50 people in hospital after drinking holy waterJanuary 25th, 2010 IRKUTSK - Some 50 people were poisoned in the east Siberian city of Irkutsk after they drank "holy water" from wells during religious ceremonies of Epiphany, a local consumer watchdog said Monday. The regional Investigation Committee, which is looking into the mass poisoning, said all the victims complained of "symptoms of acute intestinal infection" and high temperature, and 40 of them, including 22 children, have been hospitalised.
Special paper can sniff poison in drinking waterJanuary 9th, 2010 WASHINGTON - A strip of paper infused with carbon nanotubes can be a quick, cheap, portable and sensitive bio-sensor that can allow water treatment plants and individuals to verify the safety of drinking water on a more regular basis by detecting a toxin produced by algae. This bio-sensor performs 28 times faster than the complicated method most used today to detect microcystin-LR, (MC-LR) a chemical compound produced by cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, found commonly in nutrient-rich waters.
Safe drinking water for Bihar villages soonDecember 15th, 2009 PATNA - There is good news for hundreds of arsenic- and fluoride-affected villages in Bihar as they will be provided with safe drinking water soon, official sources said Tuesday. Arsenic, an odourless and tasteless semi-metal element, occurs naturally in the environment and sometimes as a by-product of agriculture and industry.
Italy's weapon against swine flu: electronic holy water dispenserNovember 13th, 2009 LONDON - Parishes in Italy have started installing electronic holy water dispensers in churches to keep church tradition alive for the faithful without the fear of catching swine flu. The new machine, in the northern town of Fornaci di Briosco, works like an automatic soap dispenser, squirting water when a hand is passed under the tap, reports The BBC.
45 new dengue cases in DelhiNovember 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With 45 new dengue cases, the number of people affected by the vector-borne disease in the capital Wednesday reached 672, health officials said. "There were 45 fresh cases of dengue confirmed today (Wednesday).
Better water-management can keep water borne diseases at bay: TrivediNovember 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dinesh Trivedi, on Tuesday called for the need to have better water management, as it could help in keeping many water borne diseases like Dengue at bay. "If you don't do water management then if it's drought or its floods or it's malaria or it's dengue or it's Diarrhea everything stops at water.
42 new dengue cases in Delhi, minister says problem 'massive' (Second Lead)November 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian capital reported 42 new dengue cases Tuesday, taking the number of patients to 627 on a day when the union health ministry admitted that the problem was "massive". The civic authorities here have initiated a crackdown by imposing fines on people for allowing water to stagnate, leading to the breeding of mosquitoes that act as carriers for the disease.
Common plants can help remove indoor air pollutantsNovember 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Common indoor plants such as purple waffle, English ivy, variegated wax and purple heart plant have been found tremendously effective in eliminating harmful air pollutants in homes, offices, and other indoor spaces, say researchers. Indoor air is said to be 12 times more polluted than outdoor air due to paints, varnishes, adhesives, furnishings, clothing, solvents, building materials, and even tap water.
Arena Pharma reports new results on obesity drug candidate at conference, and shares advanceOctober 26th, 2009 more images
more imagesArena Pharma rises on new lorcaserin trial dataNEW YORK — Shares of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. traded higher Monday after the company reported new clinical trial data for its experimental obesity drug lorcaserin.
Pakistan reports one more swine flu caseSeptember 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani national who arrived here from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been diagnosed with swine flu, a media report said Thursday citing hospital sources. The patient was taken to a hospital on suspicion of contracting swine flu after he arrived at the Benazir International Airport from Sharjah Wednesday night.
Arena diet drug lorcaserin succeeds in trial, but comes up short of competing drug candidatesSeptember 18th, 2009 Arena obesity drug falls short against other medsNEW YORK — Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. said on Friday that its obesity drug candidate lorcaserin succeeded in a clinical study, but the drug did not appear to be as effective as other treatments competitors have in development.
Scientists identify bacterial strains that can clear algal toxins from drinking waterSeptember 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at Robert Gordon's University, Aberdeen, have identified novel bacterial strains capable of neutralizing toxins produced by blue-green algae in drinking water. Blooms of blue green algae (cyanobacteria) are found in both fresh and salt water throughout the world.
Bring cholera patients to hospital, get award: OrissaSeptember 3rd, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - In order to control diarrhoea and other water borne diseases in the state's Kalahandi district, the Orissa government has announced that it will give cash awards to those who bring patients to hospitals. The district administration will give Rs.200 and new clothes to those who bring patients to hospitals and Rs.200 to the patients when they are discharged.
Upcoming festivities, swine flu worry Gujarat governmentAugust 31st, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - An upcoming festive season and the increasing number of swine flu cases in Gujarat have the state government worried over the way to control the spread of the H1N1 virus in the state. "As of now there are 112 positive cases of swine flu in Gujarat, out of which an alarming 65 are from Ahmedabad.
Yoga can cure swine flu, says Baba RamdevAugust 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Amidst growing concern on the increasing spread of the H1N1 virus in India, renowned yoga guru Baba Ramdev prescribed yoga as a cure for the disease. Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Baba Ramdev advised people to practice yoga as a preventive measure against swine flu.
