Chinese scientists have created a mutant strain of the Ebola virus that induces severe and horrific symptoms in laboratory animals. The research, published in the journal Science Direct, was conducted by scientists at Hebei Medical University, who engineered the deadly virus using a glycoprotein from Ebola.
In the study, three-week-old Syrian hamsters were injected with the mutant virus, leading to rapid onset of systemic diseases similar to those observed in human Ebola patients, including multi-organ failure. The hamsters succumbed to the disease within three days, and developed scabs over the surface of their eyeballs, significantly affecting their vision.
The researchers aimed to replicate the symptoms of Ebola in a controlled laboratory setting to better understand the disease and develop preventative measures. By using a different virus, known as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), to carry the Ebola glycoprotein, they were able to observe how the Ebola virus infects and spreads within the host cells.
Post-mortem examinations revealed that the virus had disseminated throughout the hamsters’ bodies, affecting major organs such as the heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys, stomach, intestines, and brain, with the highest viral loads detected in the liver.
“This surrogate model represents a safe, effective, and economical tool for rapid preclinical evaluation of medical countermeasures against Ebola virus under BSL-2 conditions,” the researchers stated. This model is expected to accelerate technological advancements and breakthroughs in confronting Ebola virus disease.
Understanding the Ebola Virus
Ebola, or Ebola virus disease (EVD), is a severe, often fatal illness in humans and other primates. It is caused by orthoebolaviruses, part of the Filoviridae family, and is characterized by its distinctive twisted thread-like shape. The virus was first identified in central Africa in 1976, and the last major outbreak occurred from 2014 to 2016 in West Africa, resulting in over 15,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
This groundbreaking research highlights the ongoing efforts to understand and combat Ebola virus disease, emphasizing the importance of developing effective medical countermeasures to prevent future outbreaks.
In contrast, some orthoebolaviruses do not cause illness in humans. For instance, Reston virus (species Orthoebolavirus restonense) can cause illness in nonhuman primates and pigs. Additionally, Bombali virus (species Orthoebolavirus bombaliense) has been identified in bats, but scientists are still unsure if it causes illness in animals or humans.