Bet this guy had no idea his discovery in the 70’s was going to turn into global headlines nearly 40 years later.

Peter Piot was part of the team that discovered the Ebola virus back in 1976, after a blood sample was sent to them for testing in Antwerp, from Kinshasa. It was from a Belgian nun, who lived in a very rural village, Yambuku, in Zaire.

After testing for Yellow fever, Lassa fever and typhoid, they started testing on mice, who started dying one after the other.

“He grabbed a vial containing virus material to examine it, but his hand was shaking and he dropped it on a colleague’s foot. The vial shattered. My only thought was: “Oh, shit!” We immediately disinfected everything, and luckily our colleague was wearing thick leather shoes. Nothing happened to any of us.”

The nun passed away and the World Health Organisation got involved.

And now it is 2014, and there is a massive Ebola outbreak.

Piot has said that there will certainly be Ebola patients from Africa that go to Europe or America for treatment, but that “an outbreak in Europe or North America would quickly be brought under control. I am more worried about the many people from India who work in trade or industry in west Africa”.

He also says that whilst the virus may evolve, it shouldn’t ever become airborne, like Measles.

“I am more worried about the many people from India who work in trade or industry in west Africa. It would only take one of them to become infected, travel to India to visit relatives during the virus’s incubation period, and then, once he becomes sick, go to a public hospital there. Doctors and nurses in India, too, often don’t wear protective gloves. They would immediately become infected and spread the virus.”

We’ve seen it spread to the States, and like wildfire through some African countries. Who is next?

Check out The Guardian for the full interview.