The Union Health Ministry implemented a ban on 156 "irrational" FDC medicines, effective immediately. These medicines, including widely used antibiotics, painkillers, and multivitamins, were commonly used to treat fever, cough, and infections. The ban was imposed due to the associated health risks and lack of therapeutic justification for the ingredients in these FDCs.

What are FDC medicines?

FDCs or fixed-dosed combinations, also known as "cocktail drugs," are medications that combine multiple drugs in a single pill. They are designed to treat multiple symptoms or conditions simultaneously. While they offer convenience, they can pose significant risks. These risks include the possibility of overdose, adverse interactions between the drugs, and the development of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, many FDC medicines lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy.

Expert opinions on FDC medicines

Experts have raised concerns about the use of FDC medicines. They believe that many of these combinations lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and effectiveness. Additionally, the combination of multiple drugs in a single pill can increase the risk of adverse side effects and interactions with other medications.

Experts have also found that FDC medicines may not be as effective as individual drugs in treating certain conditions. It is important to note that safer and more effective alternatives are available for most of the medical conditions that FDC medicines were used to treat. One particular concern is the inclusion of antibiotics in some FDCs. Overuse of antibiotics can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance, a major public health threat.

The risks of FDC medicines

The use of FDC medicines can lead to adverse effects, including serious ones. Additionally, safer alternatives, tested in clinical trials, are available to treat the same medical conditions. Experts recommend prescribing drugs individually based on a patient's clinical symptoms rather than combining them in FDCs.

The ban on irrational FDC medicines by the Union Health Ministry can be seen as a positive step towards promoting rational drug use and protecting public health. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary and potentially harmful drug combinations. This is a step forward in reducing the risks associated with medication and ensure safer and more effective treatment options for patients.

Public health officials in South Wales, UK, have issued an alert on a localized outbreak of hepatitis A, and have urged residents to maintain hygiene as well as vaccinate children.

Cases of hepatitis A involving the same strain have been identified in three separate households in Barry, according to Public Health Wales.

The health body, in a statement, said the strain’s characteristics “suggest the infection may be spreading locally.” Investigations into the “small number” of cases are ongoing.

To curb the outbreak, the officials have also issued an urgent appeal to parents to ensure their children remain “vigilant with their handwashing.”

Those infected are “receiving appropriate care and are recovering well,” Public Health Wales said. As a precaution, close contacts of the affected individuals have also been offered vaccination.

What Is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It spreads mainly through contaminated food or water, or through close personal contact with an infected person.

The infection can lead to liver inflammation, jaundice, extreme fatigue, and stomach pain. In most cases, it is a short-term illness that clears on its own without specific treatment, although severe cases can occur. Unlike hepatitis B or C, hepatitis A does not usually cause long-term liver damage.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent infection.

Also read: Hepatitis Infections Claims 1.3 Million Lives Worldwide, India Among Top Contributors: WHO

Symptoms of Hepatitis A

Symptoms usually appear a few weeks after exposure to the virus, although some people may not develop noticeable signs. According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms can include:

• Persistent fatigue and weakness
• Sudden nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Pain or discomfort in the upper right side of the abdomen near the liver
• Pale or clay-colored stools
• Reduced appetite
• Mild fever
• Dark-colored urine
• Joint pain
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Severe itching

Can Hepatitis A Be Prevented?

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“The best way to prevent the spread of hepatitis A is to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water. This is important after using the toilet, changing nappies, and before preparing or eating food,” said Susan Mably, Consultant in Health Protection for Public Health Wales.

Vaccination against hepatitis A is also highly effective in preventing the disease.

Doctors recommend the vaccine for:

• Children older than 12 months
• Adults at risk of exposure at home or work
• Travelers visiting regions where the virus is more common
• People with existing liver conditions

• drinking boiled or bottled water,
• avoiding food from unhygienic sources,
• peeling fruits at home and not getting pre-cut from stores.

If someone in the household is infected, cleanliness becomes even more important. Surfaces should be disinfected, food prepared carefully, and personal items not shared.

Safe sexual practices also matter, as the virus can spread through oral-anal contact. On a broader level, preventing future outbreaks requires more than short-term fixes. Improving water quality, repairing sewage systems, and strengthening public health surveillance are essential to stop the cycle from repeating.

Stroke is a medical emergency that can lead to long-term disabilities if not diagnosed in time. Yet, many do not realise that a high resting heart rate could be linked to a higher risk of stroke. Once a concern for the elderly, stroke can now occur in young people as well, and doctors say that this is a worrying trend. Now, findings from a large study indicate that a low resting heart rate could be just as bad when it comes to stroke risk, challenging the common perception that fewer heartbeats per minute guarantee good heart health. But how can you be certain of your heart rate?

Also Read: Hantavirus Outbreak Explained: WHO Confirms Evacuation of 3 Suspected Cases Amid Rising Death Toll

What do doctors say about stroke risk and heart rate?

The common idea, according to doctors, is that a higher heart rate is linked to a higher stroke risk. However, the relationship is not linear. Researchers presented the results at the European Stroke Organisation Conference. They stated that they had identified that people who were at a relatively lower risk of stroke had a heart rate between 60 and 70 beats per minute. Resting heart rate refers to the number of times the heart beats in a minute when the body is at rest, such as when sitting or lying down. The normal heart rate for adults is 60 to 100 beats per minute.

For this, researchers analysed 460,000 people in the UK Biobank, aged 40 to 69 years. Experts monitored participants for an average of 14 years and, during that time, recorded over 12,000 stroke cases. When compared with people whose heart rate was in the middle range, researchers noted that people with a heart rate of 90 had a 45 per cent higher risk of stroke. Surprisingly, people with a heart rate of less than 50 had a 25 per cent higher risk of stroke. This was even after scientists adjusted for other stroke risk factors, such as blood pressure, age, and atrial fibrillation.

Also Read: Just One Psilocybin Mushroom Use May Lead to Lasting Positive Brain Changes, Study Finds

Does low heart rate also spike stroke risk?

When the data was broken down by stroke type, a low heart rate was linked to ischaemic stroke risk, a condition caused by blocked blood circulation to the brain. It is the most common type of stroke. A higher heart rate, on the other hand, was linked to both ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes, the latter characterised by bleeding in the brain. A low heart rate can lengthen pauses between heartbeats, reducing steady blood flow to relatively smaller brain vessels and making blockages more likely. The symptoms are:

1. Shortness of breath
2. Dizziness
3. Chest pain
4. Fainting
5. Confusion
6. Light-headedness

A higher heart rate can also increase stress on blood vessel walls, making them more prone to bleeding. However, researchers say that most of this is still hypothetical — a low heart rate could still be indicative of fitness in people who work out regularly. Doctors say that a low heart rate is a good way to measure heart disease risk. While the findings are observational, it cannot be conclusively said that a high or low heart rate can directly lead to a stroke. More research is required in this area before a conclusion can be reached.

Countries across Europe, Africa, and South America are tracing contacts of passengers linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship hantavirus outbreak after multiple deaths and suspected human-to-human infections raised global concern. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) says the risk of a Covid-like global spread remains low.

The latest hantavirus outbreak has so far infected eight people, including three deaths, among the 150 people aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship.

The Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread from person to person, has been identified in two people who disembarked from the cruise ship.

While hantavirus carries a mortality rate of up to 40 percent, the WHO stated that the overall global risk remains low.

More than two dozen passengers left the ship before learning they may have been exposed to the virus. Countries are now tracing them to prevent potential spread to the general public. The virus can spread through close contact, as seen in the MV Hondius cases.

According to WHO official Shenaaz El-Halabi, authorities are tracing passengers linked to an international flight and the cruise ship, involving 16 countries and dozens of contacts.

More than 60 percent of identified contacts have already been followed up on, while investigations continue using epidemiological and laboratory data.

Hantavirus: A Look At Countries Tracing Contacts

US

At least 23 passengers from the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius cruise ship returned home, including several to the United States — and one of them has already fallen ill.

The travelers reportedly did not know they had been exposed to the deadly virus when they disembarked during the ship’s stop at Saint Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic, on April 23.

“There are 23 people wandering around there, and until three days ago, no one had contacted them,” a passenger still aboard the ship told the Spanish newspaper, El País.

“The Australian went back to Australia, the one from Taiwan to Taiwan, the Americans to all corners of North America. The Englishman to England, the Dutch to their homes… I don’t remember the rest,” the passenger added.

People in at least three US states — Georgia, Arizona, and California — are being monitored for possible hantavirus exposure after the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, though none have shown symptoms, according to the New York Times.

The Georgia Department of Public Health said it is monitoring two residents who “are currently in good health and show no signs of infection.”

The Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed that one resident who traveled on the ship is being monitored and is not symptomatic.

“There is no information that California residents are ill or infected. At this time, the risk to public health in California is low,” Robert Barsanti, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health, said.

According to Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Hantavirus is not spread by people without symptoms, transmission requires close contact, and the risk to the American public is very low.”

UK

According to Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator of MV Hondius, 19 passengers and four crew members aboard the ship were British nationals.

One of them, a 56-year-old British man, was among the three passengers evacuated from the ship on Wednesday and is reported to be in stable condition.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said two British nationals are self-isolating at home after potential exposure to hantavirus on the cruise ship. The pair had disembarked earlier in the voyage and currently shows no symptoms.

UKHSA said contacts linked to their return journey, including passengers on a flight from Johannesburg, are being traced. The agency added that the risk to the general public remains very low.

Switzerland

Swiss officials are tracing the contacts of a man hospitalized in Zurich with the Andes strain of hantavirus, according to reports.

The patient became ill after returning from a three-week April cruise that traveled from the southern tip of South America to the South Atlantic island of St. Helena.

The authorities said the patient’s wife has not shown symptoms but is self-isolating as a precaution.

Argentina

Health investigators in Argentina believe a Dutch couple may have brought the virus aboard after possibly contracting it through rodent exposure during a bird-watching tour near a landfill in Ushuaia days before the ship departed from Argentina on March 20. Both the husband and wife later died.

Argentina has one of the highest reported incidences of hantavirus in Latin America, according to the WHO. Authorities there are continuing efforts to trace the source of the outbreak.

The Argentine Health Ministry reported 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025 — roughly double the number reported during the previous year, according to The Guardian.