KAWASAKI DISEASE

• Kawasaki disease, which causes blood vessels to become inflamed, was effectively treated in two infant girls at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital.

Context:

• Tomisaku Kawasaki, a Japanese pediatrician, is honored to have been the first to describe the condition in 1967.

About Kawasaki disease

• Children under the age of five are the main victims of the uncommon but dangerous disorder known as Kawasaki disease.
• Mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome is another name for it.
• Complications from Kawasaki illness are possible, and they mostly affect the heart.
• It can cause heart troubles such coronary artery inflammation, myocardial inflammation, valve issues, and weakening of the heart’s blood walls if left untreated for an extended length of time.
• Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is typically used in treatment to lower fever and inflammation, while aspirin is used to avoid blood clots.
• It is imperative to have early diagnosis and treatment to decrease the risk of problems, particularly those related to the heart.
• Since it does not transmit between people, it is not an infectious disease.
• Although the exact etiology is unknown, it is thought to be related to an aberrant immune response in genetically susceptible individuals, brought on by an infection or other environmental circumstances.

Signs and symptoms

• Fever lasting five days or more that is higher than 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius) is one of the signs and symptoms of Kawasaki disease. Additionally, the youngster exhibits four or more of the following signs:
• A rash on the main part of the body or in the genital area.
• An enlarged lymph node in the neck.
• Very red eyes without a thick discharge.
• Red, dry, cracked lips and a red, swollen tongue.
• Swollen, red skin on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. Later the skin on fingers and toes peels.
• Other symptoms might include:Belly pain, Diarrhea, Fussiness, Joint pain, Vomiting.

Auroras (Northern and Southern lights)

Early on Saturday morning, the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, illuminated the night sky in Hanle village, Ladakh. Other places of the world, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, have also reported seeing the northern lights. In the meantime, Australia and New Zealand reported seeing the southern lights, or aurora australis.

Context:

• From the Hanle observatory in Ladakh, a rare aurora has been visible due to a strong geomagnetic storm. This observation of the Northern lights in Ladakh is not unprecedented, despite its rarity.

Key takeaways :

• In essence, auroras are natural lights that can be seen in a variety of colors, such as blue, red, yellow, green, and orange, and that resemble dazzling, whirling curtains in the night sky.
• All year long, these lights are most visible close to the poles in both the northern and southern hemispheres, though occasionally they can be seen expanding to lower latitudes.
• The show is referred to as the aurora australis in the south and the aurora borealis in the north.

Why do auroras occur?

• It results from activities occurring on the Sun’s surface. The solar wind is the star’s constant outpouring of charged particles, mostly protons and electrons, along with magnetic fields.
• The magnetic field of Earth functions as a shield, deflecting solar wind as it gets closer to the planet.
• Nevertheless, a portion of the charged particles become caught in the magnetic field and descend into the Earth’s upper atmosphere along the magnetic field lines near the north and south poles.
• Subsequently, these particles combine with other gasses in the area to produce little flashes that illuminate the night sky. Green light is created when oxygen and solar wind particles clash. Blue and purple hues are produced by interaction with nitrogen.
• In extreme cases of solar wind, auroras extend to midlatitudes. This occurs when there is an increase in surface activity on the Sun, resulting in solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are effectively extra solar wind energy bursts.
• In these situations, the solar wind can be so strong that it can cause a geomagnetic storm, sometimes referred to as a magnetic storm, which is a brief disruption of the Earth’s magnetic field. In the mid-latitudes, auroras are visible during a magnetic storm.
• Friday saw the start of one such geomagnetic storm following an impact by a CME on Earth. For this reason, auroras might be seen across the globe.
• Additionally, space-dependent systems such as GPS, radio and satellite communications, aviation operations, power grids, and space exploration programs can be impacted by geomagnetic storms.

Gulf of Aden

• Six suspected pirates were taken into custody by a European naval team on Friday after they opened fire on an oil tanker passing through the Gulf of Aden. This attack was probably one of the many piracy incidents that are coming out of Somalia.

Context:

• After peaking in 2011, piracy off the coast of Somalia had decreased. There were 237 recorded attacks in Somalian waters that year. At the time, Somali piracy in the area cost the global economy almost $7 billion, with $160 million going toward ransom payments.But in recent months, worries about fresh assaults have increased. There have been five recorded events off Somalia in the first quarter of 2024.

About

• The Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, Yemen to the north, the Guardafui Channel, Socotra, and Somalia to the south, and the Indian Ocean to the west is the Gulf of Aden.
• Through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, it links to the Red Sea in the northwest, and to the Arabian Sea in the east.
• It narrows into Djibouti’s Gulf of Tadjoura to the west. The Gulf is widening by around 15 mm annually due to the Aden Ridge, which is located in the center of the waterway.
• The Gulf of Aden spans an area of around 410,000 square kilometers, measuring about 900 km in length and 500 km in width. Its maximum depth is 2,700 meters, with an average of 500 meters.
• With more than 20,000 vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden each year, it is a major shipping channel. Persian Gulf oil is frequently delivered along this route, making the gulf a vital waterway for the global economy.
• Because of its strategic location near the Suez Canal and its importance to international trade, this canal has great geopolitical significance. It has, nevertheless, a reputation for piracy, especially off the coast of Somalia.
• Djibouti City in Djibouti and Aden and Mukalla in Yemen are significant cities near the Gulf of Aden.