‘Major breach of biosecurity controls’: Sweeping health probe announced after infectious virus samples vanish from Qld lab

Infectious viral samples have gone missing from a state-run laboratory in what one state government has called a “major breach” of biosecurity controls.

Queensland’s newly minted LNP government has announced a Part 9 investigation into the health headache at Queensland’s Public Health Virology Laboratory a year after the breach was first reported.

The laboratory provides specialist diagnostic services, surveillance and research for viruses and mosquito and tick-borne pathogens.

Samples of the Hendra virus, Lyssavirus and Hantavirus were discovered missing in August 2023.

Although health experts have reassured there is no risk to the community, the laboratory has not been able to determine if the materials were removed from secure storage or destroyed.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls on Monday announced retired Supreme Court Justice Martin Daubney KC would lead the investigation.

Julian Druce, the former head of the Virus Identification Lab at the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory, has been appointed as co-investigator.

“With such a serious breach of biosecurity protocols and infectious virus samples potentially missing, Queensland Health must investigate what occurred and how to prevent it from happening again,” Mr Nicholls said.

“The Part 9 investigation will ensure nothing has been overlooked in responding to this incident and examine the current policies and procedures in operation today at the laboratory.

“This investigation will also consider regulatory compliance and staff conduct.”

Mr Nicholls said Queensland Health had taken protective measures since discovering the breaches, including retraining staff and auditing permits to ensure “accountability and correct storage of materials”.

Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard reiterated there was no risk to public safety from the breach.

He said no Hendra or Lyssavirus cases had been detected among humans in Queensland over the past five years, and there had been no reports of Hantavirus infections in humans in Australia.

“It’s important to note that virus samples would degrade very rapidly outside a low temperature freezer and become non-infectious,” Dr Gerrard said.

“It’s most likely that the samples were destroyed by autoclaving as is routine laboratory practice and not adequately recorded … (and) very unlikely that samples were discarded in general waste, as this would be completely outside routine laboratory practice.”