In Australia, a disturbing event is causing a stir. Hundreds of highly dangerous virus samples have leaked from a Queensland laboratory, raising major questions about biosafety and the management of infectious pathogens.
In August 2023, Queensland Health discovered that 323 vials containing viruses such as Hendra, Orthohantavirus and Lyssavirus had gone missing since 2021. Minister Timothy Nicholls called it a “serious breach of biosecurity protocols”. An investigation was launched to trace their disappearance and understand why this anomaly had not been detected for two years.
The vials apparently came from a broken freezer. When transferring to a new device, errors in the documentation left gray areas. Although the hypothesis of a theft has been ruled out, the authorities do not know whether the samples were destroyed or simply misplaced.
Among the viruses concerned, Hendra, which can be transmitted from horses to humans, has a mortality rate of 57%. Orthohantavirus, spread by rodents, causes a syndrome pulmonary fatal in 38% of symptomatic cases. As for the Lyssavirus, close to rabies virusit is almost systematically fatal after the appearance of symptoms.
Fortunately, scientists believe that the samples pose no immediate risk to the population. Stored at -80°C, these pathogens quickly become inactive at higher temperatures. However, the uncertainty about their location maintains an element of doubt.
Such incidents are not uncommon. In 2014, the Pasteur Institute misplaced more than 2,000 samples linked to SARS. These events illustrate the limits of safety devices, even in highly specialized laboratories. Human errors, technical faults or insufficient procedures, the causes are multiple.
To prevent future incidents, Queensland Health has increased employee training and initiated rigorous audits. However, will these measures be enough? Experts call for increased vigilance and control strengthened biosecurity practices.
While the missing viruses remain untraceable, this case reminds us that laboratories handling pathogens must combine absolute rigor and transparency. In Australia as elsewhere, guaranteeing optimal security remains an imperative to prevent potential disasters.
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