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Mumbai startup develops India’s first universal gene test for infectious disease

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Mumbai-based health-tech startup HaystackAnalytics has developed the first of its kind universal infectious diseases (ID) gene test to identify existing and emerging infections, the company said on Monday.

The company is supported by the Department of Science and Technology, as well as several private healthcare players.

To identify infections, the company deploys Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and also provides information on drug resistance to support and identify correct treatment options for patients.

The new Universal Infectious Diseases test will be rolled out with their current partners in a phased manner over the next three months, the company said in a statement.

It will initially be targeted at identifying and treating sepsis in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients, but gradually be made available to anyone suffering from a fever of unknown origin, by eradicating the need to conduct multiple tests.

The test comes at an opportune time, as Covid-19 pandemic highlights the need for better diagnostic technologies, appropriate antibiotic use, and the renewed importance of infection prevention strategies.

“The test enables rapid (within hours) and comprehensive (covering nearly all known bacterial and fungal pathogens) screening in a near to point of care deployment. Leveraging the power of next generation sequencing and AI, the team of scientists and engineers at Haystack has been able to eliminate the need for a redundant and expensive battery of tests, with a single test,” Dr. Anirvan Chatterjee, Co Founder and CEO of HaystackAnalytics, said.

“Our single point focus is to prevent each and every death caused due to treatable infections. Genomics has the potential to reduce trial and error in disease management and bring equality of access to high quality healthcare,” he added.

In the past, HaystackAnalytics had partnered with various diagnostic centers and over 20 hospitals including AIIMS, to introduce their sequencing-based clinical products for Tuberculosis and Covid in the past.

It is while working on two of the most debilitating infectious diseases — Tuberculosis and Covid — the company said it recognised the true burden of inaccurate diagnosis of infections in India and the world.

While the novel coronavirus infected and killed millions of people across the globe, there are various other infectious diseases that continue to plague India.

In particular, India accounts for the largest number of sepsis cases (11.3 million) and sepsis-related deaths (2.9 million) in the world, as per a global study published in the Lancet in 2020.

Despite having a wide range of antibiotics and antifungal medicines, sepsis is a life-threatening organ failure. It occurs when the body ends up injuring its own tissues and organs, in response to an infection, leading to shock, disability, multi-organ failure, and even death if left untreated in the early stages.

“A large proportion of these deaths can be avoided by early and accurate identification of the pathogen causing the infection. Haystack’s UID test has been developed to solve this exact problem,” Chatterjee said.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Nearly 10 Women Injured After Fireworks Misfire During Ganpati Visarjan In Nagpur;

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Nagpur: A major accident occurred during Ganpati Visarjan in Nagpur’s Umred area on Thursday night. The incident took place during the visarjan ceremony, which was accompanied by a large crowd and heavy fireworks. According to reports, while the fireworks were going off, sparks unexpectedly flew toward several people, leading to chaos. Local media reports confirmed that eight to ten women suffered burns as a result of the firework mishap.

Video Shows Terrifying Scenes

A video of the event has surfaced online, showing the moment when the fireworks went viral on social media. In the video shared on YouTube by news channel, one can see the celebration including the sound of drums and other instruments being played, but suddenly, fireworks erupt, filling the air with smoke. Panic ensues as people realise the danger and the women caught in the chaos try to escape.

a procession by the ‘Sivasneh Ganesh Mandal’ (a community group) was making its way to the Shri Krishna temple amid fireworks when the accident happened. According to eyewitnesses, a mandal member was bursting firecrackers when some flew off and exploded among those gathered to watch the procession, triggering a stampede-like situation.

Injured Women Rushed To Hospital

The suddenness of the event caused panic, especially in the densely packed crowd. People started running in all directions, creating a chaotic atmosphere. The injured women were immediately taken to the hospital, where they are receiving treatment for their burns. The police have stated that an investigation into the incident is underway.

Case Filed Against Mandal Workers

seven women suffered injuries after being struck by burning embers and were rushed to a local hospital. Four of them are reported to be in critical condition, confirmed an official from Umred police station. A case has been registered against the mandal workers under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Maharashtra Police Act

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: BEST Bus Conductor Injured After Being Stabbed During On-Duty Robbery Attempt At Dharavi’s Pila Bungalow; Accused Arrested

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Mumbai: A BEST bus conductor, Ashok Dagale was attacked by unidentified individuals while on duty on bus route number 7 at Dharavi’s Pila Bungalow stop on Thursday, September 19. The attackers assaulted him with the intent of robbery. He has since been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Sion Hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment for his injuries.

BEST Kamgar Sena Condemns Attack On Conductor

BEST Kamgar Sena President Suhas Samant is scheduled to visit Dagale at the hospital today. Expressing his outrage over the attack, Samant condemned the incident and criticised the government’s failure to maintain control over such criminal activities.

He voiced his frustration with the functioning of the state’s Home Department, stating that the government, including the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, is more focused on winning elections rather than addressing the concerns of Maharashtra’s citizens.

Accused Arrested Swiftly By Police

In response to the attack, the police have arrested the accused, Shahbaz Khan, and recovered a mobile phone and knife from him. This swift action by the authorities has provided some relief, but the incident has sparked broader concerns about the safety of public workers, especially those in critical roles like bus conductors.

The attack on Dagale has raised questions about the lack of security measures in place for bus staff, who are often exposed to such risks during their duties. The BEST Kamgar Sena, led by Samant, is pushing for more stringent protection for workers and increased accountability from the government. As Dagale continues to receive treatment, the union and the public at large await further action from the authorities to ensure such incidents do not recur in the future.

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Maharashtra

Panvel: 3 Vehicles Collide, 1 Dead, 2 Injured In Major Accident On Mumbai Pune Expressway

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Mumbai: In another fatal accident on the Mumbai Pune Expressway, on Friday early morning three vehicles collided against each other, overturing a truck and mangling a car. As per reports, one passenger was killed on the spot and two others were severely injured.

The video of the horrifying accident has surfaced on the internet. The incident took place in Panvel.

In the accident, a truck, a tanker and a car smashed on one another. It is said that all the three vehicles were in high speed which lead the truck to overturn and crush the car.

The Panvel police, highway traffic police, ambulances and other concerned authorities reached the spot immediately. The injured are taken to a nearby hospital. As per initial information, the accident occurred on Pune lane of the expressway.

So far, the police have not informed the identification of the victims. The exact time of incident is not clear. Intestigations are underway.

Recent Accident

On July 16, a bus carrying 54 people collided with a tractor and plunged into a ditch on the Mumbai Pune Expressway. The mishap claimed five lives and left 46 injured.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde later announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the kin of the deceased and free treatment for the injured.

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