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.

Three newborn babies died after a fire broke out inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Amravati District Women’s Hospital in Maharashtra early Monday, August 24.

The fire reportedly began around 3:15-3:30 am after a ventilator sparked or exploded, although the exact cause is yet to be known. The three infants died after suffering severe burns and smoke inhalation.

Around 39 newborns were receiving treatment in the NICU at the time. Doctors and other hospital staff rushed to evacuate the babies. Six critical infants were shifted to a nearby super-speciality hospital.

The incident has highlighted one of the most difficult challenges during a NICU fire, i.e., moving critically ill newborns without interrupting the life support they depend on.

Newborns On Ventilators Cannot Simply Be Evacuated

For a critically ill newborn, a ventilator may be continuously delivering carefully controlled oxygen and pressure to keep the lungs functioning.

Disconnecting the baby from the ventilator, even temporarily, can cause oxygen levels to fall rapidly, particularly in premature babies or those with severe respiratory distress. A baby may also be connected to several other devices at the same time, including:

• Intravenous lines delivering medicines or fluids
• Cardiac and oxygen monitors
• Feeding tubes
• Central or arterial lines
• Other respiratory-support equipment

Also read: Lindsay Clancy Trial: What Postpartum Psychosis Really Looks Like, From A Survivor

Babies On Ventilator Need Portable Life Support

In an emergency like fire, there may not be enough time or equipment to transfer every baby individually to a transport incubator. That creates a difficult balance between maintaining life support and getting the baby away from smoke, heat and flames as quickly as possible.

When a critically ill newborn has to be moved, medical teams may need to use transport ventilators or other portable equipment that supports respiration. Transport incubators may also provide a controlled environment while allowing a newborn to remain connected to essential monitoring and respiratory support.

Also read: New Mothers Are Turning To AI For Breastfeeding Advice; Experts Warn Of Hidden Risks

Smoke Is A Major Threat Inside A NICU

NICUs also contain multiple electrical devices and medical equipment operating continuously. Oxygenated environments can further fuel the severity of a fire, although oxygen itself does not burn.

Officials have ordered an investigation into the incident to establish exactly how the fire began and whether equipment failure or another factor was responsible. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a high-level inquiry. The tragedy comes amid renewed concerns about fire safety in neonatal units, where patients are among the most vulnerable in a hospital.

The incident demonstrates why NICU fire preparedness needs to account for patients who cannot walk, be carried normally or simply disconnected from machines and rushed outside.

Sunlight brings energy, positivity and vitamin D, but not for two-year-old Mollie Murray from Scotland, who has a rare genetic disorder that makes her “allergic” to the sun.

She is reportedly the only child in the UK known to be living with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a condition that makes the skin extremely sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light.

The incurable disorder puts Mollie at risk of severe sun damage year-round. She can only safely go outside in protective full-length clothing or after dark.

“She burns all year round and has burnt in November before,” her mother, Kirsty Campbell, 35, a charge nurse, was quoted as saying to The Sun.

“Everyday life is difficult as she needs full protective outerwear for going outside and sun cream every two hours under her clothes.”

UV-Resistant Film Lets Mollie Play In Daylight

Now, thanks to the charity The Archie Foundation, UV-resistant film installed at Mollie’s home last month means she can play indoors during the day without the curtains being closed.

“It means she can do simple things like look outside for the postman or draw in daylight. My ex-partner was having to take playpark equipment into his house as it wasn’t safe outside. She’s so happy running around like a normal child,” her father, Ryan Murray, 34, said.

How Was Mollie Diagnosed?

Mollie was in and out of hospital from infancy with symptoms including seizures and severe reflux.

She first experienced severe sunburn on an overcast day in May 2025. It happened again two months later, eventually leading to her diagnosis with XPF.

Doctors have advised that Mollie is 10,000 times more likely to develop skin cancer than other children. Campbell also uses a UV monitor to check readings in every room and ensure it is safe for Mollie.

The Sun said that her family has been told she may develop neurological impairment and mobility problems in her 40s and 50s, but that she should have a relatively normal childhood.

What Is Xeroderma Pigmentosum?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes XP as a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder marked by extreme sensitivity to UV radiation, changes in skin pigmentation, skin cancer and, in some cases, neurological problems.

The condition usually appears in early childhood and significantly increases the risk of skin cancer.

XP affects roughly one in a million people in the US and Europe, although it is more common in some other parts of the world.

XP itself is not cancer, but it can increase the risk of skin cancer by thousands of times. Other cancers may also be more common in people with the condition.

XP is caused by mutations in specific genes that affect the body’s ability to repair UV-induced DNA damage. It is inherited from parents.

Symptoms Of Xeroderma Pigmentosum

• Skin: Severe sunburn even after brief UV exposure, dry or thin skin, early freckles, changes in skin colour, fragile skin and precancerous growths such as actinic keratoses.
• Eyes: Dryness, irritation, light sensitivity and corneal damage, which can potentially lead to vision loss.
• Neurological: Some people may develop difficulty swallowing, loss of reflexes, problems controlling muscles, cognitive decline and hearing loss.

How Is XP Diagnosed And Treated?

XP can be diagnosed through specialised laboratory tests, including studies of cellular sensitivity to UV radiation, chromosomal breakage, complementation studies and gene sequencing.

But there is currently no cure for XP. Management focuses on avoiding UV exposure, monitoring for complications and treating symptoms.

How Mollie’s Family Is Protecting Her

For Mollie’s family, the priority is to protect her while allowing her to experience as much normality as possible. The UV-resistant film has made a small but significant difference, allowing her to look outside, draw in daylight and play indoors without keeping the curtains closed.

Mollie’s family hopes to give her the highest possible quality of life while keeping her safe.

An 8-year-old Louisiana girl has died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, the rare “brain-eating amoeba” infection believed to have been acquired while swimming in Lake Claiborne.

The girl, identified by her family as Lillian Smart of Ruston, died on August 22, just one day after her eighth birthday. She had been hospitalised since August 15 after developing the infection.

The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the case on August 19 but has not publicly identified the child. The tragedy has renewed attention on an extremely rare and fatal infection.

Why Naegleria Fowleri Can Become Deadly So Quickly?

The amoeba then can travel along the olfactory nerves through the nasal cavity and reach the brain, where it causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Also, swallowing contaminated water does not cause PAM, and the infection does not spread from person to person. PAM causes severe inflammation and destruction of brain tissue.

The illness can initially resemble other infections, with symptoms including headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. As the disease progresses, patients may develop advanced symptoms like stiff neck, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and eventually coma.

One of the biggest challenges is the speed at which the infection progresses. According to recent CDC data cited in coverage of the Louisiana case, 173 Naegleria fowleri infections were documented in the US between 1937 and 2025, with only four known survivors. That puts the fatality rate at roughly 97%.

Also read: Louisiana Records 4th ‘Brain-Eating Amoeba' Case In Nearly 90 Years: What To Know About Naegleria Fowleri

Early Symptoms Mimic Other Illnesses

The initial symptoms of PAM can look like bacterial or viral meningitis, which can make the infection difficult to recognise immediately. An individual may initially experience fever, headache, nausea and vomiting before developing neurological symptoms.

By the time the amoeba is identified, significant brain inflammation may already have occurred. Diagnosis can involve testing cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissue for the organism. So, rare early symptoms and rapid progression makes early diagnosis of this infection particularly difficult.

Also read: Brain-Eating Amoeba: What To Know About The Microscopic Killer That Took A 12-Year-Old Boy’s Life In Days

There Is No Cure For Naegleria Fowleri

There is no single drug that reliably cures PAM. Because so few cases occur, there have been no large clinical trials establishing a standard treatment regimen.

Doctors have used combinations of antimicrobial and antifungal medicines in survivors and severe cases, with treatment often including drugs such as amphotericin B and miltefosine, alongside intensive supportive care.

The CDC notes that successful treatment has involved combinations of several medicines, but outcomes remain poor.

Simple Precautions Can Reduce The Risk

The CDC recommends avoiding activities in warm freshwater, particularly when water temperatures are high. For people who do enter such water, precautions include:

• Using a nose clip or keeping the nose above water
• Avoiding jumping or diving into warm freshwater
• Avoiding stirring up sediment in shallow, warm areas
• Avoiding putting the head underwater in potentially contaminated water