Latest news with #MBSL-3
India Gazette
04-07-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
Nipah virus alert issued in three Kerala districts after two suspected cases
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 4 (ANI): Health authorities in Kerala have issued an alert in three districts -- Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad after two suspected cases of the Nipah virus were detected. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that the suspected cases of Nipah virus are from Palakkad and Malappuram districts. 'An alert has been issued in three districts of Kerala, namely Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad, in connection with two new Nipah virus cases,' she said. The tests conducted at medical college hospitals in Malappuram and Kozhikode have confirmed the infections. Samples have also been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for further confirmation. Even as a final confirmation is awaited, the government has directed officials to strengthen preventive measures to contain the spread of the virus. The Health Minister said that 26 committees have been formed across districts to coordinate the response. Police support will be sought to prepare a contact list, and state and district-level helplines will be activated. District Collectors have been directed to make arrangements for declaring containment zones if required. The National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, is the only lab in the country that cultures the Nipah virus. The virus, which is zoonotic in nature (transmitted from animals to humans), can also spread through contaminated food or directly between people. The symptoms of the Nipah virus are fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting, sore throat, dizziness, altered consciousness, and Atypical pneumonia. In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) has a mortality rate of 50 per cent, making it one of the most dangerous viral diseases. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) developed RAMBAAN, a Mobile BSL-3 [MBSL-3] laboratory, an innovative initiative for providing the diagnostic surge capacity for enhancing the onsite laboratory services during the outbreaks of known and unknown high-risk pathogens. RAMBAAN, a Made-in-India rapid action mobile lab, was also deployed in response to the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala in 2023 and 2024. '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 'laboratory on wheels' represents a significant advancement in outbreak investigation and public health emergency response in India. The ICMR is also working on an indigenous vaccine for the Nipah virus. (ANI)
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Business Standard
26-06-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
LIVE news updates: India refuses to sign SCO statement over lack of mention of cross-border terror
New Delhi 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. 12:21 PM 2 killed, 50 injured as double-decker bus overturns on Lucknow-Agra Expressway Two passengers were killed and about 50 were injured when a double-decker bus travelling from Bihar to Delhi overturned and plunged into a ditch on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in the Saifai area early Thursday, police said. The accident occurred near the Mandi village when the speeding bus lost control while attempting to overtake a truck. 10:05 AM Encounter breaks out between security forces, Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur An exchange of fire took place between security forces and Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Thursday, according to a police official. The gunfight erupted in the Abhujmaad forest during an anti-Naxalite operation, which was launched by a joint team of security personnel following intelligence reports about the presence of Maoist operatives. Connect with us on WhatsApp
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
ICMR in process to procure 2 more mobile BSL-3 laboratories to bolster India's outbreak response
New Delhi: 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.
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Business Standard
26-06-2025
- 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
26-06-2025
- 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.
