High Security/Quarantine

The possibility of travellers arriving in Australia infected with a potentially fatal exotic disease has existed for many decades. However, the speed and accessibility of modern air travel, coupled with global environmental and demographic changes, has substantially increased this risk.

The National High Security Quarantine Laboratory (NHSQL) is a physical containment level 4 (PC4) facility designed for microorganisms that require the maximum level of containment.

It provides laboratory space, testing methods and personnel capable of safely handling viruses causing viral haemorrhagic fever (the Ebola, Lassa, Marburg, Crimean-Congo and Rift Valley fever viruses), variola virus and other infections associated with significant morbidity and mortality.