Latest news with #MBSL-3
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Health
- Business Standard
LIVE news updates: 2 dead, 6 missing after flash floods near Dharamshala
Today's top news updates: Two people have died and six others remain missing following heavy rainfall and rising water levels near the Manuni stream in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district, officials reported. According to authorities, the SDRF, volunteers, and project personnel evacuated individuals from camping areas to a safer location near the Ambedkar building in Kaniara, where food and water were provided. Officials further stated that a sudden surge of water, triggered by heavy rain, inundated a residential colony within 15 minutes, leading to the tragic incident. In other developments, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has recruited three researchers from OpenAI to advance his company's superintelligence initiative, according to the Wall Street Journal. The hires — Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai — were previously based at OpenAI's Zurich office. Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has begun procuring two additional Mobile BSL-3 (MBSL-3) laboratories to enhance outbreak response capabilities and improve healthcare access in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Known as RAMBAAN, these mobile labs are the first-of-their-kind, fully indigenous Rapid Action Mobile BSL-3 units, designed for field deployment and equipped to handle diagnostic demands during outbreaks involving both known and novel high-risk pathogens. Developed under the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission by ICMR in collaboration with Klenzaids Contamination Controls Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, the RAMBAAN labs are currently stationed at the National Institute of Virology in Pune and the RMRC in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. These units were first deployed during the Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode, Kerala, in September 2023, and again in Malappuram district in July 2024.
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Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Health
- Business Standard
ICMR to procure 2 more mobile BSL-3 labs to boost India's outbreak response
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has initiated the process of procuring two more Mobile BSL-3 (MBSL-3) laboratories to step up outbreak response capabilities and bolster public health delivery, especially in remote and inaccessible areas. Called RAMBAAN, there are currently two such laboratories each stationed at ICMR's two institutes, the National Institute of Virology in Pune and the RMRC in Gorakhpur, UP. RAMBAAN is the first of its kind Rapid Action Mobile BSL-3 laboratory and is fully indigenous. It is field-deployable and designed to meet enhanced diagnostic demands during outbreaks of known and unknown high-risk pathogens. An initiative of ICMR, it was developed in partnership with Klenzaids Contamination Controls Private Limited, Mumbai, under the patronage of Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the apex research institute said. The MBSL-3 was successfully deployed and operationalised for the first time during the Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in Kozhikode, Kerala, in September 2023 and again in Malappuram district of the state in July 2024, it said. This "laboratory on wheels" is built on a heavy-duty Bharat Benz vehicle chassis, compliant with BS-VI norms, designed to operate at extreme temperatures and altitudes and bears a maximum load capacity 17,000 kgs. It is classified as a Type-IV Rapid Response Mobile Laboratory (RRML) as per WHO GOARN RRML laboratory network classification. The laboratory is designed to maintain a negative air pressure environment and is equipped with an advanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system with HEPA filters. It also features a double-door autoclave and a biological liquid effluent decontamination (BLED) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) fogger system for biological waste management. The MBSL-3 laboratory's work area is divided into four zones -- zone-1 (driver and outer change room), zone-2 (shower and inner change room), zone-3 (main laboratory), and zone-4 (material staging and decontamination area). Key installations within these zones include biological safety cabinets (Class II A2), an intelligent programmable logic controller system, a dynamic pass box, and an entry-exit shower system with biometric control. The laboratory's power supply can be from a direct electric supply or a diesel generator, with an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) and petrol generators for backup. Communication within the laboratory is facilitated by walkie-talkies and real-time surveillance through CCTVs.


India Gazette
10 hours ago
- Health
- India Gazette
Made-in-India RAMBAAN rapid action Mobile BSL-3 Lab on wheels reaching out remote areas
New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): The Mobile BSL-3 [MBSL-3] laboratory is an innovative initiative of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for providing the diagnostic surge capacity for enhancing the onsite laboratory services during the outbreaks of known and unknown high risk pathogens. 'The MBSL-3 laboratory is field deployable, and was developed in partnership with the industrial company Klenzaids Contamination Controls Private Limited, Mumbai under the patronage of Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,' said ICMR This 'laboratory on wheels' represents a significant advancement in outbreak investigation and public health emergency response in India. 'The RAMBAAN, the first of its kind Rapid Action Mobile BSL-3 laboratory as an essential part of India' plan for Advanced Augmented Network, as finest example of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat. The combination of MBSL-3 and a well-trained diagnostic team will be an asset for dealing with emerging/re-emerging disease outbreak investigations in the country.' 'The MBSL-3 is built on a heavy-duty Bharat Benz vehicle chassis, compliant with BS VI norms, designed to operate at extreme temperatures and altitudes and bears a maximum load capacity of 17 tons [17,000 kgs. It is classified as a Type-IV Rapid Response Mobile Laboratory (RRML) as per the WHO GOARN RRML laboratory network classification. The laboratory is designed to maintain a negative air pressure environment and is equipped with an advanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system with HEPA filters,' it said. 'The MBSL-3 was validated by ICMR-NIV, Pune, in 2022-2023 which included onsite and on field validation. The MBSL-3 laboratory's work area is divided into four zones: Zone-1 (driver and outer change room), Zone-2 (shower and inner change room), Zone-3 (main laboratory), and Zone-4 (material staging and decontamination area). Key installations within these zones include biological safety cabinets (Class II A2), an intelligent programmable logic controller system, a dynamic pass box, and an entry-exit shower system with biometric control.' 'The laboratory's power supply can be from a direct electric supply or a diesel generator, with an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) and petrol generators for backup.' Explained ICMR on power backup. RAMBAAN was also deployed in response Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala. 'The MBSL-3 was successfully deployed and operationalised for the first time in response to the Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in Kozhikode, Kerala, India, in September 2023 and again in Malappuram District of Kerala state in July 2024,' said ICMR. This innovative and fully indigenous mobile laboratory not only enhanced India's outbreak response capabilities but also strengthened its public health delivery, especially in remote and inaccessible areas. The success in Kerala demonstrates the strategic advantage of such rapidly deployable and sophisticated infrastructure in tackling epidemiological challenges posed by high-risk pathogens. (ANI)


The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
ICMR increasing mobile lab capacity to enhance India's outbreak response capabilities
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is in the process of adding to its Mobile BSL-3 (MBSL-3) laboratory capacity to enhance India's outbreak response capabilities, and strengthen public health delivery, especially in remote and inaccessible areas. The country currently has two of these innovative and fully indigenous mobile laboratory facilities operational in Pune and Gorakhpur. 'The MBSL-3 was successfully deployed and operationalised for the first time in response to the Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode, Kerala, in September 2023, and again in Malappuram district of Kerala in July 2024. The success in Kerala demonstrates the strategic advantage of such rapidly deployable and sophisticated infrastructure in tackling epidemiological challenges posed by high-risk pathogens. This 'laboratory on wheels' represents a significant advancement in outbreak investigation and public health emergency response in India,'' a senior ICMR official said. Known as RAMBAAN, this first of its kind Rapid Action Mobile BSL-3 laboratory is an essential part of India's plan for an 'Advanced Augmented Network', and a combination of the MBSL-3 with a well-trained diagnostic team will be an asset for dealing with emerging/re-emerging disease outbreak investigations in the country, the official added. The ICMR, in its release issued on Wednesday, said that these units were part of an initiative for diagnostic surge capacity in onsite laboratory services during outbreaks of known and unknown high-risk pathogens. The MBSL-3 laboratory is field-deployable, and was developed in partnership with the industrial company Klenzaids Contamination Controls Private Limited, Mumbai, under the Union Health Ministry's Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. The MBSL-3 is built on a heavy-duty Bharat Benz vehicle chassis, complaint with BS VI norms, designed to operate at extreme temperatures and altitudes, and bears a maximum load capacity 17 tonnes. It's classified as a Type-IV Rapid Response Mobile Laboratory in the WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network classification. The laboratory is designed to maintain a negative air pressure environment, and is equipped with an advanced heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system with HEPA filters. It also features a double door autoclave and a biological liquid effluent decontamination (BLED) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) fogger system for biological waste management. The MBSL-3 was validated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune in 2022-2023, including onsite and on-field validation. The MBSL-3 laboratory's work area is divided into four zones — Zone-1 (driver and outer change room); Zone-2 (shower and inner change room); Zone-3 (main laboratory); and Zone-4 (material staging and decontamination area), the ICMR said. Key installations within these zones include biological safety cabinets, an intelligent programmable logic controller system, a dynamic pass box, and an entry-exit shower system with biometric control. The laboratory's power supply can be from direct electric supply or a diesel generator, with an uninterrupted power supply and petrol generators for back up. Communication within the laboratory is facilitated by walkie-talkies, and real-time surveillance through CCTVs. Strict biosafety protocols, BSL-3 practices, and standard operating procedures are followed for specimen handling and processing, including the use of personal protective equipment (coveralls, double gloves, etc.). The deployment of the MBSL-3 laboratory highlights the importance of a comprehensive checklist for the pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment phases, covering several aspects, including personnel health, mobilisation logistics, major installation functioning, approvals, equipment checks, and supply management.