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New ‘killer' bacteria on the prowl: article
- After the scary New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 or the “superbug” was detected two years ago, the world is now faced with the community-acquired methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (ca-MRSA) bacterium that is resistant to almost all common antibiotics.
- In India, where poor hygiene and the availability of over-the-counter antibiotics lead to development of resistance, an estimated 100 to 200 million people are reportedly already carriers of these virtually unbeatable killer bacteria.
- The killer bugs have also reached England, presumably through medical tourists who travelled to India for cosmetic surgery, and reportedly already infected several hundred people.
- A few cases have also turned up in Germany.
- The bacterium has become a serious health threat in the United States.
- The drug-resistant bacteria could spark a “pandemic.” The pathogens thrive in warm, moist environments.
- The bacteria are transmitted via skin, through towels, clothing or direct body contact.
- India had protested the naming of the superbug after New Delhi and denied its presence then. Now, the ca-MRSA is all set to raise another storm.
- In contrast to the highly drug-resistant hospital-acquired MRSA (ha-MRSA) strains, which primarily affect the elderly and people in hospitals and nursing homes, ca-MRSA affects healthy young people.
- Two bacteria, ha-MRSA and ca-MRSA, are only two strains from an entire arsenal of pathogens that are now resistant to almost all available antibiotics.
- Less than a century after the discovery of penicillin, one of the most powerful weapons ever produced by modern medicine, it threatens to become ineffective.
Forest dept. to identify elephant crossing zones
- The death of a elephant in a road accident has triggered a serious concern among wildlife enthusiasts and forest managers
- Vehicle users are often found driving at high speed on the road primarily because of its good condition and less traffic.
- The forest department has already placed signs at many points on the road asking the vehicle users to drive slowly and carefully as animals often cross it.
- Though there are rules that restrict overspeeding on the ghat road, many people do not follow them.
- Police personnel and transport officials should step up the vigil in the stretch and ensure that the drivers adhere to the rules. This will help prevent accidents on the stretch
- Meanwhile, the forest department has decided to identify the elephant crossing zones on the stretch and put up speed-breakers.
MoEF gives clearance for Kudgi plant
- The Ministry of Environment and Forests has accorded environmental clearance for the Kudgi Super Thermal Power Project Stage I (3x800 MW), which is being set up by National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. (NTPC) in Bijapur, Karnataka.
- The Kudgi Super Thermal Power Project is the first project to be set up in the State by NTPC with a total installed capacity of 4,000 MW.
- The coal requirement for the project will be met by NTPC's coal mine at Pakhri Barwadi in Jharkhand
- The power that will be generated will be supplied to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the Union Territory of Puducherry
