A laboratory exploits viruses, bacteria and deadly diseases

An explosion of gas caused a fire in the Russian State Center for Research in Virology and Biotechnology, one of only two places in the world where the smallpox virus survives alongside hundreds of viruses, bacteria and deadly diseases.

This explosion occurred during repair work in the sanitary inspection area, said the center in a statement, adding that no biohazard material was in the area at the time of the blast.

In this regard, the mayor of Novosibirsk, the city closest to the center, also called Vector, insisted that the incident did not pose a biological or other risk to the local population.

Even like that, Given the importance and the danger of the scenario in which everything took place, an investigation was opened..

According to published reports, the fire has spread over an area of ​​98 square meters on the fifth floor and left an intensive care worker after being burned to the third degree.

"No work was done with any biological material," said Vector, explaining that there was no dangerous substance in the affected area.

The Soviet-era laboratory housed biological weapons research, It is today one of the leading disease research centers in Russia..

In 2004, another incident was recorded there. A researcher lost his life after being accidentally stung with a needle infected with the virus. Ebola.

Outside Vector, only United States Disease Control Center, located in Atlanta, has a sample of smallpox, an incurable disease and the only form of prevention used is vaccination.

In addition to smallpox, Vector Laboratories host other virus samples, including Ebola, HIV, Marburg haemorrhagic fever and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), among others.