Zika testing lab works overtime at AIIMS Bhopal
BHOPAL: The virology laboratory at Bhopal’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has remained open round-the-clock to test blood samples within 24 hours since the zika outbreak was first reported in Madhya Pradesh about three weeks ago. Two people, who have tested positive for the zika virus, have died in Bhopal.
The zika virus is transmitted through the aedes aegypti mosquito. It causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain. It is harmful for pregnant women, as the mother can pass the infection to her foetus during pregnancy or around the time of birth leading to microcephaly, a condition in which a baby’s head is significantly smaller than normal.
“During any public health crisis, time is of the essence. We need to get results faster so that the disease pattern and hotspots are established for outbreak probe,” said the lab’s principal investigator, Dr Debasis Biswas.
The lab is the only centre equipped to test zika samples. The other virology laboratory at Bhopal’s Gandhi Medical College has been in existence for barely two months.
Dr Shaswati Neema, Dr Ram Kumar Neema, Dr Sudhir Gupta, Kudsia Ansari and Arun Raghuvanshi are part of Biswas’s team.
“The rush has been so severe that we have had to keep the lab open also on weekends. We have even received 124 samples in a day,” said Dr Sarman Singh, director, AIIMS (Bhopal).
From the lab’s room one, where blood and urine samples are brought for testing, till room four that is fitted with a sophisticated testing machine to read the results, it takes almost six hours to get results for each batch.
The person in room number 1 has the job of extracting pure RNA from the blood or urine sample as zika is an Rna-based virus. The room number 2 is meant to add an enzyme, master mix solution and water in a tube that is added to the extracted RNA. In the third room, all ingredients are mixed together with the extracted RNA. Finally, the prepared sample is kept in a sophisticated machine that analyses it and pronounces the result in room number 4.
Each of the six has been putting in 12 to 14 hours daily without leave since November 1, when mass testing started for zika. At least 40% samples tested positive. “As medical professionals, they are trained to be ready for any medical emergency. This was a case of the public health emergency,” said Dr Singh.
The specialised lab also takes care of clinical, diagnostic and research work besides teaching. Despite being short-staffed, the team is not complaining about the long hours. “We have improved rostering,” said Dr Biswas.
Initially, all fever samples were sent to the lab, but now the surveillance team is screening samples that have reduced the numbers being tested.
The lab is funded by the Centre’s department of health research- Indian Council of Medical Research as part of a network of 10 labs for advanced research.