Five girls out of the 29 tested, in a hostel in Balasore, Odisha has been detected positive for Japanese Encephalitis. One mortality was reported due to the illness. 

The main vector of JE is Culex tritaeniorhynchus. Common symptoms of JE include headache, fever, mental confusion, delirium, and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) (characterized by symptoms such as convulsions, alteration of the sensorium, and changes in the behavioral pattern).

The Health and Family Welfare Department is taking measures to prevent the further spread of the disease and is advising vaccination for those who live in or travel to areas where the disease is common. 

Steps to prevent mosquito bites, such as using mosquito nets and repellents, are also recommended. 

JE vaccination campaign targets 181 JE endemic districts of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have shown how a brain-inspired image sensor can go beyond the diffraction limit of light to detect minuscule objects such as cellular components or nanoparticles invisible to current microscopes.

This technique combines optical microscopy with a neuromorphic camera and machine learning algorithms in pinpointing objects smaller than 50 nanometres in size. 

Measuring roughly 40 mm x 60 mm x 25 mm, and weighing about 100 grams, the neuromorphic camera used in the study mimics the way the human retina converts light into electrical impulses, and has several advantages over conventional cameras. 

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The Supreme Court has held in a judgment that children cannot be mechanically subjected to DNA tests in each and every case between warring parents as a shortcut to establish proof of infidelity. 

The judgment said, “a child should not be lost in its search for paternity”. The judges drew attention to the rights of privacy, autonomy, and identity recognized under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

The court added that mechanical orders allowing DNA tests would also harm the reputation and dignity of the mother. 

The judgment also said that the family courts should direct a DNA test only in expedient situations and in the interest of justice, as a last resort.

 The judgment came in a petition filed by a man who questioned his second child’s paternity.