A biosecurity breach has come to light in Queensland, Australia, where 323 vials containing live viruses, including Hendra virus, Lyssavirus, and Hantavirus, have gone missing. The breach, which occurred in 2021, was only discovered in August 2023, prompting an investigation into the lapses in protocol. Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls disclosed that nearly 100 of the missing vials contained Hendra virus, a pathogen with a fatality rate of 57 percent in humans. This virus, discovered in the 1990s, is transmitted from horses to humans and has caused devastating impacts on infected individuals and industries alike. "Hendra virus has a 57 percent fatality rate in humans and has had a devastating impact on those who have been infected, their families, and on the veterinary and equine industries in areas where the virus spills over," said Raina Plowright, a professor at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, as reported by Newsweek.