ICMR pathogens: Pathogens were detected in 11.1% of the 4.5 lakh patients tested by the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) network, underscoring a slight but notable rise in infectious disease activity.
The ICMR’s quarterly bulletin shows positivity increased from 10.7% in January–March to 11.5% in April–June 2025, based on 24,502 positives out of 2,28,856 samples in Q1 and 26,055 positives out of 2,26,095 samples in Q2.
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Senior scientists cautioned that while the rise may seem modest, it should not be underestimated and could signal seasonal surges and emerging infections, reinforcing the need for vigilant surveillance.
The top pathogens detected across syndromes included Influenza A in ARI/SARI cases; dengue virus among acute fever and haemorrhagic fever cases; Hepatitis A in jaundice; norovirus in acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD) outbreaks; and Herpes simplex virus (HSV) in Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).
Between April and June, 191 disease clusters were investigated, identifying agents such as mumps, measles, rubella, dengue, chikungunya, rotavirus, norovirus, varicella zoster virus, Epstein–Barr virus and astrovirus. In the preceding quarter, 389 clusters were probed, with detections including mumps, measles, rubella, hepatitis, dengue, chikungunya, rotavirus, influenza, Leptospira, varicella zoster virus and STIs.
Since its inception, the VRDL network has expanded from 27 laboratories in 2014 to 165 labs across 31 states and UTs by 2025, functioning as an early warning system for outbreaks. From 2014–2024, more than 40 lakh samples were tested, with pathogens identified in 18.8%, and a cumulative 2,534 disease clusters have been mapped nationwide.
