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Introduction Countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region have extended their targets to eliminate the vaccine-preventable infections, measles and rubella, by 2023. (1) These infections lead to [...], Objective To expand the measles and rubella laboratory network of India by integrating new laboratories. Methods In collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Indian government developed a 10-step scheme to systematically expand the number of laboratories performing serological and molecular testing for measles and rubella. The Indian Council of Medical Research and WHO identified suitable laboratories based on their geographical location, willingness, preparedness, past performance and adherence to national quality control and quality assurance mechanisms. The 10-step scheme was initiated with training on measles and rubella diagnostic assays followed by testing of both measles and rubella serology and molecular unknown panels, cross- verification with reference laboratories and ended with WHO on-site accreditation. Findings After extensive training, technical support, funding and monitoring, all six selected laboratories attained passing scores of 90.0% or more in serological and molecular proficiency testing of measles and rubella. Since 2018, the laboratories are a part of the measles and rubella network of India. Within 12 months of initiation of independent reporting, the six laboratories have tested 2287 serum samples and 701 throat or nasopharyngeal swabs or urine samples. Conclusion The process led to strengthening and expansion of the network. This proficient laboratory network has helped India in scaling up serological and molecular testing of measles and rubella while ensuring high quality testing. The collaborative model developed by the Indian government with WHO can be implemented by other countries for expanding laboratory networks for surveillance of measles and rubella as well as other infectious diseases. Objectif Etendre le reseau de laboratoires d'analyse de la rougeole et de la rubeole en Inde en y integrant de nouveaux etablissements. Methodes En collaboration avec l'Organisation mondiale de la Sante (OMS), le gouvernement indien a mis au point un programme en 10 etapes destine a accroitre systematiquement le nombre de laboratoires effectuant des tests serologiques et moleculaires de detection de la rougeole et de la rubeole. Le Conseil indien de la recherche medicale et l'OMS ont identifie une serie de laboratoires eligibles en raison de leur situation geographique, de leur volonte d'y participer, de leur niveau de preparation, de leurs performances anterieures et de leur respect des mecanismes nationaux de controle et d'assurance qualite. Ce programme en 10 etapes a commence par une formation aux analyses diagnostiques pour la rougeole et la rubeole, suivie de la realisation de tests serologiques et moleculaires pour detecter la rougeole et la rubeole sur des echantillons inconnus, une verification croisee avec les laboratoires de reference et enfin, une accreditation OMS sur site. Resultats Apres avoir recu une formation complete, un soutien technique, un financement et fait l'objet d'une surveillance, les six laboratoires selectionnes ont tous reussi, obtenant une note egale ou superieure a 90,0% dans les tests d'aptitude au depistage serologique et moleculaire de la rougeole et de la rubeole. Depuis 2018, ces laboratoires font partie du reseau d'analyse de la rougeole et de la rubeole en Inde. Douze mois apres l'etablissement des premiers rapports independants, les six laboratoires avaient teste 2287 echantillons de serum et 701 ecouvillons nasopharynges, prelevements de gorge ou echantillons d'urine. Conclusion Le programme a permis de renforcer et d'etendre le reseau de laboratoires competents. L'Inde a ainsi pu developper un systeme de tests serologiques et moleculaires de haute qualite pour depister la rougeole et la rubeole. Le modele collaboratif adopte par le gouvernement indien avec l'OMS pourrait s'appliquer a d'autres pays qui souhaitent etendre leur reseau de laboratoires charges de surveiller la rougeole et la rubeole, mais aussi d'autres maladies infectieuses. Objetivo Ampliar la red de laboratorios para el diagnostico del sarampion y la rubeola en la India mediante el establecimiento de nuevos laboratorios. Metodos En colaboracion con la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud (OMS), el gobierno de la India desarrollo un programa de 10 pasos para ampliar de manera sistematica el numero de laboratorios que realizan pruebas serologicas y moleculares para detectar el sarampion y la rubeola. El Consejo Indio de Investigacion Medica y la OMS identificaron los laboratorios adecuados segun su ubicacion geografica, su disposicion, su preparacion, sus resultados anteriores y su adhesion a los mecanismos nacionales de control y garantia de calidad. El programa de 10 pasos se inicio con la formacion sobre las pruebas de diagnostico del sarampion y la rubeola, seguida de la realizacion de pruebas serologicas y moleculares para el sarampion y la rubeola en grupos desconocidos, la verificacion cruzada con los laboratorios de referencia y finalizo con la acreditacion in situ a cargo de la OMS. Resultados Luego de una extensa formacion, apoyo tecnico, financiamiento y seguimiento, los seis laboratorios seleccionados alcanzaron puntajes de aprobacion del 90,0 % o mas en las pruebas de aptitud serologica y molecular para el sarampion y la rubeola. Desde 2018, los laboratorios forman parte de la red contra el sarampion y la rubeola de la India. En los 12 meses posteriores al inicio de la presentacion de informes independientes, los seis laboratorios han analizado 2287 muestras de suero y 701 exudados faringeos o nasofaringeos, o muestras de orina. Conclusion El proceso condujo al fortalecimiento y la expansion de la red. Esta competente red de laboratorios ha ayudado a India a ampliar las pruebas serologicas y moleculares para el sarampion y la rubeola, garantizando al mismo tiempo la alta calidad de las pruebas. El modelo de colaboracion que ha desarrollado el gobierno de la India con la OMS se puede aplicar en otros paises para ampliar las redes de laboratorios con el fin de vigilar los casos de sarampion y rubeola, asi como otras enfermedades infecciosas.

To implement the strategy of test, track and treat to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the number of real-time RT-PCR–based testing laboratories was increased for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 in the country. To ensure reliability of the laboratory results, the Indian Council of Medical Research initiated external quality assessment (EQA) by deploying inter-laboratory quality control (ILQC) activity for these laboratories by nominating 34 quality control (QC) laboratories. This report presents the results of this activity for a period of September 2020 till November 2020. A total of 597 laboratories participated in this activity and 86 per cent of these scored ≥90 per cent concordance with QC laboratories. This ILQC activity showcased India’s preparedness in quality diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: Dengue virus infection is endemic in India with all the four serotypes of dengue virus in circulation. This study was aimed to determine the geographic distribution of the primary and secondary dengue cases in India. Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Health Research/ Indian Council of Medical Research (DHR)/(ICMR) viral research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs) and selected ICMR institutes located in India. Only laboratory-confirmed dengue cases with date of onset of illness less than or equal to seven days were included between September and October 2017. Dengue NS1 antigen ELISA and anti-dengue IgM capture ELISA were used to diagnose dengue cases while antidengue IgG capture ELISA was used for identifying the secondary dengue cases. Results: Of the 1372 dengue cases, 897 (65%) were classified as primary dengue and 475 (35%) as secondary dengue cases. However, the proportion varied widely geographically, with Theni, Tamil Nadu; Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and Udupi-Manipal, Karnataka reporting more than 65 per cent secondary dengue cases while Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir reporting as low as 10 per cent of the same. The median age of primary dengue cases was 25 yr [interquartile range (IQR 17-35] while that of secondary dengue cases was 23 yr (IQR 13.5-34). Secondary dengue was around 50 per cent among the children belonging to the age group 6-10 yr while it ranged between 20-43 per cent among other age groups. Interpretation & conclusions: Our findings showed a wide geographical variation in the distribution of primary and secondary dengue cases in India. It would prove beneficial to include primary and secondary dengue differentiation protocol in the national dengue surveillance programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotubes are the building blocks for future electronics, materials, health care devices etc. In order to explore the health care applications of nanotubes in diagnosis and drug delivery, it is important to understand their toxicity. In the present study the in vitro responses were seen when carbon nanotubes were exposed to human cell lines. It typically involves dispersion of multiwall and single walled carbon nanotubes, as well as carbon black and quartz as reference material within the cell culture medium followed by their subsequent addition to human cell lines. MTT 3-(4, 5 dimethylthiazol-2 yl) 2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, a tetrazole assay was performed; cell viability was measured by observing their absorbance using ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) reader. Cell viabilities at different concentrations i.e. 50, 10, 5, 3, 1 μg mL−1were studied. In MTT assay, it was observed that cell viability increases with decrease in concentration of single walled and multiwall carbon nanotubes. We found that both behave almost in the same manner in terms of viability in case of MTT assay. Cellular uptake of FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate) labeled carbon nanotubes were imaged using confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscope. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nanotechnology is currently employed as a tool to fight more efficiently against human pathogens. Nanoparticles can be prepared from a variety of materials such as protein, biodegradable polymers and synthetic polymers.Tamarindus indicaLinn. or tamarind is one of the most important biodegradable polymer. In the present study, chemically modified polymer of tamarind ‘carboxymethyl tamarind kernel polysaccharide’ (CMTKP) is used for the synthesis of nanoparticulate formulation. Antibacterial activity of CMTKP was analysed which was then enhanced by incorporating a flouroquinolone antibiotic, ciprofloxacin to it. Ciprofloxacin-loaded CMTKP nanoparticles were synthesised via ionotropic gelation technique. Nanosuspension so formed was lyophilised by addition of a cryoprotectant. Nanoparticles obtained were characterised for its particle size, morphology and stability. Interaction studies were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Antibacterial activities of ciprofloxacin, CMTKP and ciprofloxacin-loaded CMTKP nanoparticles were tested against two Gram negative and positive bacteria. The antibacterial assay results revealed greatest zone of inhibition by ciprofloxacin-loaded CMTKP nanoparticles inMicrococcus luteus. Toxicity analysis of the prepared formulation was carried out on vero cell lines via resazurin assay which revealed its minimum toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background & objectives Dengue virus causes frequent outbreaks and epidemics with high morbidity and mortality. It is important to monitor the trends of the dengue virus and its serotypes. We carried out the present work to study the prevalence of the dengue virus and its serotypes in clinically suspected cases of dengue in Rajasthan. Methods A total of 1,47,777 individuals reporting as pyrexia of unknown origin or clinically suspected of dengue infection were included in this study. The presence of dengue NS1 antigen and dengue IgM was tested by ELISA. Nucleic acid extraction and PCR was done for detection of dengue virus RNA. Serotyping of representative dengue PCR-positive samples was done by real time PCR. Results Of the 1,47,777 dengue suspected cases, 28092 (19.01%) were positive for dengue by NS1antigen or IgM ELISA. Year-wise percentage positivity from 2015 to 2022 was 30.42, 16.49, 17.81, 20.15, 20.50, 9.25, 24.55 and 15.16 per cent, respectively. Males of age >15 yr were found to be more commonly affected. The number of dengue cases was significantly higher during the post-monsoon period throughout the eight-year study period. All four dengue serotypes circulated during the study period. DENV-2 and DENV-3 were the predominant serotypes during 2015 to 2017, while DENV-1 and DENV-2 were predominant during 2018 to 2022. Interpretation & conclusion The findings of this study suggest that the dengue positivity in Rajasthan was the highest in post-monsoon season among adult males. The serotype prevalent varied from time to time and was helpful in understanding the changing epidemiology of DENV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives Genetic analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains circulating in India during 2020-2022 was carried out to understand the evolution of potentially expanding and divergent clades. Methods SARS-CoV-2 sequences (n=612) randomly selected from among the sequences of samples collected through a nationwide network of Virus Research Diagnostic Laboratories during 2020 (n=1532) and Indian sequences available in Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data during March 2020-March 2022 (n=53077), were analyzed using the phylo-geo haplotype network approach with reference to the Wuhan prototype sequence. Results On haplotype analysis, 420 haplotypes were revealed from 643 segregating sites among the sequences. Haplotype sharing was noted among the strains from different geographical regions. Nevertheless, the genetic distance among the viral haplotypes from different clades could differentiate the strains into distinct haplo groups regarding variant emergence. Interpretation & conclusions The haplotype analysis revealed that the G and GR clades were co-evolved and an epicentrefor the evolution of the GH, GK and GRA clades. GH was more frequently identified in northern parts of India than in other parts, whereas GK was detected less in north India than in other parts. Thus, the network analysis facilitated a detailed illustration of the pathways of evolution and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: An outbreak of respiratory illness of unknown aetiology was reported from Hubei province of Wuhan, People's Republic of China, in December 2019. The outbreak was attributed to a novel coronavirus (CoV), named as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 and the disease as COVID-19. Within one month, cases were reported from 25 countries. In view of the novel viral strain with reported high morbidity, establishing early countrywide diagnosis to detect imported cases became critical. Here we describe the role of a countrywide network of VRDLs in early diagnosis of COVID-19. Methods: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, established screening as well as confirmatory assays for SARS-CoV-2. A total of 13 VRDLs were provided with the E gene screening real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay. VRDLs were selected on the basis of their presence near an international airport/seaport and their past performance. The case definition for testing included all individuals with travel history to Wuhan and symptomatic individuals with travel history to other parts of China. This was later expanded to include symptomatic individuals returning from Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and South Korea.Results: Within a week of standardization of the test at NIV, all VRDLs could initiate testing for SARS-CoV-2. Till February 29, 2020, a total of 2,913 samples were tested. This included both 654 individuals quarantined in the two camps and others fitting within the case definition. The quarantined individuals were tested twice - at days 0 and 14. All tested negative on both occasions. Only three individuals belonging to different districts in Kerala were found to be positive.Interpretation & conclusions: Sudden emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and its potential to cause a pandemic posed an unsurmountable challenge to the public health system of India. However, concerted efforts of various arms of the Government of India resulted in a well-coordinated action at each level. India has successfully demonstrated its ability to establish quick diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 at NIV, Pune, and the testing VRDLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]