ICMR starts new initiative in northeast

Tags: National News

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on 4 August inaugurated the Foodborne Pathogen Survey Network (ICMR-FoodNet) in the northeastern States of India.

Important facts

• This latest initiative is part of the project launched by ICMR in 2020.

• The Integrated Task Force Project coordinates various operations, monitors outbreaks of foodborne enteric disease, and conducts intensive systematic laboratory-based surveillance in four north-eastern Indian states in collaboration with research and medical institutions and the food sectors.

• The project also includes assessment of disease burden, detection of specific pathogens responsible for outbreaks, and documentation of antimicrobial resistance patterns among intestinal bacteria.

Foodborne Pathogen Survey Network (ICMR-FoodNet)

• FoodNet determines the incidence of laboratory-diagnosed infections for bacterial pathogens typically transmitted through food.

• It provides a foundation for food safety policy and prevention efforts. 

• It estimates the number of foodborne illnesses, tracks the incidence of specific foodborne illnesses over time, and disseminates information.

Northeast India

• Northeast India comprises seven states : Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

• The northeast is bordered by Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh with a total length of over 2000 km and is connected to the rest of India by a narrow 20 km wide corridor of land.

• Northeast India is also known as the “Seven Sisters”.