1 in 9 Indians tested found infected: ICMR study warns of rising viral infections
New Delhi: One in every nine patients tested for viral infections across India between January and June 2025 was found positive for pathogens, according to a new report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The study, which analysed data from its Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) network, found pathogens in 11.1 per cent of 4.5 lakh samples tested.
The infection rate rose from 10.7 per cent in the first quarter (January–March) to 11.5 per cent in the second quarter (April–June), signalling a 0.8 percentage point increase. “While this increase may not appear large, it should not be underestimated — it could serve as a warning for seasonal diseases and emerging infections,” a senior scientist said.
Top Pathogens Detected
- The five most commonly detected pathogens were:
- Influenza A in acute respiratory infection (ARI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases
- Dengue virus among acute fever and haemorrhagic fever cases
- Hepatitis A in jaundice cases
- Norovirus in acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD) outbreaks
- Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) in Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) cases
Between January and March, 24,502 of 2,28,856 samples (10.7 per cent) tested positive. This increased to 26,055 of 2,26,095 samples (11.5 per cent) between April and June.
Disease clusters under surveillance
From April to June 2025, 191 disease clusters were investigated, with cases of mumps, measles, rubella, dengue, chikungunya, rotavirus, norovirus, varicella zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus and astrovirus detected.
In comparison, 389 clusters were investigated between January and March, where diseases such as mumps, measles, rubella, hepatitis, dengue, chikungunya, rotavirus, influenza, Leptospira, varicella zoster virus and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were reported.
The VRDL network functions as an early warning system for outbreaks. “If we continue tracking quarterly changes in infection rates, future epidemics could be prevented in time,” an ICMR scientist said.
Network expansion and long-term trends
From 2014 to 2024, over 40 lakh samples were tested across the network, with pathogens detected in 18.8 per cent of them. The VRDL network has expanded from 27 laboratories in 2014 to 165 laboratories across 31 states and Union Territories in 2025. So far, 2,534 disease clusters have been identified nationwide through this system.