Tour de Difference-2011' flagged off in city

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Savitha B R)

August 7, 2011

Mangalore, August 7: 'Tour de Difference-2011', a cycling expedition by Make A Difference (MAD), a youth volunteer network to help underprivileged children was flagged off in front of City Centre Mall here on Sunday.

The cycling expedition was inaugurated by Yogish Bhat, MLA, who appreciated the efforts of MAD to help underprivileged children. Mohideen Bava, Owner, Mangalore United Cricket Team, Dr. Anand Venugopal, Professor of Radiology, KMC Mangalore and Samim Rizwi, International Cyclist, were present on the occasion.

Five volunteers namely Raichand, Phillip Bongartz, Sebastian Thele, Sudith Xavier and Prashanth Reddy will be cycling to 12 Indian cities (Mangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Chennai, Vellore, Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin), covering 4240 kilometers during the course of the trip in the months of August and September. Phillip Bongartz and Sebastian Thele have flown in from Germany to take part in this expedition.

The expedition is being organised to raise funds to support the MAD Mangalore chapter for its philanthropic services. Tour de Difference aims to raise Rs 100 for every kilometer the cyclists cover to meet the costs incurred by the Mangalore chapter of MAD on Cambridge syllabus textbooks for 300 children under its wings. It also aims to promote the importance of education to the future of our nation.

MAD along with its education partner, Cambridge University Press tries to empower children in orphanages, street shelters and poor homes by teaching them English.

MAD has close to 1000 volunteers teaching close to 3500 children in major cities of South India. It aims to educate underprivileged children so that they can select a career based on their aspirations and potential rather than their financial situation or background.

Tour de Difference will culminate in Mangalore on September 23^rd. MAD Mangalore is organising a three day gala event called 'GO MAD!!' in association with City Centre from August 6.

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No cases yet, but vigilance high: Karnataka braces for Nipah threat

News Network

February 3,2026

Bengaluru: Following reports of fresh Nipah virus (NiV) cases in West Bengal and heightened vigilance across parts of Southeast Asia, the Karnataka Health Department has placed the state on high alert and activated emergency preparedness protocols.

Health officials said enhanced surveillance measures have been initiated after two healthcare workers in Barasat, West Bengal, tested positive for the virus earlier this month. While no cases have been reported in Karnataka so far, authorities said the state’s past exposure to Nipah outbreaks and high inter-state mobility warranted preventive action.

Officials have directed district health teams to intensify monitoring, particularly at hospitals and points of entry, and to ensure early detection and isolation of suspected cases.

High Mortality Virus with Multiple Transmission Routes

Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animals to humans and has a reported fatality rate ranging between 60 and 75 per cent. Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the natural reservoirs of the virus and can transmit it by contaminating food sources with saliva or urine.

Known modes of transmission include:

•   Contaminated food: Consumption of fruits partially eaten by bats or raw date-palm sap
•   Animal contact: Exposure to infected pigs or other animals
•   Human-to-human transmission: Close contact with body fluids of infected persons, particularly in healthcare settings

Symptoms and Disease Progression

The incubation period typically ranges from 4 to 14 days, though delayed onset has also been reported. Early symptoms often resemble common viral infections, making prompt clinical suspicion critical.

•   Initial symptoms: Fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, sore throat
•   Progressive symptoms: Drowsiness, disorientation, altered mental state
•   Severe stage: Seizures, neck stiffness and acute encephalitis, which can rapidly progress to coma

Public Health Advisory

The Health Department has issued precautionary guidelines urging the public to adopt risk-avoidance practices to prevent any local spillover.

Do’s
•   Wash fruits thoroughly before consumption
•   Drink boiled and cooled water
•   Use protective equipment while handling livestock
•   Maintain strict hand hygiene

Don’ts
•   Avoid fruits found on the ground or showing bite marks
•   Do not consume beverages made from raw tree sap, including toddy
•   Avoid areas with dense bat populations
•   Do not handle sick or dead animals

Preparedness Measures

Officials confirmed that isolation wards are being readied in major government hospitals and that medical staff are being sensitised to identify early warning signs.

“There is no cause for panic, but there is a need for heightened vigilance,” a senior health official said, adding that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Nipah, and care remains largely supportive.

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