Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - Three kinds of bats eaten by humans in central Africa could be carriers of the Ebola virus which has caused the death of hundreds humans and large monkeys. This is the opinion of researchers at the Centre International de Recherches Médicales di Franceville (CIRMF), in Gabon.
Although the bats showed no symptoms of infection genetic traces of a immune response were found in animals captured during Ebola epidemics in 2001 and 2003. In the last five years in Gabon and in DR Congo there have been several outbreaks of Ebola haemorrhage fever classified by the World Health Organisation one of the most virulent viral illnesses. The virus is transmitted though infected body fluids and according to the variety, kills up to 90% of the patients. There is no existing treatment.
Although it would appear to be one epidemic rapidly diffused among humans and wild animals, cases of Ebola in central Africa are in fact multiple epidemics caused by different types of viral strains which appear simultaneously under ideal conditions. In the past scientists thought the virus originated in an epicentre and spread rapidly as animals moved in the forest. Humans are infected when they touch or eat infected meat.
An outbreak between October 2001 and May 2003 consisted in actual fact in eight original viral strains from different regions. The cause of these simultaneous outbreaks and the natural carries of the virus are still unknown. (AP) (7/12/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:24 Parole:265)
