Dangerous Virus Sample Got Missing From Australian Laboratory
Deadly Virus Missing: The Queensland government has claimed that hundreds of deadly virus samples have been missing from a famous laboratory in Australia. Queensland made public announcement on this Monday of the week and named it a serious matter of concern and demanding for a special investigation.
Virus Samples Got Missing
The government has directed and stated clear to the Public Health Department of Queensland Health to Australian Govt. to launch an investigation program into it. That what it described as a “major historical breach of bio-security protocols”.
It was reported that 323 vials of several infectious viruses – including Hendra virus, Lyssa virus and Hanta virus – disappeared from Queensland’s public health virology laboratory in August 2023.
Hendra is a zoonotic (only spread from animal to human being) virus that has been found only in Australia region.
Investigation of Lost Samples
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hantavirus is a family of viruses that can cause severe illness and death in human, while Lyssa virus is a group of viruses that can cause rabies. The release said the laboratory where the samples went missing “provides diagnostic services, surveillance and research for viruses for medical importance and mosquito and tick-borne pathogens.”
It is not known if infectious samples were stolen or destroyed, the statement said, and “there is no evidence of risk to the present community.”
Deadly Virus Disappeared From Lab
The government has launched a “Part 9 investigation in this matter.” “With such a serious breach of bio-security protocols and the potential disappearance of infectious virus samples, Queensland Health must investigate what happened and how to prevent it from happening again in future,” State minister Timothy Nicholls said in the release. The Part 9 investigation will ensure nothing has been overlooked when responding to this incident and will examine the current policies and check procedures in operation today at the laboratory.
Community Virus Infection
This investigation will also consider regulatory compliance and the conduct of lab staff. Nichols said Queensland Health has taken “proactive measures,” including retraining lab staff on necessary regulations and conducting audits to ensure the correct storage of materials. Sam Scarpino, PhD, director of AI and life sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, confirmed that the situation in Australia amounts to a “critical bio-security lapse.” He told Fox News Digital that all of the pathogens reported missing has high-consequence and could pose a risk to the general public.