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Memories of 2019 Sambhar tragedy came back to haunt Rajasthan as scores of birds were found dead on the lake. They included different species of birds such as rufous tree pie, owl, crow and gull. Earlier, a week before the bird deaths were reported from Sambhar, 189 demoiselle cranes had died at Jodhpurs Kaparda pond.

Bhopal-based National Institute of High-Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD) confirmed the cause of the bird deaths to be avian influenza (bird flu). The lab has detected two strains of influenza virus - H5N8 and H5N1-in the dead birds.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu can spread from birds to humans through contact. Symptoms of H5N1 include cough, fever, sore throat muscular pain, headache and difficulty breathing. The HSN1 strain can also result in human deaths.

Migratory birds were under observation in Jodhpur and other areas following these bird deaths Security was beefed up in the Desert National Park as well, which is home to the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard.

What happened in 2019?

In a similar incident in 2019, over 30,000 migratory birds died in Rajasthan, especially in the locality of Sambhar Lake. But the cause was found to be avian botulism. Avian botulism is a serious neuromuscular illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum. The outbreak at Sambhar was caused by various factors such as a good monsoon which created a favourable environment for the bacteria to thrive.

What is bird flu?

Bird flu is a highly infectious, respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans and other animals that come into contact with a carrier. Bird flu usually affects poultry such as chicken and ducks. The other strain H5N8 is highly lethal among birds, but it has not been found to affect humans.

How does it spread?

Bird flu spreads when birds come into contact with nasal secretions and faeces of infected birds. It can spread to humans in a similar fashion.

Symptoms in birds

Lack of energy and appetite: swelling of the head, eyelids, combs; discolouration of legs: nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing and diarrhoea are symptoms observed in birds affected by avian flu. It is often fatal.

Symptoms in humans

If humans are affected by bird flu, they may show symptoms such as diarrhoea, high fever, chest pain, muscle pain, cough and headache.

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The perception that one's mobile is vibrating or ringing when it's not. It is characterised as a 'tactile hallucination' since the brain perceives a sensation that is not present. Psychologists say that detecting a vibrating/ring phone has become a habit, and the slightest muscle twitch or feeling of clothing moving could be misinterpreted by the brain.

Majority of cell phone users report experiencing phantom vibrations, with reported rates ranging from 27.4% to 89%.

"I think it's a little scary how dependent most of us have become on our devices," she said.

Smith said sometimes she suggests students go on a media "fast" and avoid using digital devices for a period of time.

"They'll typically report back, 'I couldn't go an hour,'" Smith said.

Phantom vibration syndrome isn't really harmful -- in the study of college students, more than 90 percent said they considered phantom vibrations to be ''only a little'' or ''not at all'' bothersome.

But some believe it's a warning sign that too much technology may be hazardous to human interaction. Smith says our attachment to devices becomes a serious problem when it keeps us from engaging with other people in the here and now.

"The remarkable prevalence of phantom vibration syndrome appears to reveal somethingabout our contemporary technological situation," writes Georgia Tech assistant professor Robert Rosenberger, Ph.D., in a recent analysis published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. Habits, anxiety, brain chemistry and other factors may all contribute, and he says more study is needed to fully understand what's going on when we sense phone vibrations that aren't really there.

Credit : CBS News

Picture Credit : Google