Page 65 - INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH ANNUAL REPORT 2020

IMR Annual Report 2020 49

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS PERFORMED BY PARASITOLOGY UNIT

YEAR
TEST DISEASES
2019 2020
Microscopy
Direct smear, Malaria, Filariasis, Stool ova and cyst, Coccidian
1 and Microsporidium, Blood flagellates, Helminths 591 534
stained slide, gross and Acanthamoeba /Naegleria spp. infection
identification
Molecular Malaria, Filariasis, Leishmaniasis, Amoebiasis
2 174 101
PCR test and Acanthamoeba /Naegleria spp. infection
Malaria, Filariasis, Leishmaniasis, Amoebiasis,
Serology Taeniasis (Cysticercosis), Echinococcosis
3 733 938
Antibody detection (Hydatid Disease), Schistosomiasis, Trichinellosis, Research Centre (IDRC) Infectious Diseases
Toxocariasis and Toxoplasmosis
Helminth and Acanthamoeba /Naegleria spp.
4 Culture 3 7
infection
TOTAL 1501 1580

Virology Laboratory Diagnostic/Services

The Virology Unit continued to assist MOH in providing diagnostic services for the prevalent
medical viral infection, serving most government hospitals and clinics in the country. It also
served as:

• WHO National Influenza Centre
• WHO National Laboratory for Poliovirus
• National AIDS Reference Laboratory
• National Reference Laboratory for SARS CoV, Pan-CoV & Novel CoV
• National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza
• National Reference Laboratory for Zika
• National Reference Laboratory for Rabies
• National Reference Laboratory for Emerging and Re-emerging Viral Diseases