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Burkholderia mallei infection in the US (1903) -

A laboratory worker contracted glanders from Burkholderia mallei during an autopsy on an inoculated guinea pig. Despite an open wound on her finger, she survived.

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B virus exposure in the US (1932) -

Physician William Brebner died after being bitten by a rhesus monkey, leading to the identification of the B virus in his memory.

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Scrub typhus incident in Australia (1943) -

Australian bacteriologist Dora Lush tragically pricked her finger with a needle containing scrub typhus while working on a vaccine, ultimately succumbing to the infection.

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FMD outbreaks in Europe (1960-1993) -

Foot-and-mouth disease virus escaped European labs 13 times, causing outbreaks and showcasing biosafety vulnerabilities in vaccine production.

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Smallpox outbreak in the UK (1966) -

The 1966 smallpox outbreak in the UK started with Tony McLennan, a photographer at Birmingham Medical School, which housed a smallpox lab. Twelve years later, a fatal outbreak began similarly.

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Marburg virus outbreak in Germany (1967) -

This virus outbreak in West Germany affected 31 people, including lab workers exposed to African green monkeys. Seven died from Marburg hemorrhagic fever, marking one of the first known outbreaks.

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Aral smallpox incident in the Soviet Union (1971) -

A field test at a Soviet bioweapons facility caused a smallpox outbreak, infecting 10 and killing three. It was publicly revealed only decades later.

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London smallpox case (1972) -

A 23-year-old lab assistant at the London School of Hygiene contracted smallpox while observing virus harvesting. She infected two visitors, both of whom died, and a nurse, who survived.

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Virus exposures in Nigeria (1963-1977) -

Between 1963 and 1977, the Virus Research Laboratory in Ibadan, Nigeria, saw infections with Chikungunya, Dugbe, Wesselsbron, Dengue, and
Rift valley virus, with some staff members developing antibodies without symptoms.

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Ebola needle in the UK (1976) -

A lab worker accidentally pricked themselves with an Ebola-contaminated needle, resulting in an infection.

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Russian flu in the Soviet Union and China (1977-1979) -

In 1977, the H1N1 influenza virus reappeared in the Soviet Union and China. Some virologists speculated it escaped from a lab, while others believed it resulted from vaccine challenge trials.

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Smallpox death in the UK (1978) -

The 1978 smallpox outbreak in the UK was caused by accidental exposure to a strain grown at the University of Birmingham. Janet Parker, infected, became the last person to die from smallpox in the UK. 

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Sverdlovsk anthrax leak in the Soviet Union -

In 1979, anthrax spores were accidentally released from a Soviet military facility near Sverdlovsk, causing around 100 deaths. The incident, sometimes called "biological Chernobyl," was linked to lab contamination.

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Marburg virus death in the Soviet Union (1988) -

In 1988, researcher Nikolai Ustinov was fatally infected with the Marburg virus after accidentally pricking himself with a syringe used for guinea pig inoculation.

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Kol'tsovo Marburg case in the Soviet Union (1990) -

Another Marburg virus outbreak in Kol'tsovo resulted in the death of a laboratory worker.

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Anthrax letters in the US (2001) -

In September 2001, anthrax-laced letters sent to media offices and senators killed five and infected 17. In 2008, Bruce Ivins was identified as the sole culprit based on DNA evidence.

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SARS lab infection in Singapore (2003) -

A doctoral student at Singapore General Hospital contracted SARS during unsafe practices in a lab undergoing renovations.

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Ebola needle in Russia (2004) -

A researcher at Russia's VECTOR biological weapons facility died after accidentally pricking herself with a needle contaminated with the Ebola virus.

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H2N2 influenza testing error (2005) -

The 1957 H2N2 influenza strain, included in testing kits sent to over 5,000 labs across 18 countries, was deemed a major risk by Klaus Stohr, WHO influenza chief, due to its poor selection and exposure. 

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FMD outbreak in the UK (2007) -

The 2007 UK foot-and-mouth disease outbreak occurred when a virus leaked from the Pirbright Institute, spreading to nearby farms and resulting in over 2,000 animals being culled to contain infections.

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Ebola exposure in Germany (2009) -

A German researcher was accidentally exposed to Ebola in a high-security lab. Luckily, they survived the incident.

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Cowpox case in the US (2010) -

Cross contamination caused the first US lab acquired cowpox infection in a worker studying non-orthopoxvirus, highlighting a rare case of lab related transmission.

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Anthrax shipment in the UK (2012) -

The UK Animal and Plant Health Agency mistakenly sent out live anthrax samples. Its Surrey lab faced a Crown Prohibition Notice, closing it until safety improvements were implemented.

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H5N1 exposure in the US (2013) -

A Milwaukee researcher accidentally punctured a gloved hand with an H5N1-loaded needle, one of four reportable dermal puncture incidents at the Center for Infectious Disease Research.

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Smallpox vials found in the US (2014) -

Six vials of viable smallpox from the 1950s were discovered in a Food and Drug Administration-managed room on the campus of the National Institutes of Health, raising biosafety concerns.

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Zika virus infection in the US (2016) -

A researcher was accidentally infected with the Zika virus during a lab experiment at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Brucella outbreak in China (2019) -

An accident at Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute infected 65 workers with brucellosis. By November 2020, over 10,000 residents were infected due to bacteria-laden aerosols from improperly sterilized biopharmaceutical waste.

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SARS-CoV-2 lab leak in Taiwan (2021) -

In November 2021, a lab worker in Taipei contracted COVID-19, with the virus sequence matching a Delta variant from the lab. This raised suspicions of the first COVID-19 lab leak. No contacts tested positive.

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Polio detected in the Netherlands (2022) -

In November 2022, routine wastewater surveillance at a vaccine facility in Utrecht, Netherlands, detected wild poliovirus type 3. An employee was infected, but the source remains unclear despite safety measures.

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Missing virus vials in Australia (2023) -

In 2023, 323 virus vials, including Hendra and Lyssavirus, went missing from Queensland, Australia. Authorities launched an investigation, ensuring no community risk, and aimed to strengthen biosecurity measures.

Sources: (Fox News) (News-Medical) (World Health Organization) 

See also: Times the WHO declared a public health emergency

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