Australia, 323 vials containing deadly viruses disappear from laboratory

An investigation launched after vials with deadly viruses such as Hendra and Hantavirus were discovered to have disappeared. The vials disappeared in 2021, but the discovery was not made until two years later

There is a mystery in Australia over the disappearance of hundreds of vials containing potentially deadly viruses from a laboratory in Queensland. Health Minister Tim Nicholls announced the launch of an enquiry to investigate the matter, Newsweek reported. The discovery, which took place in August 2023, reveals that as early as 2021 there was a serious breach of biosafety protocols, leading to the disappearance of 323 samples containing viruses such as Hendra, Lyssavirus and Hantavirus.

The Hendra virus, in particular, is known for its high mortality rate in humans (57%), having been discovered in the 1990s to have caused the death of several horses in Australia. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Nicholls assured that there is no evidence that these viruses have been turned into laboratory weapons. However, the investigation will seek to clarify how the vials disappeared and why it took two years to discover their disappearance.

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