Digital Desk, Bhopal. Enteroviruses and influenza viruses found in domesticated pigs may pose a serious threat to human populations in the future. Scientists who became alert after the Corona epidemic have found that these viruses are continuously mutating, that is, they are changing their form again and again. To prevent this potential threat in time, the Bhopal-based National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is now going to play an important role.
To protect human life from risk, NIHSAD has been approved for two extremely sensitive and important research projects under the National One Health Mission of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
In-depth study will be done on human-pig contact
The aim of these projects is to understand to what extent these viruses mutating in pigs have the ability to infect the intestines and lungs of humans. The first research team will focus on the ‘human-pig interface’. In rural and semi-urban areas, pig populations come into close contact with humans. During the research, it will be investigated whether the new variant of zoonotic enteric virus has developed the ability to enter human cells. If this happens, it could be the beginning of a new infectious disease spreading from animals to humans.
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Research on influenza, strategy for vaccine will be made
The second project will be based on understanding the diversity of influenza virus and its genetic structure. Influenza viruses are known to mutate rapidly and this property causes deadly flu pandemics. NIHSAD scientists will do genetic mapping of these viruses. The most important aspect of this research is to prepare a vaccine strategy, so that by understanding the changing nature of the virus in advance, effective vaccines and safety measures can be developed before a possible major outbreak.
Why is mutation increasing concern?
According to Nihsad experts, when a virus enters humans from animals, the human immune system is not able to recognize it immediately. Mutation of the influenza virus in pigs is a sign that the virus is making itself more infectious and powerful. These viruses will be tested under the high security standards of Bio-Safety Level-3 in the state-of-the-art lab of Nihsad, Bhopal, so that the severity and danger of the infection can be accurately assessed.
Both projects are big. For this, samples from pigs will be brought to Bhopal from different centers across the country. Here, their intensive testing will be done in the hi-tech lab of the institute. This research is very important to avoid the danger of any terrible epidemic like Corona in future. - Dr. Fateh Singh, Senior Scientist, Nihsad, Bhopal.
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