Daily Current Affairs Quiz: May 9, 2024

Notes:
Kerala’s health department confirms five West Nile fever cases in Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Thrissur districts. Health Minister Veena George orders increased mosquito control measures. Four patients have recovered; one remains under observation. Kerala recorded its first West Nile case in 2011 and first death in 2022. The virus, traced back to Uganda in 1937, primarily infects birds and spreads via migratory birds. It’s a flavivirus, with global cases from Africa to the Americas. West Nile Fever, caused by the West Nile Virus (WNV), is a flavivirus commonly found in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. It primarily spreads through infected mosquitoes biting birds and occasionally humans.

Notes:
Every year on May 8th, World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day honors the efforts of these humanitarian societies, including the IFRC, the largest of its kind. Originating from the 14th International Conference of the Red Cross in 1938, the date marks the birth of Jean Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross. Renamed in 1984, this day’s theme for 2024, “Everything we do comes from the heart,” reflects the compassion driving their actions.

Notes:
French President hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at Pyrenees’ Tourmalet Pass for private talks. The Pyrenees form a natural border between Spain and France, extending 500 km from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Created by the collision of Iberia with Eurasia, it’s politically divided between Spain and France, with Andorra in between. Aneto Peak, at 3,404 m, is its highest point. The mountains also merge with the Cantabrian range in Spain.

Notes:
Researchers utilized CRISPR-Cas9 to restore vision in individuals with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a rare genetic eye disorder causing blindness from birth. LCA affects 1 in 40,000 people, impairing light-sensitive cells due to a mutation in the CEP290 gene. The “BRILLIANCE” trial administered a single dose of CRISPR therapy, EDIT-101, which corrected the mutation, enabling proper function of the CEP290 protein, thus restoring vision by allowing the retina to perceive light.

Notes:
The ICAR-NBFGR discovered a new catfish species, Glyptothorax punyabratai, in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tung Stream, a Brahmaputra River tributary. It’s nocturnal and benthic, common traits among catfish. Catfish, over 2000 species strong, mostly inhabit freshwater, some marine. They possess a cylindrical body with flattened ventral sides, long barbels resembling cat whiskers, and leading spines in dorsal and pectoral fins, while being scaleless, distinguishing them from other fish.