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A major biosecurity breach has occurred at the Public Health Virology Laboratory in Queensland, Australia, where hundreds of virus samples have gone missing. Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls announced that 323 vials, including those containing Hendra virus, lyssavirus, and hantavirus, were misplaced in 2021. The breach was only discovered in August 2023.
The missing samples include nearly 100 vials of Hendra virus, two of hantavirus, and 223 of lyssavirus. These viruses are known for their high fatality rates. Hendra virus, for instance, has a 57% fatality rate in humans and is primarily transmitted from horses. Hantavirus can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, with a mortality rate of around 38%, while lyssavirus is similar to rabies.
The samples went missing after a freezer storing them broke down. It remains unclear whether the samples were destroyed or moved without proper documentation. Despite the breach, officials, including Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard, have stated there is no evidence of risk to the public. The viruses would degrade quickly outside a freezer, becoming non-infectious.
An investigation has been launched to determine how the breach occurred and why it took so long to be discovered. Queensland Health has taken measures to prevent future incidents, including retraining staff and auditing storage protocols. Sam Scarpino, director of AI and life sciences at Northeastern University, described the situation as a "critical biosecurity lapse" but noted the low risk of an epidemic due to limited person-to-person transmission of these viruses.