Scientists charged with mpox virus import lies

Two scientists who work at a U.S. government lab have been charged with smuggling vials of deactivated mpox virus into the country from Africa and then lying to federal investigators about it, authorities said Tuesday.

A criminal complaint unsealed in federal court in Detroit names Vincent Munster, chief of the virus ecology section at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, and Claude Kwe, a colleague at the same facility.

The two were stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in January.

They were returning from a nine-day trip to the Republic of Congo via Paris.

Congo has been hit by a major mpox outbreak linked to more than 2,000 deaths.

A separate two-year outbreak was declared over in April.

According to the FBI, Munster “adamantly denied” bringing any biological materials or samples back into the United States.

But subsequent tests showed the men were carrying vials of deactivated virus, federal investigators said in a court filing. They had not declared the material to customs officials and lacked the necessary permits to transport it.

“Any deliberate effort to conceal and smuggle biological materials into the United States without proper authorization is a breach of the public’s trust and could have placed the public at risk,” said Marcus Sykes of the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Munster and Kwe did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

They are expected to appear in federal court in Missoula, Montana, on Wednesday.

What the scientists told airport investigators

The court filing offers a glimpse into the interaction at the airport. Munster told investigators that any required paperwork was on his laptop, adding, “but you don’t need them. I do this all the time.”

The agency said it was “reasonable to believe” that statement about the documentation was “materially false.”

The National Institutes of Health, which oversees the lab where both men work, said in a statement: “This matter is currently under investigation, and NIH is cooperating fully with law enforcement and appropriate authorities. Because this is an ongoing investigation and personnel matter, we are limited in what additional information we can provide at this time.”

The filing does not explain why Munster and Kwe might have wanted to bring the deactivated virus to their lab in Montana. But Federal investigators noted that both are virologists who have done extensive research on the virus.

Mpox and its recent history

Mpox, previously called monkeypox, was first identified by scientists in 1958 during outbreaks of a “pox-like” illness in monkeys. Most human cases were historically found in central and West Africa among people who had close contact with infected animals.

The most common symptoms, according to the World Health Organization, are a rash and fever. In some cases it can cause serious illness, though most people recover fully.

In 2022, the virus was confirmed to spread through sexual contact for the first time, triggering outbreaks in more than 70 countries that had not previously reported cases of the disease.

One outside observer noted that while deactivated viruses are generally considered safe to handle, the failure to follow federal import rules raises questions about lab oversight and the judgment of senior researchers. “The rules exist for a reason,” said the person, who asked not to be named due to the ongoing investigation. “Even if the material itself isn’t dangerous, the process matters.”