ICMR Study Reveals One in Nine Indians Tested Positive for Infectious Diseases - Video

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reported that 11.1% of 4.5 lakh patients tested through its Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) network in 2025 were found to have viral pathogens, indicating a rising trend in infectious diseases.

The detection rate rose from 10.7% in the first quarter (Jan-Mar) to 11.5% in the second quarter (Apr-Jun), reports PTI.

The top five pathogens identified were Influenza A in respiratory infections, dengue in fever cases, Hepatitis A in jaundice, Norovirus in diarrheal outbreaks, and Herpes simplex virus in encephalitis cases.

The VRDL network, which expanded from 27 labs in 2014 to 165 labs across 31 states and UTs by 2025, acts as India's early warning system for infectious diseases. Between January and June, 580 disease clusters were investigated, including mumps, measles, rubella, chikungunya, and other viral infections. Since its inception, the network has tested over 40 lakh samples, identifying pathogens in 18.8% of them, and flagged 2,534 disease clusters nationwide. Experts warn that continuous surveillance is key to preventing future epidemics by timely detecting seasonal and emerging infections.