Now ‘Cat Que’ virus is spreading like wildfire in China!

The new terror is called the cat que virus. Although the whole world, including India, is looking for a way out to get rid of coronavirus infection, the new virus is spreading like wildfire. And again, this time too, the epicenter of this new virus is China; reports several Indian portals according to the medical experts’ warnings, that the new virus could be brought to India from China as before.

What are the symptoms of ‘cat que virus’ (CQV)?

Scientists associated with ICMR say that there is more than one symptom of the Cat Q virus. According to the news published in All India Media News – Mint, people infected with the Cat Que virus can get fever. Meningitis, pediatric encephalitis can also occur.

What is the cat que virus?

Scientists say the Cat que virus is a type of airborne virus that is carried by other animals. So far one existence has been observed in China and Vietnam. The ICMR says mosquitoes are the main carriers of the Cat Que virus. The main carriers of this virus are Azepti, Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex trichinarinicus. Pigs, on the other hand, can also carry the virus in mammals.

The CQV is arthropod-borne viruses or arboviruses. China and Vietnam have reported the presence of CQV inside culex mosquitoes and pigs.

According to the ICMR study, data has revealed that Indian mosquitoes, namely, aegypti, Cx. Quinquefasciatus, and Cx. Tritaeniorhynchus, are susceptible to the CQV. Swines are the primary mammalian host of the CQV. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

Read More........→September 29, 2020

Scientists develop portable point-of-care COVID-19 test

SEP 01, 2020 WASHINGTON: Scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have developed a prototype of a rapid COVID-19 test using a simple-to-use portable instrument for reading the results with a smartphone in 30 minutes, an innovation that may enable point-of-care diagnosis without needing to send samples to a lab. According to the study, published in the journal PNAS, the new technology may help overcome bottlenecks in supplies and laboratory personnel which have led to long waiting times for COVID-19 test results in several parts of the world amidst the ongoing pandemic. "If such a device and test were available, we could test for COVID-19 at public events, auditoriums, large gatherings and potentially even at home for self-testing. The results could be sent back to the appropriate public health system for coordination," said Rashid Bashir, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in the US. In one of the common methods to test for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, healthcare workers take a sample from patients with a long nasopharyngeal swab, which is put into a substance called viral transport media, and send to a lab for extracting, isolating, and multiplying the viral genetic material, the scientists said. This viral RNA multiplication process, called RT-PCR, requires several temperature fluctuation cycles, specialised equipment, and trained personnel, said Brain Cunningham, another co-author of the study. In the current research, the scientists used a simpler process to analyse the viral transport media, called LAMP, which bypasses the RNA extraction and purification steps. "LAMP only needs one temperature -- 65 C -- so it is much easier to control," said Anurup Ganguli, the first author of the study. "Also, LAMP works more robustly than PCR, especially when there are contaminants in the test sample. We can just briefly heat the sample, break open the virus, and detect the genetic sequence that specifically identifies SARS-CoV-2," Ganguli said. When the researchers compared the LAMP assay with PCR, they found the results were in agreement, following which they documented the sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP test. The scientists then incorporated the assay onto a small 3D-printed cartridge that has two input slots for syringes -- one for the sample-containing viral transport media, one for the LAMP chemicals. Once the two syringe components are injected, they the react within the cartridge, the study noted. "We use modern, high speed additive manufacturing to make these cartridges. The entire thing can be quickly scaled up to hundreds of thousands of tests," said Bill King, another co-author of the study from the University of Illinois. "Production scale-up is typically the biggest obstacle for commercial applications of microfluidic cartridges, and we can overcome that obstacle using this new approach. Modern additive manufacturing is elastic and scalable, and it can be ramped up very quickly compared with legacy manufacturing technologies," King said. According to the researchers, the cartridge can be inserted into a hand-held portable instrument with a heating chamber, which heats the cartridge to 65 degrees Celsius for the duration of the reaction, and a smartphone cradle is in place for reading the results. In approximately 30 minutes, a positive result will emit fluorescent light, they said. "The reader illuminates the liquid compartments with light from blue LEDs, while the phone's rear-facing camera records a movie of the green fluorescent light being generated," Cunningham explained. The scientists noted that they are currently assessing whether the assay would work with saliva samples to eliminate the need for nasopharyngeal swabs. Copyright © Jammu Links News, Source: Jammu Links News

Read More........→September 29, 2020