Pakistan continues to be dealing with a polio outbreak as four fresh cases have emerged, pushing the national tally to 37 this year, according to health officials on October 19, 2024. Health officials said that the regional reference laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed wild poliovirus type-1 (WPV1) in two children-one from each Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

In recent cases, a girl has been affected from Pishin, and two boys from Chaman and Noshki of Balochistan, and a girl from Lakki Marwat in KP. These are the first detections of the virus within Noshki and Lakki Marwat this year; isolated cases of poliovirus were previously reported within Chaman and Pishin. The province of Balochistan was the worst hit with 20 cases, Sindh had 10, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had five, and Punjab and Islamabad had one case each.

A gigantic fight against polio has been on going in Pakistan- especially in Balochistan and southern KP-over the last two years. Immunisation campaigns have often been suspended or delayed because of local protests, insecurity, and community boycotts. Consequently, quite a number of children did not get the necessary vaccinations, making existing patches of vulnerability for the virus to flow within those pockets.

Noshki, located near Afghanistan's border, and Lakki Marwat have also recently reported some positive environmental samples that confirm the virus is present here, said a local reference laboratory official. Samples of latest cases are currently under genetic sequencing for checking spread of virus and origin.

As the threat of polio continues to grow, Pakistan has vowed to mount a nationwide campaign against it beginning from October 28. With the zeal to tackle the menace in the most effective manner, over 45 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated across the country.

Today, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain one of the few countries where polio has not yet been eradicated. The WHO said the virus remains a potential serious public health threat in areas with low vaccination coverage and weak surveillance.

India On Alert Against Polio

The country declared itself polio-free since 2014 and has kept the disease on bay almost a decade with very robust vaccination programs; however, two cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus cases reported in recent days from Meghalaya create some amount of doubts over a possible resurgence. Experts observe that in India, despite these detections taking place, strong coverage of vaccination at 90-95% and mandatory surveillance measures keep the risk of this widespread outbreak at bay.

The experts point out, however, that such stable situation in India requires continued surveillance. "Countries like Pakistan and parts of Africa remain at a high risk because vaccination rates in those areas are much lower," Dr. Siddharth, public health expert, said. Vaccination is an indispensable act in order to avoid the spread of this incapacitating disease that manifests most importantly as a nervous system affliction leading to the paralysis of a long period.

With concerted efforts from health authorities, there is hope someday that the scourge of polio will be completely eradicated from the face of the earth and future generations will never suffer from its effects.

Due to climate change, the range of disease-carrying ticks across Canada have increased. Health experts have recently warned about a lesser-known infection that is spreading across the country rapidly. It is called anaplasmosis.

For years, Lyme disease has dominated conversations around tick bites. Experts are now saying that another illness transmitted by the same black-legged tick is spreading into new regions as warmer temperatures create favorable conditions for ticks to thrive.

Tick-Borne Infection Plagues Canada

The warning comes after a recently published report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) highlighted anaplasmosis as an emerging disease in Canada. Experts urged healthcare providers to diagnose it early as delayed treatment can lead to severe complications.

The report described a patient who developed heart inflammation (myocarditis), after contracting the infection, highlighting the fact that while many cases are mild, some can become life-threatening.

What Is Anaplasmosis?

Anaplasmosis is caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. It is transmitted through the bite of infected black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and western black-legged ticks (Ixodes pacificus).

Unlike Lyme disease, which primarily affects the skin, joints and nervous system, anaplasmosis infects white blood cells, weakening the body's immune system.

The symptoms of anaplasmosis commonly develop within one to two weeks after a tick bite and often resemble the flu. They include:

• Fever and chills
• Severe headache
• Muscle aches
• Fatigue
• Nausea or loss of appetite

Also read: Bella Hadid Opens Up About Challenges Of Living With Lyme Disease

Why Anaplasmosis Cases Are Rising In Canada?

Warmer and longer spring and summer and shorter winters are creating the ideal breeding grounds for black-legged ticks. These ticks are expanding farther north into regions where they previously could not survive.

At the same time, warmer conditions are extending the period during which ticks remain active. Public health officials say that ticks can now be active whenever temperatures remain consistently above freezing.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has reported that the geographic range of ticks carrying diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis continues to expand across several provinces, including Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick and parts of Atlantic Canada.

Early Detection And Diagnosis Are The Key

Although many people recover completely with prompt treatment, anaplasmosis, if left untreated, can cause serious complications affecting the lungs, kidneys, nervous system and heart.

Older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those whose treatment is delayed face the highest risk of severe illness.

Canadian health authorities recommend that treatment begin as soon as doctors suspect anaplasmosis rather than waiting for laboratory confirmation, since early intervention significantly improves outcomes.

Protecting yourself during tick season is one of the ways to ward off risk of infection. Health officials recommend several simple precautions to reduce the risk of tick bites:

• Wear long sleeves and long pants in wooded or grassy areas.
• Apply insect repellents containing DEET or icaridin.
• Perform thorough tick checks after spending time outdoors.
• Remove attached ticks immediately.

As Canada's climate continues to warm, experts say the country's tick-borne disease landscape is changing rapidly. While Lyme disease remains the most recognized threat, physicians warn that anaplasmosis is no longer a rare infection.

A new safety analysis has found that Wegovy, the recently launched blockbuster weight loss medication containing semaglutide, may cause a rare but dangerous eye condition that can lead to sudden and permanent vision loss.

The analysis, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, compared Wegovy, semaglutide tablets and other GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic by examining more than 30 million reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) submitted between 2017 and 2024.

Scientists found a safety signal that linked semaglutide medicines to non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), also known as eye stroke.

Wegovy More Likely To Cause Blindness Than Ozempic

The signal appeared to be nearly five times stronger for Wegovy than for Ozempic, despite both medicines containing the same active ingredient, semaglutide.

NAION occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve suddenly gets reduced, causing damage to the nerve responsible for transmitting visual information from the eye to the brain. The patient experiences painless vision loss in one eye.

While some patients experience partial improvement, the vision loss is frequently permanent. There is currently no proven treatment to reverse the damage.

Researchers state that the findings do not prove that Wegovy causes NAION. Instead, they observe a typical signal, meaning an unexpected pattern observed in a large safety database that requires immediate further investigation.

Such pharmacological analyses are useful for identifying rare and adverse side effects that may not emerge during clinical trials.

Why Wegovy Poses A Greater Risk Of Rare Blindness?

Also read: Novo Nordisk Launches Awiqli In India: All About The World's First Once-Weekly Insulin

The stronger link observed with Wegovy and NAION compared with Ozempic has also raised new questions. Both drugs contain semaglutide, but Wegovy is prescribed at higher doses for obesity, while Ozempic is used to treat type 2 diabetes.

Researchers say that factors such as higher dosing, differences in patient populations, or underlying health conditions could help explain the disparity, although more research is needed.

The latest findings build on growing scientific interest in the potential eye-related risks of GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Previous observational studies have also reported an increased risk of NAION among semaglutide users, prompting regulators in Europe to add the condition as a very rare side effect to semaglutide product information last year.

Health experts emphasize that patients should not stop taking Wegovy without consulting their healthcare provider. For most users, the drug's benefits in managing obesity and reducing associated health risks are likely to outweigh the extremely rare risk of developing NAION.

However, anyone taking Wegovy who experiences sudden blurred vision or loss of vision should seek immediate medical attention.

Wegovy Manufacturer Explores Semaglutide Implant

The GLP-1 medication industry is in a boom. Novo Nordisk, the maker of GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic and Wegovy, is currently exploring a new way to deliver weight-loss treatment that could reduce the need for weekly injections.

The implant, known as NPM-139, is a miniature device developed using Vivani Medical's proprietary NanoPortal technology. Rather than requiring patients to inject semaglutide every week, the tiny implant is placed beneath the skin and slowly releases the medication over an extended period.

If successful, it could mark a significant step toward making GLP-1 drug more convenient for people living with obesity.

COVID-19 infections have resurfaced in India, with Andhra Pradesh reporting two deaths and several active cases, prompting health authorities to step up surveillance and preparedness measures.

A 52-year-old man from Kadapa's Rajampet area, who tested positive for COVID-19 after developing fever and cough, died while undergoing treatment at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore.

In another case, a 43-year-old man from Kadapa, who was admitted to the Government General Hospital with health complications, tested positive and later died while receiving treatment in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit.

A 25-year-old medical student from Kadapa Medical College has also tested positive for the virus and is currently undergoing treatment through home isolation. Several more cases have also been reported.

What Variant Is Causing The Reported Cases?

Doctors say they have seen a rise in COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks.

Dr. Lancelot Pinto, Consultant Pulmonologist and Epidemiologist at the PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, told HealthandMe that SARS-CoV-2 has frequently been detected in patients presenting with viral respiratory infections.

"So when we send throat swabs in the context of a viral respiratory infection, we have detected SARS-CoV-2 as the causative organism often. It doesn't seem that this is a more virulent strain based on our experience so far. But in those who are immunocompromised, who are vulnerable because of their health risks, it can cause severe disease."

While the exact variant behind these cases has not yet been confirmed and samples have been sent for genome sequencing, experts say the virus currently circulating in India is largely made up of Omicron sub-lineages.

"The virus currently circulating in India is largely made up of Omicron sub-lineages, which generally cause milder illness than earlier variants, though they remain highly transmissible," Dr. Neha Rastogi, Senior Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, told HealthandMe.

Why Are We Still Seeing Severe COVID Despite Herd Immunity?

According to Dr. Pinto, viruses are capable of triggering what is known as an inflammatory cascade—a strong immune response that can sometimes contribute to severe illness.

"This cascade is such that there's a strong immune response to the virus that can sometimes be detrimental to humans, causing severe disease. We also know that any viral infection, however innocuous it may seem, has the potential of increasing your cardiovascular risk."

He explained that viral infections can also increase cardiovascular risk, meaning people already at risk of heart-related complications may experience poorer outcomes.

"And therefore, those who are at an increased risk of cardiovascular events could suffer from poor outcomes in the context of any viral infections."

Another concern, he said, is the limited availability of antiviral medicines.

"What has been concerning, though, is the difficulty of procuring antivirals at present. So drugs such as remdesivir and paxlovid are not easily available. And therefore, we are not able to offer it to vulnerable and high-risk individuals. And I hope this gets fixed in the near future."

Who Is At High Risk?

Although the circulating Omicron sub-lineages generally cause milder illness, they can still lead to severe disease in vulnerable individuals.

Those most at risk include:

• Senior citizens
• People with diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease, or chronic kidney disease
• Individuals with weakened immunity
• Pregnant women
• People who are unvaccinated or have not received recommended booster doses.

How To Reduce The Risk?

Despite the lower overall severity of the current variants, health experts say vigilance remains important. To reduce the risk of infection, people should stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, wear masks in crowded indoor settings, maintain hand hygiene, ensure good ventilation, and avoid close contact when unwell.

Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, or breathlessness should get tested and seek timely medical advice.

"If you are a high-risk individual and suffer from diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, or respiratory disease such as COPD, this is the time to be a little cautious about exposing yourself to those who are ill, trying and avoiding crowds, trying and avoiding places where there's a conglomeration of individuals together and easy to pick up viruses. Mask up with a high-efficiency mask if it's feasible, especially if you are exposed to such kind of situations," Dr Pinto said.

For people without these underlying conditions, he said the virus appears to behave much like other seasonal respiratory viruses.

"For the average person who does not have a high risk in terms of these comorbidities, it does appear that this virus behaves just like any other seasonal influenza virus or any other seasonal virus."