Mangaluru : A 25-year-old youth from Karwar, who was admitted to Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru following his apprehensions of having contracted the Nipah infection, tested negative for the infection on Wednesday.

The youth, who works at a laboratory kit manufacturing unit in Goa, had returned home for Ganesha festival.

His samples were sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune after he raised suspicion that he might have contracted the virus.

District health and family welfare officer Dr Kishore Kumar M confirmed that he has been found negative for Nipah virus infection.

The youth reportedly got drenched in the rain on September 8 while riding his bike from Goa to his home town Karwar.

He then developed a fever and headache. He looked up his symptoms on the internet and was worried he could have contracted the Nipah infection.

The man then approached a hospital in Karwar, who referred him to a private hospital in Udupi. He was then brought to the Wenlock Hospital on September 11. His family members were also isolated.