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.

An 18-year-old woman is in critical condition after an acidic substance was allegedly administered instead of an anaesthetic during nose surgery at a private hospital in Israel.

Police have launched an investigation into suspected negligence after the woman suffered severe burns to her face and respiratory system during the procedure on Friday.

What Happened During The Surgery?

The teenager had previously been injured in an accident on Highway 35 in southern Israel in 2024. She was admitted to the private hospital on Friday morning for a nose surgery.

According to allegations being investigated by police, the anaesthesiologist confused two substances and administered an acidic substance instead of the anaesthetic drug. The error reportedly caused severe burns to the woman's face and respiratory system.

The surgeon eventually noticed what was happening and stopped the procedure. A medical team was called into the operating room and the woman was intubated, with a breathing tube inserted into her windpipe. She was then sedated and placed on a ventilator.

She was subsequently transferred to Tel Aviv's Sourasky Medical Center, where she was admitted to the intensive care unit.

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Chemical Injuries In The Respiratory System

The respiratory system is particularly vulnerable to chemical injuries. Damage to the airway can cause severe inflammation and swelling, making it difficult for a person to breathe.

This is why doctors may need to secure the airway quickly through intubation and use a ventilator to support breathing while the injury is tended to.

In this case, the damage was serious enough to require another emergency operation. On Saturday evening, an expanded team of around 10 doctors at Sourasky Medical Center performed surgery to treat severe damage to her windpipe. The young woman remained sedated in the intensive care unit after the procedure.

More updates about her well-being are being awaited.

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Police Investigate Medical Negligence

The local police are now investigating the incident, particularly how the alleged mix-up of the acidic substance and anaesthetic drug occurred.

The most crucial factor to investigate in this case is whether it was an unavoidable error or gross medical negligence.

The incident has also raised concerns about careful identification and handling of medication and substance during critical surgeries surgery.

Anaesthesia involves the administration of multiple drugs and substances, making accurate identification and handling critical to patient safety.

The Israeli Health Ministry said it had not been notified about the incident. “According to an inquiry conducted by the ministry, the incident was not reported to the Health Ministry,” the ministry said in a statement.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not yet established who was responsible for the alleged error or whether any medico-criminal charges will follow.

For now, the 18-year-old remains in intensive care as doctors continue treating the severe injuries to her airway and respiratory system.

Back pain is often treated as a problem that comes with ageing, but new research suggests that some forms of spinal degeneration may have specific biological trigger, and an existing osteoporosis drug could help treat it.

A study published in Communications Biology found that a class of osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates reduced abnormal mineralisation in the spinal tissues of genetically modified zebrafish.

The findings show promise in treating intervertebral disc degeneration, a major cause of chronic back and neck pain.

What Did The Study Find?

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and University of Bristol studied zebrafish lacking a functioning copy of the col9a1b gene. This gene is linked to collagen IX, an important structural component of spinal discs.

As the fish aged, they developed changes resembling human disc degeneration. Their vertebrae began to fuse and mineral deposits accumulated in the ligaments between the vertebrae, making the normally flexible spinal structures increasingly hard.

The researchers found that the mineralisation was preceded by deterioration of the structural tissue supporting that supported the developing spine.

They also identified changes in lipid metabolism, mTOR signalling, phosphate regulation and vitamin A-related pathways.

Most importantly, when researchers treated the animals with etidronate, a bisphosphonate, mineral accumulation was reduced. Other interventions targeting fat metabolism also reduced spinal fusion.

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Why Is Disc Mineralisation A Problem?

Intervertebral discs act as cushions between the bones of the spine. They allow the back to bend and move while absorbing daily physiological stress.

With disc degeneration, the disc's structure can wear off. Abnormal mineralisation can make these tissues stiffer and contribute to vertebral fusion, making movement challenging and contributing to pain.

Currently, there are no medications that can reliably stop or reverse intervertebral disc degeneration. Treatment generally focuses on pain management, physiotherapy and lifestyle measures, while severe cases may eventually require surgery.

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More About The Osteoporosis Drugs

Bisphosphonates are already widely used to protect bones in people with osteoporosis. They work by slowing the activity of cells that break down bone.

In this study, however, their potential benefit appeared to involve something different: preventing minerals from accumulating where they should not.

Study lead Dr Erika Kague said the research could help with alternatives to surgery. “For decades, surgery has been the only real answer for disc disease,” Kague said.

She added that the findings suggest several ways of slowing the process, including a drug already used in patients.

Dr Caroline Aylott of Arthritis UK said the findings offer “fresh hope” for the millions of people living with back pain and could help scientists move closer to new treatments.

Researchers caution that the findings are promising but still early and that larger trials will be needed to validate the study. Also, this was an animal study, not a clinical trial in people with back pain.

Researchers will need to establish whether the same biological process occurs in humans and whether bisphosphonates can safely and effectively prevent or slow disc degeneration in patients.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a soft, wearable device that targets a deep brain region involved in sleep regulation through focused ultrasound.

In a study published in Nature Communications, the patch, called NEUSLeeP, was found to boost REM sleep and help people reach that stage of restorative rest faster.

What Is NEUSLeeP?

NEUSLeeP is a bioelectronic patch that can be attacked on the skin. It combines focused ultrasound stimulation with electrodes that continuously monitor brain activity during sleep.

The device targets the subthalamic nucleus (STN), a deep structure within the brain that forms part of the basal ganglia network.

Researchers used a specialised ultrasound array to focus stimulation on the region while simultaneously recording electrical signals linked to sleep.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to noninvasively target deep brain regions involved in REM sleep, while simultaneously monitoring brain activity,” said Kai Wing “Kevin” Tang, who led the research.

The patch weighs about 103 grams and is designed to remain attached during overnight sleep. Its electrodes allow researchers to track EEG, eye movements and muscle activity, helping determine which stage of sleep a person is experiencing.

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What Did The Study Find?

The study involved 28 participants, including 16 healthy sleepers and 12 people with some degree of insomnia symptoms.

Participants underwent two consecutive nights of sleep testing, with the first night serving as the sham condition and ultrasound stimulation delivered on the second night.

Researchers found that NEUSLeeP increased the proportion of REM sleep by about 4.6 percentage points, equivalent to roughly 16 additional minutes of REM sleep. It also reduced the time taken to enter REM sleep by approximately 43 minutes, or 24%.

Additionally, researchers did not observe significant changes in other sleep stages or overall sleep efficiency.

The team also reported changes in heart-rate variability and brain activity associated with processing emotions, suggesting that manipulating REM sleep could eventually have implications beyond sleep itself.

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Why Is REM Sleep Important?

REM, or rapid eye movement sleep, is the stage associated with vivid dreaming, rapid eye movements and increased brain activity.

It usually becomes longer during the later part of the night and accounts for roughly 20% to 25% of sleep in adults.

REM sleep has been linked to memory processing and emotional regulation. Research has suggested that the brain uses this stage to process emotional experiences and integrate memories.

“REM sleep is not just about dreaming. It’s about emotional reset and stress adaptation,” said Gregory Fonzo, a co-principal investigator on the project.

Poor sleep is associated with several mental and neurological consequences. Researchers believe that selectively influencing REM sleep could eventually become part of treatments for sleep disorders and conditions like chronic insomnia, depression and PTSD. However, the patch is not yet a treatment available for patients.

Limitations Of The Study

Although the findings seem promising, they come from a small, early-stage human study involving 26 participants.

The researchers also deliberately used a fixed order, with sham stimulation on the first night and ultrasound on the second, because they were concerned about possible carryover effects.

That means larger, longer and independent trials will be needed to determine whether increasing REM sleep actually produces meaningful improvements in health, mood or daytime functioning.