National Institute of Virology
Indian virology institute and WHO collaborating centre for arboviruses.
The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, India, is a virology research institute under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It originated in 1952 as the Virus Research Centre, established jointly by the ICMR and the Rockefeller Foundation. The institute is a WHO Collaborating Centre for arbovirus and hemorrhagic fever reference and research and serves as the National Monitoring Centre for several viral diseases, including coronavirus.
Quick Facts
- Established
- 1952
- Head
- Dr. Naveen Kumar
- Budget
- 950, c (2021-2022)
- Location
- Pune, Maharashtra, India
Facts from the source article.
History
The National Institute of Virology began as the Virus Research Centre (VRC) in Pune in 1952, under the joint auspices of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Rockefeller Foundation (RF), USA. It was part of the RF's global programme investigating arthropod-borne viruses, which were considered an ideal starting group for virology training and research due to their reliance on basic virology, entomology, and zoology techniques. The Rockefeller Foundation withdrew its support in 1967, after which the ICMR fully funded the institute. In 1967, the institute was designated a collaborating laboratory of the World Health Organization (WHO), and from 1969 it functioned as the WHO regional centre for South-East Asia for arbovirus studies. Since 1974, it has been a WHO collaborating centre for arbovirus reference and research, redesignated in 1995 as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research and Rapid Diagnosis of Viral Diseases. The institute also serves as the National Centre for Hepatitis and Influenza and has outstations in Bangalore, Kerala, and Mumbai. Its field unit in Bengaluru participates in the National Polio Surveillance Programme, monitoring acute flaccid paralysis cases in Karnataka as part of the WHO South-East Asia region's Global Polio Eradication Programme since 1997. The institute offers an M.Sc. in Virology and a PhD course under Savitribai Phule Pune University.
Departments
The institute's research spans cell repository work, electron microscopy, rickettsioses, hepatitis, influenza and related viruses, clinical virology, biochemistry, a virus registry, and biostatistics. Its facilities and groups include an Animal House, Avian Influenza Group, Bioinformatics Division, BSL-3 Polio Essential Facility, Central Library, Dengue and Chikungunya Group, Diagnostics Group, Electron Microscopy Group, Entomology Division, Hepatitis, Influenza, Japanese Encephalitis, Outbreak Response, Enteric Virus, and VRDL Groups, an M.Sc. in Virology program, a BSL4 facility, plus Administration and Engineering. A Scientific Advisory Committee coordinates all research activities.
Achievements
On the recommendation of the Scientific Advisory Committee, the Virus Research Centre was renamed the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in 1978, reflecting its national importance. Subsequent studies expanded to include AIDS, Rotavirus gastroenteritis, acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis, Rabies, Herpes simplex, Buffalo pox, Measles, and Poliomyelitis. A Microbial Containment Complex (MCC) with P-3 biosafety levels for handling highly infectious microorganisms is being established at Pashan, 11 km from the main Pune laboratory, to provide a national containment facility. Landmark achievements include isolating 11 strains of SARS-CoV-2 virus, making India the fifth country to isolate the strain. The institute was the first in the country to develop comprehensive infrastructure for tissue culture, epidemiology, biochemistry, immunology, and medical zoology for arbovirology research. It discovered Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), a tick-borne viral disease, and studied its natural cycle. It found a new genotype of dengue virus and was the first to confirm the occurrence of many arboviral diseases in India, including Japanese encephalitis, Chikungunya, West Nile, and Chandipura. The institute conducted ecological studies on zoonotic viruses like KFD, JE, and Chandipura, discovered 22 new viruses (including the novel Malsoor virus from frugivorous bats), and investigated over 250 epidemics. It conducted serological surveys, built a collection of approximately 260,000 serum samples and over 600 virus strains, and discovered new species of arthropods, rodents, bats, and a bird subspecies.
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