"It worries us"

Samples of deadly virus missing from lab

The Queensland government has announced that hundreds of deadly virus samples have gone missing from a laboratory in Australia (symbolic image).

(Bild: APA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Michael M. Santiago)

Almost 100 samples of the deadly Hendra virus have gone missing from a government-run laboratory in Queensland, Australia. According to Health Minister Tim Nicholls, a total of 323 samples, including Hendra, Lyssa and Hantavirus, are unaccounted for after a freezer failure in 2021.

The Queensland Virology Laboratory, where the samples disappeared, provides "diagnostic services, surveillance and research for viruses and tick-borne pathogens of medical importance", according to the statement.

The most likely cause of the "disappearance" is considered to be the loss of containers during transfer to a new freezer - however, the necessary documentation was not completed. The Ministry of Health is currently conducting an investigation into the incident.

It is unclear whether the samples were removed or destroyed. "We are concerned about this part of the transfer," said Nicholls. However, there is no evidence of theft.

Low risk to the public
Chief Health Officer Dr. John Gerrard emphasized that the missing virus samples decompose quickly outside a freezer and are therefore not infectious. No human cases of Hendra or Lyssavirus have been reported in Queensland for five years, and hantavirus infections have never been documented in Australia.

Hendra virus, a disease transmissible from animals to humans, first made headlines in 1994 when it killed several horses and a trainer in Brisbane. Since then, there have been 66 outbreaks in Australia with four human deaths.

Criticism of safety gaps
Experts such as infection specialist Dr. Paul Griffin sharply criticized the safety shortcomings: "Such breaches should not happen in laboratories with strict safety precautions." Griffin called for more transparency and a clear explanation of the circumstances of the incident in order to restore trust in such facilities.

Commission of inquiry set up
An independent investigation is now to review the laboratory's internal guidelines and safety practices. A report with recommendations is expected by June. The incident comes at an inopportune time for the local health department.

Only shortly before, errors had been uncovered in another state laboratory in Queensland, which led to the testing of thousands of DNA samples. According to ABC News Australia, over 40,000 criminal cases have been affected by such systemic errors.