New Delhi: After COVID-19 wreaked havoc, scientists in China have developed a new virus that can kill a person in just three days, as per media reports. It is said that a study was carried out at Hebei Medical University that used a synthetic virus to stimulate the deadly Ebola virus to gain a deeper view of the pathogen.
The advantages and ill effects of the experiment were published in Science Direct. The researchers at the Hebei Medical University took up a controversial topic to examine a virus using components of the deadly Ebola Virus. During the study, they focussed on examining the disease’s progression and its symptoms by using a model that could show Ebola’s effects on the human body.
Further, the team used the virus known as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which they changed to carry the glycoprotein (GP) from the Ebola virus. This protein is important for the virus to enter the body and infect the host cells.
Patients exhibited serious symptoms when tested
The experiment was first conducted on a group of Syrian hamsters that included five females and five males. Moreover, on administering the first injection with the engineered virus, the hamsters developed serious symptoms that are similar to the ones in human Ebola patients.
The symptoms of the disease included the symptoms of systemic diseases and multi-organ failure which is the leading cause of death in animals within three days. On the other hand, other hamsters also show secretions in their eyes which damage their vision. This condition is also linked to a symptom of optic nerve disorders seen in Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patients.
The major reason behind conducting this study is to build an animal model that safely replicates the Ebola symptoms without the need for Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) facilities. For researching Ebola, extremely secure labs are required but most of the global facilities only have BSL-2 standards.
The researchers at the Hebei Medical University took up a controversial topic to examine a virus using components of the deadly Ebola Virus. During the study, they focussed on examining the disease’s progression and its symptoms by using a model that could show Ebola’s effects on the human body. Health Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
