Chinese scientists in Beijing have developed a new virus capable of rapidly testing individuals within three days. As reported in Science Direct magazine, this synthetic virus operates similarly to the Ebola virus. Researchers at Hebei Medical University in China crafted this new virus by extracting specific components from the Ebola virus to infect cells in a comparable manner.
During their study, scientists inoculated five male and five female hamsters with the virus, all of which exhibited severe symptoms mirroring those of Ebola infection in humans within three days. The infected hamsters experienced organ failure and weakened bodily functions, with death occurring three days post-infection.
Additionally, some hamsters displayed eye infections leading to impaired vision, a common symptom among Ebola-infected individuals. This development was achieved to streamline Ebola research, typically conducted in high-security Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories. As most labs worldwide adhere to Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) standards, the creation of a virus akin to Ebola but compatible with lower-security facilities was a breakthrough.
By merging the VSV virus with a specific Ebola protein, researchers discovered a novel approach to studying Ebola in less stringent laboratory environments. Potential applications of this research include advancing the development of preventive and therapeutic medications against the Ebola virus. However, this innovative approach poses inherent risks, as the new virus has the ability to infiltrate various organs, including the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, stomach, intestines, and even the brain.
