The new Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode, is nearing completion, with full operations expected to commence shortly.

Established with support from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the high-containment facility is expected to bolster the State’s diagnostic self-reliance and facilitate the early detection of high-consequence pathogens such as the Nipah virus.

A professor attached to the Department of Microbiology at the MCH told The Hindu on Friday (June 12, 2026) that the facility was in the final stages of development. Work was progressing steadily, with only the installation of a double-door autoclave remaining. “Once the equipment is in place, the laboratory is expected to become operational, potentially within a couple of months,” he said.

​At present, testing and the handling of highly infectious pathogens are carried out at the hospital’s BSL-2 laboratory. However, the commissioning of the BSL-3 laboratory, equipped with more stringent biosafety measures, is expected to strengthen diagnostic capabilities and facilitate the early detection of pathogens. “The BSL-3 laboratory will also advance research by enabling the safe study of infectious agents that can spread through the air,” he added.

The state-of-the-art project is valued at ₹8 crore. Apart from the double-door autoclave, which is used to sterilise laboratory waste and equipment before it leaves the containment area, the facility is equipped with specialised air-handling and filtration systems, along with other biosafety infrastructure designed to prevent the escape of infectious pathogens.

Under existing ICMR protocols, confirmatory testing for highly infectious pathogens is carried out at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The commissioning of the BSL-3 facility at the Kozhikode hospital will not change this protocol, and samples requiring confirmation will continue to be referred to Pune, a senior microbiologist said.

The proposal to upgrade the existing State-government-run BSL-2 Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory into a regional-level facility was first mooted following the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode in 2018. However, the project was delayed by the COVID-19 lockdowns, and work eventually commenced in November 2021, an official said.