Disease watch

Curtains to SARS?: The worlds most recent and deadly epidemic is coming rapidly under control with the oldest trick in the book - isolation. Beijing was declared SARS free on June 24 - the last city in the world to achieve this. WHO criteria to lift the travel advisory include no new cases for 20 days and less than 60 cases in hospital. The last case in Beijing was reported on May 29, though in the peak of the epidemic, Beijing alone was reporting more than 100 cases a day. WHO has also lifted travel warnings against Toronto and Taiwan though isolated cases are still being reported. Worldwide cases of SARS so far are 8459 with 805 deaths (The Lancet interactive, 28 June 2003).

The case of the reluctant mothers: In Britain, the controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine took a bizarre turn. A high court judge has ruled that 2 girls aged 4 and 10 whose mothers were unwilling for vaccination must be given the MMR vaccine. The problem is complex. The MMR vaccine has been in public disfavour since some reports of its association with autism came through. A huge joint action case by parents against Glaxo SmithKline the makers of MMR is to be heard in April next. However the WHO has clearly ruled out any significant risk of autism with MMR. Britain’s system of linking doctor’s remuneration depending on the number of children vaccinated has increased the distrust of parents with the medical fraternity. Hence vaccination rates against MMR have dropped. Though vaccination is normally not forced, the judge had to take a decision since the parents of the children in question are separated and are at loggerheads about the MMR vaccine. Public hysteria about vaccines can be hard to counter (eBMJ 21 June 2003).

The potato with protein: The lowly potato has received a boost by scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. It has been genetically modified to expresses 40% more protein than the wild potato by inserting the AmA1 gene from the amaranth plant. The garden potato is normally low in essential aminoacids lysine, methionine, cysteine, and tryptophan and pulses are the traditional sources of protein in India. However pulse cultivation is slowing down while the cheap potato is a perennial favourite. This high tech potato may be just the answer to rampant protein deficiency in India. On the flip side many NGO groups are protesting that the increase in protein will not have significant impact on human health. They feel promoting amaranth cultivation and usage is a better solution (eBMJ 21 June 2003).

Gouri Rao Passi,
Consultant, Department of Pediatrics,
Choithram Hospital & Research Center,
Indore 452 001, India.
Email: [email protected]