Nepal: high-containment unit set up at the National Public Laboratory

The National Public Laboratory (NPHL) in Teku has set up a high-containment unit, a laboratory facility designed to deal with highly contagious diseases and prevent their spread across the population. According to health officials, the new unit will focus on viruses such as SARS-COV-2, Ebola, MERS, Nipah, and Marburg. It will also support research in pathology, immunology, and microbiology. Dr Ranjan Raj Bhatta, director of the laboratory, illustrated the functions of the unit, which will neutralise samples of viruses before sending them for testing abroad or within other national facilities to prevent the risk of spillover. The World Health Organization has provided financial and technical support to establish the facility through its pandemic fund.
Like other countries, Nepal is highly vulnerable to the spread of dangerous diseases due to increased global movements. The country reported several cases of SARS-COV-2, Mpox, and Chandipura virus in recent years. In 2019, it also recorded one human death from avian flu. In most cases, swab samples of suspected infections were sent to the World Health Organization’s collaborating centres in Japan, Hong Kong, India, or even the UK for confirmation. The new high-containment laboratory should speed up the analysis process and help to enhance surveillance measures to prevent the spread of deadly diseases. According to Bhatta, it is part of Nepal’s preparedness for potential future outbreaks.