Diagnostic Reagent Facility

Diagnostic Reagent Facility (DRF)

The IgM Capture (MAC) enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) for confirmation of Japanese Encephalitis (JE), Dengue and West Nile virus infection was developed by ICMR-NIV, Pune in 1984. Till 2005, JE, Dengue and Chikungunya MAC ELISA kits were used for outbreak investigations and in-house research activity at ICMR-NIV. The JE and Chikungunya MAC ELISA kits were subsequently evaluated by Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), USA on the request of World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2006, there were reports of widespread incidence of Dengue, JE and Chikungunya fever in different parts of the country. During this period states were facing an acute shortage of diagnostic kits and to meet these requirements NVBDCP (National Vector Borne Disease Control Program) approached ICMR-NIV, Pune. On this issue, a meeting was held for “Scaling up production capacity of diagnostic kits by ICMR-NIV Pune” under Chairpersonship of Joint Secretary (Health), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 30th August 2006 at New Delhi. As per that, Diagnostic Reagent Facility (DRF) was set up for production of diagnostic kits at ICMR-NIV Pune with financial support from NVBDCP.

Since, 2007 ICMR-NIV has been supplying JE, Dengue and Chikungunya MAC ELISA kits regularly to the Sentinel Centers and Apex Laboratories throughout the country as per directions by NVBDCP. The kits are being provided to the centers based on their requirements. The kits are also being supplied to WHO-SEAR for onward transmission to neighboring countries. In 2016, the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) scheme was introduced by the Government of India under Department of Health Research, as outbreaks of viral agents are very common in India. JE, Dengue and Chikungunya MAC ELISA kits are also being supplied to these VRDLs across the country for outbreak investigation and research purposes.