An increase in cases of a rare but fatal form of encephalitis has put authorities in India's southern state of Kerala on alert. Health authorities have increased testing to address what they say is a serious public health challenge.
Kerala has reported about 69 cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) since the beginning of this year including 19 deaths following contact with Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the “brain-eating” amoeba, the state Health Minister Veena George said on Wednesday.
Three of the deaths occurred in the last month, including that of a three-month old infant.
“Unlike last year, we are not seeing clusters linked to a single water source. These are single, isolated cases, which has complicated our epidemiological investigations,” Ms George told Indian media outlet NDTV.
Last year, the state reported 36 cases of PAM and nine deaths.
Amoebic encephalitis is a rare but lethal central nervous system infection caused by free-living amoebae found in freshwater, lakes and rivers, according to a Kerala government document.
Of the two types of amoebic encephalitis, primary amoebic encephalitis has been found in Kerala, and is caused by Naegleria fowleri.
The government has begun chlorinating wells, water tanks and public bathing areas, and areas where people are likely to bathe and come in contact with the amoeba.
Globally, the survival rate of PAM is about 3 per cent but because of advanced testing and diagnosis, Kerala has achieved 24 per cent, Ms George told local media.
“Climate change raising the water temperature and the heat driving more people to recreational water use is likely to increase the encounters with this pathogen,” the government said in the document, which was published last year.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
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Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
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Third Test
Result: India won by 203 runs
Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
