UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 14-10-2024

Murine Typhus

A 75-year-old man from Kerala who recently travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia diagnosed with the bacterial disease murine typhus.

• Murine typhus is an infectious bacterial disease caused by the flea-borne bacteria Rickettsia typhi.
• It is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas.
• The disease is also known as endemic typhus, flea-borne typhus or flea-borne spotted fever.
• Host - Rodents like rats, mice and mongoose, are known to be reservoirs of the disease. The fleas can also live on other small mammals, including pets such as cats and dogs.
• Once a flea is infected, it can spread the disease for the rest of its life.
• Transmission - The disease is spread when infected flea faeces come into contact with cuts or scrapes in the skin.
• Transmission can also happen through exposure of mucous membranes to infected flea faeces.
• Murine typhus is not spread from one person to another, or from person to fleas.
• Prevalent areas - The disease has been reported in coastal tropical and subtropical regions, where rats are prevalent.
• In India, cases of murine typhus have been reported in the Northeast, Madhya Pradesh and Kashmir.
• Symptoms - Usually appear 7 to 14 days after the exposure and include fever, headaches, body aches, joint pains, nausea, vomiting, and stomach aches.
• Some people may later develop rashes on the skin, days after the initial symptoms.
• The illness seldom lasts longer than two weeks, but may last for months with complications if not treated.
• Treatment - There is no vaccine currently available against the disease.
• The antibiotic doxycycline is considered effective in therapy, but early diagnosis is vital for treatment.
• Fatality - Without timely treatment, the disease could turn severe in one or two weeks, and become fatal in rare cases.

Both Murine and Scrub Typhus share overlapping symptoms, while Scrub Typhus caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi is generally more severe and widespread in the Asia-Pacific region.

References

1. The Indian Express | Murine Typhus
2. South First | Murine Typhus

Dragon drones

Dragon drones have been used in the recent Russia-Ukraine War.

• Dragon drones essentially release a substance called thermite, a mixture of aluminium and iron oxide.
  • Thermite is just one type of ‘incendiary weapon,’ with others including napalm and white phosphorous.
• When ignited (usually with the help of an electrical fuse), thermite triggers a self-sustaining reaction that is quite difficult to extinguish.
• These are known to emit a molten metal that burns at 2,427 degree Celsius (4,000 degrees Fahrenheit) and can even burn underwater.
• As it comes down, the mixture resembles the fire spewed by the mythical dragon.
• Discovered in – 1890s by a German Chemist and originally used to weld railway tracks.
• On humans, it causes severe, possibly fatal, burns and bone damage.
• There is little protection against thermite as it can burn through almost everything, including even metals.
• Dragon drones tend to be low-flying because thermite is more effective when it’s in close contact with the target.
• Under international law, thermite is not banned for military combat, but its use on civilian targets is prohibited.

References

1. The Indian Express | Dragon drones
2. Hindustan Times | ‘Dragon’ drones

United Nations Interim Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

Recently two members of a UN peacekeeping mission, operating along Lebanon’s border with Israel were injured.

• UNIFIL is an international body assigned to prevent violations along the border between Lebanon and Israel.
• Established by - UN Security Council (UNSC) in March 1978, days after Israel invaded Lebanon.
• It is supposed to report breaches to the UN Security Council.
• It consists of more than 10,000 civilian and military personnel from 50 countries including India.
• The group is charged by the UN with keeping out of the area any weapons or fighters.
• Although they are armed, the peacekeepers are generally restricted to using force only when their safety or the safety of civilians is in immediate danger.

• Location - It is located in the South of Lebanon. UNIFIL’s presence stretches from the Litani River to the Blue Line.
  • Blue Line is a 120km “border” drawn up by the UN between Lebanon and Israel.
• Its headquarters is Naqoura in the southwest.

• Fund - UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) receives its funding through a dedicated account which is approved annually by the United Nations General Assembly.

References

1. Indian Express | UNIFIL
2. UN | UNIFIL

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has met safety, efficacy, and quality indicators for a functional vaccine regulatory system by the World Health Organization (WHO).

• The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is the Central Drug Authority for discharging functions under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
• Functions
  • Regulatory control over the import of drugs,
  • Approval of new drugs and clinical trials,
  • Meetings of drugs consultative committee (DCC) and drugs technical advisory board (DTAB),
  • Approval of certain licenses as central license approving authority
• It will also coordinate the activities of state drug control organizations.
• CDSCO also plays a key role in drug surveillance and monitoring adverse drug reactions.
• Ministry - Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Head Quarters – New Delhi.
• It has 6 zonal offices, 4 sub zonal office, 13 Port offices and 7 laboratories.
• The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is the head of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
• Vision - To Protect and Promote public health in India.
• Mission - To safeguard and enhance the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and quality of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.

Reference

New Indian Express | Central Drugs Standards Control Organization

Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS)

The central government has given its in-principle approval to develop the Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS) into Bihar’s 2^nd tiger reserve.

• It is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Bihar.
• It is located in the Kaimur hills range.
• Established in – 1982.
• The KWLS is bounded in the north and west by Uttar Pradesh, in the south by Jharkhand and in east by Bihar.
• Waterfalls - Karkat and Telhar.
• This sanctuary is a plateau situated between the Son River, bordering Jharkhand to the south, and the Karmanasa River, bordering Uttar Pradesh to the west.
  • The Oraon tribe is believed to have originated from this plateau.
• Kaimur Hills plateau is connected to the Bandhavgarh-Sanjay-Guru Ghasidas-Palamau tiger meta-population landscape
• Species - The sanctuary supports sizable populations of leopard, sloth bear, chital, sambar, wild pig, nilgai, and chowsingha, besides about 70 species of birds.

Reference

Down to Earth | Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS)