Viruses have escaped from high-containment laboratories
Evidence from biosafety literature and historical reviews confirms that viruses and other pathogens have occasionally escaped from laboratories via laboratory-acquired infections and containment breaches.
The retrieved papers document numerous instances and risks of laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) involving viral pathogens, as well as modeling studies specifically addressing the containment and accidental escape risks of pandemic pathogens from high-biosafety (BSL-3/4) research facilities.
Huasong Peng, Muhammad Bilal, Hafiz M. N. Iqbal. Improved Biosafety and Biosecurity Measures and/or Strategies to Tackle Laboratory-Acquired Infections and Related Risks. 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122697
Paper [0] reviews laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) involving viruses and other pathogens in containment settings.
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Jarunee Siengsanan-Lamont, Stuart Blacksell. A Review of Laboratory-Acquired Infections in the Asia-Pacific: Understanding Risk and the Need for Improved Biosafety for Veterinary and Zoonotic Diseases. 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed3020036
Paper [1] discusses laboratory-acquired infections and pathogen escapes in high-income and regional laboratories.
Byron Cohen, Boyu Ren, William Hanage, Nicolas Menzies, Kevin Croke. Modeling the effects of routine screening for accidental lab-acquired infections on the risk of potential pandemic pathogen escape from high-biosafety research facilities. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2026.1714582
Paper [2] models accidental lab-acquired infections and potential pandemic pathogen escapes from high-biosafety facilities.
Byron Lev Mentis Cohen, Boyu Ren, William Hanage, Nicolas Menzies, Kevin Croke. Modeling the Effects of Routine Screening for Accidental Lab-Acquired Infections on the Risk of Potential Pandemic Pathogen Escape from High-Biosafety Research Facilities. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.16.25327796
Paper [9] analyzes risks and preventative interventions regarding the escape of potential pandemic pathogens from BSL-3 and BSL-4 facilities via lab-acquired infections.
N Wurtz, A Papa, M Hukic, A Di Caro, I Leparc-Goffart, E Leroy, M P Landini, Z Sekeyova, J S Dumler, D Bădescu, N Busquets, A Calistri, C Parolin, G Palù, I Christova, M Maurin, B La Scola, D Raoult. Survey of laboratory-acquired infections around the world in biosafety level 3 and 4 laboratories.. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-016-2657-1
Paper [10] surveys laboratory-acquired infections in biosafety level 3 and 4 laboratories worldwide.
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