The Union government has sanctioned a Centre for Virology for Karnataka. The Centre, which will come up at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), will conduct research on various diseases including viral infections like dengue and chikungunya. The details of funding were not available but the centre will be operational before March 2007.

NIMHANS already has a full fledged virology department at its campus in Bangalore which undertakes tests for viral related diseases like brain fever and Japanese Encephalitis, Measles, Herpes simplex, Mumps, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Human T Lymphotropic virus type 1,Human immunodeficiency viruses, Rabies and Poliomyelitis.

In addition, the facility also has cubicles for handling normal and infected cell cultures, an immuno-diagnostic laboratory and a separate departmental animal house to keep virus-infected animals. It also provides routine diagnostic services such as virus isolation and antibody detection. It conducts basic and applied research in the field with particular reference to Neuro-psychiatric disorders.

The main areas of research of the existing department of virology are Japanese encephalitis, viral hypothesis of mental disorders and Sub-acute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Now with the Union government sanctioning a separate centre for virology it would provide ample support in research and diagnostics for NIMHANS, Karnataka minister for health and family welfare R Ashok told Pharmabiz.

The centre for virology will be located within the NIMHANS campus. There was a need for a dedicated virology centre at NIMHANS. Going by the incidence of viral infections like dengue and chikungunya, Karnataka needed a department of virology similar to the one at Pune where currently all samples from the State are sent for diagnosis, stated the health minister.

Moving away from his discussion about the new department of virology at NIMHANS, the State health minister also informed that before December 2006, 500 specialist doctors on a contract basis would be recruited. These will include ayurvedic doctors in rural areas where specialists are not available. Also on the anvil is the up gradation of 100 hospitals across the state. Efforts are also on to tackle the problem of quacks and in this regard, the State government plans to introduce a Private Nursing Homes Bill. ``This should help the state rein in quacks, who number nearly 5,000," he pointed out.