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. Also Read : What is the ‘pandemic accord’ and will it help avoid the next Covid-like catastrophe? 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. 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, a.
