National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata

National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) conducts research on acute diarrhoeal diseases of diverse etiologies as well as on typhoid fever, infective hepatitis and HIV/AIDS related epidemiological research and screening. The WHO recognized this Institute as "WHO Collaborative Centre for Research and Training on Diarrhoeal Diseases" in 1980. Aims of this Institute are to conduct research on such diseases in both basic and applied aspects. The institute also trains health professionals for better management and prevention of diarrhoeal diseases and for rapid and correct diagnosis of the etiological agents. Epidemiological investigations of diarrhoeal diseases are carried out in different parts of India. Antisera against Vibrio cholerae are raised in the institute and supplied to the national and international laboratories. Presently, specific monoclonal antiserum for detection of Vibrio cholerae O139 strains have been developed and are supplied to WHO (SEARO), New Delhi for distribution to various national and international laboratories. As WHO Phage Reference Center, this Institute receives a large number of Vibrio cholerae strains from all over the world for phage typing. Other activities of the centre include identification of enteric infections, HIV genotypes of national health priority and to develop strategies for treatment, control and prevention of enteric infections and HIV/AIDS of national health priority.