Taiwan said Monday a multi-drug resistant superbug that surfaced in South Asia had been found for the first time on the island in a cameramen shot and wounded while working in India.

The bacterium carrying the NDM-1 gene was found in an intestine sample taken from the Taiwanese cameraman, who was shot outside a mosque in New Delhi last month, health authorities said.

"This is the first time the virus is found in Taiwan," said Shih Wen-yi, deputy director general of the Centres for Disease Control.

Shih told reporters that the cameraman had been infected with the bacteria while undergoing surgery in India, but urged the public not to panic over the discovery.

"It's not easy for the people to be infected by the cameraman," he said, explaining the cameramen had shown no symptoms of infection.

The cameraman flew back to Taiwan on September 27 to receive further treatment and has since been discharged.

The World Health Organization has called on global health authorities to monitor the superbug.

Hundreds of people participated in a walkathon organized here on Sunday to spread public awareness on breast cancer.

Organised by Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation (UBF) in association with the U.S. Consulate General, the 'Pink Ribbon Walk 2010' was flagged off by Andhra Pradesh Police Commissioner and renowned actor A K Khan and Dada Saheb Phalke award winner Akkineni Nageshwar Rao.

Chief Executive Officer of the UBF P.R Raghu Ram said the walk would also help in creating awareness about reducing the risk of breast cancer.

"October is worldwide recognized as International Breast Cancer Awareness month and the message is three-fold for this Pink Ribbon Walk 2010. One is the aim of the walk. First aim, is to educate and empower people about the importance of early detection of breast cancer because we can't prevent breast cancer. The only way to fight breast cancer is to detect early," said Raghu Ram.

"The second reason, for doing this walk is to recognize and applaud survivors in their families in their fight against breast cancer and thirdly, to emphasize the exercise in a very important way to keep away life style diseases and cancer is no exception," he added.

Raghu Ram also advised that it was not just women even men needed to have awareness of breast cancer.

Consul General Katheine Dhanani said people should work on creating awareness on breast cancer and early detention. She further added that their participation salutes and encourages those fighting the disease.

"I was specially happy to see the young women because if they get into the right habits early in their lives, they will be successful in fighting breast cancer. This is a great partnership and we are honoured and pleased to be a part of it and looking forward to walk in and meeting some more people who are here today," said Katherine Dhanani, U.S Consulate General.

She also suggested that detection of breast cancer at an early stage would ensure long-term survival.

Atleast 1,000 women participated in the walk to make it successful.

Around 3.2 lakh HIV patients in India were on life-saving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in December 2009 - more than 85,000 patients from the previous year. Be that as it may, 2.6 lakh people are still in dire need of ART. According to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) latest report, "Towards Universal Access", which tracks progress in achieving the 2010 target for HIV prevention, treatment and care; around 5.8 lakh HIV patients required ART in end-2009.
Globally, the HIV epidemic continued to be a real public health challenge as around 33.4 million people are suffering from the lethal disease. In 2008 alone, 2.7 million people were newly infected with the virus. According to the report, only one-third of HIV patients have been put on ART, and coverage of prevention interventions is largely inadequate. This year, WHO's revised guidelines on ART for adults and adolescents, including would-be mothers, said ART would be initiated when CD4 cell counts reach or drop below 350 cells/mm3, irrespective of whether the patients have clinical symptoms. As per this count, though an estimated 11 -14 lakh HIV patients in India need ART, only 23% are receiving the treatment.
The number of pregnant women, who require ART, is pegged at 43,000. But only 21% are covered. Another 30,000-76,000 HIV positive children, too, require ART. However, there has been a spurt in the number of HIV tests across the world. For instance, 100 countries had tested 67 mn people last year. In 82 countries - for which comparable data was available for 2008 and 2009 - the median number of tests performed per 1,000 people had increased from 41 to 50, respectively. ART coverage, among young adults less than 15 years, has gone up from 22% in 2008 to 28% in 2009.
Even the percentage of HIV positive pregnant women receiving ART to prevent mother-to-child transmission has increased from 45% in 2008 to 53% in 2009. . In end-2009, 5.25 mn people were receiving ART in low and middle-income countries, including India, which translates to an increase of over 1.2 mn people from the previous year. The report maintains that HIV-related TB remains a cause for concern. In 2008, of the 9.4 mn TB cases reported worldwide, an estimated 1.4 million were diagnosed among HIV patients. Though the rate of HIV test and counselling for TB patients is rising, the initiative is insufficient.

Scientists have revealed that millions of people who take daily vitamin pills could be putting themselves at risk of the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Research has revealed that supplements containing antioxidants and minerals appear to increase the chances of developing a malignant melanoma.

Volunteers given pills containing vitamin E, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, selenium and zinc were four times more likely to get cancer than those who took dummy pills.

The findings come from a follow-up study to one in 2007, which revealed the risks to vitamin-pill poppers. The results of that research, by French scientists, showed that out of 13,000 adults, those who took daily supplements to stay healthy were at much higher risk of skin cancer. To double-check their findings, the same team monitored patients for several more years. These results confirm that the increased risk virtually disappeared once patients stopped daily supplements.

Now scientists behind the research, carried out at the National Centre for Rare Skin Diseases in Bordeaux, are calling for those most at risk of skin cancer - fair-skinned types or those with a history of excessive sun exposure -- to steer clear of supplements.

Women may be more at risk than men, possibly because they have more fat around the skin, where antioxidants and vitamins are mainly stored.

So far, the only proven way of reducing risk is to use high-protection creams and wearing suitable clothing.

But it had been widely assumed that taking antioxidants would reduce the risk, since supplements theoretically protect the skin against damage from the sun's rays. The latest study, however, suggests supplements have the opposite effect.

Scientists do not think taking vitamins actually causes malignant melanoma, rather it somehow speeds up the development of a tumour, reports the Daily Mail.

The result has been published in the latest European Journal of Cancer Prevention.

World Rabies Day observed on the 28th of September every year is an attempt to spread the awareness about Rabies across the length and breadth of the World. This campaign talks about the anti-Rabies efforts. World Rabies Day works with a "One Medicine
" approach, which aims at global Rabies control and prevention.

In the year 2006, Alliance For Rabies Control was created. It is a UK registered charity which was created to eradicate Rabies worldwide by creating awareness, control and prevention. Later in the year 2007, The World Rabies Day was inaugurated and is now followed globally. On the occasion of World Rabies Day, many events are held like educational seminars on Rabies, vaccination programs, marches etc.

With the start of World Rabies Day, many hidden facts surfaced. One of the most important findings was that every year 55 people die out of Rabies, which leads to an average of 10 deaths every minute.

What Is Rabies?

Rabies is found in mammals both animals and human. It was generally believed that dogs are sensitive to Rabies but the recent studies have also shown Rabies cases in cats, bats, sheep, goats etc. The disease is generally more prevalent among domestic animals.

The Rabies virus first affects the nervous system through a wound, then travels to the brain and follows the nerve pathway to muscles and other organs. It is contagious and one can get in contact to the virus in various ways. The most common and unusual way is through breathing. US researchers have found out that breathing in the air in caves can be one of the common reasons. Caves are generally infested with bats and an infected bat may leave the virus in the air. Other ways are through saliva, scratch or cut by someone who is Rabies infected.

Rabies Symptoms

In Animals - The symptoms generally show after 20 to 60 days of exposure to the virus.

1.Animals become aggressive
2.Sensitive to touch
3.Erotic behaviour
4.Lethargic
5.Weak limbs
6.low groaning sound while sleeping, which is a sign of respiratory problem.

For animals, they usually don't survive Rabies and death occurs in a few days time.

In Human - The symptoms show up in 10 days time or sometimes it may even take months.

1.Loss of appetite
2.Fever, fatigue and headache
3.Insomnia and depression
4.Hypersensitivity
5.Hallucination
6.Breathing problem

If immediate treatment is not taken, the victim is destined to sudden death. The death usually is due to cardiac or respiratory arrest.


Rabies Vaccines

1.Make sure you take Rabies vaccines once you have any possible contact with the virus. For example if you have come in contact with a cut or a scratch by an animal, or a wound etc. Rabies Vaccines generally are a 28 day programme. Rabies immune globulin and the first dose of vaccine should be taken as soon as possible. Additional doses are given on the day, 3,7,14 and 28th day from the contact to the virus.

Rabies vaccines can have common side effects like pain, swelling, itching, fever etc. These effects fade away within a few days.

2.When you get yourself a pet, make sure you get it Rabies vaccine. This will reduce the chances of spreading the virus.

3.Wash your hands well after coming in contact with dust or dirt and specially after touching an animal.

4.Clean your would immediately with antiseptic.

Only through prevention we can save many lives of both animals and human. Lets put in personal effort and get rid of the Rabies virus.