Pune: The BJ Government Medical College in Pune has initiated research to genetically sequence the dengue virus, with the ultimate goal of developing a vaccine.
The ongoing study, which began a month ago, involves genome sequencing of dengue-positive patient samples to understand the virus's structure and mutations.
So far, 96 samples have been sequenced in four phases, and researchers have identified four different subtypes of the virus in 15 of these samples. This genome sequencing is crucial, as India currently lacks a dengue vaccine.
Although countries like the USA, South America, and Australia have developed vaccines, they are ineffective in India due to differences in the virus strains.
Dr. Rajesh Karyakarte, Head of the Microbiology Department at BJ Medical College, explained, "Dengue viruses in India exhibit mutations, similar to the coronavirus, which had over a thousand mutations.
Only four to five mutations in the dengue virus are known so far, but through this research, we aim to uncover more about the virus's genome and its variants."
The research is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC). The findings of this study will be sent to the central government for further evaluation to assess the possibility of developing a dengue vaccine.
Additionally, this research will aid the Public Health Department in devising preventive strategies against the spread of dengue.
The same lab at BJ Medical College was previously involved in genome sequencing during the COVID-19 pandemic and played a key role in identifying the Delta variant, which was a major cause of the second wave.
Now, the lab’s expertise is being applied to understanding dengue, with the study’s next phase focusing on mutations in the virus.
