Exhausted, elated and cradling her newborn daughter in a rundown government hospital, young mother Manu Bala had just helped make India the world’s most populous nation.
Tears of joy and relief streamed down Bala’s cheeks as her as-yet-unnamed child — one of more than 67,000 born across India on Monday — rested on her chest.
It was also the day the UN announced that India, already home to more than one in every six humans on the planet, would this week eclipse China with more people than any other country.
“I am very happy that my child was born on the day India left behind China — it feels special to become a mother on this day,” the 22-year-old housewife told AFP from her bed.
“I want my baby to study hard and become whatever she wants…
Temperatures in the world’s oceans have broken fresh records, testing new highs for more than a month in an “unprecedented” run that has led to scientists stating the Earth has reached “uncharted territory” in the climate crisis.
The rapid acceleration of ocean temperatures in the last month is an anomaly that scientists have yet to explain. Data collated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), known as theOptimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST) series, gathered by satellites and buoys, has shown temperatures higher than in any previous year, in a series stretching back to 1981, continuously over the past 42 days.
The world is thought to be on the brink of anEl Niño weather eventthis year – a cyclical weather system…
Former Gov. Charlie Baker made the designation official just before he left office. The critically endangered whales have been spending more time feeding in Cape Cod Bay in recent years.
Advertisement
Scientists have documented more than 100 whales in the Bay this season.
Image caption,India is set to become the world’s most populous country by April end
Many Indians, including a minister, have been criticising a cartoon in German magazine Der Spiegel that they say was racist and in bad taste.
The cartoon shows a dilapidated Indian train – overflowing with passengers both inside and atop coaches – overtaking a swanky Chinese train on a parallel track.
Many Indians have tweeted, saying that that the magazine was stuck with an outdated idea of India and hadn’t recognised the progress made by the country in recent decades.
Federal minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted: “Notwithstanding your attempt at mocking India, it’s not smart to bet against India under PM @narendramodi ji. In a…
SEOUL (Reuters) – The United States should redeploy tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea to send a clear message to North Korea and alleviate growing calls in the South for developing its own bombs, former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Tuesday.
Bolton’s remarks came as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is in Washington for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, during which they are expected to discuss ways to improve confidence in U.S. extended deterrence – the American nuclear umbrella protecting its allies.
As North Korea races to perfect its ability to strike the U.S. with a nuclear missile, Yoon faces questions about South Korea’s security reliance on the…
Two huntersinPhetchaburihave been left with injuries following a clash with forest rangers, leading to their arrests. They were found to have six deadgrey langurs, local authorities reported today.
Forest rangers had been conducting a patrol in Huay Kum forest, close to Phu Sai in the Moo 3 village, situated in tambon Huay Mae Phriang of the Kaeng Krachan district, according to the Kaeng Krachan National Park chief, Somjate Janthana. During the routine inspection, the rangers heard gunshots in the area around 7:30pm, prompting them to investigate.
As they ventured further into the forest toward the noise, they came across two men who were carrying firearms. When the rangers ordered the men to stand down to allow themselves to…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is tracking cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infection in mammals to better understand a virus that some fear may spark another pandemic.
The United States is in the midst of the worst HPAI epizootic in the nation’s history. Infections in wild, commercial, and backyard birds have been identified in all but one U.S. state, Hawaii, and roughly 60 million chickens and turkeys have died as a result.
On March 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) first published its data on cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza infections in mammals from 2022 to late March 2023. (Courtesy of USDA)
Of the four influenza virus types—A, B, C, and D—all can infect animals and type D is known to only infect humans. Influenza type A viruses include the highly pathogenic avian flu subtypes, such as H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2, as well as the swine flu subtypes H5N1 and H9N2.
No known human-to-human spread has occurred with the H5N1 virus that is currently circulating in birds in the U.S. and globally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sporadic human cases of H5N1 reported with H5N1 viruses circulating in birds since 2021 have occurred following exposure to infected poultry.
On March 29, the USDA first published its data on cases of HPAI infections in mammals from 2022 to late March 2023. The H5N1 virus subtype was detected in numerous species: bobcat, black and brown bears, bottlenose dolphin, harbor and grey seals, mountain lion, red fox, raccoon, striped skunk, and more.
Susceptibility to HPAI varies by mammalian species and even by individual animal, as is the case for wild birds, explained Rebecca Poulson, PhD, assistant research scientist with the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
Wild mammals in which HPAI has been detected include many mesocarnivores that likely contracted the virus by eating HPAI-infected prey, Dr. Poulson continued. Behavior, diet, and previous exposure to influenza virus are among a complex set of factors to take into account.
“Spillover of HPAI from wild birds to mammals is not a simple process, with host, virus, and environmental factors at play,” she said. “And despite being well over a year into this wildlife disease outbreak in North America, continued emphasis on research and surveillance to answer these sorts of questions is critically important.”
Also unknown is just how virulent HPAI is to wild animals and if an infected animal can transmit the virus to offspring or other animals.
Many of these detections have been seemingly one-off events that have not persisted,” Dr. Poulson said. “However, there have been events among seals along the North Atlantic Coast and sea lions in Peru marked by a lot of HPAI-associated morbidity and mortality.”
Continued prioritization of sustained funding for surveillance and research to better understand HPAI in wildlife species is critical, according to Dr. Poulson.
“If we think about all the interfaces where wild birds, mammals, humans, and domestic animals overlap, the need to truly prioritize such work really becomes clear,” she said. “Better understanding HPAI transmission, persistence, and the genetic and phenotypic changes these viruses undergo the longer they are circulating in wild animals is key to being able to assess risk and make informed management decisions.”
A mountain lion in Jackson Hole in January 2020. Photo: Nick Sulzer // Buckrail
JACKSON, Wyo. — In early April, a young mountain lion carcass found by a local Jackson Hole wildlife guide was confirmed by a brain PCR test to have died from avian influenza.
Avian influenza is also commonly referred to as bird flu, or H5N1.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines bird flu as a virus that naturally spreads among wild aquatic birds and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species as well. Infected birds can shed avian influenza in their saliva, nasal secretions and feces. Both wild mammals and domesticated pets can become infected by eating dead infected birds or being in an environment contaminated with the virus.
Bird flu viruses do not normally infect humans, but the CDC has reported sporadic human infections with bird flu viruses ranging in severity from mild with no symptoms to severe resulting in death.
Despite the diagnosis and the potential for exposure, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is not considering bird flu a major concern yet.
“It’s definitely still on our radar,” said Mark Gocke, public information specialist at WGFD. “We’re still continuing to monitor to see what the prevalence of it is.”
According to Jessica Jennings-Gaines, WGFD wildlife disease specialist, while there were dead geese reportedly in the area that the mountain lion was found, it’s still uncertain exactly how the cat was exposed. Some mammals appear to be more susceptible, but the low sample size has made it difficult to fully understand how the disease will impact Wyoming wildlife as a whole.
“We’re still trying to understand how this new strain of avian flu is going to affect different animals,” Jennings-Gaines said. “It’s hard to say for the state if this will be a big concern.”
But this case serves as a reminder that the bird flu is something that is present on the local landscape. While there are many big game carcasses to be found after the long, hard winter that Wyoming has seen, finding something like a dead mountain lion or a number of dead birds should be reported to WGFD.
“Anything that’s unusual, birds and things that you don’t typically see, we’d love to hear about and investigate that,” Gocke said.
<img src=”https://static.independent.co.uk/2022/09/28/12/279BAC80-B55D-43FB-B6E1-7C5C5EBC2FFB.jpeg” alt=”<p>British experts said the research is useful in highlighting the role pet dogs could play as a possible “patient zero” for a future dog flu outbreakBritish experts said the research is useful in highlighting the role pet dogs could play as a possible “patient zero” for a future dog flu outbreak(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health
SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read ourprivacy notice
A “dog flu”virusis adapting in the direction of being able to infect people,scientistshave warned.
The virus is descended from a type ofbird flucalledH3N2, which first infecteddogsin…
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee plans to sign a bill on Tuesday morning that will ban the sale, manufacture and import of assault weapons in Washington state.
Washington is now the 10th state in the United States to ban selling assault weapons.
The House concurred with a floor amendment toHouse Bill 1240that was added in the Senate, voting 56-42 to approve it on April 19. The amendment will allow gun manufacturers to sell inventory already in stock prior to Jan. 1, 2023, and only to…
