Explosion, fire rip Russian research facility housing smallpox, Ebola
An explosion started a fire at a Russian research center that houses smallpox and Ebola, blowing out glass windows and inflicting third-degree burns on one worker, although state-run media said that there is no danger to the general population.
The State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, also known as the Vector Institute, is one of only two places in the world that still houses the smallpox virus, after the WHO declared the disease eradicated in 1980. The other is — somewhat controversially — the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta.
Unlock this article instantly by becoming a free subscriber.
You’ll get access to free articles each month, plus you can customize what newsletters get delivered to your inbox each week, including breaking news.