The neuroscientist Franc Llorens, who died at the age of 45 in Barcelona with symptoms compatible with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which he was also researching, sent high-risk biological samples containing active prions by courier from Germany and Portugal to the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute. (Idibell), according to what people familiar with his work in the laboratory have told this newspaper.
Llorens, who had a dual affiliation with the University of Göttingen and Idibell, allegedly sent the samples personally as the sender when he was in Germany and listed himself as the recipient in Spain. These samples, as well as others from the University of Coimbra, were introduced into the Idibell without registering. Some of these active prions were used in experiments despite the fact that this laboratory does not have the safety conditions required to carry out such work.
Last July, two years and seven months after the discovery of the unregistered infectious samples in the laboratory freezers, the University of Barcelona (UB) commissioned an investigation into what happened to an instructor who in recent weeks has taken statements from witnesses .
To date, no one from the UB, nor from Idibell, nor from the Ministry of Science has explained why it took so long to commission the investigation of an incident that has revealed alleged security failures in a publicly owned laboratory.
Coinciding with the publication of the scientist's death in El País, the Mossos d'Esquadra began an investigation on their own that, for the moment, remains in the initial phase of data collection.
Prions are abnormal proteins that cause neurodegenerative diseases for which there is no possible treatment, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Although the risk of contagion is very low, the consequences are very serious, since the infection is always fatal.
Hence, samples with prions are considered high risk and should only be handled in laboratories with a biosafety level 3 (on a scale of 1 to 4). The laboratory in which the deceased scientist worked had a security level 1.
Franc Llorens died without diagnosis. The scientist could have been infected accidentally by working with prions, since he suffered a neurodegenerative disease with symptoms typical of Creutzfeldt-Jakob. But his diagnosis was not confirmed because his widow, also a scientist on his team, refused to have an autopsy performed and ordered his remains to be cremated.
Regarding the entry of the samples to the laboratory, Llorens himself brought some in a briefcase and others were sent by parcel. The protocol for the transport of infectious substances of the World Health Organization (WHO) determines that samples with prions must be transported with triple leak-proof packaging and must be labeled with a biohazard symbol, among other requirements.
Some witnesses have assured that the samples arrived from Germany or Portugal in polystyrene boxes inside another cardboard box, violating any safety regulations. These same interlocutors have explained how the deceased ordered the laboratory workers to manipulate these samples of active prions, minimizing any risk in the face of their warnings because they had neither received training, nor did they have safety suits, nor was that a laboratory accredited for that purpose. type of high-risk investigations.
At least a dozen researchers worked in Idibell laboratory 4141, where active prions were manipulated, since Llorens' arrival in 2018 and his departure due to the deterioration of his health in November 2020. Another undetermined number accessed without security for tasks. for maintenance, cleaning or to share information with researchers. Since it was not a safety laboratory, the space was not thoroughly disinfected; in fact, they did not wear gloves or a mask. Therefore, it is not impossible that some of these people were exposed to the proteins.
Prion infections have a rapid evolution after the appearance of symptoms, but a slow incubation time. There are no diagnostic tests during the incubation period, so exposed people have no way of knowing whether they were infected or not. Except have patience. To this day, at least three of the workers continue in psychological and psychiatric treatment, which they began after the samples were discovered. The workers complain of not having received any type of support from either Idibell or the UB.
