Afraid of Sars? Avoid currency notes

          Beijing, April 30: Going to bank to collect your money? Be alert as Sars virus can be spread through bank notes also. As a precautionary measure, Chinese bank workers had disinfected a box of "renminbi" bank notes in a bank vault in Beijing, reports the Straits Times. According to the report, Chinese banks have started putting incoming bank notes in 24-hour quarantine before returning them to circulation in an effort to contain the severe acute respiratory syndrome. As Sars is a communicable and air-borne disease, bank employees are under the impression that it can be spread through notes also.

Jharkhand tribals hunt animals despite ban

          Chhandosree (Jharkhand), Apr 30: Defying a government ban, tribals in Jharkhand hunted wild animals to please their deity. Hunting is essential for the annual Sendra festival, celebrated by various tribes in the eastern states including Orissa and West Bengal. The celebrations conclude with the tribals going on a hunting spree with bows and arrows on the 'Vishu Shikaar' day. Scores of animals were reportedly killed by the hunters in the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary on Tuesday. Tribals said they were not ready to forgo their tradition despite efforts by the state authorities to reform them. "Those people (authorities) are just doing their duty. But we also have to go according to our age-old traditions", said Babulal Hemboram, a tribal.

          However, officials said hunting had come down this year because of their campaign to educate the tribals. Hunting is a religious tradition followed by tribal sects like Oraon, Munda and Santhal to please their deity, 'Dolma Baba'. Spread over an area of 193 sq km of west and east Singhbum districts of Jharkhand, the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary is home to elephants, sloth bear, python, wild boar, porcupines and leopards. India banned hunting of wild animals and trading in articles made out of wild animals in 1972.

China, Hong Kong register 18 more Sars deaths (Go to Top)

          Beijing, Apr 30: China on Wednesday reported 11 new Sars fatalities and Hong Kong seven more deaths raising the Sars death toll to 159 and 157, respectively. In China, there were 166 new cases of infection, raising the total to 3,460, the Health Ministry said. Nine of the new deaths were in Beijing. One death was reported in the eastern port city of Tianjin and another in the northern region of Inner Mongolia. Beijing accounted for 101 of the newly reported infections, raising the Chinese capital's total to 1,448 cases.

          In Hong Kong the number of new cases has stayed in the tens, health officials said. There were 17 new cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome reported in Hong Kong over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,589. Experts have said the number seems to be coming down, although it has remained in the double digits every day. Another 32 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, for a total of 791.

          Meanwhile, India reported its 10th Sars case, a truck driver who returned from Singapore last week.

Four die as copter crashes near Manali (Go to Top)

          Shimla, Apr 29: Four people on board a privately-owned helicopter were killed when the chopper crashed near Manali, a tourist resort 260 km from here, soon after take-off on Tuesday morning. The dead included two foreigners. The four-seater Lama helicopter, belonging to the Himachal Helicopter Skiing Company, came hurtling down and broke into pieces after it took off from Pirni helipad at 8 am and the debris fell into a canal.

          The pilot was identified as Capt Krishan Tomar (26) while the foreigners were John Murphy (30) from Japan and Xoch Castino (24) from Columbia. The fourth victim was Madhvi Gautam, a receptionist working in a local hotel. The skiing company belongs to Rodey Mackenzie, an Australian who has been organising skiing activities here for the past 15 years. It is for the third time in the last one year that a helicopter belonging to this firm has been involved in an accident. However, there were no casualties in the earlier two incidents.

Sars claims more lives in China, Hong Kong (Go to Top)

          Hong Kong, Apr 29: China on Tuesday reported nine new Sars deaths and 202 new cases, while 12 Sars-related deaths were announced by the Hong Kong government with 15 news cases. The latest deaths took the toll in China to 148 and the total number of cases to 3,303. Seven of the new deaths were in Beijing, taking its total to 66. Of the new cases, 152 were in the Chinese capital, giving it 1,347 confirmed cases. The other deaths were in Hebei province and Inner Mongolia, according to a foreign news agency.

          In Hong Kong, Sars virus has killed another 12 people in the territory and infected 15 others. The latest figures bring the toll to 150 and the cumulative cases to 1,572, said an official statement.

Two more Sars cases confirmed in Mumbai, Kolkata (Go to Top)

          Mumbai, Apr 27: Two more Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) cases were reported from different parts of the country on Sunday. With this the total number of Sars cases went up to seven. A 34-year-old man affected with Sars was admitted to the Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai. He had come from Hong Kong on April 13 and proceeded on business trips to Delhi and Chennai. On his return to Mumbai on April 22 he developed fever. On Saturday night he was shifted to New Delhi's Infectious Diseases Hospital.

           In the case reported from Kolkata, a 42-year old man tested positive for Sars in the Apollo Hospital. He had come from China on Thursday and developed fever and symptoms of pneumonia. Sources at the West Bengal health ministry said the National Institute of Virology in Pune has confirmed that the patient was Sars positive. He had come to Kolkata from China via Mumbai. Meanwhile, as many as 11 cases around the country have been sent to laboratories for tests.

Dozens of foreigners stranded at Mumbai airport (Go to Top)

          Mumbai, Apr 26: Dozens of people, mostly foreign nationals, were left stranded in Mumbai on Saturday after the state-run Air- India cancelled several flights to Southeast Asia and the Gulf. The situation arose after its pilots union refused to fly to Sars-affected areas. City's international airport wore a desolate look with the only activity being of distraught passengers crowding official counters for information and arrangements to fly back home through other airlines.

           Earlier this week Air-India had cut flights to Singapore to 10 from 14 and brought in executive pilots to operate them after the union asked members not to fly there, saying it was a health hazard. But under a new directive by the Pilots Guild, even the non-union members have now refused to fly. Flights to Hong Kong, where 109 people have died from Sars, were curtailed earlier this month.

          Airline officials have affirmed that flights to the United States and Europe will operate normally, but short-haul flights will be affected because of the new directive. India has so far confirmed five cases of Sars.Experts say the country's overloaded health system is ill-equipped to deal with a major outbreak.

Sars kills three more in Canada (Go to Top)

          Toronto, Apr 26: Canada's biggest city reported three more deaths and eight new cases of Sars, even as Toronto health officials insisted they were bringing the outbreak of the deadly virus under control, official said on Saturday. They said the new cases were among hospital workers, who already make up one in four of Ontario's 265 suspected and probable Sars sufferers, and that the spread of the virus was coming under control in the community.

           Meanwhile, China replaced its health minister after criticism that he mishandled the Sars outbreak, turning over his job to a vice premier. Health Minister Zhang Wenkang resigned, and China's parliament appointed Vice Premier Wu Yi to take over his duties, the official news agency said. Zhang was stripped of his Communist Party posts last weekend after widespread criticism that his ministry responded too slowly to the outbreak of Sars which has killed at least 115 people in China. Seven new Sars deaths and 154 new cases were reported in China, taking the nationwide death toll to 122, the health ministry announced.

Death of young tigress in Corbett Park baffles vets (Go to Top)

          Udhamsingh Nagar, Apr 26: Officials of the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal said on Friday that a young tigress died in the park following a brief illness. The one-year old tigress was suffering from 'Parbo' disease, an ailment suffered mainly by canines, park authorities said. The doctors had earlier identified the disease as blood dysentery. Two vets called from nearby Ramnagar town to attend to the ailing tigress failed to revive the carnivore which was caught by forest officials on Thursday evening.

           "Following complaints of dysentery, veterinary doctors were called from Ramnagar who immediately treated her. Thereafter in the morning (on Friday) after certain tests they found that the disease was not dysentery but 'Parbo' which mainly occurs in canines. Despite all efforts it died," said A N Singh, sub-divisional officer at the Jim Corbett National Park.

           India's tiger population has fallen drastically over the years largely because of construction of dams in some areas which are destroying natural habitats. The tiger population has decreased to around 3,000 from 50,000 in 1947. Various projects funded by the World Bank and the World Wildlife Fund are now being implemented in India's 22 tiger reserves and sanctuaries. India is home to about sixty per cent of the world's wild tiger population.

Air India cancels five flights (Go to Top)

          Mumbai, Apr 25: Air India cancelled five flights to various destinations on Friday following an agitation by the pilots' union. According to reports, the flights cancelled were to Dubai (AI 713), Delhi-London (AI 129), Delhi-Hong Kong (AI 310), Chennai- Singapore (AI 472) and Kuwait (AI 859). The airline is working out a contingency plan following the agitation by Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) which is demanding a certificate from the airlines that the accompanying crew have not flown into Sars affected region for the past 10 days.

WHO warns against travel to Toronto, Beijing (Go to Top)

          London, Apr 23: Travellers should avoid Toronto, Beijing and China's Shanxi province because of the danger of Sars, the World Health Organization said Wednedsay. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government said the Sars virus had killed six more people and infected 24 more in the territory. The latest figures bring the local death toll from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) to 105 and the total number of cases to 1,458. The flu-like disease, which is widely believed to been originated in southern China, hit Hong Kong in March and has been spread around the world by travellers.

          China has also recorded nine more Sars deaths, seven of them in Beijing, and 147 new cases. Of the total new cases 105 were in Beijing, taking the capital's cumulative number of confirmed Sars cases to 693 and its death toll to 35. The other fatalities occurred in Guangdong province and Ningxia autonomous region. China now has 106 Sars deaths and 2,305 cases as of April 22, the health ministry said.

Devotees resent diversion of Ganga in Haridwar (Go to Top)

          Haridwar, Apr 22: Stopping the flow of holy Ganga river in Haridwar town has left thousands of devotees disappointed who visit the town in large numbers. Authorities have diverted the flow of the Ganga for 15 days to build a bridge at 'Har Ki Pauri', a major bathing jetty as part of the preparations for 'Ardhkumbha mela' in 2004. Millions of pilgrims descend on the holy city during the congregation, held once in six years and said to be one of the most important festivals of the Hindu religious calendar. Hindus believe a dip in the holy waters cleanses them of their sins.

           The move has created a bitter controversy, with disappointed pilgrims and priests rallying against the decision. The course was diverted on April 17 following an assurance by the authorities that water would continue to flow uninterrupted through some pipes to 'Har Ki Pauri' bank. The flow will return to normal by April 30. The Ganga runs its course of over 2,500 km from Gangotri in the Himalayas to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal through 29 cities with a population of over 1,00,000 each.

All measures taken to tackle Sars in India (Go to Top)

          Pune, Apr 22: Officials in Maharashtra have confirmed that the reports of the three members of a family diagnosed with Sars are positive. Subhash Salunke, Director General of the state's health services, however, said the condition of all the patients was normal. "Excepting sore throat and excepting a little bit of cough and fever, none of them has any problems, absolutely no problems. Their X-ray is normal, their blood reports are normal, all their investigations, excepting the NIV (National Institute of Virology) investigations, is totally normal. But (if not) for this result I would have very gladly requested the doctor concerned to discharge them. They are right now very fit for discharge. But now because the results are in front of us we do not want to take any chances," Salunke told reporters in Pune. The affected family, which had flown in from Indonesia into Mumbai three weeks ago, are residents of Pune.

           Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday urged the people not to panic saying the government was fully geared to handle the Sars cases. Making a statement in the Lok Sabha, Swaraj said an emergency meeting of all state health secretaries has been called in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the Sars crisis.

           Monday's confirmation for the three SARS affected brought the number of cases in India to four. Last Friday, doctors reported India's first case of Sars in a marine engineer from Goa who had travelled to Hong Kong and Singapore and showed symptoms of Sars on his return. Doctors say the man now has recovered.

           In Nasik, 185 km from Mumbai, doctors are awaiting results of Sars tests on a man who arrived from the United States and had symptoms of the contagious illness, which can be fatal and has no known cure. A patient suspected to have Sars has been isolated in Jaipur as well. The man, a non-resident Indian from America, displayed symptoms of pneumonia and was admitted to the infectious diseases ward of a city hospital Monday night.

           Some doctors have expressed the fear that Sars could reach epidemic proportions in India, the world's second most populous nation with more than a billion people, due to its congested cities, overstretched health system and media reports of lax airport screening. The Sars virus, which has been found fatal in about five per cent of cases, has now killed at least 225 people and infected more than 3,900 around the world after first surfacing in southern China last year.

Mobile services in J and K by month-end (Go to Top)

          Srinagar, Apr 17: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the only telephone service provider here, has said it would launch mobile phone facility in Jammu and Srinagar districts by month-end. Speaking to reporters, BSNL General Manager GS Marshall on Thursday said that out of the total 10 towers, seven have already been erected, while work on two others was in full swing.

Sars diverts tourist traffic to Shimla (Go to Top)

          Shimla, Apr 16: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus, spread by travellers, has savaged key Asian tourist destinations such as Hong Kong, but for Himachal Pradesh it is a blessing in disguise. Since the outbreak of the deadly virus, long-haul Indian tourists are flocking to Shimla, a hill station and state's capital town. Operators are happy as the tourist season has started quite early this year. Most of the hotels are reporting 100 per cent occupancy rate.

           "The season in Shimla used to start from May 1 but because of the spread of the SARS disease, tourists rather than going to foreign locales have diverted to our hill station. It is very good for the past 5-6 days. The season has really begun well for us," said Kuldeep Awasthi, a hotel owner. PD Sharma, a tourist from New Delhi, said they had cancelled their trips to the South Asian countries. "We got our bookings cancelled and decided to go to Shimla," he said.

          Sars has infected more than 3,300 people and killed 144 in some 20 countries in the last six weeks since first showing up in southern China in November.

Goa guidelines for tourists to check Sars (Go to Top)

          Panaji, Apr 13: A massive drive is on in Goa, where foreign tourists flock to bask in the sunny beaches, to check the outbreak of deadly SARS. Though no case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has been reported in the state, authorities are not taking any chances. Travellers reaching the main airports and ports of the state are asked to disclose their medical history.

           Medical officers have been deployed at the state's main Dabolim airport and Mormugao port to keep an eye on travellers, mainly foreign tourists. Strict guidelines have also been issued for the passengers arriving from western and eastern countries. A special questionnaire on Sars is given to passengers and a designated doctor assesses the reply to identify suspected cases of Sars. Doctor Rajan Kunkolienkar, Chief Medical Officer of Goa Medical College Hospital and also the nodal officer to coordinate anti-SARS measures, said special health facilities have been put in place to check the deadly disease.

           Over 250,000 tourists visit Goa every year. Most of them are from Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, the United States, Australia, Holland and Ireland.

Hooch kills five in Kerala village (Go to Top)

          Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 11: At least five people have died and 27 taken ill after consuming spurious liquor at Kooppana village in the Quilon district of Kerala. The victims drank the killer brew late on Wednesday night. From Thursday afternoon, they felt exhausted and their vision was affectted. Nine persons were admitted to the Medical College Hospital in Trivandrum "There are two or three shops selling liquor there. I belong to Kooppana. I was admitted here after falling sick. I consumed liquor from the shop. All those who are admitted here fell sick like me," one of the affected persons said on Thursday.

           Jaya Kumar, Professor of Medicine at Thiruvananthapuram MCH, said the condition of five of the victims was serious and they have been put on dialysis. "This is due to mixing of alcohol with methanol. There was nausea, vomiting and difficulty in breathing. If it is severe it is fatal. Twenty-seven patients were brought to the hospital", said Dr Kumar.

          This is the first major hooch tragedy to have struck the area after a similar incident in Kalluvathukkal in the district about three years back which claimed 28 lives. A number of hooch dens operate in the coastal state which has one of the highest tax rates on liquor in the country.

Animal syndrome causes SARS, say scientists (Go to Top)

          Sydney, Apr 10: The culprit behind the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been caught. It is a novel coronavirus that jumps from animals to human beings. Hong Kong scientists have published the first hard and important evidence in this regard. The detection, medical virologist Dominic Dwyer of the Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research at Sydney's Westmead Hospital has been quoted as saying by News24, will speed up the development of fast and accurate diagnostic tests, proven treatments and vaccines for the killer disease.

           Coronaviruse, it is being said, causes common colds and occasionally pneumonia. But they trigger severe illnesses in animals. They were found in samples from some patients with the deadly virus, but until now there has been no evidence they are widespread in people with SARS.

Another suspected SARS case in Hyderabad (Go to Top)

          Hyderabad, Apr 9: India on Wednesday reported another suspected case of the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS virus, hours after doctors gave the all-clear to a American woman in Mumbai thought to be India's first case. David Raphael Anthony, a software worker who arrived in Hyderabad from Singapore, was suffering from high fever, cough and cold - symptoms of the killer pneumonia virus which has claimed over 100 lives worldwide.

          Anthony, 48, travelled to India from Australia via Singapore, which has the fourth-highest number of SARS patients. Doctors said it was too early to say Anthony could be afflicted with SARS virus. "Patient is excellently in good condition. Lungs are clear. General condition is good. Pulse is good. No serious manifestations of any disease ... This is not a confirmed case of SARS. It has to be confirmed. I will send the (blood) samples and get the confirmation," Dr K Venu, Superintendent of the Government Chest Hospital said.

 New pollution-free three-wheeler to hit market soon (Go to Top)

          Bangalore,  Apr 9: The Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bangalore has developed a hybrid-power three-wheeler in collaboration with the Swedish firm, which emits 70 per cent less pollutants compared to similar vehicles run on petrol. The machine, named Hybrid Electric vehicle, runs on both petrol and battery and can attain a maximum speed of 60 km per hour. Compared to a normal two-wheeler, it could reduce energy consumption by 50 per cent besides cutting pollution levels by 70 per cent.

Respiratory diseases on the rise in Uttaranchal: The air is no more pure (Go to Top)

         Dehra Dun, Apr 7: People often go to the mountains to breathe fresh, clean and pure air ... but breaking this notion is the alarming rise in pollution levels in Dehra Dun. People here are suffering from acute respiratory diseases owing to a steep rise in air pollution caused by petrol and diesel-run vehicles. Environmentalists believe that increase in the number of vehicles has led to this problem ."Dehra Dun has around 12 lakh population and every third person owns a car. Now you can well imagine the alarming rise in the pollution level in the city", said Dr Anil Joshi, an environmentalist.

          The vehicular pollution caused by the emission of poisonous gases has led to increase in cases of lung cancer, bronchitis and several other respiratory disorders. "It is unfortunate that Dehra Dun is witnessing a steep increase in pollution levels due to emission of poisnous gases . In children, this has caused respiratory problems, bronchitis and throat infection and in adults this causes blood cancer, lung cancer, kidney and liver disorders", said Dr.Yatish Goyal, a surgeon.

           The Forest and Environment Minister of the State, Nav Prabhat, said it is a difficult task to tackle pollution, let it be anywhere. It is not confined to Uttaranchal alone. There is no CNG supply in the region. She said battery-operated vehicles are on trial. However, since the state is hilly, battery-operated vehicles may not be successful

           The alarming rise in pollution level has been a cause of worry for people in most of the metropolis but with this affecting the hilly areas of the country, those living in crowded cities will have to think twice before packing their bags to a hill station.

American woman, first SARS suspect case, in Mumbai hospital (Go to Top)

          Mumbai, Apr 8: An American woman, initially suspected of being the first case of SARS in India, is believed to be suffering from a throat infection rather than the deadly flu-like virus, her doctor said on Tuesday. Rebecca Raleigh, 23, was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai on Monday on suspicion of suffering from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus, triggering nation-wide alarm. She was travelling with a friend when she landed in New Delhi earlier this month before flying alone to Mumbai. She had previously been to China, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Dr Subhash Salunke, Director-General of Health Services, Maharashtra, said Raleigh was responding to treatment.

          "She is isolated, we are taking care, following the guidelines of World Health Organisation (WHO) with all barrier- nursing and all necessary precaution to be taken. She is responding to the line of treatment that we have started. Very senior professors of medicine and also that of respiratory diseases from KEM hospital are managing this case. They are treating her. She is on antibiotics and also on anti-viral drugs with the supportive ibu-fluid therapy and other treatment whatever is required. Her fever has come down, her cough has come down. She is much confortable and she looks to me definitely in a better state of mental health," Salunke said.

 Battery-run autos for Vaishno Devi pilgrims likely (Go to Top)

          Jammu, Apr 7: The shrine at Vaishno Devi, located at a height of 1750 metres and 60 km north of Jammu, attracts about 20,000 pilgrims every year who trek 13 km up the steep climb to the main temple. But this holy spot has always been a target of militants. However, security forces are now always alert. Both last year and this year they foiled the terrorists' bid to disrupt the yatra by engaging them in shootouts. Among other protective measures are X-ray scan of baggages in the shrine's premises, patrolling at higher peaks and protection of the tracks along with the state police. Besides, different steps are being taken for the comfort of the pilgrims.

           The shrine board plans to soon introduce battery- operated three-wheelers which will take four passengers each to the destination from a certain point, making the journey easy for them. In the beginning, one or two such vehicles will be in service. If successful, five autos may ply regularly. The tracks are, meanwhile, being improved while drinking water as well as toilet facilities will be arranged for the devotees.

Tourists start flocking to Corbett Park (Go to Top)

          Dehra Dun, Apr 5: With the onset of summer, tourists have started flocking to Jim Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal. Most of the tourists were excited over the prospect of seeing wild animals in large numbers. DS Khati, Director of Jim Corbett, attributed the increase in visitors to the ongoing festival season.

          Spread over 1,000 square miles on the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, the Corbett national park is named after the famous British hunter-turned-conservator Jim Corbett. Last year, several male elephants were found dead with their tusks removed which led to the strengthening of security in the park, due to which the park is closed for visitors during the monsoon season lasting June to September.

Chapati-making machines in Golden Temple (Go to Top)

          Amritsar, Apr 5: The 'Guru-ka-langar' or community kitchen is a Sikh institution, which was started by Guru Amar Das in the 16th century. The practice of eating together encouraged shedding of inhibitions and establishing the principle of equality. The community kitchen at the Golden Temple feeds up to 10,000 people in a day free of charges. Now the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee has got an imported machine to make 'chappathis' served at 'langar' in the Golden Temple complex here.

           Costing Rs 32 lakh, the automatic machine can make and process 3,000 to 6,000 chappathis per hour according to the multi-speed systems. The machine starts the process with an automatic kneading of dough from plain flour, making balls, rolling them out into chappathis, that pass over a hotplate with turn-over facility till the perfect products come out.

           Joginder Singh, assistant secretary of Dharm Parchar Committee of SGPC, informed that the maxi-flour automated system with turbo oven for indirect heat baking has been donated by Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Lebanon. The customs duty of Rs 16 lakh was exempted by the Centre. The machine consumes 60 litres diesel an hour. But though most of the devotes are happy to see the machine some of them still prefer the traditional "parshada" making version.

AIIMS chief allays fears over killer pneumonia (Go to Top)

          New Delhi, Apr 3: Hospital authorities in New Delhi said on Thursday there was no cause for panic about the killer pneumonia epidemic currently sweeping through 17 countries. The epidemic known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has claimed nearly 80 lives worldwide. India has not reported a single case of the pneumonia so far but the disease has caused widespread fear, particularly in east Asia, where most of the deaths occurred, and forced Singapore, Hong Kong and Canada to impose strict quarantine measures.

           PK Dave, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said the institute was fully geared up to face any exigency. He also said that various diagnostic procedures have been identified to track the dreaded disease. "Basically, the first thing would be on the basis of clinical evidence and then of course, we apply all the diagnostic tests," Dave assured. AIIMS is one of the three hospitals identified in the Capital to treat cases of the killer epidemic. The other two are the Safdurjung Hospital and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hosiptal.

           About 2,300 people have been infected with the disease worldwide. Experts say the virus spreads through direct contact by droplets from sneezing and coughing. The Union Health Ministry has asked all international airports and seaports to screen passengers coming from the 15 identified countries, where the pneumonia is prevalent. Airline crew have been alerted to look out for any passengers with symptoms and asked to report such cases to the medical units available at the disembarking points.

           India-bound passengers are also being asked to fill up an additional proforma on their medical history and travel details during the immediate past. All Indian missions abroad have been asked to screen visa-seekers who may be possible carriers of the killer virus.

Virus threat to travel trade (Go to Top)

           New Delhi, Apr 2: Not long ago it was WTC attack and then came the Indo-Pak stand-off. Now it is the turn of the virus spreadng fast from country to country in the Asian region that is derailing the travel industry. Hong Kong was first affected, then Vietnam and Singapore. India is taking preventive measures like screening of inbound-fliers. Panic is spreading across the region. In-bound and out-blound traffic is thinning out.

          The infection called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a deadly form of pneumonia.caused by a virus so far unidentified yet having similarities to coronavirus and paramyxovirus. It has claimed 62 lives so far, and another couple of thousand people have fallen sick. There has not been any case detected in India so far. The common symptoms are fever, throat infection, cough and headache. There is no unanimity among the scientists on how it spreads or what causes it. The WHO has swung into action.

- India Overseas

PM to visit Kashmir on April 18 (Go to Top)

          New Delhi, Apr I: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will visit the Kashmir valley for two days from April 18, according to sources. Vajpayee is expected to inaugurate the North-South Corridor project on April 18. He will perform 'bhoomi pooja' to mark the inauguration. He will also address a public meeting in Srinagar, attend several functions, including laying of the foundation stones of a new terminal at the Srinagar airport and a railway line at Awantipora, and address the Kashmir University convocation.

 -ANI

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