the NIV, where work on a vaccine and diagnostic kit is already underway. These advancements signify India's growing self-reliance in addressing biological threats. With Nakshatra in place, virus mutations can be tracked in real time, accelerating vaccine development and enabling faster national response during outbreaks. The arrival of this supercomputer is being hailed as a revolutionary step in India's virology efforts. Eradicating Dengue India's first indigenous dengue vaccine could mark a turning point in the country's decades-long battle against the disease. The vaccine has shown promise against all four serotypes of the dengue virus, thanks to modern biotechnology advances in the NIV labs. If the final phase of trials is successful, India will soon have its first homegrown and safe dengue vaccine. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
News18
2 days ago
- Health
- News18
India's First One Health Institute In Nagpur To Track Human, Animal & Environmental Diseases Together
The institute will test samples nationwide to trace disease spread and issue timely alerts if a new virus is found in animals, helping prevent transmission to humans The country's first One Health Institute is under construction in Nagpur, aiming to simultaneously monitor diseases affecting humans, animals and the environment. Dr. Pragya Yadav, Director of the National Institute for One Health, highlighted that this significant initiative by the government is geared towards addressing future epidemic challenges more effectively. The National Institute for One Health (NIOH) in Nagpur, Maharashtra, will track diseases across humans, animals, and the environment, enabling early detection. What Makes The Institute Stand Out? The institute will identify zoonotic diseases such as COVID, bird flu, and the Nipah virus. A collaborative effort involving doctors, veterinarians, scientists, and environmental experts will work towards understanding the origins of these diseases. When Will It Be Ready? According to Dr. Yadav, the institute is expected to be fully operational within the next two years, with rapid progress being made on its building and modern laboratories. How Will It Prevent Epidemics? The institute's role in epidemic prevention involves testing samples from across the country to trace and analyse how diseases spread. Should a new virus be detected in any animal, timely alerts will be issued to prevent the disease from spreading to humans. Additionally, the institute will maintain connections with global agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), positioning India to participate in global epidemic warnings and solutions. Equipped with high-safety labs such as BSL-2, BSL-3, and BSL-4, the institute will collaborate with various ministries, including health, animal husbandry, and environment, to determine whether diseases originate from animals, the environment, or other factors. What Is One Health? The concept of One Health revolves around understanding the interconnected health of humans, animals and the environment to prevent diseases. The National Institute for One Health will serve as a collaborative platform, fostering data monitoring across departments to ensure timely responses to future epidemics. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: June 18, 2025, 19:17 IST
Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Jab update as virus with 'pandemic potential' kills up to 85%
Early symptoms include headaches and fever, but it can get a lot worse A vaccine for the deadly Nipah virus, which has the potential to cause a pandemic, could reach patients sooner thanks to scientists at the University of Oxford. The university's jab for the Nipah virus has received backing from the European Medicines Agency's Prime scheme. This initiative aims to speed up the delivery of treatments to patients by fostering earlier and closer ties with regulators. The World Health Organisation recognises Nipah as a research priority due to its pandemic potential. The virus can be fatal in up to 85% of cases, initially causing symptoms such as fever, headaches, pain, vomiting and a sore throat, but later leading to lethal brain swelling. Nipah can spread to humans from animals like bats or pigs, contaminated food, or directly from human to human. The University of Oxford is currently conducting phase one testing on its Nipah jab following promising early results. It is the first UK academic institution to gain access to the EMA's Prime scheme. Oxford stated that the additional support provided by Prime "has been granted on the basis of compelling preclinical data and preliminary clinical evidence, and will help to accelerate the development and regulatory approval" of the vaccine. In its letter of confirmation to Oxford investigators, the EMA said: "Nipah virus disease in humans is associated with significant morbidity and a high mortality rate and consequent public health impact." Reports are suggesting that the increase in human contact with fruit bats coupled with their incursion into densely populated areas is amplifying the threat of Nipah virus outbreaks. Professor Brian Angus, chief investigator of the Oxford Nipah Vaccine Programme at the Oxford Vaccine Group, welcomed the development, saying: "This targeted regulatory support for our vaccine programme is a huge boost to the search for a solution to Nipah virus outbreaks." He also expressed optimism in vaccine research: "We are hopeful that the results of these trials will pave the way for us to be able to protect some of the populations most at risk, while also helping the world avoid a future global pandemic." First identified during an epidemic among pig farmers in Malaysia in 1999, the Nipah virus has since become an ongoing concern. It was similarly observed in Bangladesh in 2001 and has nefariously reared its head nearly every year since. What's more, traces of this dangerous pathogen have been detected in fruit bat species across various countries, stretching from Cambodia to Thailand.
Straits Times
06-06-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Paint sculptures and learn about Punggol's history at new 10-day arts and heritage festival
The installation, called Colours on Shore, is part of a new heritage initiative that will run from June 6 to 15 in Punggol. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Paint sculptures and learn about Punggol's history at new 10-day arts and heritage festival SINGAPORE – Within the Waterway Point mall in Punggol is a cluster of boulder-like sculptures sporting paint-splattered handprints and brushstrokes. Made of canvas, the sculptures are part of an interactive art installation meant to represent Punggol's rocky shoreline. Punggol residents and their children can draw and paint on them as part of an experience to reimagine what is a central part of their neighbourhood. The installation, called Colours on Shore, is part of a new heritage initiative that will run from June 6 to 15 in Punggol. It is being launched under the National Heritage Board's (NHB) Heritage Activation Node (HAN) initiative, which aims to involve the public and local communities in celebrating the heritage of Singapore's neighbourhoods and organising their own heritage programmes. Punggol is the third town where this initiative has been launched, after similar runs in Katong-Joo Chiat and Clementi in 2024. The Punggol initiative's curator John Tung said the Punggol area was once known for its pig farms and for housing Singapore's first zoo, although the town's identity has evolved, and residents have different interpretations of the town now. 'There is a part of Punggol that is historical, for example the changing history of Punggol Beach, but it's no longer a fishermen's block anymore,' said Mr Tung. Once a rural fishing village with poultry and pig farms, Punggol began clearing out its pig farms in the 1980s. Construction of the first Housing Board flats began in the late 1990s. Other heritage programmes being organised in Punggol as part of this initiative, include one called 'Where Punggol Meets Plate', which allows participants to create a three-course food experience using local ingredients such as Nipah palm trees near Punggol Reservoir. There is also a listening and drawing workshop called 'Attuning to Nature' that will allow participants to learn about the natural and environmental histories of Punggol and Coney Island. These programmes are co-organised with over 10 community partners, and in partnership with art organization OH! Open House. Interested participants can sign up at: NHB's director for education and community outreach, Mr Gerald Wee, hopes the initiative will bring Punggol's history to life, and highlight natural spaces like Coney Island, as well as landmarks such as Punggol Jetty and Punggol Settlement. Mr Wee said previous launches of the initiative have drawn good feedback and 'brought together diverse communities to uncover and share neighbourhood stories'. 'As we launch HAN@Punggol with OH! Open House, we look forward to expanding this vibrant community of heritage enthusiasts, and deepening connections between communities and their neighbourhood's heritage,' he said. Ms Chua Sze Hwei, 37, a full-time homemaker who has lived in Punggol for about a decade, is looking forward to the heritage programmes. 'I think it would be great if the initiatives can attract people to see how young and how vibrant the community is in Punggol,' she said. Children trying their hand at the interactive art experience called Colours on Shore, at Waterway Point on June 6. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG OH! Open House and NHB also plan to go further with the initiative. In July, they intend to mobilise volunteers to go door-to-door around Punggol to invite households to have their portraits drawn and gather stories about their neighbourhood. This will be part of a three-year community initiative to create a directory of local stories that can be displayed in Punggol's public spaces. OH! Open House artistic director, Mr Alan Oei, added: 'Heritage isn't just something we visit in a museum - it's in the stories passed down at void decks, in the everyday rituals we don't even realise we're part of.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Mint
04-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
India's drug regulator plans overhaul of Schedule H for prescription medicines
New Delhi: Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), the country's top drug regulator, is planning a complete overhaul of medicines listed under Schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, which governs the sale of prescription drugs, said an official aware of the matter and documents reviewed by Mint. Also Read | Key drugs, diagnostics run short in public health centres, govt raises alarm The proposed revamp is driven by concerns, including a rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from self-medication and rampant use of antibiotics purchased over the counter without prescription, the official said. Schedule H includes drugs that cannot be purchased or sold on retail without a doctor's prescription. This overhaul will involve updating the list of prescription drugs by incorporating new medicines and formulations that have been introduced in the market in the recent past. 'The issue related to making suitable reforms in the drug regulatory system has been in discussion for quite some time now. The exercise is part of India's fight against irrational use of antimicrobial medicines, which are used to prevent and treat infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants, including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics," said the official on the condition of anonymity. Also Read | What America has got wrong about gender medicine In 2022, a high-level expert committee was constituted by the health ministry to review and revise Schedule H Drugs to recommend comprehensive changes in the drug regulatory regime to reflect global best practices as well as domestic requirements. Remdesivir, dexamethasone, favipiravir, ivermectin and mebrofenin are some of the drugs that are proposed to be added to Schedule H. Right now, there are around 536 drugs under Schedule H. The committee had discussed the existing regulatory framework in detail and noted that the drugs that are not included in Schedule G, H, H1 and X can be easily sold in the country without prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) and it is 'not in public interest", according to the documents reviewed by Mint. Also Read | ICMR gets a breakthrough in attempts to develop first indigenous Nipah virus medicine 'There are many drugs used for various indications like diabetes, TB, heart disease, pain killers etc which are put in special categories like anti-diabetic, anti-pain relief, anti-depressants, anticoagulant drugs, and cardiovascular drugs of the Drug Rule. However, these drugs should fall in schedule H. So, efforts are being made to streamline this," said the official. The expert panel recommended a revamp of the Schedule H. 'Schedule H includes drugs of various categories which require prescription of RMP for their retail sale. The Schedule H needs to be updated regularly to incorporate the new drugs introduced in the market from time to time as well as to review the prescription status of different drugs in the present context. Such regular updates are crucial in the current context to address various regulatory challenges leading to irrational use of drugs, including antibiotics and development of anti-microbial resistance," the documents showed. Wrong or over-use of these medicines can lead to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is hard to treat and can cause further infections. The committee has proposed more than 700 drugs to be added to the Schedule H drugs list in addition to the existing drugs, as per the documents. The committee also reviewed various aspects of the drugs like their indication, route of administration, international prescription status, abuse or misuse potential, human/ veterinary use, therapeutic/ prophylactic usage etc. When the committee reviewed Schedule G, it opined that drugs mentioned under this list bear caution that 'it is dangerous to take this medicine except under medical supervision". While Schedule G drugs carry a strong caution about medical supervision, the rules governing their sale did not, in the past, explicitly mandate an RMP prescription for every single sale, unlike Schedule H drugs. The committee has recommended the addition of several categories of drugs, namely cardiovascular drugs, neurological drugs, respiratory drugs, anesthetic drugs, antiemetic drugs, immunological drugs, genito-urinary drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and all sterile formulations of any drug to schedule H.
