H5N1

• Avian influenza A (H5N1) or H5B1 Bird Flu is a highly pathogenic virus that primarily circulates among birds but can infect mammals.
• Origin: It was originated from a virus outbreak in China in 1996 and rapidly evolved into a highly pathogenic strain.
• Since 2020, it has spread across Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and even mainland Antarctica.
• India experienced the first H5N1 outbreak in the State of Maharashtra and Gujarat in 2015.
• Impact on Animals:
  • Wild birds, including endangered species like California condors, have been severely affected by H5N1.
  • The main species affected used to be chicken.
  • Marine mammals, such as sea lions and dolphins, have suffered mass deaths in regions like Chile and Peru.
  • Mammals like foxes, pumas, bears in North America and farmed minks in Spain and Finland have also been infected.
• Human Risk and Spread Factors:
  • While rare, humans can contract bird flu, primarily through contact with infected birds.
  • Climate change may exacerbate the spread of the virus, altering bird behaviour and increasing interactions between bird species.
• World Health Organization (WHO) Risk Assessment:
  • While the virus does not easily infect humans, sporadic cases continue to occur, mainly linked to poultry exposure.
  • Human-to-human transmission remains rare, but the potential for further cases exists, particularly in regions where the virus is endemic in poultry.
  • WHO assesses the overall risk to the general population as low but emphasises the importance of surveillance and risk management.
• Preventive Measures and Recommendations:
  • WHO advises the public to avoid high-risk environments like live animal markets and practice good hand hygiene.
  • Prompt reporting of sick animals and avoiding consumption of sick poultry are recommended.
  • Individuals exposed to infected birds or environments should seek medical care promptly.
• Why in the News?
  • The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 strain is affecting cattle in several states of United States of America.
  • Three human infections in dairy farm workers have been reported for the first time which raises fears of wider transmission of H5N1 from cattle to humans.
  • In Kerala, the districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta have reported H5N1 outbreaks in 19 locations since April.
  • These districts have ecosystems with water bodies, migratory birds, fowls and integrated farms.
  • A significant number of crow deaths in Alappuzha have been confirmed to be due to H5N1.

Thailand Passed Same Sex Marriage Bill

• Thailand approved a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage.
• The country to become the first in Southeast Asia to enact such a law.
• The bill grants LGBTQ+ couples the same legal rights and recognition as heterosexual couples, including rights related to inheritance, adoption and health care decision-making.
• Note:
  • Other countries who legalized the same sex marriage are Taiwan and Nepal.
• Legality of Same-Sex Marriages in India:
  • The right to marry is not expressly recognized either as a fundamental or constitutional right under the Indian Constitution but a statutory right.
  • Though marriage is regulated through various statutory enactments, its recognition as a fundamental right has only developed through judicial decisions of India’s Supreme Court. Such declaration of law is binding on all courts throughout India under Article 141 of the Constitution.
• Special Marriage Act (SMA) 1954
  • About:
    • The Special Marriage Act (SMA), 1954 is an Indian law that provides a legal framework for the marriage of people belonging to different religions or castes.
    • It governs a civil marriage where the state sanctions the marriage rather than the religion.
    • The Indian system, where both civil and religious marriages are recognised, is similar to the laws in the UK’s Marriage Act of 1949.
  • Features:
    • Allows people from two different religious backgrounds to come together in the bond of marriage.
    • Lays down the procedure for both solemnization and registration of marriage, where either of the husband or wife or both are not Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs.
    • Being a secular Act, it plays a key role in liberating individuals from traditional requirements of marriage.

Neeraj Chopra Won Gold Medal at Paavo Nurmi Games 2024

• He won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw at the Paavo Nurmi Games, a World Athletics Continental Tour event in Turku, Finland.
• Note:
  • The World Athletics Continental Tour is an annual series of independent track and field athletic competitions, recognised by World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF).

Ashwani Kumar was Appointed as the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)

• He was appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• He will succeed Gyanesh Bharti.
• Note:
  • MCD was founded on 7 April 1958.
  • Its headquarter is in New Delhi.

World Sickle Cell Awareness Day 2024

• World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is annually observed on 19^th June to raise awareness about sickle cell disease (SCD).
• The theme for the day is “Hope Through Progress: Advancing Sickle Cell Care Globally”.
• Note:
  • SCD is a genetic blood disorder caused by a mutation in the hemoglobin gene, leading to the production of abnormal hemoglobin S.
  • This results in rigid, crescent-shaped red blood cells that can obstruct blood flow.