Monkeypox- An Emerging Public Health Threat
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by an Orthopoxvirus belonging to the family Poxviridea. Variola virus, vaccinia virus, and cowpox virus are all members of the Orthopoxvirus genus.
Category: Members Posts 2021
Other respiratory tract infections during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southern province, Sri Lanka 2021
By Dr. Vigeetha Withanage, Acting Consultant Virologist TH Karapitiya, Galle While there is an ongoing COVID -19 pandemic situation, the Department of Virology at Teaching Hospital Karapitiya have investigated a limited number of patients for non-COVID Viral respiratory infections during 2021. We have tested 22…
Time to get alerted for Flu Now…!!!
By Kandy Virology Laboratory team Influenza virus is one of the most common respiratory viruses infecting humans worldwide and it is a winter virus in temperate and year-round circulation in the tropical countries. With an aim to reduce the circulation of SARS-CoV-2, non-pharmaceutical interventions…
SARS CoV-2 variant surveillance based on gene sequencing
Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Research Institute, Colombo and Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, University of Colombo have conducted SARS CoV-2 variant analysis based on gene sequencing data generated by Oxford Nanopore gene sequencing method since July 2021.
Maintaining rational prescribing practices during a crisis
In the context of the current COVID 19 pandemic, a high number of patients are getting affected with the SARS CoV 2 virus, and many cases can be tackled by one’s immune system as it is the case in many viral illnesses.
Commemorating Global Hand Washing day – Annual Education & Evaluation programme of Infection Control & Microbiology (AEEICM2021), TH Karapitiya, Galle
Annual Education & Evaluation programme of Infection Control & Microbiology (AEEICM2021) was held on 22nd of October 2021 for the 7th consecutive year, commemorating Global Hand Washing day falling on 15th October.
Mycoplasma genitalium; An emerging Sexually Transmitted Infection
Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is an emerging cause of sexually transmitted infections (STI), but is an understudied pathogen. MG is a motile flask shaped bacterium which lacks a peptidoglycan cell wall.
Naivety to apology
By Prof F Noordeen, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya I came from Wuhan of Hubei Really not knowing about my genealogy I travelled from Wuhan to Washington Really not knowing about my speed I met many in the…
Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP),Is it a cost-effective alternative for PCR?
Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel technique first developed in the year 2000 by Notomi et al and further improved by Nagamine et al.1,2 The simplicity of the procedure belies the complex chemical and molecular processes that are involved in the reaction. A detailed explanation of the mechanism is beyond the scope of this article, but very briefly, it involves six primers targeting eight different areas of the target sequence, which are amplified by a DNA polymerase under isothermal (usually 60-65oC) conditions.
Laboratory diagnosis of toxoplasmosis: methods, pitfalls and new developments
By Nilakshi Samaranayake MBBS, Dip Med Micro, PhD Senior Lecturer in Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo Introduction Toxoplasmosis is caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. It is a typical zoonotic infection with cats and other larger felids as primary hosts…
