Deadly Virus Vials Containing Live Samples Go Missing from Australian Lab

A major biosecurity breach has surfaced in Queensland, Australia, where 323 vials containing live viruses, including Hendra virus, Lyssavirus, and Hantavirus, have been reported missing. The breach, which occurred in 2021, only came to light in August 2023, triggering widespread concern and an investigation into the handling of these dangerous pathogens.

Threat Knocking The Door

Queensland Health officials said that nearly 100 of the missing vials contain the Hendra virus-a pathogen with a 57% fatality rate in humans. First isolated in the 1990s, the virus transmits from horses to humans and poses severe risks for both individuals and industries.

Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine professor Raina Plowright said the situation was critical and that “Hendra virus has had devastating impacts on those infected, their families, and the veterinary and equine industries where the virus spills over.

The remaining vials contained 223 samples of Lyssavirus, which is a close relative of rabies and has a high mortality rate, and two samples of Hantavirus, which causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) with a mortality rate of about 38%.

The vials were at Queensland’s Public Health Virology Laboratory but went missing after a freezer malfunction in 2021. During the process of transferring to another freezer, lapses in proper documentation and oversight occurred.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls acknowledged the breach saying, *”The transfer process is at the heart of this issue. It’s unclear whether the samples were removed, lost, or improperly accounted for.”*

Authorities think that these samples were neither stolen nor used as weapons. Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard assured public that the risk is so minimal when he said: *”The likelihood of public exposure is extremely low. Outside of low-temperature storage, these viruses degrade quickly, making them non-infectious.”*

The officials suspect that through an autoclave accidentally, the missing samples must have been destroyed following common lab protocols.

An ongoing inquiry is trying to establish how the vials disappeared and why no one detected the problem for two years. Minister Nicholls has demanded better biosecurity practices, saying that *”This breach shows that more accountability and enhanced protocols need to be there to avoid such occurrences going forward.”*

Queensland Health has initiated retraining of employees, conducted storage permits audit and reviewed laboratory practice to heighten oversight. A Part 9 Investigation will deal with the extant policies on biosecurity and filling the gaps for such breach not to occur again in future.

Although the breach was alarming, health officials attempted to reassure the public about its minimal impact. They claimed that this breach is being taken with all seriousness to protect public health and ensure that the biosecurity protocols are in place in a robust manner.

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