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India Gazette
a day ago
- Health
- India Gazette
Formation of a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to address
By Shalini Bhardwaj Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], June 19(ANI): The National Institute of One Health (NIOH), currently being established in Nagpur, will feature a specialised National Outbreak Response Team aimed at swiftly identifying and analysing the root causes of disease outbreaks. Dr. Pragya Yadav, Director-in-Charge of the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) and senior scientist at the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, said that the initiative will involve collaboration among experts from multiple sectors. Speaking to ANI, Dr Yadav said, 'Under the National Institute of One Health, several initiatives are already underway, including national-level mock exercises to assess outbreak response, the formation of a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to investigate the root causes of outbreaks or ongoing diseases, and research focused on vaccines, antiviral treatments, and cost-effective diagnostic methods.' The Director-in-Charge of NIOH stated that the National Institute of One Health will serve as a platform for all ministries and sectors to collaborate on research. 'The National Institute of One Health will unite all ministries and sectors to collaborate on research. This institute will work towards enhancing surveillance, research, and development to make India a stronger nation,' She added. Dr Yadav added, 'The goal is to prepare the country for future health challenges and make it more resilient.' The National Institute of One Health is being established to strengthen the country's ability to manage future pandemics and outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) decided to establish a National Institute of One Health at Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. In this context, two collaborative research projects, funded by the ICAR and ICMR, were initiated to conduct the epidemiological surveillance of selected zoonotic diseases in Central India. The scientific collaboration between veterinary and medical faculties has set an example for the effective implementation of the One Health (OH) programme for the establishment of the National Institute of OH. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Health
- India Gazette
NAKSHATRA to boost viral genomic surveillance and preparedness for future pandemics: ICMR NIV Director
By Shalini Bhardwaj Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 18 (ANI): The NAKSHATRA state-of-the-art initiative aims to revolutionise how genomic and bioinformatics data are processed, addressing limitations faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking to ANI, ICMR-NIV Pune Director Dr Naveen Kumar, explaining about NAKSHATRA, said, 'A high-performance computing system has been launched. This is the first kind of facility for the sequence analysis or genomic surveillance of pathogens under the ICMR.' He further said, 'So nowadays, many new COVID variants, viruses, or pathogens are being reported. Our resources were insufficient because analysing the millions of sequences in the public domain takes a lot of time. We were doing extensive sequence analysis using multiple strains, which used to take we can do the same work in 24-48 hours. It has increased the capability of our country for genomic surveillance, which will help us in pandemic preparedness.' Developed under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM), the HPC facility forms the cornerstone of a new project titled 'High Performance Computing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Hub'. The initiative aims to revolutionize how genomic and bioinformatics data are processed, addressing limitations faced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to conventional computing infrastructure. The commissioning of the NAKSHATRA HPC facility is not just a technological upgrade--it is a national investment in speed, precision, and preparedness. By enabling faster analysis of complex genomic data, the facility positions India to detect new disease threats sooner, respond to outbreaks more efficiently, and accelerate AI-driven vaccine and drug development. (ANI)
India Gazette
27-05-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
"Current Covid variants transmissible but not severe": Dr Arjun Dang
By Shalini Bhardwaj New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): The number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 1,010, on May 27. According to medical experts, the symptoms are similar to cold or flu symptoms. Amid rising sample requests in the wake of a fresh infection wave, Dr Arjun Dang, CEO of Dr Dangs Lab, said the laboratory is witnessing a surge in testing. Speaking to ANI, Dr Dang stated that the number of samples has increased, 'There has been an increase in the number of sample requests that we are receiving. But this time, we are better prepared, more informed, and we have better surveillance tools. With the scientific tests that we have, we are in a good place from the preparedness perspective to face this effectively and minimise any kind of damage that the current wave might cause.' He further said the circulating variants are subvariants of Omicron showing mild symptoms, 'We must understand that the current spreading variants are again a sublineage of the Omicron virus. Additionally, in states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, we have certain other sub-variants as well that have been named as Variants Under Monitoring, and these are basically of two types, that is, LF7 and NV.1.8.1. Currently, the cases that we are seeing are more transmissible. They can infect people easily, but again, from the severity perspective, till now, we have not seen any severe cases.' 'All of these are actually presenting as common cold and flu, and the usual symptoms that we have in any kind of common cold, even the hospitalisations, have been minimal,' Dang said. Dr Arjun also said that majorly since few days testing has been increased, 'I think, may this month had started on a very low note with minimal cases, but I think in the past five to seven days is when we've seen a major uptake and now we are getting significantly high cases to test on a daily basis.' Recently, in an Exclusive interview with ANI, Dr Rajiv Bahl, DG, ICMR, said the government is focusing on transmission, surveillance, and preparedness, but currently circulating variants have mild symptoms like Omicron. 'The government and health agencies are closely monitoring COVID-19 cases and taking necessary steps. Currently, the number of active cases is low, and most cases are limited to southern and western India. The government is focusing on three key factors. The rate of transmission and the rapidly increasing cases. Whether the virus is evading our natural and vaccine-induced immunity. Whether the current infections are more severe than before or have mild symptoms like Omicron.' (ANI)
India Gazette
26-05-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
Circulating variants have mild symptoms, closely monitoring the situation: DG ICMR
By Shalini Bhardwaj New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): Covid-19 in India has raised an alarm again, but current infections have mild symptoms with no severity. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has stated that while COVID-19 cases are being reported again in parts of the country, the current variants in circulation are showing mild symptoms similar to the Omicron strain. Speaking to ANI, Dr Rajiv Bahl, DG, ICMR, said the government is focusing on transmission, surveillance, and preparedness, but currently circulating variants have mild symptoms like Omicron. 'The government and health agencies are closely monitoring COVID-19 cases and taking necessary steps.' He added, 'Currently, the number of active cases is low, and most cases are limited to southern and western India. The government is focusing on three key factors. The rate of transmission and the rapidly increasing cases. Whether the virus is evading our natural and vaccine-induced immunity. Whether the current infections are more severe than before or have mild symptoms like Omicron.' He stated that surveillance is ongoing to determine the cause of the recent COVID-19 case surge. 'Surveillance is underway to determine the reasons behind the increase in cases, and the government is making necessary preparations. The four variants that we have found are subvariants of Omicron --- LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB. 1.8.1. But more samples are being tested for further information.' He cautioned against panicking but urged individuals with 'cancer or other immunocompromised' conditions to take caution. He said, 'For now, there is no need for the public to panic, but the government and agencies are keeping a close watch on the situation. Currently, there is no need for additional precautions for the general public, but individuals with cancer or other immunocompromised conditions should exercise caution.' Regarding vaccine preparedness, he said, 'The government has developed platforms to create new vaccines. If a new variant emerges in the future, the government has two options. Evaluate the effectiveness of existing vaccines and develop a new vaccine specifically targeting the new variant.' 'The government claims to be prepared and capable of quickly developing vaccines if needed. The situation is currently under control, but the government remains vigilant and is making necessary preparations,' he said. (ANI)
India Gazette
20-05-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
Deaths in Mumbai Hospital attributed to comorbidities rather than Covid-19- Sources
By Shalini Bhardwaj Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 20 (ANI): Mumbai's KEM Hospital reported two Covid-19 positive deaths, both patients having underlying serious health conditions. 'One patient had oral cancer, while the other suffered from nephrotic syndrome. Both the deaths were attributed to their pre-existing conditions rather than Covid-19.' Sources told ANI. Two patients died at Mumbai's King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital after testing positive for Covid-19, but their deaths were attributed to underlying serious illnesses, not the virus. One of the patients was a 14-year-old girl who suffered from nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disease that led to kidney failure and another patient is a 54-year-old woman undergoing cancer treatment. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also clarified that these deaths were not directly caused by Covid-19. According to official sources, 'Health Ministry reviews COVID-19 surge abroad overall India reports 257 cases, and all are 'mild'. Following recent media reports of a surge in COVID-19 cases in Singapore and Hong Kong, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) convened a review meeting on Monday with experts from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) division, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and central government hospitals, sources said. The meeting was chaired by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), said sources. According to the information, cases in Singapore and Hong Kong are mostly mild and not associated with unusual severity or mortality. In light of these developments, the expert review meeting concluded that the current COVID-19 situation in India remains under control. As of May 19, 2025, the number of active COVID-19 cases in India stands at 257 -- a very low figure considering the country's large population. Almost all of these cases are mild, with no hospitalisation required. The country also has a robust system for surveillance of respiratory viral illnesses, including COVID-19, through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR. The Union Health Ministry remains vigilant and proactive in monitoring the situation closely, ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to safeguard public health. (ANI)
