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Montana Lab Breach: Deadly Virus Leak Scare
22 Jan
Summary
- A high-security lab in Montana experienced an emergency protocol activation.
- The incident involved a potential exposure to a lethal hemorrhagic fever virus.
- Officials confirmed no public or staff risk, with the employee isolated.
Emergency protocols were triggered at the high-security Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton, Montana, on November 3, 2025. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-operated facility, which handles deadly pathogens, confirmed a suspected exposure to the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus. This incident occurred when an employee's personal protective equipment may have been breached while working with the lethal, tick-borne virus.
Officials stated the employee was immediately isolated and monitored, assuring that no actual exposure or transmission took place. They emphasized that at no point was there any risk to the public or other staff. The watchdog group White Coat Waste uncovered a biolab report detailing the incident, noting a required Form 3 submission to the Federal Select Agent Program, indicating a potential loss, theft, or release of a regulated biological agent.
