High grade fever, shock syndrome: Dengue's D2 strain sparks fear in Karnataka, 10 other states

News Network

September 28, 2021

A new variant of Dengue has been observed in over 11 states in the country which has become a big concern for health experts.

Though the dengue outbreak is under control, several cases of high fever caused by the new variant of Dengue DENV 2 are being reported in many cities across the country.

The States reporting serotype - II dengue cases are Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, MP, UP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.

Among the multiple variants -- DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4 of the dengue virus, DENV 2 or the strain D2 is considered to be the most severe and can even lead to fatal internal bleeding and shock.

Dr Balram Bhargava, Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research, told the media that the strain is particularly virulent and capable of inducing mortality. He added that it was one of the reasons behind the mysterious fever which had hit the western UP districts of Firozabad, Agra, Mathura, and Aligarh that led to the deaths of many people last month.

Dr B.L. Sherwal, RGSS Hospital Director, said that irrespective of the Dengue strain, the precaution is the same as the same mosquito spreads the disease.

He said that the most important precaution is not to let water stagnate around you and use full sleeve dress. He warned that this type of mosquito generally bites in the daytime, so we need to take extra care of it.

Dr Sherwal added that these are just types of dengue with more or less the same symptoms and the same pattern of prevention too.

Dr Vineeta Singh Tandon of PSRI Hospital said that D2 is more virulent and can cause high-grade fever, vomiting, joint pains, altered sensorium and may even lead to lethal complications resulting in dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.

If a person was infected by one serotype in the past, a second infection by another serotype increases the risk of causing dengue hemorrhagic fever. Rest, hydration, and managing fever with paracetamol are advisable. One should avoid taking analgesics and aspirin.

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Film on Gaza girl ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ receives Oscar nomination

News Network

January 23,2026

The Voice of Hind Rajab, inspired by the tragic final moments of a young Palestinian girl killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best International Feature Film category.

Directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the film recounts the true story of five-year-old Hind Rajab, who lost her life in January 2024 while fleeing Israeli bombardment with her family.

The film features the real audio of Hind’s desperate call to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, where she pleaded for help moments before the vehicle she was in was struck by 355 bullets.

The haunting narrative begins with a brief call made from the besieged Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza, where gunfire and armored vehicles drowned out every sound.

After witnessing the brutal killing of her family, she made a trembling call, her voice reduced to a whisper as she spoke of the massacre and her unbearable loneliness as the sole survivor.

Premiering at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2025, The Voice of Hind Rajab garnered widespread acclaim, receiving a record-setting 23-minute standing ovation and the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the festival’s second-highest honor.

In her acceptance speech, Ben Hania dedicated the film to humanitarian workers and first responders in Gaza, emphasizing that Hind's voice symbolizes countless civilians affected by war.

She aims to give voice to victims often reduced to mere statistics, highlighting the broader suffering of civilians in war zones.

The film’s Oscar nomination underscores its powerful storytelling and ethical approach to depicting real-life tragedy, making it a crucial piece of contemporary cinema.

It serves not only as a narration of individual tragedy but also as an artistic and documentary response to the silence and censorship that often overshadow West Asian struggles and wars.

Using an innovative method she calls docufiction, Ben Hania bridges unvarnished reality and narrative structure, creating a work that is both artistically valuable and socially impactful.

Born in 1977 in Sidi Bouzid—later the epicenter of the Arab revolution—her background profoundly influenced her worldview and artistic approach.

She is a graduate of the Higher School of Audiovisual Arts of Tunis, Pantheon-Sorbonne University, and La Fémis in Paris, where her studies equipped her with the technical and theoretical tools needed to address complex subjects.

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