'Sindhudurg to get Maha's 1st infectious disease research lab'

The first Infectious Disease Research Laboratory in Maharashtra will soon start in Sindhudurg district, state Health Minister Deepak Sawant said today.
Sawant gave this information in Sindhudurg, where he held a meeting with the officials of the health and other departments concerned.
"In the Infectious Research Laboratory, four departments, such as microbiology, bacteriological department, blood sample study department and molecular division, are going to be created. The lab will work on 13 types of diseases and keep a detailed record of it," Sawant said.
The minister also instructed the officials to complete the generator facility and the pending work of the second floor which will enable the lab to get uninterrupted power supply. The lab will have very low temperature storage facilities for the preservation purpose. It requires continued power supply.

Sindhudurg district is currently affected by the Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), commonly known as the monkey fever. This year, the KFD infection has claimed more lives than the previous year.
Talking about this disease, Sawant said, "There should be proper coordination over KFD as the infection spreads through monkey. A repellent oil is also being made available to people so that they can avoid tick bites," Sawant said.
Animal Husbandry Minister Mahadev Jankar, Additional Chief Secretary of Public Health Department V S Singh, Chief Secretary of Revenue and Forest Department Vikas Kharage, Director of Health Dr Satish Pawar, National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune Director D T Maurya, Joint Director Dr M D Diggikar, Dr Pradeep Awate, Sindhudurg District Collector Uday Chaudhary and District Chief Executive Officer Shekhar Singh attended the meeting.