A suspected exposure to a lethal hemorrhagic fever virus has triggered emergency protocols at a high-security United States laboratory, officials have confirmed this week. The incident occurred at Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML), a high-containment research facility in Hamilton, Montana, operated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on November 3, 2025.
High-Containment Facility Incident
Rocky Mountain Laboratories operates at biosafety level 4, representing the highest possible containment classification for handling dangerous pathogens. The facility is staffed around the clock by specially trained scientists, technicians and security personnel who work with some of the world's most deadly infectious agents. RML specialises in infectious diseases, immunology and high-containment research focusing on emerging biological threats.
Details of the Suspected Exposure
A press secretary from the US Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to media outlets that the emergency was triggered due to a possible Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus exposure. The incident involved a breach in an employee's personal protective equipment while working with the dangerous pathogen.
'The employee was immediately isolated and monitored under appropriate care at a specialised medical facility before it was confirmed that no actual exposure or transmission had occurred,' the press secretary stated. Officials emphasised that at no time was there any risk to the public or to other laboratory staff members.
Nature of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever represents a severe, tick-borne viral disease that initially causes flu-like symptoms before potentially progressing to life-threatening hemorrhages and multiple organ failure. The World Health Organization notes that the illness carries significant fatality rates ranging from five to thirty percent in confirmed cases.
Symptoms typically appear within three days following a bite from an infected tick and commonly include:
- Fever and muscle aches
- Dizziness and sore eyes
- Nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain
- Mood swings and general malaise
Within approximately one week, patients may develop more severe manifestations including:
- Racing heartbeat and cardiovascular complications
- Bleeding skin rashes and hemorrhagic symptoms
- Blood leaking from small capillaries, particularly around the eyes
- Liver failure and other organ dysfunction
Treatments for CCHF remain limited, though medical professionals have reported some success using the antiviral medication ribavirin, which is primarily employed for hepatitis C treatment.
Watchdog Group Investigation
The incident was revealed this week by the watchdog organisation White Coat Waste, which uncovered a biological laboratory report indicating that 'one of these pathogens was accidentally released, lost or stolen.' The bipartisan group, which campaigns against what it describes as cruel and unnecessary animal experimentation, discovered official records of a meeting with the Institutional Biosafety Committee at NIH's Rocky Mountain Laboratories dated November 20, 2025.
Regulatory Reporting Requirements
The meeting minutes, publicly posted on the NIH Office of Research Services Division of Occupational Health and Safety page for biosafety committee documentation, contain a brief reference to a 'Form 3 reported to Federal Select Agent Program on 11/13/2025' under the category of 'Biological Incidents to Report.' However, the records provide no specific details, discussion or follow-up information regarding the incident.
Form 3, officially designated as APHIS/CDC Form 3, represents mandatory government documentation that any registered laboratory must submit immediately upon discovering a theft, loss or release of a regulated biological agent. Laboratories must complete this form in full within seven days of identifying such an incident. A 'release' classification can encompass various scenarios including accidental spills, leaks or any situation where laboratory personnel may have experienced exposure outside designated containment areas.
Research Context and Historical Precedents
A June 2025 NIH-backed report confirmed that Rocky Mountain Laboratories had been conducting animal experiments involving the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus as part of ongoing vaccine research initiatives. This documentation underscores the high-risk nature of scientific work regularly performed at the facility.
White Coat Waste previously revealed in 2023 that RML had been experimenting with SARS-like viruses approximately one year before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Although that specific research programme has since been halted, current projects at the laboratory continue to involve other deadly pathogens with potential pandemic capabilities.
Current Research Activities
Ongoing research at Rocky Mountain Laboratories includes:
- Injecting pigs with Ebola virus for experimental purposes
- Infecting monkeys with COVID-19 to study disease progression
- Investigating hemorrhagic fever responses in animal models
Previous documents obtained by White Coat Waste revealed that in 2018, NIH researchers at RML infected bats with a 'SARS-like' virus as part of a collaborative project with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This Chinese laboratory has been at the centre of ongoing investigations regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The documents indicated that United States taxpayer funding supported coronavirus experimentation with viruses sourced from the Wuhan facility more than one year before the global outbreak began.
The Federal Select Agent Program oversees regulatory compliance for laboratories working with dangerous biological agents and requires facilities to report incidents through approved electronic systems or alternative methods. These reporting requirements apply even to minor or low-risk issues, and not every Form 3 submission necessarily indicates a major accident or public health threat. Many reports concern relatively minor compliance matters that laboratories resolve promptly.
