Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – A group of scientists from Hebei Medical University in China created the latest deadly virus. The virus is said to be able to kill humans in just 3 days.
Scientists used a synthetic virus to simulate the deadly Ebola virus. The goal is to find out more about the dangerous pathogen in the virus.
The study was released in the journal Science Direct. His findings provide advantages in the world of science to identify the dangers of deadly viruses.
The scientists utilized a virus known as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), then modified it to carry the glycoprotein (GP) from the Ebola virus.
This protein is very crucial so that viruses can enter and infect cells as hosts or vessels for their lives, quoted from India Times, Wednesday (30/10/2024).
The scientists conducted their experiment on a group of hamsters. There are 5 female hamsters and 5 male hamsters.
After injecting the virus, the hamsters experienced severe symptoms similar to those of patients infected with Ebola. These symptoms include attacking the immune system and causing multiple organ failure.
Finally, the hamsters died within 3 days. Some hamsters also exhibit secretions in the eyes that impact their vision.
These symptoms are associated with optic nerve abnormalities in patients infected with the Ebola virus.
One of the aims of this study is to create a safe model for replicating Ebola symptoms without the need for Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) facilities.
For your information, research related to Ebola requires a super safe laboratory. However, most facilities around the world only accommodate BSL-2 standards.
By creating this model, scientists are enabling access to deeper research into Ebola and how to deal with it in the future.
After the hamsters died, scientists removed their organs to analyze the impact of the virus. They found the virus accumulated in crucial organs such as the liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines and brain.
This spread confirms the ability of the Ebola virus to damage human organs.
The success of this study is said to offer pre-clinical evaluation of a quicker method for fighting Ebola. It is hoped that this study will be able to accelerate the development of effective vaccines and treatments for this deadly virus.
Ebola is currently one of the most feared and deadly viruses with super severe symptoms. The largest recent outbreak of Ebola occurred between 2014 and 2016 and affected several countries in West Africa. Thousands of people died due to contracting the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said the spread of the virus proves the importance of an effective medical response and the importance of research such as that carried out at Hebei Medical University.
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The Latest Deadly Virus: A Comedy of Science
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Just when you thought it was safe to go back to your laboratory, a group of scientists from Hebei Medical University in China has gone and created the latest virus designed to end your social life as you know it. This little beauty is allegedly capable of putting you six feet under within just three days – talk about a speedy getaway!
Now, you may wonder, what could possibly motivate these scientists? Well, they decided to play with a synthetic virus to mimic the infamous Ebola. It’s like saying, “Hey, why not dress up this doll as a thirsting vampire and learn about fangs?” But in all seriousness, the Germans called it ‘experimentation’; we just call it bad dating advice.
They recently published their horrifying findings in the journal Science Direct, because what better place to share your doomsday creation than an academic journal? It’s the scientific equivalent of posting your dinner picture on Instagram—except this time, the dinner is you dead in three days.
Using a virus called vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), they modified it to carry the glycoprotein (GP) from Ebola. It’s fascinating—it’s like taking the best bits of the worse aspects of humanity and mixing them into a cocktail. It’s crucial for viruses to invade cells, and these scientists made sure to choose the most fashionable protein on the block. Seriously, if there’s a virus runway, this glycoprotein would be strutting its stuff!
Now, who were the unfortunate test subjects? A group of ten hamsters, five male and five female, which is about as socially responsible as hiring your buddy to taste-test your homemade chili. After the hamsters got a dose, they experienced severe symptoms akin to Ebola. Talk about a nasty vacation: organ failure, attacks on the immune system, and—oh yes—secretions that make you squeamish just thinking about it.
And how did the little critters fare? Well, you guessed it, they didn’t last long—just three days post-injection. Some even had eye secretions impacting their vision. If I were one of those hamsters, I think I’d start questioning life choices right about then; it’s rather tragic when your vision gets clearer only as you meet your demise.
The objective? To create a model that explains Ebola symptoms without needing the infamous BSL-4 facilities, the scientific equivalent of an exclusive club that only accepts the top-tier evil geniuses. Many places only have BSL-2 standards—it’s a bit like opening a high-end restaurant and realizing you only have a microwave to cook with.
After the unfortunate demise of our hamster heroes, the scientists went in for a post-mortem—because, why not? They wanted to see how the virus wreaked havoc on key organs, and boy, did it deliver. The virus was found in crucial spots like the liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines, and even the brain. Again, a healthy reminder that even experimental viruses can have a penchant for interior decorating.
According to the researchers, the success of this study allows for a pre-clinical evaluation of a faster method to combat Ebola, which is like saying we’ve found a shortcut to hell. The ultimate goal is to speed up the development of vaccines and effective treatments; it’s nice when science isn’t just playing mad scientist but is actually trying to do something significant with the chaos.
Ebola remains a frightening prospect, and it’s something the World Health Organization (WHO) labels as a super-severe threat. The outbreak from 2014 to 2016 still haunts several nations in West Africa, where thousands met their grim fate. So, as we joke and jibe, we also recognize the gravity of the situation. The WHO emphasizes the need for effective medical responses and a whole lot more research, like that going on at Hebei Medical University—some real ‘science-ing’ that might keep us all a bit safer.
So there you have it—a razor-sharp commentary on the latest scientific endeavor that could either save humanity or add another chapter to our many, many nightmares. But fear not, dear readers, as long as there are scientists with a zest for creating chaos in the name of research, we’re sure to be entertained—at least for three days!
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