Andhra Pradesh: APs Transasia Bio-Medicals on Friday gave India its first indigenously-developed RT-PCR kit for testing monkeypox disease. The kit was unveiled by Principal Scientific Adviser to the Centre Ajay Kumar Sood.
Founder-chairman of Transasia, Suresh Vazirani said the kit would help in early detection and better management of the infection which the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern.
The Transasia-Erba monkeypox RT-PCR kit is highly sensitive, but an easy-to-use test with uniquely formulated primer and probe for enhanced accuracy.
The launch function was added scientific secretary Arabinda Mitra, former director general of ICMR Balram Bhargava, adviser in the department of biotechnology Alka Sharma and others.
The ICMR meanwhile, has planned to conduct serological (blood serum) survey on contacts of monkeypox patients to identify and assess the incidence of asymptomatic cases. As per the, Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease’ issued by the Centre, human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact.
So far the country has recorded ten cases and 1 death. More than 35,000 cases of Monkeypox have now been reported from 92 countries and territories, with almost 7,500 cases being registered last week – a 20 per cent increase according to WHO.