http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Japanese-Encephalitis-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 06:23:05 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-closer-to-meningitis-b-vaccine-100983-1.htm Trials of meningitis B vaccine show promising results, say scientists. After taking the drug, the test group generated antibodies that are active against 90 percent of strains in the meningitis B group affecting the United States and Europe. "Our data suggest that this vaccine is a promising and broadly protective meningococcal serogroup B vaccine candidate," said study lead author Peter Richmond from the University of Western Australia's School of Paediatrics and Child Health....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-closer-to-meningitis-b-vaccine-100983-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/oral-bacterium-associated-with-heart-diseases-meningitis-97830-1.htm A new bacterium of the oral cavity has been linked to heart diseases, meningitis, reveals study published in the iInternational Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology/i. Its identification will allow scientists to work out how it causes disease and evaluate the risk that it poses. The bacterium was identified by researchers at the Institute of Medical Microbiology of the University of Zurich and has been named iStreptococcus tigurinu/is after the region of Zurich where it was first recognised....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/oral-bacterium-associated-with-heart-diseases-meningitis-97830-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Novartis-Reveals-Development-of-New-Meningitis-Vaccine-for-Teens-96323-1.htm Leading pharmaceutical giant Novartis revealed that it has developed a new vaccine that provides teenagers with full protection against meningitis B bacteria. Large scale clinical trials of the vaccine, known as 4CMenB, revealed that it generated an immune response against Meningococcal B after two doses in almost 100 percent of the teenagers who took part in the study. Novartis said that it has applied for European regulatory authorities for a license last year and an approval is expected this spring....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Novartis-Reveals-Development-of-New-Meningitis-Vaccine-for-Teens-96323-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/2-year-Old-Who-Lost-Fingers-to-Meningitis-Eats-Christmas-Dinner-With-Special-Cutlery-95293-1.htm 2-year old Kaiya Jackson who lost all her fingers to meningitis ate her Christmas dinner with special cutlery attached to her wrists.The little girl spent her last Christmas in an induced coma as she battled with septicemia (blood poisoning) caused by the disease. In order to save her life, doctors had to amputate part of one hand, one foot and her fingers. After several operations and skin grafts at Birmingham Children's Hospital, Kaiya is now home for Christmas.Kaiya Jackson has adapted well to ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/2-year-Old-Who-Lost-Fingers-to-Meningitis-Eats-Christmas-Dinner-With-Special-Cutlery-95293-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Outbreak-Claims-109-Lives-In-Brazilian-State-94562-1.htm A meningitis epidemic which was reported in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia has claimed about 109 lives so far, since the start of the year. And Brazil's superstar singer Ivete Sangalo revealed that she had contracted viral meningitis, a mild form of the disease, press reports said. The 39-year-old, best-selling singer, who hails from Bahia, reportedly left hospital after undergoing treatment. But authorities said 109 people, most of whom contracted cerebro-spinal meningitis, have died since January....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Outbreak-Claims-109-Lives-In-Brazilian-State-94562-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Universal-Hib-Vaccination-Has-Reduced-Burden-of-Bacterial-Meningitis-93376-1.htm The incidence of Hib disease in young children has dramatically reduced over the past 20 years thanks to vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Hib. The latter was once the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children. These are the findings of a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online (A HREF="http:www.oxfordjournals.com/our_journals/cid/prpaper1.pdf"http:www.oxfordjournals.com/our_journals/cid/prpaper1.pdf/A). However, other strains ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Universal-Hib-Vaccination-Has-Reduced-Burden-of-Bacterial-Meningitis-93376-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Encephalitis-Outbreak-Have-Claimed-More-Than-400-Lives-in-India-92011-1.htm An outbreak of encephalitis in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has claimed at least 400 lives, mainly children, officials said on Saturday. K.P. Kushwaha, chief paediatrician at the BRD Medical College in the state's hardest-hit Gorakhpur district, said it was one of the worst outbreaks of encephalitis in the impoverished region, which borders Nepal. "The situation is grim and the epidemic is worse than previous years and with so many patients there are no empty beds at the hospital," Khuswaha said....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Encephalitis-Outbreak-Have-Claimed-More-Than-400-Lives-in-India-92011-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Researcher-Warns-Government-Over-Putting-Cost-Ahead-of-Saving-Lives-91043-1.htm An expert, who worked nearly 5 years to find a preventive vaccination for pneumococcal meningitis only to see his 11-month old son die due to the same disease just a year before a vaccination was approved, warned that the British government now has a choice of either saving cost or saving lives. Oakhurst resident Scottie Kern, 39, had been part of the clinical research to try and find a cure for meningitis for the past 15 years but was unable to save his 11-month old son, who lost his life due to the pneumococcal meningitis....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Researcher-Warns-Government-Over-Putting-Cost-Ahead-of-Saving-Lives-91043-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/More-Than-1000-People-Infected-With-Encephalitis-In-Gorakhpur-90359-1.htm The number of people infected with encephalitis in UP's Gorakhpur district has crossed 1,100 mark. Several patients have been admitted to the city's Baba Raghav Das Medical College. Talking to mediapersons, Rudal Yadav, a family member of encephalitis-infected patient, said that his child was suffering for the past 11 days and his health was still critical. He also said that the condition of the hospital was deplorable and more than three patients were being accommodated on a single bed....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/More-Than-1000-People-Infected-With-Encephalitis-In-Gorakhpur-90359-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/More-People-Die-of-Japanese-Encephalitis-in-Uttar-Pradesh-88648-1.htm More people in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur District continue to die of Japanese encephalitis, a viral disease. Over 700 patients have been admitted to the city's Baba Raghav Das Medical College since January. The disease has claimed 107 lives, including children, and left many affected. Talking to mediapersons, Jitendra Kumar Gupta, a family member of encephalitis-affected patient, said the child had been suffering for the past 11 days and his health was still critical. "I admitted (the child) at 10 p....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/More-People-Die-of-Japanese-Encephalitis-in-Uttar-Pradesh-88648-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemist-Sets-Path-to-Taming-Deadly-Anthrax-Meningitis-86925-1.htm A chemist from the University of Copenhagen has done what most renowned doctors could not do. He has revealed the mechanism behind deadly infections like anthrax, septicemia and meningitis. Till date, doctors lacked the basic insight to prevent and cure these diseases caused by the so-called Gram-positive bacteria. However, Danish synthetic chemist Christian Marcus Pedersen has created a synthetic version of a Gram-bacterial endotoxin that is sure to explain the particular symptoms of these diseases....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemist-Sets-Path-to-Taming-Deadly-Anthrax-Meningitis-86925-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Deadly-Meningitis-B-may-Soon-Have-a-Vaccine-Against-It-86302-1.htm UK could soon have medical shops selling the first vaccine to cure the deadly meningitis B, which kills nearly 120 people annually, half of whom are under-five years of age. 4CMenB vaccine is expected to be a boon for treating the 'hard to diagnose and swift to kill' disease which leaves around 250 children with serious lifelong complications such as limb amputations, blindness, deafness and brain damage. Latest research presented at the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Deadly-Meningitis-B-may-Soon-Have-a-Vaccine-Against-It-86302-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Vaccine-Leads-to-Dramatic-Fall-in-Meningitis-A-in-3-West-African-Nations-86295-1.htm Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger report the lowest number of confirmed meningitis A cases ever recorded during an epidemic season this year following the successful introduction of a new vaccine that could eliminate the primary cause of the deadly disease from Africa's meningitis belt, announced the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP) today, which spearheaded development of the vaccine. Also today, a new analysis published in the journal Health Affairs shows that introducing this vaccine in seven highly ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Vaccine-Leads-to-Dramatic-Fall-in-Meningitis-A-in-3-West-African-Nations-86295-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Vaccination-for-Meningitis-85193-1.htm A novel vaccine against Meningitis A - a strain which accounts for 80-85 percent of meningitis cases brings hope to Burkina Faso. Bacterial meningitis, which causes deadly epidemics, sparks fear in the 25-country meningitis belt which spreads from Senegal to Ethiopia -- encompassing many of the world's poorest countries. Microsoft magnate Bill Gates, rallying world leaders on Tuesday to invest in vaccines, invent new ones and make them cheap enough for poor countries, puts the terror of meningitis succinctly....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Vaccination-for-Meningitis-85193-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/FDA-Approves-Meningitis-Vaccine-for-Infants-84119-1.htm Now infants as young as nine months old can get protection against meningococcal disease after the US Food and Drug Administration gave its approval to Sanofi-Aventis' vaccines division, Sanofi Pasteur to expand its meningitis vaccine to include two doses for infants between 9 and 23 months. The FDA revealed that it arrived at the decision since babies are more susceptible to the disease with the director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Dr Karen Midthun saying that the disease ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/FDA-Approves-Meningitis-Vaccine-for-Infants-84119-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Flu-Infections-Make-It-Easier-for-Bacteria-to-Spread-Pneumonia-Meningitis-83502-1.htm Bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis are only able to spread when individuals are infected with flu, according to a new study. The finding could have implications for the management of influenza pandemics and could help reduce incidence of pneumococcal infections in very young children, who are more susceptible to disease. Streptococcus pneumoniae, the bacteria that causes both pneumonia and meningitis, usually lives harmlessly in the nasal passage. It is already known that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Flu-Infections-Make-It-Easier-for-Bacteria-to-Spread-Pneumonia-Meningitis-83502-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Treated-Mosquito-Nets-Prevent-Japanese-Encephalitis-82045-1.htm Use of insecticide treated mosquito nets could reduce the transmission of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) to humans, revealed in a study. The study conducted by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Dibrugarh, North East Region (NE), Indian Council of Medical Research and showed that the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITMNs) on humans and pigs reduced transmission of JE 72 percent in humans. The study looked at the effectiveness of using ITMNs to protect both pig and human populations....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Treated-Mosquito-Nets-Prevent-Japanese-Encephalitis-82045-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Japanese-Health-Ministry-Suspends-Use-of-Meningitis-Vaccines-After-Four-Deaths-81873-1.htm The Japanese health ministry revealed that it has temporarily suspended the use of two vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Sanofi-Aventis SA after they were found to have caused the deaths of four children. The vaccines were a part of a nationwide immunization program in which more than a million children were vaccinated. However four children died within three days of getting vaccinated with either Pfizer's Prevenar or Sanof's ActHIB with both the vaccines used against meningitis and pneumonia....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Japanese-Health-Ministry-Suspends-Use-of-Meningitis-Vaccines-After-Four-Deaths-81873-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Doctors-Advised-About-Early-Signs-of-Meningitis-81488-1.htm The British Journal of General Practice has advised doctors to look for leg pain, confusion, neck pain and sensitivity to light as prominent symptoms of meningitis, while pale color, cold hands and headaches are not very reliable signs of meningitis. In 50% cases the classic rash, which is a clear symptom of meningitis appears in later stages of the disease, which increases the probability of patients with meningitis being misdiagnosed. Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Doctors-Advised-About-Early-Signs-of-Meningitis-81488-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Meningitis-Vaccine-from-Novartis-on-the-Anvil-78652-1.htm A new vaccine against meningitis B is likely to be unveiled sometime next year with Novartis revealing that the jab has been successfully tested among humans. Novartis' drug, Bexsero has been lauded by health experts who say that the vaccine will help see a sharp drop in the number of children dying due to the disease to which no protection is currently available. According to Novartis, the vaccine has been successful in trials in which more than 7,500 children, adolescents and adults took part ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Meningitis-Vaccine-from-Novartis-on-the-Anvil-78652-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Vaccine-Expected-in-a-Year-78527-1.htm A new vaccine for meningitis B, the strain against which there is currently no defense, is currently being tested. According to experts, it will dramatically reduce the risk of children dying from the disease, reports the Daily Mail. Meningococcal B is the most common form of bacterial meningitis in UK and one of the most deadly, in some cases killing in a few hours. Although vaccination programmes have been successfully introduced to combat pneumococcal meningitis and ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Vaccine-Expected-in-a-Year-78527-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Vaccines-Against-Pneumonia-Meningitis-Possible-After-New-Breakthroughs-76677-1.htm A new breakthrough in the fight against pneumonia, meningitis and septicaemia has been made possible through a finding by scientists in Dublin and Leicester. The discovery will lead to a dramatic shift in our understanding of how the body's immune system responds to infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and pave the way for more effective vaccines. The collaborative research was jointly led by Dr Ed Lavelle from Trinity College Dublin and Dr Aras Kadioglu from the University of Leicester, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Vaccines-Against-Pneumonia-Meningitis-Possible-After-New-Breakthroughs-76677-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Hope-in-Fight-Against-Meningitis-Via-New-Affordable-Vaccine-76609-1.htm Scientists have developed a new vaccine, which promises to give its receivers protection against the meningococcal bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. MenAfriVac is the first affordable and effective weapon against killer meningococcal meningitis A rolled out in Africa. It is the culmination of ten years' work by an international consortium to develop a vaccine at a price low enough for massive use in Africa at just 0.40 dollars a dose. "MenAfriVac is a fantastic initiative....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Hope-in-Fight-Against-Meningitis-Via-New-Affordable-Vaccine-76609-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Lower-Risk-of-Dying-from-Bacterial-Meningitis-Associated-With-IV-Treatment-74785-1.htm An intravenous (IV) treatment may cut a person's risk of dying from bacterial meningitis, a new study has revealed. The research is published in the September 29, 2010, online issue of INeurology/I (Regd) , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The treatment is called dexamethasone. "Using this treatment in people infected with meningitis has been under debate because in a few large studies it was shown to be ineffective," said study author Diederik van de Beek, MD, PhD, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Lower-Risk-of-Dying-from-Bacterial-Meningitis-Associated-With-IV-Treatment-74785-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/More-Than-200-Die-of-Encephalitis-in-UP-73248-1.htm At least 211 people, mostly children, have died in an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in an impoverished region of northern Indian and the death toll is likely to soar, officials said Saturday. Eastern parts of India's most populous state are ravaged by encephalitis each year as malnourished children succumb to the virus which is transmitted by mosquitoes from pigs to humans but this is one of the worst outbreaks, officials said. "Most of the deaths have occurred in the Gorakhpur district ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/More-Than-200-Die-of-Encephalitis-in-UP-73248-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Rapid-Test-Can-Help-Detect-Meningitis-Within-An-Hour-72980-1.htm A groundbreaking test for meningitis and septicaemia, which can tell if a child has the deadly diseases within an hour, has been developed by researchers. The speed of the new test is vital because the first symptoms of meningitis are similar to a viral infection and therefore difficult to diagnose at an early stage. However, youngsters with the bacterial infection can rapidly deteriorate and die within hours. Researchers at Queen's University Belfast and the Belfast Health and Social ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Rapid-Test-Can-Help-Detect-Meningitis-Within-An-Hour-72980-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Genes-Behind-Meningitis-Identified-72574-1.htm An international team of scientists has identified a set of genes that could make some people prone to meningitis. The researchers compared DNA from 1,400 people with bacterial meningitis and 6,000 healthy individuals, Nature Genetics reports. They found differences in a family of genes involved in the immune response seem to make people more or less susceptible to the infection. They first scanned the whole genetic code of 475 British patients with meningococcal disease and 4,700 healthy individuals....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Genes-Behind-Meningitis-Identified-72574-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Scientists-Identify-Faulty-Genes-That-Raise-Meningitis-Risk-72511-1.htm Genetic differences make some people susceptible to developing meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia, and others naturally immune, a new study has revealed. The research, led by Imperial College London and the Genome Institute of Singapore, is the largest ever-genetic study of meningitis and septicaemia caused by meningococcal bacteria. It suggests that people who develop these diseases have innate differences in their natural defences that leave them unable to attack meningococcal bacteria successfully....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Scientists-Identify-Faulty-Genes-That-Raise-Meningitis-Risk-72511-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/UP-Reports-92-Deaths-Due-to-Encephalitis-This-Year-71516-1.htm Over 90 deaths have registered in Uttar Pradesh due to encephalitis since January this year, and the situation has aggravated after the onset of monsoon. Although the farmers are happy with the arrival of monsoon, the fear of encephalitis epidemic has also spread. Talking to the media persons on Sunday, Dr. R N Singh, a child specialist blamed the administration for ignoring the saying about prevention being better than cure. "The homework to be done in January and February was not done....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/UP-Reports-92-Deaths-Due-to-Encephalitis-This-Year-71516-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Brain-Damage-Caused-by-Meningitis-Revered-BY-Naturally-Occurring-Protein-70250-1.htm An important role for a small, naturally occurring protein called interleukin-10 (IL-10) has been discovered by scientists. They say it helps in removing bacteria from the blood of infected mice and reversing damage to the brain. This bacterium, Escherichia coli K1, is the most common cause of meningitis in premature infants and the second most common cause of the disease in newborns. "The ineffectiveness of antibiotics in treating newborns with meningitis and the emergence ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Brain-Damage-Caused-by-Meningitis-Revered-BY-Naturally-Occurring-Protein-70250-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Vaccination-Campaign-to-Protect-Against-Japanese-Encephalitis-Kickstarts-in-UP-70061-1.htm A vaccination campaign has begun in Uttar Pradesh to combat Japanese Encephalitis. The vaccination will be conducted in four severely hit districts of Gorakhpur, Deoria, Kushinagar and Maharajganj. According to official sources, the state government had demanded about 74 lakhs dozes of vaccines from Centre to conduct the vaccination drive in 21 blocks of all districts of Basti and Gorakhpur divisions. The immunization drive was supposed to start from June 1. However, there were only ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Vaccination-Campaign-to-Protect-Against-Japanese-Encephalitis-Kickstarts-in-UP-70061-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Brain-Damage-Caused-by-Meningitis-Reversed-by-Naturally-Occuring-Protein-69962-1.htm Interleukin-10 (IL-10),a small, naturally occurring protein, plays a crucial role in removing bacteria and reversing damage done to the brain, scientists claim. This bacterium, Escherichia coli K1, is the most common cause of meningitis in premature infants and the second most common cause of the disease in newborns. "The ineffectiveness of antibiotics in treating newborns with meningitis and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria require new strategies," explains Nemani V....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Brain-Damage-Caused-by-Meningitis-Reversed-by-Naturally-Occuring-Protein-69962-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Vaccine-for-Meningitis-C-Wears-Off-in-Early-Teens-68723-1.htm Three-quarters of children that are vaccinated against Meningitis C lose their protection against the disease by their early teens, new research by the Oxford Vaccine Group at Oxford University has found. The study of 250 children aged six to 12, presented to a European conference, looked at immunity seven years after the jab was given, reports BBC. The group tested the children, who had all been vaccinated for protection against Meningitis C, for levels of antibodies against the bacteria in their bloodstream....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Vaccine-for-Meningitis-C-Wears-Off-in-Early-Teens-68723-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Dozens-of-Children-Hospitalised-With-Encephalitis-in-Gorakhpur-67764-1.htm Dozens of children have been admitted to a state-run hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district with symptoms of encephalitis. The disease first came to India in 1978. Thousands of children have since succumbed to encephalitis and those who survived are either physically disabled or mentally unsound. "It is not the season for the disease, yet 210 patients have been treated so far. This is negligence on the part of the government, because it does not affect the people in ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Dozens-of-Children-Hospitalised-With-Encephalitis-in-Gorakhpur-67764-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Nitric-Oxide-in-Treating-Neonatal-Meningitis-65600-1.htm Nitric oxide may play a role in the pathogenesis of neonatal meningitis, new research has indicated. The related report by Mittal et al, "Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide controls pathogen load and brain damage by enhancing phagocytosis of IEscherichia coli/I K1 in neonatal meningitis," appears in the March 2010 issue of The IAmerican Journal of Pathology/I. Bacterial meningitis, or inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, is often fatal, even when treated with antibiotics....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Nitric-Oxide-in-Treating-Neonatal-Meningitis-65600-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Death-Toll-from-Encephalitis-in-UP-Reaches-552-61839-1.htm The eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh have been affected by Encephalitis and the death toll has risen to 552 here. During the last twenty-four hours, two more deaths were reported at the BRD Medical College Hospital in Gorakhpur. Seven fresh cases have been admitted to BRD Medical College Hospital and the other district hospitals of Gorakhpur and Basti divisions. According to reports, around four thousand patients have been admitted in the different hospitals of the State since January....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Death-Toll-from-Encephalitis-in-UP-Reaches-552-61839-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Turned-Away-Meningitis-Victim-Wins-32m-from-Public-Hospital-61565-1.htm A public hospital in England has been forced to shell out 3.2m as compensation to a young man it had turned away eight years ago. The hospital staff failed recognize the all too tell-tale of meningitis in him. The boy subsequently suffered a stroke, and he would need round-the-clock care for the rest of his life. Mark Thomas, now 20, has the mind of a child and virtually no short-term memory. He used to be a keen footballer, but now goes to fixtures and forgets the score within minutes of a match finishing....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Turned-Away-Meningitis-Victim-Wins-32m-from-Public-Hospital-61565-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Encephalitis-Kills-More-Than-30-Children-in-Gaya-60058-1.htm Acute encephalitis that results in inflammation of the brain is on the rise in Bihar's Gaya district. This deadly fever that causes acute and chronic changes in the brain tissue has killed more than 30 children in Gaya. According to doctors, brain fever is a condition when a part of the brain becomes inflamed with symptoms of normal fever, which in turn tend to misguide the parents. Scores of children have been admitted to city's A N Magadh Medical College. Majority of children getting ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Encephalitis-Kills-More-Than-30-Children-in-Gaya-60058-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/H1N1-Symptoms-Must-Not-be-Confused-With-Meningitis-57391-1.htm While the global outbreak of swine flu shows no sign of abating, doctors are warning people to be aware of another threat - meningitis. The symptoms of both diseases are identical in that they cause fevers, body aches and cold hands and feet. As more people return from holidays, the WHO fears that a second wave of the pandemic may be unleashed. Meningitis on the other hand is a rapidly fatal disease. It can be caused by bacteria or virus and kills in less than four hours. This year Tripura ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/H1N1-Symptoms-Must-Not-be-Confused-With-Meningitis-57391-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Scientists-Identify-A-Protein-That-Allows-Bacteria-To-Enter-The-Brain-And-Cause-Meningitis-56759-1.htm Researchers find a specific protein on the surface of a common bacterial pathogen allows the bacteria to leave the bloodstream and enter the brain, initiating the deadly infection known as meningitis. The new finding by scientists in US may lead to the development of improved vaccines to protect those most vulnerable, including young infants and the elderly. "Streptococcus pneumoniae, commonly known as pneumococcus, is responsible for half the cases of bacterial meningitis in humans," said ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Scientists-Identify-A-Protein-That-Allows-Bacteria-To-Enter-The-Brain-And-Cause-Meningitis-56759-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Welsh-Man-To-Cycle-To-Raise-Money-For-Meningitis-Research-53325-1.htm A Welsh man is to cycle 50 miles to raise money for meningitis research. The disease had nearly killed his son. Seven-year-old Harry Baker was struck down by meningitis while on holiday on the Gower last summer. Now his dad Peter, from Llanrumney, Cardiff, and 10 friends hope to raise 2,000 by cycling along the Taff Trail from the capital to Brecon on August 1. Peter's wife Emma was at their holiday caravan with Harry and his brother Alfie, six, when Harry fell ill. Peter, 36, who stayed home running ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Welsh-Man-To-Cycle-To-Raise-Money-For-Meningitis-Research-53325-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Baby-Beats-incurable-Meningitis-53267-1.htm A baby has started breathing on her own after doctors gave up hope and switched off her life-support machine. The baby Grace Vincent was diagnosed with an infection of late-onset Group B streptococcus (GBS), which doctors felt had progressed too far for treatment. "We came to the decision to switch off the machine. She was baptised and all the family came to say goodbye," said her mother Emily Ashurst. "We held her in our arms and waited for her last breath." However Grace stabilized and has since ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Baby-Beats-incurable-Meningitis-53267-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Kills-1900-in-Nigeria-Niger-Chad-Charity-50647-1.htm A meningitis outbreak has killed at least 1,900 people in three west African countries over the past four months, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Wednesday. "More than 1,900 people infected by meningitis have died since the start of the year in Nigeria, Niger and Chad," said MSF citing combined statistics from the countries' health authorities. Of the 1,900 fatal cases recorded, 1,500 were in Nigeria alone, some 300 in neighbouring Niger and the remainder in Chad. In ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Kills-1900-in-Nigeria-Niger-Chad-Charity-50647-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chad-In-Grip-of-Meningitis-Epidemic-Report-49975-1.htm Meningitis has claimed 102 lives in Chad since the beginning of the year, Health Minister Ngombaye Djaibe said Tuesday, warning that the outbreak had reached epidemic proportions. "We're declaring a meningitis outbreak in Chad," he told a press conference. "At present, the cumulative number of cases is 871 (since January 1), of whom 102 have died, giving a mortality rate of 11.7 percent." The health minister of the poor, mainly arid central African nation said that medical workers had managed ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chad-In-Grip-of-Meningitis-Epidemic-Report-49975-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meghalaya-Plans-Massive-Vaccination-Programme-to-Deal-With-Meningitis-49849-1.htm Meningococcal meningitis has continued to claim lives in Meghalaya, even as the authorities plan to launch a massive vaccination programme. The growing number of cases of patients affected by meningitis has become a cause for concern for the state health authorities. Local authorities have plans to undertake the vaccination programme in phases here. "The moment we will receive the vaccines, we are going to undertake vaccination. The programme is already fixed....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meghalaya-Plans-Massive-Vaccination-Programme-to-Deal-With-Meningitis-49849-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-and-Measles-Claims-Hundreds-of-Lives-in-Burkina-49770-1.htm More than 500 people have died from meningitis and measles in Burkina Faso since the start of the year, health authorities in the west African country said Thursday. "From January first to April 5 the health districts have reported a total number of suspected meningitis case of 2,928, including 389 deaths," Ousmane Badolo, an epidemic specialist at the health ministry told AFP. The numbers are sharply lower than last year, however, when the country registered 7,194 suspected meningitis cases including 714 deaths during the same period....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-and-Measles-Claims-Hundreds-of-Lives-in-Burkina-49770-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/931-Dead-in-West-African-Meningitis-Outbreak-UNICEF-48550-1.htm A meningitis outbreak has killed 931 people in four West African countries since January, with most of the deaths occurring in Nigeria, the UN children's fund said Wednesday. "Four countries of West Africa are affected with a total of 13,516 cases and 931 deaths," UNICEF said. "Nigeria is the most affected with 9,086 cases and 562 deaths. Niger reports 2,620 cases and 113 deaths. Burkina Faso reports 1,756 cases and 250 deaths. Mali reports 54 cases and six deaths." Meningitis causes ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/931-Dead-in-West-African-Meningitis-Outbreak-UNICEF-48550-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Kills-100-People-in-Nigeria-48202-1.htm A meningitis outbreak in northern Nigeria has claimed almost 100 lives and infected more than 2,000 people with the lethal condition since December, health officials said Tuesday. "We have recorded 22 deaths in the last two weeks following a resurgence of an outbreak of meningitis which infected 357 people in Gombe state," health commissioner Muhammad Isa Umar told AFP, adding that 11 more died in January. In neighbouring Bauchi, 10 out of the 200 people who contracted the disease in the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Kills-100-People-in-Nigeria-48202-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-C-Vaccines-Recalled-In-Britain-Over-Contamination-Fears-47961-1.htm Pharmaceutical giant Novartis said Wednesday it was recalling two batches of a meningitis C vaccine distributed in Britain over contamination fears, but regulators stressed the health risk was negligible. Switzerland-based Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Srl said it had been alerted to a sterility issue in the solvent, in which the vaccine is dissolved, for its Menjugate Kit, distributed to Britain from Italy. "We are investigating a sterility-testing positive result from samples of one ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-C-Vaccines-Recalled-In-Britain-Over-Contamination-Fears-47961-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Bacteria-Mimics-Human-Cells-To-Evade-Bodys-Immune-System-47732-1.htm Researchers at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London have shown the way meningitis bacteria masquerade as human cells to evade our body's defences. The Nature study could pave way for the development of new vaccines that give better protection against meningitis B. Meningitis involves an inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord as the result of an infection. The infection can be due to a virus or bacteria, but bacterial meningitis is much more serious ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-Bacteria-Mimics-Human-Cells-To-Evade-Bodys-Immune-System-47732-1.htm