Important Facts for Prelims (22nd January 2019)

• 22 Jan 2019

Swine Flu in Delhi

• Recently fresh cases of swine flu have emerged in Delhi with symptoms being very similar to normal influenza.
• Swine flu caused by the “swine flu virus”, the H1N1.
• Swine Flu is an infection of the respiratory tract characterized by the usual symptoms of flu — cough, nasal secretions, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, and headache.
• It is called swine flu because it was known in the past to occur in people who had been in the vicinity of pigs.
• The virus is transmitted by short-distance airborne transmission, particularly in crowded enclosed spaces. Hand contamination and direct contact are other possible sources of transmission.

Zoonotic Influenzas

• Humans can be infected with avian, swine and other zoonotic influenza viruses, such as avian influenza (or Bird Flu) virus subtypes A(H5N1), A(H7N9), and A(H9N2) and swine influenza virus subtypes A(H1N1), A(H1N2) and A(H3N2).
• Viruses are classified into subtypes according to the combinations of different virus surface proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). So far there are 18 different hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 different neuraminidase subtypes.

World Economic Outlook Report

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released an update of its biennial World Economic Outlook Report 2018.
• India’s GDP is forecasted to expand 7.5% in FY20 and 7.7% in FY21. China’s growth is seen at 6.2% in both years.
• The FY20 forecast has been raised by 0.1percentage point from the projected outlook in October 2018.
• According to the report, India’s economy will pick up growth in 2019, benefiting from lower oil prices and a slower pace of monetary tightening than previously expected, as inflationary pressures ease.
• The global economy is projected to grow by 3.5% in 2019 and 3.6% in 2020.