Small Animal House and Ameobic Research Centre at IUBR & SSH Set for Inauguration

Kottayam: Mahatma Gandhi University’s Inter University Centre for Biomedical Research and Super Speciality Hospital (IUCBR & SSH) at Thalappadi is set to inaugurate a new Small Animal House and an Ameobic Research and Diagnostic Centre. The latter comes as Kerala grapples with cases of amoebic encephalitis, a rare but often fatal brain infection caused by free-living amoeba.

The facilities are part of IUCBR & SSH’s ongoing expansion. Minister for Higher Education and Social Justice R Bindu will officially open the Small Animal House, a dedicated facility for housing small animals for research, during a ceremony at Thalappadi on September 26, Vice-Chancellor Dr. C T Aravindakumar told reporters.

The Small Animal House, the second-largest in Kerala after the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute in Thiruvananthapuram, can accommodate up to 2,000 mice and 2,000 rats. “Modern cages, animal behavioral research equipment, and comprehensive biomedical research facilities have been provided here,” Dr. Aravindakumar said.

The Ameobic Research and Diagnostic Centre, also part of IUCBR & SSH, will be inaugurated by the Minister for Cooperation, Ports, and Devaswom, V N Vasavan.

The new testing facility will primarily identify pathogens responsible for amebic encephalitis, including Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., and Balamuthia mandrillaris. The project is being led by Vice-Chancellor Dr. Aravindakumar, IUCBR Director Dr Radhakrishnan E K, and scientists Dr Gautam Chandra and Dr Rajesh A Shenoy, with researchers Nishad Keettedath, Anand Krishnan, Sakeena Asmi, Neethu P, and Aswathy S.

Dr. Aravindakumar emphasized that the centre’s capability to detect pathogenic amoeba even in household water will enhance water safety and reduce health risks, directly linking laboratory testing to public health outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, IUCBR & SSH had successfully tested 400,000 samples, demonstrating its commitment to societal health.

The centre is also developing a testing kit to detect amoebae in local water bodies, which officials say will help identify potential outbreaks early and enable rapid preventive measures.