If the emergence of coronavirus, followed by the lockdown was not enough, now scientists in China have engineered a new virus that can potentially kill a person in just three days. The study was carried out at Hebei Medical University. It used a synthetic virus to simulate the deadly Ebola virus. Reportedly the purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of the pathogen. The potential risks and hazards of such experiments were published in Science Direct.
The Ebola virus is considered to be one of the deadliest viruses because of its high mortality rate and severe symptoms. The last outbreak occurred between 2014 and 2016, which affected several West African countries and resulted in many deaths. Now, researchers at Hebei Medical University took up a controversial study to make a virus using components of the Ebola virus. The purpose is to investigate the progress of the disease and the symptoms by using a model that could mimic Ebola’s effects on the human body. The team used Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV), modified to carry the glycoprotein (GP) from the Ebola virus. This protein is important for the virus to enter and infect the host cells.
The experiment was conducted on a group of hamsters, which included five females and five males. They were injected with this virus and developed severe symptoms similar to those of human Ebola patients. They showed symptoms like systemic diseases and multiple organ failure, which ultimately led to the death of the hamsters in just three days. The study found that a few hamsters showed eye secretions in their eyes, which led to impaired vision. This is yet another symptom which is Ebola Virus Disease patients.
After the death of the hamsters, the researchers harvested their organs and analysed the impact of the virus. It was found that the virus had accumulated in the tissues like heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, stomach, intestines, and brain. This reflects the devastating effects of the virus, even in humans.
The ulterior motive behind the study was basically to establish an animal model that replicates Ebola symptoms without needing Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) facilities. Ebola virus disease is one of the most severe illnesses that is often fatal and needs extremely secure labs. With the help of engineered viruses, researchers could create a model that can be studied in-depth in lower-security environments. This will make the research widespread and accessible and offer more scope in treating it.
The study’s success means that the development of actions and treatments will accelerate. Despite its success many about safety concerns as it poses the risk of accidental release or misuse of the virus.
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