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Maharashtra

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

UP gangster wanted under Gangster Act arrested from Mumbai, major police operation UP police sent accused to UP

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Mumbai: Police has succeeded in arresting a gangster and gang leader from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. He is residing here hiding his identity. Mumbai Police received information that he is hiding in Bay Hotel. After which Yellow Gate Police arrested gangster and gang leader Nishant Rajesh Singh (23), wanted in three cases in Sitapur. In the initial investigation, he tried to mislead the police, but later he told that he belongs to UP and later Mumbai Police contacted Uttar Pradesh Police and it came to know that he is wanted in three cases in Sitapur including theft, illegal weapons, Gangster Act, after which UP Police came to Mumbai today and took the accused into custody and took him to Uttar Pradesh. This operation was carried out by DCP Vijay Kant Sagar on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti.

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Maharashtra

A very rare surgery: Rajawadi Hospital team successfully removes a 5.5 kg, 30 cm tumor from the uterus of a 46-year-old woman

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A 46-year-old woman from Mankhurd, Mumbai, had been suffering from health problems like persistent abdominal swelling, abdominal pain and difficulty in breathing for the past two years. In view of these symptoms, she sought treatment at the Outpatient Department (OPD) of the Gynaecology Department at BMC-run Seth Vadelal Chhatrapati Gandhi and Monji Amidas Vora Municipal General Hospital (Rajawadi Hospital) in Ghatkopar. The hospital team successfully removed a tumour weighing around 5.5 kg and measuring 30 cm from the patient’s uterus. As her symptoms worsened significantly, a comprehensive review of her medical history, physical examination and necessary diagnostic tests were conducted. These tests revealed a uterine tumour measuring around 30 cm. Initial diagnosis suggested that the mass was a ‘giant leiomyoma’ (fibroid). All necessary precautions and planning were taken to deal with possible complications during and after the surgery, and the procedure was performed later. Dr. Swadina B. Mohanty, Dr. Shalini Bagaria, Dr. Arva Kamble, and Dr. Kajal Salvi played a key role in the surgery performed by the Gynecology Department. Dr. Shreyash and Dr. Netra, under the guidance of anesthesiologist Dr. Chhavi, managed the anesthesia team. Additionally, surgical staff nurse Neelakshi Guru and her team provided vital support during the surgery. Due to the large size of the tumor and the extensive network of blood vessels, the surgery was performed with utmost care. The 5.5 kg tumor removed during the procedure has been sent for histopathological examination, and the final report is awaited. Post-surgery, the patient received specialized care and was discharged from the hospital on the fifth day in excellent health. Cases of such large uterine tumors are extremely rare.

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Maharashtra

Immediate financial assistance and rehabilitation for the victims of the Bhiwandi Kohinoor building tragedy and strict action against the culprits. Abu Asim Azmi

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has written a letter to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, and Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Mukrandji Jadhav, appealing for justice for the victims of the tragic and serious incident of collapse of the four-storey Kohinoor building in Balaji Nagar area of ​​Bhiwandi city. Through the letter, MLA Abu Asim Azmi has put forward important demands and issues, including raising questions about administrative negligence.

The Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation had earlier declared the building ‘extremely dangerous’ and issued a notice. Despite this, the administration failed to take timely and concrete steps to ensure the safe rehabilitation of the residents. Lives were lost due to administrative delay and negligence. Along with immediate assistance to the deceased and injured, he demanded that the government immediately provide financial assistance to the families of the citizens who lost their lives in the accident and ensure that all the injured are provided with the best medical treatment at government expense. Regarding the structural audit of the most dangerous buildings, Azmi said that a ‘structural audit’ of all the dilapidated and most dangerous buildings in Bhiwandi city should be conducted immediately, and arrangements for the temporary and permanent rehabilitation of their residents should be made without delay. Azmi has also demanded strict action against the guilty officials and has said that strict legal and administrative action should be taken against the officials responsible for this major accident and the negligence associated with it. Abu Asim Azmi has appealed to the government to take suo motu notice of the matter and ensure that justice and relief reach the affected families in Bhiwandi as soon as possible.

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