Following the growing SARS scare in the country, the Union ministry of health has identified four more laboratories in the country where samples can be tested for the SARS virus.The laboratories likely to be functional in 10 days time would be in addition to the already functional ones in National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), in the capital and National Institute of Virology in Pune. Across the nation • NICED (Kolkata): Established in 1962 is involved in treatment and research for Cholera and other gastroentestinal diseases. • NARI (Mumbai): Established in 1992, besides doing scientific research on the HIV/AIDS also looks does the behavioural and social science research. • TRC (Chennai): Established in 1956 studies the domicilary application of drugs on pulmonary tuberclosis. DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course) is one of its major achievements. • ERC (Mumbai): Upgraded in 1981, its aim is clinical research in polio and other enteroviral diseases. The laboratories would be set in the already existing centres at the National Institute of Cholera and other Enteric Diseases (Kolkata), Tuberclosis Research Centre and Lung Infection Unit ( Chennai), Entrovirus Research Centre (Mumbai) and National Aids Research Centre (Pune). ICMR would provide the laboratories with technology and expertise regarding the virus. ‘‘ICMR would provide genetic sequencing primers, the reagents and positive and negatives controls or reference samples. ICMR would train the staff in handling SARS tests and then validate it they can actually do it,’’ said Dr S.P.Agarwal, Director General Health Services.As creating new laboratory infrastructure for such diseases is not possible in a few days time, the government according to him, decided to put into service the already existing infrastructure.‘‘Our scientists in the two centres have been working day and night since SARS suspects started reporting in India. As the number of cases are growing with every passing day, the government felt a need to identify more such labs to easy the burden of the already existing ones,’’ Dr Agarwal.According to him, the institutes are specified laboratories working under Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and have already functional virology units. ‘‘All these laboratories have the infrastructure and expertise required for virology but have been working in other fields. The sequencers costing about Rs 70 to 80 lakhs and PCR costing about Rs 2 to 3 lakhs, essential for virus detection, are already present in the institutes, so it makes sense to utilise the existing infrastructure,’’ Dr Agarwal said.So far 46 samples have been tested by NICD (25) and NIV (26), six were common to both. Results of nine samples is still awaited.
