AFI surveillance for more states across India

AFI surveillance for more states across India

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Sep 1, 2015 :  Manipal Centre for Virus Research, Manipal University is all set to expand its surveillance of Acute Febrile Illness (AFI) to ten more states - Goa, TN, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Punjab, UP and Bihar from the present two - Karnataka and Kerala. This is being facilitated by support of the U S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which has awarded a cooperative agreement grant to Manipal University.

The programme was launched in the two states in 2013 with technical assistance from CDC’s global disease detection regional center in India. Project was designed to establish specific causes of AFI and offer insights on possible data-driven interventions to reduce illness and mortality. Goals included studying disease pattern and clinical features, strengthening lab surveillance for AFI, and exploring the specific burden of diseases transmitted to humans from animals.

Through the project in two states, previously undiagnosed fever pathogens like influenza, leptospirosis, scrub typhus, dengue, malaria, and Kyasanur Forest Disease (monkey fever) have been identified. Early detection/diagnosis has allowed physicians to treat patients with appropriate medications and or clinical management, providing for early recovery. Dr G Arunkumar, head, MCVR has since come up with an expansion of the programme for 2015-2016.

CDC awarded the cooperative agreement as part of the greater global health security agenda initiative, which focuses to strengthen the public health infrastructure in India and across the world to ensure rapid detection of and response to emerging global health threats. "Expansion of the programme was encouraged by initial data from four sites of Karnataka and Kerala, and prompted by the needs of neighbouring districts and states," Dr Arunkumar said.

The CDC grant, with an extended scope, is a demonstration of international recognition of our commitment and an opportunity to contribute to shape the nation’s evidence based public health policy in infectious diseases," said Dr H Vinod Bhat, vice-chancellor of Manipal University.