News in Short

• At least half of Australia’s only disease-free koala population is feared dead with more badly hurt after bushfires swept through an island sanctuary.
• Kangaroo Island is home to many wild populations of native animals including the much-loved koala.
• Massive bushfires have flared up in the country’s southeast in a months-long crisis, killing nearly half a billion native animals.
• Other than fires there are bacterial infection, which causes blindness, infertility and death in the species, is widespread in koalas in the eastern Queensland and New South Wales states.

• Scientists have reported the first ever case of a medical risk in space, a blood clot formation in the internal jugular vein of an astronaut on-board the International Space Station (ISS).
• Ultrasound examinations of the astronauts’ internal jugular veins were performed at scheduled times of the mission.
• Results of the ultrasound performed about two months into the mission revealed a suspected obstructive left internal jugular venous thrombosis (blood clot) in one astronaut.
• Since the astronaut was in space, he was guided by doctors from earth to diagnose and take medicines to reduce the clot. The treatment was termed successful after diagnosis on earth after his arrival confirmed no clots.

• A recent study in India has found an association between exposure to air pollution and poor bone health. Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of the bone are reduced.
• Globally, it is responsible for a substantial burden of disease and its prevalence is expected to increase due to aging of the population.
• Inhalation of polluting particles could lead to bone mass loss through the oxidative stress and inflammation caused by air pollution.

• A ‘First attack survey’ done in Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences found that 35% of the 2,200 patients registered with first cardiac event in their lifetime were aged less than 35.
• Doctors have attributedthis to stress, loneliness and job losses, weather, vulnerable economy, and sedentary lifestyle apart from ‘screen addiction’ besides addiction to alcohol, narcotics, and smoking.
• While chest pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and dyslipidaemia are the conventional risk factors, many youngsters are exhibiting non-conventional risk factors such as pre-diabetes/insulin resistance, low HDL (good cholesterol) with high triglycerides, high lipoprotein, low vitamin ‘D’ levels, abdominal obesity, premature menopause, and fatty liver.

• India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has announced that he will be retiring from professional cricket with immediate effect.
• Irfan Pathan, who made his international debut in 2003, played professional cricket for 16 years.
• Irfan became only the 2nd Indian bowler to pick up a Test hat-trick when he achieved the feat in a Test match against Pakistan in Karachi in 2006.
• Irfan was also the Man of the Match in the T20 World Cup final in 2007 and played an important role in India winning the tournament.