India isolates H1N1 influenza virus

New Delhi, May 18: India on Monday, May 18 started the isolation process of the deadly H1N1 virus from the nasal samples from the country's first swine flu patient. The first step in developing H1N1 influenza vaccine and tools to diagnose the infection.

The scientist of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (Delhi) and National Institute of Virology (Pune) are trying to make the H1N1 virus, that was isolated from the 23-year-old in Hyderabad on Friday, May 15.

The Indian scientists will be able to make multiple copies of the virus in the lab, if the virus successfully grows in the egg. Then it will be useful to create a vaccine against H1N1, diagnostic kits for H1N1 detection and also test for anti-viral resistance.

Dr V M Katoch, ICMR director-general said, "All states have been instructed to pick up additional samples from people who are suspected to be carrying the H1N1 infection." He also added that, "If indication is that the person is positive, states have been told to pick up an additional nasal sample before Tamiflu is administered. This way, India can have its own collection of strains on which multiple research projects can be carried out".

Vineet Chawdhry, Joint secretary in the Health Ministry said that, India has started to study the virus that was isolated from Hyderabad and wants to know its transmissibility and virulence level. He also said, "This is a new virus and we don"t know how it will behave in the subcontinent. Research carried out by ICMR on this virus strain will try to answer these questions really soon."

OneIndia News