(a) whether the Government have any scientific evidence of the existence of HIV-Virus; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
(a) whether the Government have any scientific evidence of the existence of HIV-Virus; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (PROF. RITA VERMA)
(a) Yes, Sir.
(b) Two of the Indian Council of Medical Research`s (ICMR`s) institutes namely National AIDS Research Institute (NARI), Pune and National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Calcutta are working on HIV related research. Molicular epidemiological studies carried out by NARI on identification of HIV sub-types in India for the past 7 years have indicated predominance of HIV sub-type `C`. Studies carried out at NICED have also shown the pre-dominance of HIV sub-type `C`.
HIV infection is identified in blood by detecting antibodies, gene sequencing or viral isolation. These facts are as reliable as any for detecting any other viral infections.