The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced that both RT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) and antibody tests, crucial for diagnosing Nipah virus, can be conducted in Bio Safety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories.
Out of the three tests required to confirm the presence of the Nipah virus, two can be efficiently carried out in BSL-2-certified laboratories. This is a significant development, as three government labs within Kerala, namely the Institute of Advanced Virology (IAV) in Thiruvananthapuram, the National Institute of Virology in Alappuzha, and the Microbiology Centre in Kozhikode, are now equipped to conduct Nipah tests.
However, it’s worth noting that the Inter-University Centre for Biomedical Research, located in Thalappady, Kottayam, does not presently possess the capability for Nipah testing.
While these centers can detect the presence of the virus, it’s essential to understand that only national-level institutions like the National Institute of Virology in Pune are authorized to officially declare test results. This clarifies why samples are initially sent to the Pune institute. Once the Nipah virus disease is confirmed by the Center, the remaining cases can be determined at the state-level institutes themselves, according to Dr. E Sreekumar, the director of IAV.
The decision to conduct the test at the Pune institute is contingent upon the Center’s demand for confirmation. Dr. Sreekumar emphasizes that there is no issue with reporting disease diagnoses locally, and the test results can be obtained within 12 hours, providing a more efficient approach to addressing potential Nipah virus cases.
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