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'''Wuhan Institute of Virology''' is a laboratory in [[Wuhan, China]] to study viruses administered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences under control of the [[CCP Discipline Inspection Commission]]. The lab is near the site where the  [[Communist Party of China]] claims the [[Wuhan virus]] was first detected in December 2019.  

'''Wuhan Institute of Virology''' is a laboratory in [[Wuhan, China]] to study viruses administered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences under control of the [[CCP Discipline Inspection Commission]]. The lab is near the site where the  [[Communist Party of China]] claims the [[Wuhan virus]] was first detected in December 2019.  

The lab was founded in 1956 as the Wuhan Microbiology Laboratory. In 2015, the lab was upgraded to biosafety level 4 (BSL–4) with the help of French engineers and a grant of $3.7 million from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It is first such lab in China. SARS escaped from a [[Beijing]] lab twice in 2004 and the upgrade was intended to address this problem.<ref>"[https://www.the-scientist.com/news-analysis/sars-escaped-beijing-lab-twice-50137 SARS escaped Beijing lab twice]"</ref> In January 2018 U.S. Embassy officials in Beijing warned about safety risks at the Wuhan lab researching infectious diseases, including coronaviruses from bats. One of two "Sensitive but Unclassified" [[U.S. State Department]] cables warned about biosecurity and management problems at the lab.<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/us-officials-sounded-alarm-about-wuhan-lab-years-before-coronavirus-outbreak</ref>

The lab was founded in 1956 as the Wuhan Microbiology Laboratory. In 2015, the lab was upgraded to biosafety level 4 (BSL–4) with the help of French engineers and a grant of $3.7 million from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It is first such lab in China. SARS escaped from a [[Beijing]] lab twice in 2004 and the upgrade was intended to address this problem.<ref>"[https://www.the-scientist.com/news-analysis/sars-escaped-beijing-lab-twice-50137 SARS escaped Beijing lab twice]"</ref> In January 2018 U.S. embassy officials in Beijing warned about safety risks at the Wuhan lab researching infectious diseases, including coronaviruses from bats. One of two "Sensitive but Unclassified" [[U.S. State Department]] cables warned about biosecurity and management problems at the lab.<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/us-officials-sounded-alarm-about-wuhan-lab-years-before-coronavirus-outbreak</ref>

 

In February 2020, Chen Wei, described as China's top biowarfare expert, was placed in charge of the lab.<ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8003713/China-appoints-military-bio-weapon-expert-secretive-virus-lab-Wuhan.html China 'appoints its top military bio-warfare expert to take over secretive virus lab in Wuhan', sparking conspiracy theories that coronavirus outbreak is linked to Beijing's army]", ''Daily Mail'', 14 February 2020 .</ref>

==See also==

==See also==