Nowitschok again. In English Amesbury, very close to place where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter had been poisoned in March, it caught a man and a woman on Saturday. Fainted and severely injured, two were admitted to hospital. On Wednesday night, police announced that two, just like Skripal, were poisoned with Nowitschok. What’s behind two cases? First answers to important questions:
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- What is Nowitschok?
- How does Nowitschok work?
- Where was Nowitschok developed?
- Who is responsible for current cases?
What is Nowitschok?
Nowitschok – Translated newcomer – is a group of extremely starkerNervengifte. The warfare agents consist of at least two components and werdenzur lethal chemical weapon when substances are mixed. They könnenals liquid, gas or fine powder and are to many times more toxic than or nerve toxins, for example as sarin, which was used in Syria, or as VX. According to a report, Nowitschok is even five to eight times more lethal than VX (chemical agents: Greaves and Hunt, 2010).
The toxins were developed in Seventies and Eighties in former Sowjetunionals reaction to US chemical weapons program. At end of 2017 GabRussland known to have destroyed last existing chemical weapons in country. However, it is difficult to verify wher this is true.
How does Nowitschok work?
The nerve venom intervenes in stimulus transmission in nervous system. It inhibits, just like sarin and VX, EnzymAcetylcholinesterase (ache), which normally Acetylcholinabbaut messenger substance. If it is no longer dismantled, a large amount of acetylcholine remains in synaptic gap or at contact point of nerves and muscles. muscles and nerve cells get inDauererregung. The result is muscle spasms, cramps and paralysis, maybe suffocation or heart failure lead to death.
So far, re is hardly any experience with Nowitschok poisoning. It is still unclear how well antidote atropine helps ACCORDINGTOWHG in similar neurotoxins. The two British, who came into contact with nerve venom, schwebenweiterhin in danger of life and are currently being treated in hospital in SüdenglischenSalisbury, in which Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julija were also admitted. This wurdenmittlerweile is released from clinic.
Where was Nowitschok developed?
The nerve venom was developed in former Soviet Union at time of Cold War. First information about poison published 1991 Russian chemist Wil Mirsajanow with or researchers toger in Moscow newspaper Kuranti. From Mirsajanow, who later emigrated to United States and now sees his research critically, some of published structural formulas of neurotoxin also originate. Wher y are correct, however, is not clear.
Nowitschok can be produced from relatively harmless basic materials. These are not on list of international outlaw warfare agents. “This is is one of main reasons why se nerve toxins are produced,” said Gary Stephens, pharmacologist at University of Reading, NachrichtenagenturReuters. As early as April, head of research centre of britischenVerteidigungsministeriums in Porton Down, GaryAitkenhead, told channel Sky News that development of poison is likely to be only a national actor, since production is difficult and extremely dangerous.
Who is responsible for current cases?
In current case, it is unclear how 45-year-old and 44-Jährigemit came into contact with nerve venom. Officials initially assumed that two could have poisoned consumption of contaminated heroin or crack. It is also unclear wher poison comes from same batch as Skripalsausgesetzt. Investigator Neil Basu of AM guarded said that it was not possible to know wher British couple had been purposefully targeted wordenoder nerve poison was inadvertently exposed.
The second Nowitschok poisoning case in England is still likely to exacerbate dispute between Britain and Russia. Diebritische government accuses Russia of being responsible for attack on ex-spy Skripal glycine daughter in March. Russia is denying this.
