NIV shares H5N1 genome knowledge in a public database

In accordance tothe World Organisation for Animal Well being, as of February 20, 2025, H5N1 has been present in 99 cats and has killed 18 cats.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

The Pune-based Nationwide Institute of Virology (NIV) has shared the H5N1 genome sequence knowledge with the International Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Knowledge (GISAID), a public database, on April 21, days after a report was revealed in The Hindu about NIV not sharing sequence knowledge earlier than paper publication.

The H5N1 sequence knowledge deposited in GISAID was collected from a two-year-old lady from Narasaraopeta in Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh. The lady was admitted to AIIMS-Mangalagiri on March 4, 2025 and ICMR’s Virus Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) recognized the virus as influenza A on March 7. The pattern was despatched to NIV for Influenza A virus subtyping. NIV recognized the virus as N5N1, and the Andhra Pradesh authorities was knowledgeable in regards to the outcome on March 31.

“Sharing the genome sequence knowledge ought to occur as quickly as they’re accessible, if this info is to be of use,” says Dr. Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics and Biology at Ashoka College.