Islamabad:&nbsp;Amid the rising risk of a monkeypox outbreak in Pakistan, the Pakistan Health ministry on Saturday said that the country has no facility for diagnostic tests for the virus. The officials of the federal health ministry said that there are no cases of monkeypox reported in the country yet, however, in the case of an outbreak, the samples can be sent abroad for testing, Geo TV reported."The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Islamabad clarifies that NO case of Monkeypox has yet been diagnosed in Pakistan. The news circulating on social media about monkeypox cases is incorrect. The situation is being closely monitored by the health authorities," NIH wrote on Twitter. The ministry further said that the government is trying to procure the testing kits for the National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH). They further stated that Aga Khan University and other health organisations are also trying to procure the testing kits, Geo TV reported.The officials said that given the circumstances, the health experts can declare a patient as a suspected case by examining the symptoms. The monkeypox virus is tested through a PCR machine similar to the diagnostic tests for COVID-19, Geo TV reported citing the health experts.Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation on Friday issued a warning against the disease and said that countries should take the right measures to contain Monkeypox cases easily and also share data about their vaccine stockpiles. Sylvie Briand, WHO director for Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness said that the extent of the disease is uncertain. On the risk to the community spread, she said, "We are afraid that it will be spread in the community but currently it is very hard to assess this risk.""There is also much uncertainty about the future and this disease because we don't know if this transmission will stop. What we have seen in endemic countries as usually we have self-limiting outbreaks, and so we hope it will be exactly the same with the current one," she added. According to WHO, Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease and typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks. It may be severe in children, pregnant women or persons with immune suppression due to other conditions. The incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days but it can be longer from 5 to 21 days.Typical symptoms include fever headache, muscle ache backache and fatigue and swollen lymph nodes and then it's followed by skin rashes and or lesions.—PTI

Amid the rising risk of a monkeypox outbreak in Pakistan, the Pakistan Health ministry on Saturday said that the country has no facility for diagnostic tests for the virus. The officials of the federal health ministry said that there are no cases of monkeypox reported in the country yet, however, in the case of an outbreak, the samples can be sent abroad for testing, Geo TV reported.

No diagnostic facility in Pakistan to detect Monkeypox

New Delhi (The Hawk): The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India supports ‘Free Diagnostics Service Initiative’ (FDSI) programme under National Health Mission. The programme was launched in July 2015 with the aim to provide accessible and affordable pathological and radiological diagnostics services closer to the community which in turn reduces the Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE). A minimum set of essential diagnostic tests has been recommended as per the Essential Diagnostic List at each level of public health facility.A guidance document for implementing laboratory services has been shared with all states and UTs. The guidelines also recommend expanded range of diagnostics at all levels of public health facilities (14 tests at Sub Centres (SCs), 63 tests at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), 97 tests at Community Health Centres (CHCs), 111 tests at Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) and 134 tests at District Hospitals (DHs).Under NHM, ‘Free Diagnostic Service initiative’ is delivered through in-house, Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Hybrid mode by the States/UTs in the country. Free Laboratory service is operational in 33 States, out of which 11 States/UTs (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Tripura, and Uttarakhand) are providing the services through PPP/hybrid mode and 22 States/UTs (Andhra Pradesh, A&amp;N Island, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, D&amp;N Haveli-Daman &amp; Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Puducherry, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal) provide the services through In-house mode.Further, free Tele-Radiology (Tele-reporting of X-rays) service is operational in 13 states/UTs (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, Tripura). Free CT Scan service is operational in 27 States/UTs out of which 17 States (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal) are providing it in PPP mode and 10 states (A&amp;N island, Bihar, D&amp;N Haveli-Daman &amp; Diu, Goa, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana) provide through In-house mode.The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India supports ‘Free Diagnostics Service Initiative’ (FDSI) programme under National Health Mission. 

Update On Free Diagnostics Service Initiative’ 

Bonn: Uveitis, a rare inflammatory eye illness, is responsible for five to ten percent of blindness worldwide. In particular, posterior uveitis is frequently associated with significant disease progression and the requirement for immunosuppressive medication. In posterior uveitis, inflammation develops in the retina as well as the underlying choroid, which gives nutrients to the retina. Color-coded fundus autofluorescence was investigated as a potential innovative diagnostic tool by researchers at the University of Bonn's Department of Ophthalmology. The fluorescence of the retina can be used to determine the type of uveitis. This is a necessary requirement for appropriate disease diagnosis and therapy. The findings of the results were published in Scientific Reports.
Blurred vision, floaters and unusual light perception - those affected by the rare disease posterior uveitis feel no pain. "But the consequences can be severe: About five to ten percent of blindness worldwide is caused by uveitis. Uveitis is a rare disease, but posterior uveitis in particular potentially has a poor prognosis and often requires immunosuppressive therapy," explains Dr. Maximilian Wintergerst of the Ophthalmology Department at the University of Bonn. There are different forms of the disease. In posterior uveitis, the retina or choroid in the eye becomes inflamed. While the retina converts the incident light into nerve impulses, the choroid supplies the outer layers of the retina with nutrients.
Different therapeutic management
"It's not easy to distinguish between the numerous subtypes of uveitis," says Wintergerst. However, since the different subtypes often require a different therapeutic approach, a reliable diagnosis is all the more important. This is why researchers from the Ophthalmology Department at the University of Bonn, together with colleagues from the Medical Biometry and Rheumatology Departments at the University Hospital Bonn and the University Hospital of Ophthalmology in Bern (Switzerland), investigated a new imaging technique that can assist in the diagnosis of posterior uveitis.
The team evaluated color-coded fundus autofluorescence (Spectrally Resolved Autofluorescence Imaging). The CenterVue (iCare) company from Padua (Italy) provided the newly developed device to the researchers for the examinations. This process involves illuminating the retina with bluish light. The retina absorbs the light and emits it again at a different wavelength. The device measures this fluorescence and splits the signals into a green and a red component.
"The green-to-red ratio of the light emitted from each inflammatory focus depends, among other factors, on the exact posterior uveitis subtype involved," Wintergerst explains. The researchers examined the eyes of 45 study participants. In all of them, the exact subtype of uveitis was diagnosed beforehand. This included ophthalmologic examination findings, laboratory investigations, serologic and radiologic findings, and in some cases genetic and interdisciplinary clinical examinations. More reliable diagnoses with color-coded fundus autofluorescence
The researchers evaluated the green-red ratio in the fluorescence of the fundus of the eye for about 800 inflammatory foci in the eyes of the patients. "Our results indicate, that this ratio can be very characteristic and helpful as a marker for differentiating the various posterior uveitis subtypes," states Prof. Dr. Dr. Robert Finger, co-author of the study and head of the uveitis clinic at the Ophthalmology Department at the University Hospital Bonn. "It could allow us to make more confident diagnoses in the future." This is a big step for the Ophthalmology Department at the University of Bonn, especially since Finger coordinates the Germany-wide uveitis registry "TOFU" (Treatment exit options for non-infectious uveitis, www.tofu-uveitis-register.de) together with colleagues from Munster. The aim is to document disease progression on a long-term basis and to develop recommendations for treatment guidelines. "In the current study, we present the precise technical background of color-coded fundus autofluorescence in ophthalmology in collaboration with our international partners," says head of department Prof. Dr. Frank Holz. "This technology may also allow better monitoring of posterior uveitis in the future, in addition to more reliable diagnoses." —ANI

 Uveitis, a rare inflammatory eye illness, is responsible for five to ten percent of blindness worldwide. In particular, posterior uveitis is frequently associated with significant disease progression and the requirement for immunosuppressive medication. 

Researchers Discover New Diagnostic Method For Posterior Uveitis Eye Disease

Dehradun (The Hawk): Redcliffe Labs, India’s fastest-growing diagnostics service provider and drone delivery logistics company, Skye Air Mobility began Long term Drone Pilot Flights from the remote hills, Uttarkashi to Sahastradhara, Dehradun, on December 6th. The Redcliffe test samples from their collection centre in Uttarkashi, are sent to the Dehradun Redcliffe Labs in just 90 minutes via drone delivery.
Bringing further relief to the residents of Uttarkashi, Redcliffe Labs will be daily operating flights for both routine and specialized tests sample collection in an attempt to provide affordable &amp; high-quality diagnostic services. Being the first diagnostic company in India to transport samples via drones, Redcliffe Labs is ensuring that people living in smaller towns or remote areas get access to high-quality, affordable diagnostics.
To eliminate challenges like poor accessibility to locations, drones have an important and rising role. The Drone Pilot Flights from Uttarkashi Skye Hub to Dehradun Skye Hub will reduce the delivery time which takes 6-8 hours by road and 12 hours during a landslide to only 1.5 hours.
This will be first of its kind end-to-end delivery via connected Skye Hubs at both ends relaying real-time flight information to the Skye Air’s Central Command Centre, Gurugram. The real-time payload health monitoring shall also be there. Commenting on starting the drone pilot flights in Uttarakhand, Dheeraj Jain, Founder, Redcliffe Labs, said "Given Uttarkashi's hilly terrain, the region has limited connectivity that consequently acts as a barrier to accessibility of high-quality diagnostic services. On this front, our goal in undertaking the drone pilot flight from Uttarkashi Skye Hub to Dehradun Skye Hub is to effectively connect every part of the state to a high-quality diagnostic centre. Our team is overjoyed to connect the residents of Uttarkashi with our lab services in Dehradun. The residents will no longer need to travel to the larger cities for their diagnostic needs thanks to easy and reliable access. Significantly, with the help of drone delivery the turnaround time (TAT) for these samples can be maintained within the same day of receiving the sample, which usually in a place like Uttarkashi used to take more than 24 hrs.”&nbsp;
“The current form of logistics simply does not work for the healthcare industry in such a terrain geography. The need is to have a solution which is providing a faster, sustainable and scalable supply; drones rightly fit into elevating delivery, the Skye Air way. We are enthused to take our partnership with Redcliffe Labs to the next level of beginning long term flights helping the residents of Uttarkashi to get advantage from such services. Skye Air is working together towards a mission to impact lives at large and with our partners here, we are one step ahead in that journey” said Mr. Ankit Kumar, CEO of Skye Air Mobility.
It is noteworthy to mention that the Long-term Drone Pilot Flights are also a part of the Redcliffe and Skye Air tie-up. Over the past few months, they have done 50+ successful trial flights in North India.&nbsp;&nbsp;
"Redcliffe Labs is planning to expand its operations in the country through a series of upcoming initiatives in the next 12 months. By leveraging drone technology, Redcliffe Labs makes diagnostic care accessible to the remotest areas of the country. Using drone technology to collect test samples is one such initiative. The idea is to reach 500M+ Indians by 2027." further said Dheeraj Jain&nbsp;
"This is a remarkable day giving pace to the Drone Delivery ecosystem in India to rise. Our core aim is to enable change, bring the much-needed disruption in the first &amp; last mile logistics industry to move faster and more efficiently. Skye Air is proactively working in the healthcare, quick commerce and ecommerce verticals enabling solutions for faster and cost-effective deliveries” further added by Ankit Kumar

 Redcliffe Labs, India’s fastest-growing diagnostics service provider and drone delivery logistics company, Skye Air Mobility began Long term Drone Pilot Flights from the remote hills, Uttarkashi to Sahastradhara, Dehradun, on December 6th. 

Test Samples Delivered Via Drone In Just 90 Minutes, U'khand Has Improved Access To High-Quality Diagnostics

New Delhi (The Hawk): IgM and IgG ELISA has been established as the major diagnostic method for Nipah virus (NiV) screening in association with the National Institute of Virology, Pune, by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). A zoonotic paramyxovirus called the NiV causes deadly encephalitis in people.
The Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) is a diagnostic instrument that can be used for screening large-scale epidemiological research since it is sensitive, specific, safe, and reasonably priced. According to a study by ICMR researchers, the creation and assessment of IgM and IgG ELISA for screening blood samples for NiV in suspected cases will also aid in the planning of public health measures.
NiV antigen was used to create an IgM capture (MAC) ELISA and an indirect IgG ELISA for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies against NiV in human samples. According to the study, measles, mumps, rubella, crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever, crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever, and kyasanur forest sickness IgM, IgG positive sera were used to test the sensitivity, specificity, and cross-reactivity of the assays.
According to the experts, the created anti-NiV IgM and IgG ELISAs had 100% sensitivity and 99.28% specificity when compared to the standard test from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA. Anti-Nipah IgM and IgG ELISA assays showed 100% negative predictive value and 90% and 93.94% positive predictive value, respectively, with a test accuracy of 99.33%.
The care of patients, which may stop the virus from spreading further in the community, depends on an early NiV diagnosis. Polymerase chain reactions can be utilised as a secondary diagnostic method after IgM ELISA, it was suggested.
(Inputs from Agencies)

IgM and IgG ELISA has been established as the major diagnostic method for Nipah virus (NiV) screening in association with the National Institute of Virology, Pune, by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). A zoonotic paramyxovirus called the NiV causes deadly encephalitis in people.

For Nipah virus screening, the ICMR-NIV creates ELISA main diagnostic instrument

New Delhi (The Hawk): The approval of the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena to allow patients at Mohalla clinics in the nation's capital to receive outside diagnostic services has been welcomed by Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva.Although the Arvind Kejriwal government, which boasts of providing world-class healthcare, is to blame for the issues brought up by the L-G in his acceptance letter, he has said that it was vital for the diagnostic services to continue in the benefit of the patients.In small towns across the nation, internal diagnostic services are now available in government hospitals and health clinics. According to Sachdeva, the Kejriwal administration should explain why internal diagnostic test facilities are not available in government hospitals and mohalla clinics in Delhi.All Central government hospitals in the nation's capital offered in-house diagnostic services.According to the Delhi BJP President, the Delhi government praises its Mohalla clinics, but it is surprising that in the past year, the number of patients visiting these clinics has decreased by half while the number of diagnostic tests performed there each year has increased 1.5 times, which obviously points to the possibility of corruption.He continued by saying that the government hospitals and mohalla clinics in Delhi are currently in worse shape than the hospitals in rural parts of the nation, and as a result, the residents of Delhi are ashamed.(Inputs from Agencies)

The approval of the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena to allow patients at Mohalla clinics in the nation's capital to receive outside diagnostic services has been welcomed by Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva.

Delhi BJP Chief: Govt hospitals, mohalla clinics without diagnostic testing

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to start Investigation Revolving Fund (IRF) on the pattern of Hospital Revolving Fund (HRF).
This will help state-run medical colleges/hospitals to provide diagnostic facilities at cheaper rates, just as medicines are being provided via in-house medical stores. The Uttar Pradesh Budget has made a provision of Rs 12 crore for IRF. HRF provides medicines at up to 60 per cent discount and is currently operational at institutes such as King George's Medical University, SGPGIMS and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences. HRF and IRF are different from facilities run on private-public-partnership (PPP).
A revolving fund is like a corpus fund and remains available to finance an organisation's operations, including medicines, without any fiscal year limitation, as the organisation replenishes the fund by repaying money used from the account.
Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general, Association of International Doctors, said, "IRF aims to have sufficient funds for procurement of lab consumables to conduct tests and investigation for patients in different departments. It ensures cost-effective functioning of laboratories." Health establishments, which will run IRF, will first generate a corpus fund, purchase consumables and conduct tests for patients.
The money obtained from patients against the tests will then be used to purchase consumables. This way, the corpus will remain with the health facility and tests will be done at cheaper rates, as compared to private labs. Under the IRF, there will be an agreement with manufacturers of laboratory equipment and consumables for supply of the same at discounted rates. —IANS

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to start Investigation Revolving Fund (IRF) on the pattern of Hospital Revolving Fund (HRF).

Cheaper Diagnostic Tests In Hospitals Soon

Washington: A lollipop may be a tasty reward for a child who has survived a trip to the doctor's office, but this sweet treat may now make diagnostic testing during a visit less intrusive and more joyful. For the first time, researchers who had their findings published in ACS' Analytical Chemistry have demonstrated that a lollipop-based saliva collection system can capture bacteria from adults and remain shelf-stable for up to a year. Participants in the study also preferred candies over traditional collecting methods. Throat swabs are commonly used to collect samples for the diagnosis of a wide variety of illnesses, including strep throat. A less-gag-inducing method is saliva sampling, in which technicians analyze a patient's spit with methods such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Because this type of sample can be collected directly by a patient, the technique is popular for at-home testing and saw expanded use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gathering the necessary amount of saliva can be somewhat gross, though, which is why some scientists are looking to make the process more enjoyable by combining it with the equally drool-filled, yet much more pleasant, experience of enjoying a lollipop. Previously, Sanitta Thongpang, Ashleigh Theberge, Erwin Berthier and colleagues developed their own lollipop collection device dubbed CandyCollect. At first glance, CandyCollect looks like most lollipops, except for its spoon-like stick with a spiral-shaped groove carved into the top. This flattened end is covered with isomalt candy, allowing for saliva to easily flow into the groove as the lollipop is eaten. In a past study, the researchers showed in lab tests that the device could capture the bacteria responsible for strep throat. Now, they wanted to target other, naturally occurring bacteria and see how their system compared to other commercially available, at-home saliva sampling methods with real people. Researchers sent CandyCollect and two conventional saliva sampling kits to 28 adult volunteers, who used them, answered some survey questions, and then shipped the devices back to the lab. The researchers eluted the samples and then quantified Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria using qPCR. Whenever one or both of the conventional methods detected the target bacteria, CandyCollect also detected them 100 per cent of the time. Additionally, the candies were the most popular method of the three among participants, who also agreed it was the "most sanitary" and "least disgusting." The devices still produced accurate results after being stored for a year. Although the studies are still ongoing, the team says that this work shows that the system is adaptable and well-liked. The researchers say it could inspire other scientists to develop more intuitive and convenient at-home testing methods. —ANI

A lollipop may be a tasty reward for a child who has survived a trip to the doctor's office

Lollipops May Help In Diagnostic Procedures For Both Children, Adults: Study

Washington: According to a new analysis, current approaches can significantly overestimate the rates at which malaria parasites multiply in an infected person's blood, which has critical consequences for figuring out how damaging they might be to a host.  The findings also have implications for determining how medication resistance features evolve, how quickly a parasite may spread throughout a community, and the efficacy of new vaccines.  The article, titled ‘Extraordinary Parasite Multiplication Rates in Human Malaria Infections,’ was published in Trends in Parasitology's August issue. The researchers created a mathematical model of infection dynamics to identify that blood sampling biases and false inferences in previous computer models were leading to large overestimates. “The inability to accurately measure those rates is concerning,” said Megan Greischar, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and corresponding author on the paper. Lauren Childs, associate professor of mathematics at Virginia Tech, is a co-author. “We had a very simple model for how you infer multiplication rates that didn’t work, so now we know we need something more robust,” Greischar said. This study explains how the problems in accurately measuring multiplication rates arise, she said.  Some candidate malaria vaccines act during a stage in the parasite’s life cycle when it replicates in the blood, so knowing its multiplication rates is key to evaluating a vaccine’s efficacy. Infected mosquitoes pass the malaria parasite into a human host during a blood meal. The parasites then multiply first in liver cells before moving into red blood cells. There, in synchrony with each other, parasites replicate inside the red blood cells and burst out into the blood, killing the cells. The daughter parasites then continue the next cycle and invade new red blood cells. This cycle repeats about every 48 hours. When it comes to measuring multiplication rates, clinicians take blood samples from infected patients and count the number of parasites observed. Timing is important, as young parasites that are early in their life cycle after bursting from red blood cells are easy to see. But as they age, later in the cycle, they become sticky, attach themselves to blood vessel walls and do not circulate. Since the cycle repeats again and again, the samples’ timing determines whether high or low numbers are observable in the blood. Sampling bias increases when samples are taken later in the cycle when observable parasites are low, versus early in the cycle when counts of young parasites are high.  Previous models used for estimating parasite multiplication rates tried to correct for this sampling bias by inferring how many parasites might exist later in a parasite brood’s life cycle, when they can’t be directly observed. This study suggests that those methods were insufficient to determine how fast parasites actually multiply. Previously published studies measured the maximum number of offspring produced by a human malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) within a single 48-hour cycle of replication in artificial culture. “They should only be able to multiply at most 32-fold, which is quite large already,” meaning a single parasite could create 32 daughter parasites, at most, with a median of about 15 to 18, Greischar said. Using a mathematical model, combined with both modern and historical data from people infected with malaria, the researchers were able to identify that inferences made in previous models of parasite counts led to parasite multiplication rates that were orders of magnitude higher than what was possible. “We were seeing thousand-fold growth,” Greischar said. “That would mean that the parasites were making more than 1,000 parasites from a single red blood cell, repeatedly, which does not match with our understanding of the biology of these parasites.” (ANI)

According to a new analysis, current approaches can significantly overestimate the rates at which malaria

Study finds ‘concerning’ flaw in malaria diagnostics

New Delhi: At the G20 Health Ministers' Meeting, participants reached an agreement on the importance of providing low and middle income countries, as well as small island developing states, with equitable access to safe, quality-assured, and affordable vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other medical countermeasures. All 25 paragraphs of the outcome document addressing the geopolitical situation in Ukraine were approved by all G20 delegations with the exception of paragraph 22, which deals with the chair's summary.
According to the document released after the 19th of August meeting in Gandhinagar, a consensus was reached on establishing a platform for making open-source and inter-operable digital solutions readily available, as well as establishing a research and development and manufacturing network for vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The health ministers also hope that by May 2024, negotiations in the intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) for a legally binding World Health Organisation convention, accord, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, readiness, and response would have resulted in a positive resolution. According to reports, health ministers agreed to make climate-resilient health systems development a top priority in order to reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change. They also pledged to work towards creating low-carbon/low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission health systems and healthcare supply chains that provide high-quality care.
By bolstering multi-sectoral governance, coordination, research and development, infection prevention and control, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), awareness of AMR, responsible use of antimicrobials, and preservation of existing therapeutics across human, animal, and plant sectors through antimicrobials, the G20 members committed to tackling AMR (antimicrobial resistance) comprehensively following the One Health approach. Also, according to reports, they acknowledged the potential importance of traditional and complementary medicine (T&amp;CM) based on evidence and noted WHO's initiatives in this respect, such as global and collaborating centres and clinical trial registries.—Inputs from Agencies

At the G20 Health Ministers' Meeting, participants reached an agreement on the importance of providing low and middle income countries, as well as small island developing states, with equitable access to safe, quality-assured, and affordable vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other medical countermeasures. 

G20 Health Ministers call for building resilient, equitable access to affordable medicines in developing world

Thiruvananthapuram: The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Kerala on Thursday rolled out a fully-equipped mobile virology testing laboratory, strengthening the efforts to contain the Nipah virus infection reported from parts of the state's Kozhikode district. Health, Woman and Child Development Minister Veena George flagged off the Mobile Virology Lab in front of the Kerala Assembly complex here. Lauding the RGCB for stepping in to significantly help the Nipah containment efforts by rolling out such a critical facility, she said more samples can be tested with the mobile lab reaching in Kozhikode later in the day. "Biosafety Level 2 (BSL) plus Level 3 practices can be done in the lab where two machines will be working simultaneously. At any given point of time, each machine can handle around 96 samples and a total of 192 samples can be tested in the two machines," George said. She also informed that a mobile lab from National Institute of Biosciences (NIB), Pune, has already reached Kozhikode. RGCB Director Prof Chandrabhas Narayana said the services of a group of six experts have been made available in the mobile unit, which can give results within six hours after testing the samples. "The mobile lab will be deployed right at the containment zone. Any small number of samples can also be tested to provide prompt results to the public," he said. Narayana also said like a BSL 3 facility, the mobile lab has a double airlock system and features onboard decontamination and biological waste processing capabilities. It can perform testing for bacteria, fungi, and other pathogenic organisms, as well as assess food quality. The unit is developed by the Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Diagnostics (LMMD) division of the RGCB. It is equipped with cutting-edge machinery and operated by highly experienced staff with expertise in molecular diagnostics. It can be powered directly from standard domestic outlets and function seamlessly using its onboard diesel generator. The equipment inventory includes PCR machines, gel documentation systems, workstations, high-speed refrigerated centrifuges, minus 80 degree freezers, refrigerators, DNA/RNA extracting machines, and an autoclave, among others. It serves as a self-contained and fully functional diagnostic laboratory. The lab is tethered through the internet to the RGCB for speedy data analysis and dissemination of results immediately upon authorisation. The mobile facility can collect samples in a designated area accessible from the vehicle's rear. These samples are transferred through a UV-illuminated pass box to maintain a controlled and safe environment.
—IANS

The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Kerala on Thursday rolled out a fully-equipped mobile virology testing laboratory

As Nipah strikes Kerala, RGCB rolls out a mobile virology laboratory

Jodhpur (The Hawk): Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur researchers have developed a nanosensor that helps in the quick detection of Cytokines, a group of proteins that regulate various cells. This development aims to reduce the mortality rate occurring due to delayed diagnosis and a lack of early warnings. Moreover, the technology has immense potential to be used as a rapid and point-of-care technique for health monitoring, disease diagnosis, prognosis, and immune response tracking.   Cytokines are one of the many biomarkers of inflammation that are used for diagnosing diseases and tracking their progression. They play an important role in tissue damage repair, cancer development and progression, and modulating immune reactions. This is why they are important for developing precision medicine and targeted therapeutics for various conditions like oncology, infectiology and in rheumatological diseases, among others.   The work was published by Ms. Akilandeshwari B, Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Mr. Sarvar Singh, Department of Electrical Engineering, Prof. Ajay Agarwal, Head, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Prof. Sushmita Jha, Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering at IIT Jodhpur as a conference proceeding of 2023 IEEE Applied Sensing Conference (APSCON).   Talking about the developed technique and its future scope, Prof. Ajay Agarwal, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Jodhpur, said, “This technique which is currently in its development stage has provided exciting and encouraging results for three biomarkers i.e. interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-β (IL-β), and TNF-α which are key pro-inflammatory cytokines, released by inflammatory cells. As of now, the testing is done for controlled samples, but the team aims to take the technology to clinical trials soon. The group is also using this technique, to develop detection protocols for the early-stage and quick diagnosis of Sepsis and Fungal infections.”  This novel sensor developed at Indian institute of Technology Jodhpur uses Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to detect analytes even at low concentrations, is based on semiconductor process technology and works on the principle of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS).   Hence, it makes this technique powerful and capable of detecting trace-level molecules with high precision and selectivity.   The most widely used techniques currently for cytokine detection are enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These methods are reliable but highly time-consuming, requiring trained personnel and a long sample preparation or analysis time of over 6 hours. However, the sensor developed by IIT Jodhpur takes only 30 minutes in comparison and is also cost effective.   The developed sensor, a rapid and selective diagnostic technique, is used in conjuncture with AI for quick and accurate data processing and analysis. By getting a faster and more robust diagnosis of a person’s autoimmune diseases and bacterial infections, this sensor possesses the capability to transform a patient’s medical treatment. This way, a patient’s disease can be diagnosed and tracked promptly to guide the future course of treating them.

Discover IIT Jodhpur's revolutionary nanosensor for fast cytokine detection, aiding early diagnosis and tailored treatments.

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No diagnostic facility in Pakistan to detect Monkeypox

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No diagnostic facility in Pakistan to detect Monkeypox

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