April 1, 2026

Science Chronicle

A Science and Technology Blog

April 1, 2026

Science Chronicle

A Science and Technology Blog

Public Health

Communicable diseaseHepatitisPublic Health

Egypt is racing to eliminate hepatitis C

Egypt was able to achieve huge success with hepatitis C due to population-based surveys to understand the hepatitis C epidemic

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Communicable diseaseMalariaPublic HealthVaccines

Now a more efficacious, inexpensive malaria vaccine

The R21/MatrixM malaria vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, has been recommended

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Communicable diseaseNipahPublic HealthTesting

Why BSL-3 lab for Nipah confirmation is unnecessary

Samples sent for Truenat testing are collected in a transport medium, which inactivates the virus. Inactivated viruses are not viable

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Communicable diseaseDrugsPublic HealthTuberculosis (TB)

India faces TB drug shortage, no shortage in Tamil Nadu

While drug supply from Centre was adequate during the pandemic, it has not kept pace after reporting of cases reached

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Communicable diseasePublic HealthTestingTuberculosis (TB)

Quality of active TB case finding suboptimal in India

At the national level, 9.3% of the population were screened, just 1% of the screened were tested and 3.7% of

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Communicable diseaseNutritionPublic HealthTuberculosis (TB)

One-third of TB patients received no payment for nutrition support

A 2022 study noted that 45% of people in India are undernourished, accounting for nearly 1.2 million TB cases each year

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Communicable diseaseNipahPublic Health

Why Nipah virus outbreaks are occurring only in Kerala

With fruit bats positive for Nipah virus antibodies seen in other States, it is likely that Nipah virus infection and deaths may be going undetected in other States while they get picked up in Kerala, especially in Kozhikode district 

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Artificial intelligence (AI)Communicable diseaseHealthPublic HealthTestingTuberculosis (TB)

Chest X-ray interpretation using AI can detect more TB cases

In 2021, WHO recommended the use of CAD products that use AI to automate the interpretation of digital chest X-rays for TB screening and triage in people older than 15 years

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Communicable diseaseHealthPublic HealthTuberculosis (TB)

Missed childhood TB cases impede achieving 2025 goal

Nearly 0.34 million children <15 years of age in India are estimated to get TB disease every year. While children in this age group are estimated to contribute about 13% of the total TB caseload, only 6% are notified

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Communicable diseaseHealthNutritionPublic HealthTuberculosis (TB)

Explained: Can improved nutrition help prevent TB?

With undernutrition the most prevalent risk factor for tuberculosis, weight gain leads to a reduction in TB cases and mortality

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Clinical trialCommunicable diseaseHealthNutritionPublic HealthTuberculosis (TB)

RATIONS trial done in India shows nutrition support prevents TB, related deaths

In the randomised controlled trial involving household contacts of patients with pulmonary TB, nutritional support led to 39-48% reduction in TB disease in the intervention group

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Communicable diseaseDiagnostic testHealthPublic HealthTestingTuberculosisTuberculosis (TB)

In TB detection, smear microscopy’s share still holds sway

According to the WHO Global TB report 2022, over 40% of people with TB across the world were not diagnosed in 2021. In India, a large number of people with TB were not diagnosed even prior to the pandemic

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Clinical trialCommunicable diseaseDrugsHealthPublic HealthTuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis: over 85% cure rate seen in modified BPaL regimen trial

The BPaL regimen uses only three drugs — bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid — and the treatment lasts only for 26 weeks, in contrast to eight-nine tablets each day for 18 months in the conventional treatment for DR-TB

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