Viral diseases like Ebola that have not entered the country so far but have raged in some other countries in recent years, India need reinforcement for these viral diseases.

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Scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) – the most important health research bodies in the country – have identified 10 emerging viral infections that could pose a threat to public health in India. These include Ebola, MERS-CoV, Yellow Fever and Avian Influenza (H7N9).

Increasing international travel has raised the chances of these diseases reaching India, so it is important to prepare for emergencies said the director-general of ICMR, Dr. Balram Bhargava, “Nearly 30,000 Indians live in Uganda, where Ebola has been reported. Some of our troops are also present in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the viral infection has led to an outbreak situation at present.”

The highly contagious disease-Ebola, which gets transmitted through bodily fluids and causes hemorrhagic fever with internal and external bleeding. Death occurs in 70% of the cases.

MERS-CoV or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronaviruses was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Since then has spread to 26 countries and caused respiratory distress syndrome resulting in multi-organ failure. As in no case of MERS has been detected in India so far according to a review of emerging and re-emerging viral diseases and new viruses published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR).

The IJMR article says, “Bats are thought to be the natural reservoirs of this virus, and many patients developed the illness after contact with camels. India is home to a great diversity of bat species and has a substantial camel population. The country also reports heavy passenger traffic from the Middle East. These facts call for preparedness and surveillance against this virus.” Sporadic cases of H7N9 and H9N2 – subtypes of avian influenza (AI) have been reported.

Dr. Bhargava said, “Our country has infrastructure and expertise available to tackle any future challenge.”

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Source: Economics Times