CMDN has been continuously involved in a number of virology researches ranging from animal pathogens to human pathogens. Some of the virology related research areas include:
Identification of Endemic Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) in Nepal
Newcastle Disease Virus is one of the most common poultry diseases prevailing in Nepal. Our team sampled over 700 commercial and backyard chickens from 10 districts of Nepal during both wet and dry seasons. Over 4000 specimens were collected and processed in our laboratory.Using our own RT-PCR and PCR tools along with Next Generation Sequencing, our team successfully isolated and characterized the most prevalent endemic strain of New Castle Disease Virus in Nepal.
Covid-19 Environment Surveillance
CMDN is the only organization in Nepal to have detected and sequenced SARS Cov-2 (Covid-19) virus from sewage samples collected from various parts of Lalitpur, Nepal. Combing RT-PCR and Nested PCR we were successful in identifying as well as quantifying the viral load in collected samples. Detection of virus from sewage samples, using metagenomics approach helps to identify the potential hotspots of Covid-19 infection.
PREDICT Project
Zoonotic diseases – that can be transmitted from animals to humans, like SARS-CoV-2, represent over 75% of new emerging diseases. In order to identify, track, and contain the diseases before they infect large number of populations, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) created the PREDICT project. CMDN was the implementing partner in Nepal and conducted community-level disease surveillance sampling humans and animals in various parts of the country. We successfully detected multiple viral families (Paramyxovirus, Corona virus, Filovirus, and Influenza Virus) Locating geographic hotspots of human and wildlife settlements that carry potential zoonotic diseases helps to curtail disease transmission before they become a threat to human health.