A cab driver engaged in ferrying people to and from Hyderabad international airport was diagnosed with H1N1 flu, making it the first such case in Andhra Pradesh in India this summer.
“The patient is in his forties and was brought to our hospital in a serious condition. What aggravated the condition was that he was obese and suffered from diabetes. He is on a ventilator and responding well to treatment,” said Dr K. Subhakar, who is in charge of swine flu cases at Government Chest Hospital in Hyderabad.
“We are not sure how he tight the disease, but possibly he got it through contact with some H1N1-infected passengers,” he said.
In the wake of detection of a new case of the dreaded infection, the state has directed airports in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam to increase screening of passengers. The screening, which was on a war footing, last year, was scaled down with fall in occurrence of Swine flu attacks.
The first case of H1N1 flu in the country was detected in Hyderabad last May 2009. It spread like wildfire for the three following months, killing 53 people and affecting another 786.
Fearing a similar outbreak this summer, the state government is not taking any probability. “We have activated medical teams at airports and installed thermal sensors,” Dr Subhakar said.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Truth about Protection of Tigers
The tiger (Panthera tigris ) is the biggest of the four “big cats” in the genus Panthera . It is a member of the Felidae family.
The sight of a tiger is at once imposing and awesome. The pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish orange fur is its most recognizable feature. These cats are extremely adaptable and their habitat ranges from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands to mangroves. Generally, they are solitary creatures but highly territorial. One of the main reasons for this is loss of habitat and indiscriminate hunting.
This is indeed a sad situation, for tigers are amongst the most recognizable and popular of the world's charismatic mega fauna. Helping us get to know this imposing creature is Shekar Dattatri with his documentary movie on tigers called “The Truth about Tigers”.
* * *
“The Truth about the Tiger” is by Shekar Dattatri, a Chennai-based wildlife and conservation filmmaker who has won many awards, equally national and international. The film was a compilation of much footage shot by leading wildlife cinematographers and insights from experts.
The film offers solutions:
Write a request letter to the Chief Minister of your State about the problem, and ask for more measures to keep tigers and their habitats
Be well informed. Share your information with friends, parents and adults. Hold competitions in schools
Be a watchdog. Form a group and be aware of activities in and around the forest area if you are living near one.
Go on field trips to understand ground realities. Many organizations, such as WWF, and nature clubs behavior field trips to wildlife sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves.
Check out
Books: Way of the Tiger by Dr. K. Ullas Karanth;
A view from the Machan by Dr. K. Ullas Karanth;
Tiger - The Ultimate Guide by Valmik Thapar.
Books by Jim Corbett
Links:
www.truthabouttigers.org (free copy of the
documentary is available to those who register on this site.)
http://www.cwsindia.org/
http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/
More information on his work can be found at
www.shekardattatri.com
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