Quicksplained: What you need to know about the mutant Ebola virus created by Chinese scientists

In a groundbreaking but controversial study, Chinese scientists at Hebei Medical University have engineered a deadly virus using a glycoprotein found in Ebola, resulting in the deaths of a group of hamsters. This research has brought to light significant insights into Ebola’s pathology and has sparked global discussions about the ethical and safety implications of such experiments.

In an attempt to better understand Ebola, the researchers designed an experiment and replicated its symptoms in a controlled laboratory setting. Using a glycoprotein from the Ebola virus, the scientists engineered a new virus that wiped out nearly all of the hamsters involved in the study.

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According to the research published in ScienceDirect, the hamsters “developed severe systemic diseases similar to those observed in human Ebola patients” after being exposed to the engineered virus.

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All you need to know about the new study:

• The study revealed that the hamsters, which were three weeks old and included both male and female specimens, developed scabs over their eyeballs, affecting their vision. This particular symptom mirrors one of the more severe manifestations of Ebola in humans. The researchers noted that the virus spread throughout the bodies of the hamsters, with the highest viral loads found in the liver. The organs affected included the heart, brain, kidneys, spleen, lungs, stomach, and intestines.

• “Overall, this surrogate model represents a safe, effective, and economical tool for rapid preclinical evaluation of medical countermeasures against EBOV (Ebola virus) under BSL-2 conditions, which would accelerate technological advances and breakthroughs in confronting Ebola virus disease,” stated the study.

• The researchers used vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) to carry the Ebola glycoprotein, allowing them to work in a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) facility instead of the more restrictive Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) typically required for Ebola research. This approach made the study more accessible and feasible while still maintaining safety protocols.

• The implications of this study are significant for both scientific research and public health. By creating a model that mimics Ebola’s effects, scientists can better study the disease and develop countermeasures. “It is a sign that 3-week-old Syrian hamsters infected with VSV-EBOV/GP have the possibility of playing a role in the study of optic nerve disorders caused by EVD,” the researchers added.

• Ebola, a rare but severe illness in humans, often proves fatal. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the virus is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals, such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope, or porcupines found ill or dead in the rainforest.

• “Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, one in what is now Nzara, South Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The latter occurred in a village near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name,” states the WHO. The organisation works with countries to prevent Ebola outbreaks by maintaining surveillance for Ebola virus disease and supporting at-risk countries in developing preparedness plans.

• The study conducted by Hebei Medical University marks a significant advancement in Ebola research, providing a model that can be used for rapid preclinical evaluation of medical countermeasures. This could potentially lead to new treatments and preventative measures against Ebola, a virus that has caused devastating outbreaks with high mortality rates.

• However, this research also raises ethical and safety concerns. The creation of a mutant virus, even within a controlled laboratory setting, must be carefully monitored to prevent accidental release or misuse.

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