Efforts under way to upgrade SIAD to diagnose high-risk diseases like Nipah: Chinchurani
The Hindu
Govt initiates efforts to upgrade SIAD in Palode, Thiruvananthapuram to BSL 3 lab. Proposal for ₹27-crore project submitted to Centre. Upgradation to enable detection of high-risk diseases incl. Nipah, monkey fever & avian flu. Currently functions as BSL 2 lab.
The government has initiated efforts to upgrade the State Institute for Animal Diseases (SIAD) in Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, as a Biosafety Level (BSL) 3 laboratory, Animal Husbandry Minister J. Chinchurani has said.
Responding to questions in the Assembly on Tuesday, Ms. Chinchurani said a proposal for a ₹27-crore project in this regard was recently submitted to the Centre and the State expected a favourable response. The upgradation would enable SIAD to detect high-risk diseases including Nipah, monkey fever and avian flu.
Diagnostic facilities for such diseases were not available at the institution that currently functions as a BSL 2 laboratory, the Minister said.
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