India's 'One Health' Initiative: New Surveillance Hub Launched

The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) has been appointed as one of four national hubs for next-generation sequencing (NGS) within the Metagenomic Syndromic Surveillance Programme. This vital initiative operates under the National 'One Health Mission' and is designed to confront the persistent challenge of undiagnosed acute febrile illnesses, encephalitis, diarrhoeal diseases, and respiratory infections. The programme's advanced capabilities will allow for the simultaneous detection of known, rare, and novel pathogens that often evade traditional diagnostic methods.

In collaboration with leading institutions like CCMB and TIGS, the RGCB will utilize its Bio Safety Level-3 facility and cutting-edge sequencing technology. As the designated NGS hub for acute febrile illness, the RGCB will focus on viral genomics and host-pathogen interactions. Analyzing a vast number of samples from national surveillance sites, the centre aims to pinpoint the elusive etiological agents behind India's common yet unresolved clinical conditions.

This nationwide consortium promises to generate significant insights into India's infectious disease landscape, bolstering epidemic intelligence and supporting the development of indigenous diagnostic tools tailored to local pathogen diversity. The effort marks a substantial stride towards a unified 'One Health' framework, integrating human, animal, and environmental health surveillance to bolster India's resilience against future outbreaks and pandemics.