(Credit-Canva)
The current measles outbreak has gripped US states like Texas and New Mexico leaving people worried whether it would become a new pandemic. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services as of February 21, 90 cases were diagnosed in the last month in the South Plains area, with at least 77 of them were reported in children and teens under 17.
Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly. The outbreak, which started spreading in late January, has resulted in multiple hospitalizations, with at least nine confirmed cases and three probable cases as of early February. Health officials caution that at least one in five infected individuals will have to be hospitalized, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Misinformation surrounding vaccines and with the new Trump administration anti-vaccine campaigs, has causing parents to hesitate or refuse vaccination.
Furthermore, the country down under Australia is also witnessing a surge in measles cases as health officials in Sydney have issued an urgent alert, urging residents to watch for measles symptoms after an infected individual visited several places in Sydney over the last seven days.
Authorities report that the traveller had returned from South East Asia where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles.
Key symptoms of measles include fever, a runny nose, sore eyes, and a cough. Typically, a red, blotchy rash appears three to four days later, spreading from the head down to the body. Symptoms can manifest between 7 and 18 days after exposure.
Anyone who experiences these symptoms after potential exposure should immediately contact their doctor or emergency department. It is crucial to call ahead before visiting to avoid potentially exposing others in the waiting room. Dr. Selvey also highlighted that ongoing measles outbreaks are occurring in various parts of the world, making awareness and prompt action essential.
According to CDC everyone should get the MMR vaccine. It protects you from measles, mumps, and rubella. Getting vaccinated helps stop these diseases from spreading. There are two safe MMR vaccines available. They work the same way, so it doesn't matter which one you get. Kids can also get a shot that protects against chickenpox too, but this is only for children.
All children should get two MMR shots. The first shot should be given when they are between 12 and 15 months old. The second shot should be given when they are between 4 and 6 years old. If needed, the second shot can be given earlier, but it must be at least 28 days after the first shot.
Students going to college or other schools after high school, need two shots if they are not already immune. The shots must be at least 28 days apart.
Most adults need at least one MMR shot. Some adults need two shots, especially those who work in healthcare, travel a lot, or go to college. These people should get two shots, with 28 days between them.
Anyone traveling to other countries should make sure they are protected. Babies 6 to 11 months old should get one shot before traveling. Kids 12 months and older, teens, and adults need two shots, with 28 days between them.
People who work in healthcare should have proof that they are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella. If they are not immune, they need two MMR shots, spaced 28 days apart.
Women who might get pregnant should talk to their doctor about the MMR vaccine. It's safe to get the shot while breastfeeding.
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a drug therapy to address neurologic symptoms of a rare genetic disorder — Hunter syndrome.
The X-chromosome-linked disease, occurring predominantly in males, has an estimated 2,000 affected individuals worldwide.
The drug Avlayah, developed by pharma company Denali Therapeutics, targets certain individuals with Hunter syndrome (Mucopolysaccharidosis type II or MPS II).
It is the first therapy to address the neurologic complications of Hunter Syndrome, such as
“Today is a milestone day for children and their families battling Hunter syndrome,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, in a statement.
“Avlayah is the first product approved to address neurologic complications of Hunter Syndrome, a very rare and often severe X-linked disorder in children, affecting about 500 people in the US, almost exclusively males,” added Acting CDER Director Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg.
The FDA noted that Avlayah, the once-weekly drug given via IV infusion, must begin in presymptomatic or symptomatic pediatric patients weighing at least 5 kg before advanced neurologic impairment.
Hunter syndrome is a rare inherited lysosomal disorder in which sugar molecules called glycosaminoglycans build up within the cells’ lysosomes.
The condition affects physical and mental development and causes abnormalities in the skeleton, heart, respiratory system, brain, and other organs.
Hunter syndrome is a rare congenital metabolic disease. It was first reported in 1917 by a Canadian physician, Charles Hunter, in two brothers in a family.
The brothers presented typical signs, such as
The younger brother had symptoms of Central Nervous System (CNS), including seizures and cognitive decline, while the older brother did not have CNS involvement.
The estimated incidence is 1 in 162,000 live male births.
The FDA approval came after Avlayah showed promise in reducing cerebrospinal fluid heparan sulfate — one of the glycosaminoglycans that accumulates in the body in this disorder and is linked to the organ damage that occurs in early childhood.
The phase 1/2 multi-cohort, single-arm, open-label trial enrolled 47 pediatric patients with Hunter syndrome aged 3 months to 13 years.
Of these, 44 patients with measurements at had a 91 percent average decrease from baseline in CSF.
Denali is now conducting a randomized clinical trial that is more than 95 percent enrolled to evaluate the clinical benefit of this product.
"In the meantime, families with young children with Hunter Syndrome will have access to a product that may favorably alter the course of the disease at the crucial time in life when there is the greatest potential for benefit," Hoeg said.
Avlayah’s labeling includes a boxed warning for allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, associated with the drug.
The FDA recommended that patients start therapy in a health care setting with appropriate medical monitoring and support measures.
The common side effects of Avlayah include
The FDA also suggested that healthcare workers monitor
Credit: Canva, CDSCO
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has now launched a nationwide crackdown on unapproved Fixed Dose Combination (FDCs) after 90 combination medicines that were being sold without mandatory central approval were busted last week.
CDSCO, India's apex drug regulatory body in the country, made the shocking discovery after scrutinizing drug samples uploaded on the SUGAM portal, the government’s online system for drug testing data.
Several of these samples were found to fall under the ‘new drug’ category but lacked approval from the central authority. As a result, the CDSCO wrote a letter to all states and union territory drug controllers, asking them to investigate manufacturers and marketers of these FDCs.
The letter reads: "The SUGAM lab testing data for the year 2025, a large number of drug samples (FDCs) are detected as unapproved and fall under the category of 'New Drug'. No new drug shall be manufactured for sale unless it is approved by the Licensing Authority 'as defined in Rule 3 of New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019, Further, as per Rule 80 of New Drugs & Clinical Trial Rules 2019, a person who intends to manufacture new drug in the form of API or Pharmaceuticals formulation, as the case may be, for sale or distribution, shall make an application for grant of permission to the Central Licensing Authority in Form CT-21 along with a fee as specified in Sixth Schedule."
"The presence of unapproved drugs in the supply chain is a matter of serious concern, posing potential risks to public health and safety. It also indicates non- compliance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and rules made thereunder.
"Accordingly, please initiate appropriate investigation and regulatory action against the concerned manufacturers, marketers, and other stakeholders, as deemed fit. Kindly ensure strict monitoring and enforcement to prevent manufacture, sale, and distribution of such unapproved drugs," the letter states, on appropriate action against the sale and distribution of unapproved drugs.
FDCs are drugs that contain two or more active ingredients in a single formulation. The CDSCO has asked states to investigate and submit reports on the action taken at the earliest.
Cough And Cold Medicines
Cough and cold combination medicines have formed the single largest group. At least 14 to 16 entries show combination of ingredients found in everyday pharmacy shelves: dextromethorphan, ambroxol, guaiphenesin, chlorpheniramine, phenylephrine, terbutaline, and menthol in various permutations.
Several of these are sold as flavoured syrups for children. Budesonide-levosalbutamol inhalation suspension that is used for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, too features in the list.
Nutritional Supplements
The next group is of the vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplement which has roughly 18 to 20 entries. They include:
This group has accounted for at least 10 entries, which include antifungal creams that could lead to potential misuse and skin damage when sold without prescriptions.
Anti-Diabetic Medicines
This has accounted for six entries, and the combination includes:
Under India's New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules of 2019, any FDC is treated as a new drug and must have the central government's approval before it could be manufactured and sold. The regulator's letter noted that there were presence of unapproved drugs in the supply chain that could pose risks to public health. This also amounts to a violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
“The presence of unapproved drugs in the supply chain is a matter of serious concern, posing potential risks to public health and safety. It also indicates non- compliance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Rules made thereunder," it said.
DCGI urged states and UTs "to examine the unapproved FDCs in generic name as mentioned in the attached annexure". This is done to check whether any approval has been granted by the local office. "Accordingly, please initiate appropriate investigation and regulatory action against the concerned manufacturers, marketers, and other stakeholders, as deemed fit. Kindly ensure strict monitoring and enforcement to prevent the manufacture, sale, and distribution of such unapproved drugs," the letter noted.
Credit: Canva
Breakbone Fever, also known as dengue, is a mosquito-borne disease that is once again on the rise, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issuing a travel alert across 17 Countries.
The federal agency flagged 'Level 1' risk for breakbone fever, calling for practicing usual precautions. It stated a higher-than-expected number of cases and urged people planning to travel to countries with an uptick in cases to be aware of the risk.
The CDC alert issued on March 23 identified 17 countries reporting an increased number of cases of dengue. These include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Colombia, Cook Islands, Cuba, Guyana, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, New Caledonia, Pakistan, Samoa, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and the United States territories of American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, where local transmission is already common.
In 2026, the US reported a total of 496 dengue cases to date, and the vast majority of these cases were reported among people who contracted the illness while traveling abroad.
The CDC advised travelers to risk areas to prevent mosquito bites by
Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. It is transmitted through infected mosquitoes, primarily the species Aedes aegypti.
The breakbone fever is caused by an infection with any of four different dengue viruses. These include:
Common Symptoms of the dengue are:
The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop, with illness generally lasting less than a week.
However, it can quickly become severe within a few hours, usually requiring hospitalization.
In severe cases, health effects can include hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), shock (seriously low blood pressure), organ failure, and death.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about half of the world's population is now at risk of dengue.
It estimates that:
The two main authorized vaccines in the world against dengue are Dengvaxia and Qdenga.
These vaccines are designed to protect against all four serotypes of the virus, with a focus on reducing severe disease and hospitalizations.
In addition, the Butantan-DV vaccine developed by the Butantan Institute in São Paulo has shown potential to be over 80 percent effective in preventing the risk of severe disease for up to five years. It also offers broader protection against all four dengue serotypes.
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