A Russian scientist at a former Soviet biological weapons laboratory in Siberia has died after accidentally sticking herself with a needle laced with ebola, the deadly virus for which there is no vaccine or treatment, the lab's parent Russian center announced over the weekend.Scientists and officials said the accident had raised concerns about safety and secrecy at the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, known as Vector, which in Soviet times specialized in turning deadly viruses into biological weapons. Vector has been a leading recipient of aid in an American program to help former Soviet scientists and labs convert to peaceful research.
This is tragic. Ebola is one of the most hideous ways to die that I've ever heard of.
Even more disturbing than the incident itself though, is the fact that the lab she worked at decided not to report the incident for weeks. This is particularly disturbing since there is some evidence that if they'd contacted the World Health Organization they might have been able to get assistance needed to help save the scientist. Ebola is pretty nasty stuff so it's possible that there wasn't anything that could have been done. All the same, refusing to do so could have saved this woman's life.
Very disturbing indeed.
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