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Diabetes Drug May Slow Progression of Parkinson’s

The Guardian | Noncommunicable Disease

Diabetes Drug May Slow Progression of Parkinson’s

“According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, more than 10 million people around the world are living with Parkinson’s – a condition in which nerve cells in the brain are lost over time causing problems with movement, balance and memory, among other effects.

Although treatments are available to help manage symptoms, there is no cure.

However, in recent years glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (or GLP-1R agonists) have caused excitement, with one such drug, a type 2 diabetes medication called exenatide, found to help slow the progression of motor symptoms in a small group of people with Parkinson’s.”

From The Guardian.

BBC | Noncommunicable Disease

Novel Way to Beat Dengue: Deaf Mosquitoes Stop Having Sex

“Scientists believe they have found a quirky way to fight mosquito-spread diseases such as dengue, yellow fever and Zika – by turning male insects deaf so they struggle to mate and breed.

Mosquitoes have sex while flying in mid-air and the males rely on hearing to chase down a female, based on her attractive wingbeats.

The researchers did an experiment, altering a genetic pathway that male mosquitoes use for this hearing. The result – they made no physical contact with females, even after three days in the same cage.”

From BBC.

The Hindu | Communicable Disease

WHO Recognizes India’s “Remarkable” Progress Against TB

“India’s dedicated journey towards tuberculosis (TB) elimination has been recognized globally, with a noteworthy 17.7% decline in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023, a rate that is over twice the global average decline of 8.3%, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its Global Tuberculosis Report 2024.”

From The Hindu.

World Health Organization | Communicable Disease

Global Tuberculosis Deaths Fall Below Pre-Pandemic Level

“The global number of deaths caused by TB fell in 2023, reinforcing the decline that was achieved in 2022 after 2 years of increases during the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021). TB caused an estimated 1.25 million deaths (95% UI: 1.13–1.37 million) in 2023, including 1.09 million among HIV-negative people and 161 000 among people with HIV.

The total was down from best estimates of 1.32 million in 2022, 1.42 million in 2021 and 1.40 million in 2020, and below the pre-pandemic level of 1.34 million in 2019.

Despite this progress, TB has probably returned to being the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent (replacing COVID-19).”

From World Health Organization.

World Health Organization | Communicable Disease

Vietnam Eliminates Trachoma as a Public Health Problem

“In a significant health milestone, Viet Nam has successfully eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness globally. This remarkable achievement was validated by the World Health Organization.”

From World Health Organization.