Karnataka Directorate of Health and Family Welfare has set up the DNA Diagnostic and Research Centre (DDRC) in Dharwad a district in the northern part of the state at a cost of Rs 3 crore. The DDRC is set up to detect and cure disorders among the offspring's of consanguineous marriages, which is between blood relations. The Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli will assist the Centre to conduct a survey on the prevalence of the disorders arising out of consanguineous marriages and also provide an action plan on the treatment formats. Currently, the DNA Diagnostic Research Centre has identified around 40 such illness.

The centre is a first-of-its-kind in the country and the location of the DDRC was opted because of the increasing number of disorders occurring among offspring's consanguineous marriages in north Karnataka. Since Dharwad has a leading University and several medical colleges, primary health centres, government dispensaries and hospitals, the availability of medical professionals to man the centre and conduct research studies was not a problem, stated MN Vidyashankar, secretary, medical education, government of Karnataka

The common disorders arising out of such marriages are cystic fibrosis, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy and other diseases affecting the central nervous system.

A team of five doctors led by professor and co-ordinator of the department of Applied Genetics Dr Gai has begun the work at the centre. The group of doctors working at the DRDC are from Davangere, Hyderabad and Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bangalore. The Centre has already submitted its first report on congenital disorders among offspring's of consanguineous marriages to allow doctors to prepare a treatment and counselling plan for patients.

According to the medical education secretary, the doctors will look for symptoms of predisposition to the above-mentioned diseases and suggest remedial measures.

"Prenates and newborns will be screened for genetic disorders and children at high risks of heart diseases will be identified. The parents will be warned if the child is carrying the genes of these recessive diseases, stated Vidyashankar.

Based on the data collected by the team, they would identify the malformation and heredity diseases among the infants and suggest suitable treatment options, he said.

There is a high rate of consanguineous marriages in north Karnataka particularly in districts of Dharwad, Bagalkot, Bijapur and Gulbarga.