Australia lab investigation finds missing hantavirus vials were probably destroyed

An investigation into the disappearance of two hantavirus vials from an Australian laboratory has concluded they were probably destroyed rather than stolen.

The finding relates to a batch of 300 vials that went missing in 2024.

The two vials contained hantavirus, which can cause a serious illness, but investigators said they were not connected to the recent outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius.

At the time of the loss, the vials were thought to have gone missing during a transfer to a new freezer.

The report adds a clearer explanation to an incident that had raised concern because of the pathogen involved.

It also narrows the focus away from the cruise ship outbreak, which has been the subject of separate public health attention.

According to the supplied report, the recent outbreak has left three people dead in the last two weeks.

It also says a Dutch husband and wife, both 69, developed the virus after visiting Ushuaia in Argentina before boarding the ship.

The article says the couple may have been exposed to rodents at a landfill site during a birdwatching trip.

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