Australia Acknowledges Startling Laboratory Incident
More than 300 vials containing Hantavirus, Hendra virus, and Lyssavirus have reportedly gone missing from a facility in Queensland. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
**Samples of Three Deadly Viruses Vanish from Secure Facility Without Detection for Years**
More than 300 vials containing live samples of three high-mortality-rate viruses disappeared from a laboratory in Queensland in 2021, with Australian authorities only confirming the breach recently.
The missing vials became unaccounted for after a freezer malfunctioned at Queensland’s Public Health Virology Laboratory sometime in 2021. The discrepancy was identified in August 2023, but it wasn't until Monday that officials acknowledged the incident.
The lost samples included Hantavirus, Hendra virus, and Lyssavirus.
Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard remarked that it was “difficult to conceive of a scenario” in which the public could face risks, noting the absence of infection reports over the previous five years. He added, “It’s important to note that virus samples would degrade very rapidly outside a low temperature freezer and become non-infectious,” suggesting the samples might have been neutralized in an autoclave as per safety protocols.
Approximately 100 of the missing vials contained Hendra virus, as reported by Queensland authorities. Two vials held Hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus with a mortality rate of about 38%. The remaining 223 vials were of Lyssavirus, which bears similarities to rabies. Since the virus was first identified in Australia in 1996, there have only been three confirmed cases of infection, all of which were fatal.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls stated at a news conference that there was no indication the samples were taken for malicious intent. He affirmed, “Of course, all this kind of research is taken in secret, but we are not aware that this has been weaponized in any way.” Nicholls remarked that, “The process of weaponizing a virus is very sophisticated, and is not something an amateur does.” He also clarified that there is no evidence to suggest that the Hendra virus has been weaponized at any point. Though first identified in horses during the 1990s, the virus has only infected a small number of humans, with many cases being fatal.
Authorities labeled the incident as a “serious breach of biosecurity protocols” and committed to investigating how the situation developed unnoticed for nearly two years. Queensland Health is implementing measures such as “retraining staff to ensure ongoing compliance with required regulations and an audit of all relevant permits” to safeguard the proper storage of materials, according to Nicholls’ statement.
The investigation will be overseen by retired Australian Supreme Court Judge Martin Daubney, with the assistance of biosecurity expert Dr. Julian Druce, as announced by authorities.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
More than 300 vials containing live samples of three high-mortality-rate viruses disappeared from a laboratory in Queensland in 2021, with Australian authorities only confirming the breach recently.
The missing vials became unaccounted for after a freezer malfunctioned at Queensland’s Public Health Virology Laboratory sometime in 2021. The discrepancy was identified in August 2023, but it wasn't until Monday that officials acknowledged the incident.
The lost samples included Hantavirus, Hendra virus, and Lyssavirus.
Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard remarked that it was “difficult to conceive of a scenario” in which the public could face risks, noting the absence of infection reports over the previous five years. He added, “It’s important to note that virus samples would degrade very rapidly outside a low temperature freezer and become non-infectious,” suggesting the samples might have been neutralized in an autoclave as per safety protocols.
Approximately 100 of the missing vials contained Hendra virus, as reported by Queensland authorities. Two vials held Hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus with a mortality rate of about 38%. The remaining 223 vials were of Lyssavirus, which bears similarities to rabies. Since the virus was first identified in Australia in 1996, there have only been three confirmed cases of infection, all of which were fatal.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls stated at a news conference that there was no indication the samples were taken for malicious intent. He affirmed, “Of course, all this kind of research is taken in secret, but we are not aware that this has been weaponized in any way.” Nicholls remarked that, “The process of weaponizing a virus is very sophisticated, and is not something an amateur does.” He also clarified that there is no evidence to suggest that the Hendra virus has been weaponized at any point. Though first identified in horses during the 1990s, the virus has only infected a small number of humans, with many cases being fatal.
Authorities labeled the incident as a “serious breach of biosecurity protocols” and committed to investigating how the situation developed unnoticed for nearly two years. Queensland Health is implementing measures such as “retraining staff to ensure ongoing compliance with required regulations and an audit of all relevant permits” to safeguard the proper storage of materials, according to Nicholls’ statement.
The investigation will be overseen by retired Australian Supreme Court Judge Martin Daubney, with the assistance of biosecurity expert Dr. Julian Druce, as announced by authorities.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
