NIN initiates community-based sero-surveillance in Telangana

The city-based ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) on Friday said it has initiated community-based sero-surveillance in Telangana, in association with the state government, to monitor the trend of SARS-CoV-2 infection transmission in the community. The survey would be carried out in 30 villages across three districts Jangaon, Kamareddy and Nalgonda, the NIN said in a press release.

The NIN said it has been observed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes asymptomatic infection for which sero-surveillance (the monitoring of the presence or absence of specific substances in the blood serum of a population) is strongly recommended for active case finding, testing and



contact-tracing.

Also, surveillance of antibody-based sero-positivity (having or being a positive serum reaction especially in a test for the presence of an antibody) indicates the extent of spread of infection in the given population and forms the basis for strengthening public health mitigation measures, the release said.

Household-based studies can generate evidence on role of asymptomatic and mild infections in transmission.

To establish the community-based district-level sero-surveillance and to monitor the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general population, a nation-wide survey has been initiated throughout the country by the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research), it said.