Nov 10, 2016 07:00 AM EST By yasi bilangel, UniversityHerald Reporter

A Canadian scientist fears an Ebola virus exposure after discovering a ripped seam in his body suit. The scientist was working in a microbiology laboratory, testing an experimental Ebola virus vaccine on animals.

An employee at the National Center for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD) in Winnipeg was experimenting on the drug Interferon on pig subjects infected with Ebola. The man handled an anesthetized pig just before proceeding to the decontamination area.

Upon decontaminating, the NCFAD employee discovered a ripped seam in his body suit. He now fears that he may have been exposed to Ebola. As a precaution, he voluntarily placed himself in a 21-day isolation despite not showing any symptoms of the disease.

The Winnipeg animal disease laboratory is actually one of a few laboratories in North America that can handle pathogens requiring maximum containment. The lab itself employs 600 staff with strict regulations on safety. As part of the safety protocol, the body suits are checked regularly, at least once a week.

Moreover, the Ebola virus that the scientist has been inadvertently exposed to is considered very low risk. Nonetheless, lab officials insist that precautionary measures must be taken to prevent contamination.

Ebola is a serious disease that has wrought havoc in West Africa in 2014, killing as much as 11,000 people. Moreover, the virus has mutated into a more infectious pathogen, which explains why the disease spread so rapidly as reported in Sputnik News. Ebola is spread through skin contact primarily bodily fluids. However, a person is not yet infectious until symptoms are evident.

The Canadian vaccine test involved six pigs treated with Interferon, which are proteins manufactured by the immune system. The Interferon is infected with Ebola to see how it interacts with the progression and outcome of the disease.

Nations across the world are working together to better understand the virus and provide a vaccine as protection. Canada and Russia are working on their vaccines, which require a lengthy process before clinical approval is granted according to ABC.

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