The
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has established first Bio-Safety
Level-4 (BSL-4) laboratory in the premise of Microbial Containment Complex
(MCC), National Institute of Virology, Pune
with support of Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi.
Maximum
Containment Laboratory [BSL-4] at MCC, Pune has been
planned and designed following internationally accepted guidelines of WHO, Geneva and CDC, Atlanta.
The
salient features of the project are:-
i.
The
Maximum Containment Facility is located in a campus of about 5 acres within the
main campus of MCC. This campus is self contained with electric power fencing,
separate 24 hrs monitored gate and security cameras.
ii.
BSL-4
laboratories consist of 2 parts; first part is a mirror image of second
part. Each part has one main and 2
animal laboratory.
iii.
Gamma
radiation chamber is used for inactivation of samples to facilitate processing
in support laboratories.
iv.
A
unique training area is created to provide actual experience and environment of
BSL 4 in non- campaign mode.
v.
Each
critical component such as boiler, breathing air system, motors, HEPA filter banks, power supply sources,
autoclaves, decontamination stations etc are having 100% plus redundancy.
vi.
Biosafety
and Biosecurity are the 2 main components in
designing of a safe laboratory for highly infectious agents. Stricter
implementation of these 2 features brings higher level of complications in
engineering features and higher level of expertise in human resources for the
facility. Consequently a high level of monitoring, surveillance and data
recording becomes imperative. The present facility meets all these complex
requirements to make this facility unique not only for India but for whole of
South East Asia.
This
facility is an expansion of current work going in NIV, Pune
and would be tremendously useful in investigation outbreak of highly infectious
diseases like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Avian and pandemic
Swine Influenza, Nipah virus, Crimean Congo
hemorrhagic fever virus and Kyasanur forest disease
virus which created fear and affected at large our country. It will also deal
with other highly infectious pathogens emerging in the country in future. This
laboratory would be useful in developing diagnostic reagents for highly infectious
diseases agents for providing to other network laboratory so that early
diagnosis of such agents can be achieved, which help in controlling the
emerging diseases. This facility will also serve as a National Virus
Repository, for risk group-4 viral agents, where viruses will be archived for
further research. As most of the viral agents listed as tools of bioterrorism
are of BSL-4 category, hence this facility will also give the country the
capacity to deal with agents of bioterrorism.
The
total expenditure incurred on the project is Rs. 65 crores
of which share of Department of Science & Technology is Rs.18.2 Crore.
This information
was given by Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Shri Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury in
written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.
BN/HB/AS