English
New Delhi, May 25: The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has written to the Queensland government in Australia asking it to provide an antibody to test if it can “neutralise” the Nipah virus in humans. The virus has claimed 12 lives so far. The Central high-level team has concluded that the spread of the virus is a local occurrence only and is not a major occurrence, said ANI.
Meanwhile, the antibody has not been tested on humans yet. “We have asked them to give their monoclonal antibody for conducting a test in India to find out if it can neutralise the Nipah virus in humans. “In Australia, it has only been tried in vitro (happening outside the body in artificial conditions, often in a test tube) and has been found to be effective. But it has not been tested on humans,” said ICMR Director General, Dr Balram Bhargava, while clarifying that it will not lead to the creation of a vaccine.
ICMR is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research. “We are preparing a dossier on what will be the methodology and what would be the regulatory process so that we can fast-track the process,” he said. According to Dr Bhargava, Australia is ready to share as it will help generate data on the efficacy of the antibody. “It is not yet sure how much it will be effective,” he said, adding the infection caused by Nipah virus has a high mortality rate (50-70 percent).
According to National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, the drug ribavirin has been shown to be effective against the viruses in vitro, but human investigations to date have been inconclusive and the clinical usefulness of the drug remains uncertain.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also issued an advisory for the general public and healthcare personnel on how to take preventive measures in high-risk areas and how the Nipah virus spreads. The ministry advised the public to avoid consuming raw date palm sap or toddy, half-eaten fruits from the ground and refrain from entering abandoned wells. (With Inputs from ANI)
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