Newly obtained government documents reveal that thousands of virus samples were transferred from China’s Yunnan Province to the Wuhan Institute of Virology under a U.S.-funded global health initiative, despite no formal agreement ensuring U.S. oversight or access.
The shipments occurred under the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) $210 million PREDICT program, operated by the University of California-Davis.
The program, active for about a decade, aimed to identify and study emerging infectious diseases worldwide to prevent potential pandemics.
However, internal records reveal significant gaps in oversight and contractual safeguards related to the handling and storage of these biological materials.
According to the documents, approximately 11,000 virus samples were shipped to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a laboratory that has faced international scrutiny for biosafety concerns and alleged ties to the Chinese military.
Notably, the Wuhan lab was never formally recognized as a partner laboratory under the PREDICT program.
The samples included viruses collected in Yunnan Province, a region known for harboring strains closely related to SARS-CoV-2.
Many were preserved in virus transport media capable of storing live viruses, raising concerns about potential biosecurity risks.
Despite the sensitive nature of these samples, the U.S. government lacked a binding agreement requiring copies to be stored on U.S. soil or for officials to have guaranteed access.
These findings were first reported by The Daily Caller, based on internal documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the investigative group U.S. Right to Know.
The lack of formal agreements or oversight means that these valuable biological materials may remain exclusively under Chinese control, complicating efforts to investigate virus origins or conduct follow-up research.
Documents reviewed indicate that labs in Yunnan were not official partners of the PREDICT program, yet the samples they collected were funneled to Wuhan for testing and storage.
Two key figures involved in the shipment process have drawn additional scrutiny: Wuhan-based virologist Ben Hu and Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance.
Daszak’s organization was a major USAID contractor for the PREDICT program. Both have been tied to early COVID-19 research efforts in Wuhan.
Following investigations into his oversight failures related to Wuhan research, Daszak was debarred from receiving federal funding, according to TDC.
Attorney Reuben Guttman echoed the concern, stressing that international transfers of lab samples require clear contracts and documented custody to ensure reliability.
Despite internal USAID concerns flagged in 2019, no formal agreement was ever established with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The State Department has since confirmed ongoing investigations into USAID’s past health contracts.
A senior official emphasized that moving forward, the U.S. government will withhold funding from any programs that do not have clear, enforceable safeguards in place when collaborating with foreign laboratories.
USAID’s recent shutdown has sparked debate.
While some warn of risks to global disease surveillance, critics argue the agency often lacked transparency and clashed with U.S. interests.
The transfer of thousands of samples without formal oversight has raised urgent questions about America’s control over sensitive biological research—especially as COVID-19 origin investigations continue.
