Department of Microbiology

Faculty

Senior Resident

Staff

Academic Course

MD (Microbiology)

Patient Care Services

Bacteriology and Serology Unit

Annual investigation report for the year 2023 (1st Jan to 31st Dec)

TIER 1 & TIER 2 EQAS (IAMM & CMC VELLORE)

Protozoology Unit

Routine clinical & diagnostic service to the patient - the unit provides diagnostic & clinical service to the patient throughout the year on Malaria, Kala-azar and other protozoan infections. It also serves as a referral unit for protozoan infections.

Incidence of malaria detected and treated (2023)

Routine diagnostic service to the patients of Kala-azar / rk-39 test (2023)

Entomology Unit

Daily activities:

1. Entomological survey of dengue vectors
2. Maintenance of Aedes sp. colony
3. Insecticide susceptibility bioassay of adult and larvae of mosquito vectors

Helminthology Unit

Filaria OPD attendance (2023): 1546

Unit Laboratory (2023)

Mycology Unit

Number of investigations (2023)

Virology Unit

Routine Activities of Virology Unit

• Arbo viruses
  • Serological diagnosis of
    1. Dengue NS1 detection by ELISA
    2. Anti-Dengue IgM ELISA
    3. Anti-Dengue IgG ELISA
    4. Anti-Chikungunya IgM ELISA
    5. Anti-Japanese encephalitis IgM ELISA
  • Molecular Diagnosis of
    1. Chikungunya virus RNA detection
    2. Dengue virus RNA detection
    3. Dengue serotyping
• Hepatitis viruses
  • Serological diagnosis of
    1. Anti-HCV antibodies ELISA / RAPID
    2. Hepatitis B s antigen ELISA/ RAPID
    3. Anti-HAV IgM ELISA
    4. Anti-HEV IgM ELISA
    5. Hepatitis B e antigen ELISA
    6. Anti HBs antibody titre ELISA
    7. Anti HBc Antibody ELISA
• Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV)
  • Serological diagnosis of
    1. HIV 1 and 2 by RAPID, ELISA and Western blot test (as per NACO guideline)
  • ICTC - Routine testing of HIV among patients referred from STI clinic
  • NRL -
    1. Conducts proficiency testing and panel sera distribution (HIV EQAS) to the HIV State Reference Laboratories (SRL) of West Bengal, Bihar, Sikkim and Chhattisgarh
    2. Confirmation of Indeterminate and discordant samples by Western Blot test
    3. Confirmation of HIV 2 by Western Blot test (NRL is also designated as Referral Lab for the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Sikkim and Jharkhand for HIV 2 diagnosis)
• SARS CoV2
  1. Molecular diagnosis (RT-PCR) - Almost 100000 (One lac) SARS CoV-2 RT-PCR test has been done.
  2. Rapid Antigen Test (Lateral flow assay)
  3. SARS CoV 2 IgG by ELISA testing
  4. Regular QC test of different RAT kit, RNA Extraction kit and RT-PCR kit done.
  5. Acting as State nodal Center for Whole Genome Sequencing of SARS CoV-2 virus.
• Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) Panel (other than Arbo viral causes)
  • Molecular testing of
    1. Scrub typhus
    2. Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2
    3. Leptospira
    4. Streptococcus pneumoniae
    5. Hemophillus influenzae
    6. Neisseria meningitides
  • Serological testing (IgM) of
    1. Scrub typhus
    2. Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2
    3. Leptospira
• Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) Panel
  • Molecular testing of
    1. Influenza A + B Flu typing
    2. Sub typing of Influenza A H1N1, pdm009,H3N2
    3. Para Influenza (1,2,3&4)
    4. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
    5. Adeno virus
    6. Entero virus
    7. Rhino virus
    8. Human Metapneumo virus (HMPV)
    9. Human Boca Virus
• Others
  • Epstein Barr virus (EBV)
  • Cytomegalo virus (CMV)
• Next Generation Sequencing

Since January 2020, Virology unit is designated as one of the State Reference Laboratories of NVHCP programme for several Health districts of West Bengal.

Yearly testing details (2023)

Ongoing Research Projects

Recent Publications

1. Ballav S, Biswas AK, Saha P, Guha U, Pramanik T, Maji AK, Guha SK. Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection among Wild Caught Vectors Mosquitoes and Domestic Pigs in Northern West Bengal, India. Indian J Public Health. 2023;67:646-53.
2. Sardar AA, Guha U, Guha SK, Maji AK, Saha P. Evidence of metabolic resistance to insecticides in sandfly population from Kala-azar endemic areas of Malda, West Bengal, India. J Entomol Res. 2023;46(Suppl):1205-13.
3. Acharya A, Chattopadhyay S, Bhattacharyya T, Sengupta A, Ghosh T. Strongyloidiasis: a dreaded yet a neglected helminthic infection. Int J Sci Res. 2023.
4. Chattopadhyay S, Acharya A, Bhattacharyya T, Sengupta A, Ghosh T. Soil-transmitted helminths - a glimpse into the eastern horizon of India. Al Ameen J Med Sci. 2023.
5. Ghosh S. Parasitological research in the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine. Indian J Trop Parasitol. 2023.
6. Chakraborty A, Biswas Pramanik S, Sau B. Retrospective Study on the Clinico-Epidemiological Profile of Covid-19 patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India. Int J Med Sci Appl Res. 2023;6(4):41-9.