Published Date: 2003-01-24 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Ebola hemorrhagic fever, apes - Congo Rep.
Archive Number: 20030124.0207

EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER, APES - CONGO REPUBLIC
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Thu 23 Jan 2003
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Newsweek, Mon 20 Jan 2003 [edited]

Republic of the Congo: Ebola Virus again found in Dead Apes
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A chimpanzee was found dead in the remote Odzala National Park of the
Republic of the Congo last week [Jan 2003]. Apollo, the world's best-known
gorilla, is missing, and Ebola virus may be the culprit. The alpha male of
a 24-member family hasn't been seen since early December [2002], when 2
members of his family were found dead -- along with 3 other endangered
western lowland gorillas and several chimps. Less than a year ago, contact
with a dead ape was blamed for an Ebola outbreak in the area that killed at
least 53 people. Specialists have again found Ebola virus in the dead apes.
No associated human cases have been reported this time. Some 3000 pygmies
and others in the area live by hunting monkeys [and apes] -- 80 percent of
the world´s remaining lowland gorillas live there. The Wildlife
Conservation Society estimates that huge numbers of gorillas and chimps may
have died in an Ebola epidemic in the area 5 years ago.
[Byline: Tom Masland]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[In the ProMED-mail post entitled, "Unexplained deaths, wildlife - Congo
Rep: RFI 20021207.5996", Dr William B. Karesh (Department Head, Field
Veterinary Program, Wildlife Conservation Society) reported that earlier in
2002, villagers and staff reported the finding of numerous dead animals in
the forest as an extremely rare event, and that the exact location of all
carcasses had been determined. The Centre International de Recherches
Medicales de Franceville (CIRMF) in Gabon had been notified and was sending
a team to the area at the invitation of the government of the Republic of
Congo. CIRMF previously provided the laboratory confirmation of Ebola virus
in 3 gorillas Dr Karesh's team had sampled after the animals were found
dead earlier in 2002 in the same region of the Republic of the Congo. The
identification and reporting of this particular mortality event did not
result from human illness or mortality, but purely from the ongoing
monitoring program for wildlife.
The above press report suggests that further testing has confirmed the
presence of Ebola virus in dead apes. However, the relationship between
wildlife deaths and Ebola virus outbreaks in the human population and the
source and direction of transmission of the virus remains undefined. A
phylogenetic comparison of Ebola virus isolates from wild apes and humans
might shed some light on this question. - Mod.CP]

See Also

2002
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Unexplained deaths, wildlife - Congo Rep: RFI 20021207.5996
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo Rep: suspected (02) 20020613.4482
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo Rep: confirmed 20020613.4492
Ebola hemorrhagic fever, new diagnostic test 20020228.3647
2001
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Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon: dead wildlife (03) 20011220.3079
...........................jw/mpp/cp/pg/dk/mpp

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