In a major biosecurity breach, hundreds of vials containing deadly viruses are reported to have disappeared from a high-level government containment laboratory in Queensland, Australia. Confirming the loss, Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls has admitted that 323 vials of live viruses are apparently unaccounted for. The missing samples include nearly 100 vials of Hendra virus, two vials of Hantavirus, and 223 vials of Lyssavirus, all of which are extremely dangerous to humans. While authorities are claiming that the public is not at risk, the question remains as to why we are only now learning about this incident given that it took place four years ago.
The vials are believed to have gone missing from Queensland’s Public Health Virology Laboratory, supposedly following a freezer malfunction. Attempting to reassure Queenslanders, authorities have stated that while the missing viral samples could potentially be weaponized, the process is complex and is not something that could be carried out by amateurs. The loss of the vials is said to have taken place in 2021 but was seemingly not uncovered by investigators until August 2023.
Serious risks to health
The viruses concerned undoubtedly pose serious risks to health. Hendra virus, which primarily affects horses, has a 57 percent mortality rate in humans. Hantavirus, carried by rodents, causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a condition with a 38 percent fatality rate in symptomatic cases. Lyssavirus, a disease similar to rabies, is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear and contributes to around 59,000 deaths globally each year.
While the current whereabouts of the missing viral samples remains unknown, authorities claim there is presently no evidence they have led to any public health risks or that they were stolen with malicious intent. Nevertheless, in response to the incident, Queensland Health has now initiated an independent investigation. Led by retired Supreme Court Judge the Honorable Martin Daubney AM KC and biosecurity expert Dr. Julian Druce, this essentially has the twin goals of determining how the samples were lost and preventing any future occurrences.
Burying the bad news
Given the growing belief that the COVID-19 pandemic began following a laboratory leak in China, it remains to be seen whether Australia’s handling of this latest biosecurity incident will be sufficient to restore public trust in the safety of high-level laboratory containment facilities. While Queensland authorities insist that the public is not at risk, the key question remains as to why we are only now learning about the loss of these viral samples given that they apparently disappeared four years ago.
One possibility could be the fact that the breach took place in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the lockdowns, travel bans, vaccine mandates, and other draconian restrictions in place in Australia at that time, Queensland authorities may have been concerned that even by 2023 when the incident was uncovered, admitting to the loss of hundreds of deadly viral samples could have undermined public trust.
But as we now know, the Australian public’s trust in government health information had already been greatly damaged by the country’s response to COVID-19 itself. An Australian government-appointed inquiry recently warned that public trust won’t be so high in a future pandemic, adding that people would be unlikely to accept again many of the measures taken.
While there is probably never an ideal time for any government to have to admit to a major biosecurity breach, public health interests coupled with the need for transparency dictate that people have a right – and indeed, a need – to know the truth. In this respect, the fact that the announcement was made in the runup to the Christmas holidays speaks volumes. Seemingly, this was viewed by authorities as the best time to bury the bad news. In Australia, as in other countries, it seems, transparency in public health remains secondary to politics.
