Australia confesses dreadful lab invasion
Date
12/14/2024 11:58:56 AM
(MENAFN) More than 300 vials containing live samples of deadly viruses went missing from a laboratory in Queensland, Australia, in 2021, but the breach was only confirmed by authorities on Monday. The missing vials, stored at the Queensland Public health Virology Laboratory, were lost after a freezer malfunctioned sometime that year. The discrepancy was noticed in August 2023, but the official acknowledgment did not come until this week.
The vials contained samples of Hantavirus, Hendra virus, and Lyssavirus. Queensland's Chief Health Officer, John Gerrard, stated that it is unlikely the public is at risk, citing the rapid degradation of virus samples outside cold storage. He suggested that the samples may have been destroyed according to safety protocols.
The missing vials included nearly 100 containing Hendra virus, two with Hantavirus (which has a mortality rate of 38%), and 223 with Lyssavirus, similar to rabies. There have only been three confirmed cases of Lyssavirus infection in Australia, all of which were fatal. Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls stressed that there is no evidence the samples were stolen for malicious purposes, asserting that weaponizing a virus requires sophisticated expertise.
The incident has been labeled a “serious breach of biosecurity protocols,” and an investigation will be led by retired Australian Supreme Court Judge Martin Daubney, with assistance from biosecurity expert Dr. Julian Druce. The authorities have already begun retraining staff and auditing permits to ensure better compliance with biosecurity regulations in the future.
MENAFN14122024000045015687ID1108992995
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.