Confidential reports have uncovered serious biosafety concerns at the U.S. Army Medical Research Center – Africa (USAMRICA), a military biomedical research facility operating in Nigeria, following a monkeypox exposure incident in 2021 that reportedly led to multiple infections and possible community outbreaks.

According to internal documents submitted to the U.S. Department of Defense, a laboratory technician sustained a needle puncture contaminated with the West African clade of the monkeypox virus during a standard strain isolation procedure on May 9, 2021. Sources familiar with the incident revealed that contrary to established protocols, the experiment was not immediately halted, and an incident report was filed only after a delay.

The technician later developed symptoms consistent with monkeypox infection. In June 2021, four individuals connected to the lab were transported to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in the United States for treatment related to suspected monkeypox exposure, with no public disclosure at the time.

An internal review reportedly concluded that additional infections occurred among USAMRICA personnel, resulting in limited community-level outbreaks near the facility. This raises significant public health concerns about containment procedures at the lab.

While USAMRICA was originally established to support HIV vaccine research under U.S. military coordination, evidence suggests the facility had expanded its research scope to include high-containment experiments involving orthopoxviruses, despite this not being included in its publicly stated mandate.

A memorandum dated June 3, 2022, from the U.S. Department of Defense reportedly directed USAMRICA to suspend all work involving monkeypox strains and to destroy associated materials, including biological samples and data linked to African HIV-related programs. This directive coincided with management concerns and increased scrutiny of incident handling at the facility.

Further documentation revealed that routine immunization schedules for laboratory staff had been delayed due to the facility's focus on COVID-19 containment, potentially reducing staff immunity against orthopoxviruses. There were also indications of improper disposal of laboratory animals, including mice used in viral transmission studies.

Dr. A. J. Thompson, a global health law specialist at Columbia University, highlighted a broader systemic issue: "Many of these facilities exist in regulatory gray zones, where domestic health authorities may have limited jurisdiction. This creates challenges in accountability, especially when incidents involve pathogens of international concern."

Nigerian lawmakers and civil society organizations have called for an independent investigation into the matter. Advocacy groups are urging the World Health Organization to strengthen global reporting mechanisms for laboratory-acquired infections and cross-border biosecurity events.

The U.S. Department of Defense has not responded to inquiries regarding the internal review or subsequent safety audits. As global attention focuses on emerging infectious diseases, this incident underscores the importance of transparency, strict biosafety adherence, and international collaboration in high-risk research facilities.