Russia warned of the risk of Ebola as a biological weapon

Russian Federal Health Agency (FMBA) claims, concerns about the Ebola virus, the culprit who claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 people in West Africa in the past few months, could be used as weapons. Biological, is grounded.

"The risk always exists. In fact, the Ebola virus can be used as a spray, potentially causing very serious problems," Vladimir Nikiforov, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Institute of Lifting Training. High of FMBA, speaking at a recent press conference in Moscow, Russia.

According to Mr. Nikiforov, it is difficult to detect biological weapons production efforts, despite the fact that the Biological and Hazardous Weapons Convention has been in effect since 1972.

Ebola virus is currently the most dangerous type because there is no preventive vaccine and no specific treatment.(Photo: Live Science)

This expert explained, biological weapons are not like atomic bombs. In order to create such a bomb, a uranium mine, a nuclear power plant and related processing technologies, was needed. However, biological weapons can be built in a small laboratory, very easy to disguise.

Nikiforov's view is similar to that of Dr. Peter Walsh of Cambridge University, who warned the British public that a terrorist could use Ebola virus to create dirty bombs. The Sun newspaper quoted British biologist - biologist expressed concern that there will be horrific massacre "if a group of people find a way to exploit the virus like the material in a bomb will explode in a crowded area residential".

According to Dr. Walsh, there are only a few labs in the world that are currently in the hands of Ebola virus and these facilities are being protected very strictly. Therefore, we currently only watch out for the risk that a terrorist group may seek to acquire the deadly virus in West Africa.

Last week, Gennady Onischenko, a former head of Russia's leading health agency, once expressed that he did not rule out the possibility that Ebola outbreaks in West Africa were suspicious and artificial.

Up to now, at least 961 people have died from the most serious Ebola outbreak in the past four decades. This outbreak started in Guinea in March and quickly spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, attacking a total of over 1,700 people. All cases of infection now originate in West Africa.

Guinea police guard 1 body of the victim infected with Ebola virus for many hours.Due to fear of infection, police and people around the area did not dare to touch the victim.(Photo: AP)

So far, the United States has recorded two citizens who are infected with this disease, including health workers participating in the epidemic in Liberia. They were taken back to their home countries and showed signs of improvement after being given a test drug. US authorities have also eased safety restrictions on experimental TKM-Ebola drugs, which are expected to be effective treatments for deadly viral infections.

Europe also confirmed that the first case of Ebola-infected citizens was a Spanish missionary who helped hospitalized patients in Liberia's capital Monrovia. After having a positive test for Ebola, the 75-year-old priest was brought home from Liberia to treat in a specially isolated cage with synthetic resin to prevent the virus from spreading.