Zika Virus: Where Do We Stand in 2017?

Posted on Wed, 11 Jan 2017

Kaushik Bharati, PhDZika virus (ZIKV) is a Flavivirus spread by infected Aedes mosquitoes. Although the virus has been known since 1947, its notoriety spread in 2015 with major outbreaks in Brazil and...

Why Did Chikungunya Come Back with a Vengeance?

Posted on Sat, 31 Dec 2016

Kaushik Bharati, PhDWhat is Chikungunya? Chikungunya (CHIK) is a viral disease that is caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), which is an arthropod-borne virus (Arbovirus) spread by the bite of Aede...

World Malaria Day: Can We “End Malaria for Good”?

Posted on Wed, 20 Apr 2016

Kaushik Bharati, PhDWorld Malaria Day is celebrated every year across the globe on 25th April. This day provides a forum for all malaria-endemic countries to discuss their achievements, shortcomings a...

World Hemophilia Day: How Much Do You Know About This Disease?

Posted on Fri, 15 Apr 2016

Kaushik Bharati, PhD World Hemophilia Day is celebrated on 17th April every year. Supported by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH), this date has been chosen to honor Frank Schnabel, the founder ...

World Health Day: How Can We "Beat Diabetes"?

Posted on Sun, 03 Apr 2016

Kaushik Bharati, PhD The World Health Day is celebrated on 7th April every year. This year’s theme is “Beat Diabetes”. Diabetes mellitus is a “silent” pandemic that is spreading like wildfire. WHO est...

TB Eradication in India: How Far Are We From the Goal?

Posted on Tue, 22 Mar 2016

Kaushik Bharati, PhD The World TB Day (24th March, 2016) is knocking at the door! The theme of this year’s World TB Day is “Unite to End TB”. This day is aimed at building public awareness about the g...

What is Zika Virus Infection?

Posted on Sun, 17 Jan 2016

Kaushik Bharati, PhDZika virus (ZIKV) has recently hit the news headlines in conjunction with a sharp rise in the birth of deformed babies in Brazil. These babies, at least 2,782 in number in 2015 alo...

Nobel Prize for Discovery of Ivermectin and Artemisinin – What is the Importance of these Drugs in Tropical Medicine?

Posted on Fri, 09 Oct 2015

Kaushik Bharati, PhD This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to three distinguished scientists for their work on parasitic diseases. One half of the prize was jointly awarde...

What are Prions?

Posted on Wed, 30 Sep 2015

Kaushik Bharati, PhD Prions are infectious agents that are very unique compared to all other known infectious agents. This uniqueness stems from the fact that prions do not contain a nucleic acid geno...

What’s the Difference between Viruses, Viroids and Virusoids?

Posted on Thu, 24 Sep 2015

Kaushik Bharati, PhD What are Viruses? Viruses are a unique and distinct group of infectious agents that are characterized by their simple, acellular organization and mode of reproduction. They are es...