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The caller Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory astatine the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode, is nearing completion, with afloat operations expected to commence shortly.
Established with enactment from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the high-containment installation is expected to bolster the State’s diagnostic self-reliance and facilitate the aboriginal detection of high-consequence pathogens specified arsenic the Nipah virus.
A prof attached to the Department of Microbiology astatine the MCH told The Hindu connected Friday (June 12, 2026) that the installation was successful the last stages of development. Work was progressing steadily, with lone the installation of a double-door autoclave remaining. “Once the instrumentality is successful place, the laboratory is expected to go operational, perchance wrong a mates of months,” helium said.
At present, investigating and the handling of highly infectious pathogens are carried retired astatine the hospital’s BSL-2 laboratory. However, the commissioning of the BSL-3 laboratory, equipped with much stringent biosafety measures, is expected to fortify diagnostic capabilities and facilitate the aboriginal detection of pathogens. “The BSL-3 laboratory volition besides beforehand probe by enabling the harmless survey of infectious agents that tin dispersed done the air,” helium added.
The state-of-the-art task is valued astatine ₹8 crore. Apart from the double-door autoclave, which is utilized to sterilise laboratory discarded and instrumentality earlier it leaves the containment area, the installation is equipped with specialised air-handling and filtration systems, on with different biosafety infrastructure designed to forestall the flight of infectious pathogens.
Under existing ICMR protocols, confirmatory investigating for highly infectious pathogens is carried retired astatine the National Institute of Virology (NIV) successful Pune. The commissioning of the BSL-3 installation astatine the Kozhikode infirmary volition not alteration this protocol, and samples requiring confirmation volition proceed to beryllium referred to Pune, a elder microbiologist said.
The connection to upgrade the existing State-government-run BSL-2 Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory into a regional-level installation was archetypal mooted pursuing the Nipah outbreak successful Kozhikode successful 2018. However, the task was delayed by the COVID-19 lockdowns, and enactment yet commenced successful November 2021, an authoritative said.
