South India's first Infectious Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (IRDL) will be set up by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), said medical education department on Friday ( 10 January 2025).

• Hitherto Karnataka relied on National Institute of Virology (NIV) lab in Pune to test samples related to suspected viral outbreaks and global epidemics.
• BMCRI will be the nodal agency for carrying out random testing of samples from all south Indian states in case of any outbreak of viral or bacterial diseases.
• Dr Asima Banu, principal and HoD of microbiology, BMCRI said that once operational, the lab will be a repository of various pathogens, fungi and other microorganisms.