English for Veterinary Science

Rabies – a terrifying and deadly viral infection of the central nervous system is still very common in Asia, but eradicated in much of the rest of the world. It’s usually transmitted by bites
from infected animals. Over three million Asians are bitten by rabid animals each year, and 45,000 die. According to the WorldHealth organisation (WHO), in India alone the disease kills a staggering 30,000 people annually.

How can you tell if an animal is rabid? A common clue is a sudden change of behaviour, like drooling, unprovoked aggression, biting, aimless running and difficulty in breathing.

In humans, rabies symptoms can sometimes take weeks or months to appear. When an infected animal bites a person, the rabies virus travels along the nerves to the central nervous system, where it may incubate for up to three months. During this time, the victim shows no outward signs of illness. By the time symptoms develop it’s always too late to prevent death. At the end of this incubation period, the virus multiplies rapidly, spreading to the brain and throughout the body. Initially the symptoms may be mild – a slight fever, headache, nausea and a persistent cough. There may also be pain, itching, tingling or a sensation of cold at the bite
site. Later the symptoms become increasingly frightening. For the next two to seven days, the patient becomes nervous, agitated, restless and irritable, and may salivate excessively. As the virus replicates in the brain, the victim experiences eye problems such as enlarged pupils, weakness of the facial muscles and hoarseness.In one out of six persons, there’s hydrophobia – a fear of water. Finally, the virus overwhelms the brain and central nervous system. The patient falls into a coma, becomes paralysed and dies.

What should you do if you’re bitten by an animal? Attend to the wound immediately.Wash it with plenty of soap and running tap water. Then apply an antiseptic like iodine or Betadine. Once
the wound has been cleaned seek medical help immediately.Victims must be immunised as soon as possible, so that antibodies have time to develop and kill the virus before it incubates. Once the virus reaches the brain, the antibodies are no longer effective.

Prevention is the best defence against rabies. One of the most effective weapons is pre-exposure vaccination, especially for children in areas where rabies is endemic.

Vaccinating pets and livestock can help prevent rabies, too.Pets, especially dogs, are the usual carriers of the rabies virus.Rabbits, squirrels, cats, bats, rats, chipmunks, mice may also be infected. If they bite or scratch you, see your doctor. In dogs and cats, immunisation usually involves a single shot, but it is important that booster shots are taken regularly once a year.

English for Catering

A. Listening

Hello listeners! This is your host Poovan, with your favourite radio programme ‘Cooking for fun’. With us, in our studio today is the famous Chef, Jeevan Khana, from the ‘Parris-Trichy Restaurant.’And he is going to tell us how ‘Mango Fool’ is made. This is a favourite dish in his restaurant, during the Mango season. Over to Chef Khana.

Chef K: Good afternoon, listeners! I’m here to tell you how to
make ‘Mango Fool’. Get your note-books and pencils
ready. First ......... the ingredients.
You need 2 large ripe mangoes
½ cup sugar
1 tsp gelatine
1½ cup thick milk/cream

Method

First soak gelatine in 6tsps of warm water. Stir it until all the gelatine is dissolved. Keep the gelatine in a dish of cold water, or on ice, to set. The jelly will be ready in ½ an hour. Now wash the mangoes well. Then peel and chop them into pieces. Put the mango pieces in a blender. Beat well. Add sugar and beat again. Now add the jelly to this mixture and beat again in a blender till it is smooth. When done, pour this mixture into a ceramic/glass bowl. Stir in the thickened milk/cream, gently with a spoon. Place on ice / or over a bowl of cold water to set. After an hour or so it is ready to eat.

Enjoy your ‘Mango fool’! Here’s a tip for you. You can also use seasonal fruit like pineapple or papaya instead of the mangoes.
That’s all for today. Good-bye!