Hundreds of deadly virus samples are missing from a laboratory in Australia, the Queensland government announced on Monday.

The government has instructed Queensland Health — Australia’s public health department — to launch an investigation into what’s being described as a "major historical breach of biosecurity protocols," according to the online media statement.

It was reported that 323 vials of multiple infectious viruses — including Hendra virus, Lyssavirus and Hantavirus — went missing from Queensland’s Public Health Virology Laboratory in August 2023.