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1. Milan Exercise
The Mid Planning Conference (MPC) of MILAN 24 Exercise is to be hosted by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam from 19 - 27 February 2024.
About the Milan Exercise:
- MILAN is a biennial multilateral naval exercise.
- It was incepted by the Indian Navy in 1995.
- Originally conceived in consonance with India's 'Look East Policy, MILAN expanded in ensuing years with the Government of India's 'Act East Policy' and Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative to include participation from other Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs).
- The harbour phase of MILAN 24 will comprise an International Maritime Seminar, City Parade at RK Beach, Swavlamban Exhibition, Subject Matter Expert Exchange, and Milan of Young Officers. Ships, Maritime patrol aircraft, and submarines of Friendly Foreign Countries would participate in the sea phase along with Indian Navy units.
- They will involve large-force manoeuvres, advanced air defence operations, Anti-submarine warfare, and Anti-surface warfare operations.
- MILAN 22 was conducted at/ off Visakhapatnam from February 25 Feb - 04 Mar 22 and witnessed participation from 39 countries.
2. Neurocysticercosis
Recently, health experts shared information related to neurocysticercosis.
About Neurocysticercosis:
- It is a parasitic infection of the central nervous system and is caused by the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium.
- Humans become infected after consuming undercooked food, particularly pork, or water contaminated with tapeworm eggs, or through poor hygiene practices.
- Taeniasis is the intestinal infection of the adult tapeworm.
- When left untreated, a more serious condition known as cysticercosis develops as T. solium larvae invade body tissues.
- When larvae build up in the central nervous system, muscles, skin, and eyes, it leads to neurocysticercosis.
- It is the most severe form of the disease and a common cause of seizures worldwide.
- Symptoms
- Most often, neurocysticercosis in other areas or organs of the body may remain asymptomatic.
- But when the condition affects the brain, it causes severe symptoms like seizures or epilepsy.
- Treatment: It is mainly treated symptomatically and by management of seizures by anticonvulsants.
3. Snow crabs
From 2018 to 2021, an estimated 10 billion snow crabs disappeared from the eastern Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, with the population plummeting to record lows in 2021.