Over 300 live virus samples, including Hendra, Lyssavirus, and Hantavirus, vanished from an Australian lab in a serious biosecurity breach.
The Queensland Health Department is probing how the breach remained undetected for nearly two years and ensuring it won’t recur.A biosecurity breach has come to light in Queensland, Australia , where 323 vials containing live viruses, including Hendra virus, Lyssavirus, and Hantavirus, have gone missing.
The breach, which occurred in 2021, was only discovered in August 2023, prompting an investigation into the lapses in protocol.Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls disclosed that nearly 100 of the missing vials contained Hendra virus, a pathogen with a fatality rate of 57 percent in humans., discovered in the 1990s, is transmitted from horses to humans and has caused devastating impacts on infected individuals and industries alike.
“It’s this part of the transfer of those materials that is causing concern,” Nicholls stated during a press conference, asthe viruses were not stolen or weaponized. “There is nothing to suggest that these have been taken from the laboratory,” Nicholls added. “The process of weaponizing aQueensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard reassured the public about the minimal risk posed by the breach. “It’s difficult to conceive of a scenario whereby the public could be at risk,” Gerrard explained.
“With such a serious breach of biosecurity protocols and infectious virus samples potentially missing, Queensland Health must investigate what occurred and how to prevent it from happening again,” Nicholls stated. The Part 9 Investigation aims to examine current policies and procedures and ensure no critical elements are overlooked. Nicholls added that Queensland Health has already taken measures to address the issue, including staff retraining and an audit of permits to enhance accountability and proper material storage.Despite the alarming nature of the breach, authorities maintain there is no evidence of risk to the public, and efforts are being made to prevent such incidents from recurring.
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