In 2021, over 300 vials containing deadly viruses went missing from a lab in Queensland, Australia. These viruses are dangerous and have high mortality rates. It took nearly two years for the authorities to confirm the loss, and the public only learned about it this week.
The missing samples were kept in the Queensland Public Health Virology Laboratory. The trouble started when a freezer broke down sometime in 2021, causing the samples to become unaccounted for. While the issue was discovered in August 2023, the authorities didn’t officially confirm the incident until Monday.
The vials contained samples of three dangerous viruses: Hantavirus, Hendra virus, and Lyssavirus. Each of these viruses has the potential to cause serious illness or death in humans.
- Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus, and it has a mortality rate of about 38%. It’s extremely rare but dangerous.
- Hendra virus was first found in horses in the 1990s, and it can cause severe illness in humans, often leading to death.
- Lyssavirus, which is similar to rabies, is even more concerning. There have been only three confirmed cases of people catching it in Australia since it was discovered in 1996—and all of those cases were fatal.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, Dr. John Gerrard, has reassured the public that there is no immediate risk. He explained that viruses outside of a freezer would likely lose their ability to infect people quickly, making the samples possibly no longer dangerous. He suggested that the virus samples might have been destroyed following safety protocols, such as being burned in an autoclave.
Despite this, the authorities are treating the situation very seriously. Almost 100 vials contained Hendra virus, while two vials had Hantavirus, and the remaining 223 vials were filled with Lyssavirus. These vials were crucial for research, and their disappearance raised alarms about the security measures in place at the lab.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls said there was no evidence to suggest that the samples were stolen on purpose or used for harmful reasons. He stressed that creating weapons from viruses like these would require a high level of expertise, far beyond what an amateur could handle.
The incident was described as a serious breach of biosecurity protocols, and an investigation is now underway. The state is reviewing its processes, retraining staff, and conducting audits to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. A retired Australian Supreme Court Judge, Martin Daubney, will lead the inquiry, assisted by biosecurity expert Dr. Julian Druce.
As the investigation unfolds, the public is left with many questions: How did this happen? Were there warning signs that went unnoticed? And most importantly, are these deadly viruses really no longer a threat?
