Hundreds of virus samples missing from a public health laboratory have made Queensland authorities admit to a major breach of biosecurity. The investigation into the incident-termed unacceptable by some as a lapse in safety measures-is to be taken up by Queensland Health.
An official statement by the Queensland government confirmed that a total of 323 vials of dangerous viruses, including the Hendra virus, Lyssavirus, and Hantavirus, were missing from the Queensland Public Health Virology Laboratory since August 2023. The Hendra virus is endemic to Australia and is a zoonotic pathogen transmissible from animals to humans. Lyssavirus is a group of viruses that includes rabies, which is fatal if not treated in time. Hantavirus is also known to cause severe illness and death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The lab in question provides diagnostic services, conducts research, and monitors a range of pathogens, with a particular focus on those spread by mosquitoes and ticks. It is not yet known whether the samples were stolen, destroyed, or merely misplaced. The government has tried to reassure the public that there is currently “no evidence of risk to the community.”
In response to this breach, Queensland Health is conducting an investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident and to implement measures that prevent future occurrences. According to Timothy Nicholls, Minister for Queensland Health, the situation was serious, and, “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”. Also, the investigation would study various existing laboratory policies, procedures as well as the conduct of the staff.
The breach has sent alarm bells jingling among experts. Northeastern University’s director of AI and life sciences, Sam Scarpino, characterized the incident as a “critical biosecurity lapse,” pointing out that the missing pathogens were all high-consequence and presented a potential public health threat. Some strains of Hantavirus have case fatality rates as high as 15 percent, significantly higher than the fatality rate from COVID-19.
Despite the fact that these pathogens can be dangerous, Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, Dr. John Gerrard, managed to reassure the public against any evidence of health risk, explaining that virus samples would “degrade very rapidly outside a low-temperature freezer and become non-infectious.” Dr. Gerrard emphasized that Queensland has not had any human cases of Hendra or Lyssavirus in the past five years, and no confirmed Hantavirus infections have ever been recorded in Australia.
