Under the weather: Viral infections rise in Mumbai

With fluctuating temperatures – where the days are becoming hotter and nights chilly – many in the city are falling prey to viral infection

India’s financial capital Mumbai is experiencing extremely hot days and chilly nights for past few days. But, the sudden dip in night temperature is a primary cause of number of health issues. Four-year-old Arushi Sharma, who lives in Vile Parle, is ill because of the sudden change in climate. For the past few days, Arushi […]

Mumbai surgeon’s 2-minute video receives appreciation at Swachh Bharat Short Film Festival

Mumbai surgeon Dr Dilip Nadkarni’s two-minute satirical video for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan highlights how people in India take pride in spitting at public places, which in turn spreads infectious & viral diseases

Mumbai surgeon Dr Dilip Nadkarni’s two-minute satirical video depicting the callousness with which people in India take pride in spitting at public places has received appreciation from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The video was played at National Film Development Corporation’s Swachh Bharat Short Film Festival, which was held recently in Delhi. Nadkarni created the […]

Soon, bacteria causing infection in hospital patients will be identified

In near future, identifying bacterial species responsible for infections developing in hospital patients will take just a few minutes, thanks to the scientists who developed such an analytical procedure

In near future, identifying the bacterial species responsible for infections developing in hospital patients will take just a few minutes, thanks to the scientists who developed such an analytical procedure. Developed by researchers from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, the main role is played by innovative bioconjugates […]

Tragic story of a 16-year-old who went to bed healthy and died from sepsis just hours after waking up

Sepsis affects 150,000 people a year and kills an estimated 44,000, of whom 1,000 are children. It is usually triggered by an infection but escalates rapidly, sparking a vicious immune response in which the body attacks its own vital organs

A 16-year-old boy who went to sleep perfectly healthy died from sepsis just hours after waking up the next morning. Adam Tolfree, from Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, was rushed to hospital on Saturday morning after his family became concerned. He had woken up with a rash - a tell-tale sign of the deadly blood infection, throwing up […]

What the colour of your phlegm says about your health

The body is a mucus-making machine, producing about 1 to 1.5 litres of phlegm every day, even when you’re healthy

It’s not uncommon when you develop a hacking cough from deep down in your lungs to cough up a gel-like substance known as phlegm, or sputum. While you may think nothing of it, simply associating it with your sickness, the colour of the mucus can tell you some things about the pathogens invading your body. […]

Awaiting heart donor for his three-year-old daughter, father desperately prays for a miracle

In October My Medical Mantra had reported about Yogesh Mule’s struggle to collect funds for his daughter Aaradhya, who was diagnosed with end-stage heart disease in April

Yogesh Mule is waiting for a miracle which can save his three-year-old daughter Aaradhya, who was diagnosed with end-stage heart disease in April this year. Aaradhya, who is under treatment at Fortis Hospital, suffered a heart failure due to viral myocarditis – a viral infection affecting heart’s functioning. Only 10% of her heart is functioning. […]

World pledges to eradicate these 10 deadliest lesser known diseases

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) commonly plague countries in South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. There are dozens of these diseases, and many cause crippling parasitic infections that can maim or even kill their victims

When we think of curing or preventing diseases, we usually think of cancer, diabetes medications, and variety of neurological disorders. Wiping malaria and Zika would be great, too. But there’s an entire class of diseases, called Neglected Tropical Diseases, or NTDs, that are just as deadly. NTDs commonly plague countries in South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, […]

Shocking: 9 out of 10 new HIV cases in Mumbai are due to unsafe sex

Mumbai District AIDS Control Society survey reveals 79% of the new HIV infections were found to be in age group of 15-49 and 36% of them were women

In a survey conducted by the Mumbai District AIDS Control Society (MDACS), at least nine out of 10 new cases of HIV infection are caused due to unsafe sex practices. The survey, involving assessment of risk, has shown that a chunky 91% of HIV cases were a result of unsafe sex practices. This is proving […]

Hip pain turns out to be a bacterial infection, 11-year-old discharged after a month’s treatment

Ankita Thakur was diagnosed with extremely severe Community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA)

After spending one and a half month in hospital, Ankita Thakur (11) is all set to return home. The relief of returning home is understandable as Thakur was struggling with a bacterial infection which gave her severe hip pain, fever, breathlessness and vomiting. Thakur was in school when she first experienced an unbearable pain in […]

Lepto cases in non-monsoon period worries BMC

Recently, the Bombay High Court has asked the corporation to consider leptospirosis as an epidemic causing disease

Monsoon might have gone but leptospirosis- one of the monsoon related illness is still around with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) revealing that they have registered 33 confirmed leptospirosis cases in October. “Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease and exact epidemiology of such disease is not possible. We are seeing sporadic leptospirosis cases in non-monsoon period too. […]