Hundreds of samples of deadly viruses disappeared from Australian laboratory
Kyiv • UNN
323 vials of dangerous viruses, including Hendra, Lissavirus and Hantavirus, have gone missing from a laboratory in Queensland. Authorities have launched an investigation into the largest breach of biosecurity protocols, although they claim there is no risk to the public.
Hundreds of samples of deadly viruses have gone missing from a laboratory in Australia. The three missing pathogens can have very high mortality rates in humans, Fox News reports , citing the Queensland government, UNN reports.
Details
It was reported that 323 vials of various infectious viruses, including Hendra virus, Lissavirus, and Hantavirus, went missing from the Queensland Public Health Virology Laboratory in August 23.
“The laboratory from which the samples disappeared provides 'diagnostic services, observation and research of viruses and pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks that are of medical importance,'” the statement said.
It is not known whether the infectious samples were stolen or destroyed, the statement said, and there is “no evidence of a risk to the public.
The government has instructed the Queensland Department of Health to launch an investigation into what is being described as “the largest historical breach of biosecurity protocols.
“With such a serious breach of biosecurity protocols and the potential loss of infectious virus samples, the Queensland Department of Health must investigate what happened and how to prevent it from happening in the future,” said Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls in a statement.
Hendra is a zoonotic virus (transmitted from animal to human) that has been found only in Australia.
Hantavirus is a family of viruses that can lead to serious illness and death, and Lyssavirus is a group of viruses that can cause rabies.
Sam Scarpino, PhD, Director of the Department of Artificial Intelligence and Life Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, confirmed that the situation in Australia is a “critical gap in biosecurity.
According to Scarpino, these three pathogens can have a very high mortality rate in humans, but they are not easily transmitted from person to person.
“Some hantaviruses have a mortality rate of up to 15%, which is more than 100 times higher than COVID-19, while others are more similar to COVID-19 in terms of severity,” he said.
He also added that all three pathogens pose a high risk to animals and livestock.
“Given the limited ability of any of these pathogens to be transmitted from person to person, the risk of an epidemic is very low,” Scarpino said.
In a statement to the media, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Gerrard reiterated that there is no evidence of a risk to the public.
“It is important to note that virus samples degrade very quickly outside the freezer at low temperatures and become non-infectious,” he said.
