The Australian government has committed new funding to boost preparedness for the potential arrival of a deadly strain of bird flu.

The government on Monday announced an additional 95 million Australian dollars ($63.9 million) for biosecurity, environmental, and public health measures to protect Australia against the H5N1 strain of high-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI).

Australia is the only continent where the strain has not been detected. A global outbreak has caused mass deaths of wild birds and some mammal species since 2021, news agency reported.

Experts have warned that the spread of the strain to Australia is inevitable and could occur as migratory birds arrive in the country for southern spring and summer.

Motor delay and low muscle tone are common signs of an underlying genetic diagnosis in children with neurodevelopment disorders, scientists have found.

The researchers from University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Health Sciences aimed to research which factors in this subset of children indicated the need of a genetic test.

“With genetic testing, a diagnostic result can have benefits on medical care, but we don’t have established clinical guidelines on the early neuro-developmental signs that classify who gets genetic testing or not”, said Dr Julian Martinez, medical geneticist at UCLA Health.

Vaccines are key to preventing infection and thus reducing the use of antibiotics, supporting worldwide efforts to tackle rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The report showed that vaccines against 24 pathogens could help reduce the number of antibiotics needed by 22 per cent or 2.5 billion defined daily doses globally every year. If vaccines could be rolled out against all these pathogens, it could save a third of the hospital costs associated with AMR.

Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials cause AMR, making people sicker and increasing the risk of illness, death, and the spread of infections that are difficult to treat. Every year, AMR claims nearly 5 million lives worldwide.

Rwandan Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana said that more than 200 people in the country have been vaccinated against Marburg virus disease.

On Thursday, Rwanda started vaccine trials for the disease last week after receiving the first dose of vaccine from the US-based Sabin Vaccine Institute.

Nsanzimana said those who have been vaccinated include populations at high risk of contracting the virus, such as health workers and contacts of confirmed cases, news agency reported.

Since the Marburg outbreak was declared in Rwanda on September 27, 58 confirmed cases, including 13 deaths, have been recorded, with an estimated fatality rate of 22 per cent, according to the latest data from the ministry.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered search engines and chatbots may not always provide accurate and safe information on drugs, and patients shouldn’t rely on these, warned a study on Friday.

Researchers from Belgium and Germany conducted the study after finding many answers were wrong or potentially harmful.

In the paper, published in the journal BMJ Quality and Safety, they said that the complexity of the answers provided by the AI chatbot may be difficult to understand and might require degree-level education.

With the introduction of AI-powered chatbots search engines in 2023 underwent a significant shift thanks. The renewed versions offered enhanced search results, comprehensive answers, and a new type of interactive experience.

A total of 74 learners in South Africa's West Rand area, Gauteng Province, are receiving medical treatment following a suspected food poisoning incident, said the Gauteng Department of Health.

The department on Thursday said that some 74 female 12th graders from Fochville Secondary School, Badirile Secondary School, and Wedela Technical School were on a matric camp when they experienced stomach cramps and diarrhoea.

"Upon assessment, all affected students were sent to hospital for further medical evaluation, and most of them are now in a stable condition," said the department.

The department urged the public to be vigilant about food safety and ensure the proper handling of perishable food items, news agency reported.

The number of cholera cases in Sudan has climbed to 21,806, including 632 deaths, while dengue fever cases reached 1,329, with four deaths, the Sudanese Health Ministry said in a report, stressing the urgent need to intensify efforts to curb the rise.

The ministry on Wednesday said that 11 states have been affected by the cholera outbreak. In Kassala State, which registered the highest number of cholera cases, the health authorities have launched a major campaign to sanitise the environment and combat disease outbreaks.

Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed, health chief of Kassala, attributed the worsening environmental conditions to heavy rainfall and the continued influx of people fleeing violence in nearby states, news agency reported.

In the meantime, the non-governmental Sudanese Doctors Network warned of the surging dengue fever cases reported daily at Kassala Hospital, highlighting a disease spread among the displaced.

Dementia is on the brink of surpassing heart diseases as the leading cause of death in Australia for the first time, official data revealed.

According to the data, which was published on Thursday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, ischaemic heart disease, also called coronary heart disease and coronary artery disease, was responsible for 9.2 per cent of deaths in Australia in 2023, while dementia accounted for 9.1 per cent, reports news agency.

Lauren Moran, head of mortality statistics at the bureau, said that there has been a drop in heart disease mortality and a rise in dementia deaths over time due to improvements in medical treatments and health care for the former and an ageing population.

While India has the maximum number of blind people in the world, most do not know that in more than 85 per cent of the cases, the condition is preventable, said experts on Thursday on World Sight Day.

India is home to an estimated 34 million people living with blindness or moderate or severe visual impairment (MSVI).

“Nearly 85 per cent of blindness in the world is avoidable which can either be preventable or treatable,” Dr. Rajesh Sinha, Professor, Dept. of Ophthalmology, AIIMS New Delhi said.

The expert called the need for public awareness so that a majority of people in the society who may become blind due to ignorance maintain their sight for life.

Excessive screen time, trauma and violence can cause behavioural issues in children, said experts on Thursday, on World Mental Health day.

World Mental Health day is observed every year on October 10, to raise awareness and fight against stigma

Behavioural problems like aggressiveness, anger, coupled with depression and anxiety disorders have been significantly rising in the recent past.

“Excessive screen time, trauma and violence can induce behavioural changes in kids. They will throw tantrums, become aggressive, anxious, will be unable to sleep and will get depressed,” Dr Shorouq Motwani, Psychiatrist, Lilavati Hospital Mumbai, told.