The Viral Research Diagnosis Laboratory (VRDL) of AIIMS is the first centre in Central India to test the virus
Nagpur: The Central Government has nominated Viral Research Diagnosis Laboratory (VRDL) of All Indian Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Nagpur as nodal laboratory for undertaking testing the samples of suspected cases of monkeypox. The approval was recently provided by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, informed Major General Dr Vibha Dutta, SM, Director, AIIMS, Nagpur.
The AIIMS laboratory has received Real Time PCR kits for detection of monkeypox. Entire staff of AIIMS’ VRDL has also obtained requisite training to test the monkeypox samples. Similarly, the lab is also equipped with equipment necessary to test the samples and identify the virus of monkeypox that is ravaging the world.
Monkeypox was recently declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and has emerged as a major health concern in Western countries. After the first cases were detected in Kerala, monkeypox patients have also been found in New Delhi, indicating the spread of the virus. Though at present in Central India no suspect of monkeypox has been detected, the Central Government seems to have decided to put in place necessary mechanisms at AIIMS to avoid delay in testing samples. To confirm monkeypox, the blood samples would be needed to send to National Virology Lab at Pune and since it may be getting samples from many other places, delay might derail the necessary emergency measures needed to be taken for containing spread of the virus in society.
The AIIMS has informed about receipt of approval for the hospital’s lab and sufficient quantity of reagents that are necessary to detect monkeypox cases. Dr Meena Mishra, Professor and Head of Department, Microbiology, AIIMS, stated that a person who was suspected to be infected with monkeypox had unexplained acute rash, headache, fever, and also swollen lymph nodes. Apart from that the patients also suffer from muscle pain and body aches, weakness and other symptoms. A person with history of contact with a probable or confirmed case of moneypox, travel history to a monkeypox endemic country or has/had multiple sexual partners in the past 21 days may also need to undergo test for monkeypox, said the AIIMS release.
Samples of lesion fluid, lesion base scrapping, lesion crust, blood and urine, nasopharyngeal and oro-phryngeal swabs are processed for the detection of monkeypox. Therefore the nod to VRDL of AIIMS would prove helpful to local authorities in Central India.
