Published Date: 2003-02-08 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Ebola hemorrhagic fever, apes - Congo Rep. (02)
Archive Number: 20030208.0330
EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER, APES - CONGO REP. (02)
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 6 Feb 2003
From: Dr Conrad Aveling <ecofac.coord@internetgabon.com>
Via: William Karesh <wkaresh@wcs.org>
Massive Die-off of Great Apes Reported in Republic of Congo
--------------------------------------------------
Scientists working with the ECOFAC programme (a European Community-funded
regional forest conservation programme for central Africa) in northern
Republic of Congo are witnessing what appears to be a massive die-off of
lowland gorillas and chimpanzees in the Lossi Gorilla Sanctuary (250 square
kilometers) situated about 15 kilometers to the south west of the famous
Odzala National Park (13 600 square kilometers).
Spanish primatologists Dr Magdalena Bermejo and Mr Germain Ilera, who have
been studying gorillas at Lossi for the past 9 years, report that the 8
families (139 individuals) they have been monitoring since 1994, have
disappeared from their study area of 40 square kilometers in the sanctuary.
The first deaths were reported on the 26 Nov 2002, and in mid-December
scientists from Gabon's Centre International de Recherches Medicales de
Franceville (CIRMF) collected samples from 4 gorilla and 2 chimpanzee
carcasses and confirmed the presence of Ebola virus in all 6 cases. Since
then Bermejo and Ilera and their teams of trackers have been combing the
area for signs of great apes and have found only one gorilla group of 6
individuals on the eastern edge of their study area. Two of the missing
gorilla families were habituated for tourism viewing. They were the first
lowland gorillas ever to be habituated in central Africa and generated
much-needed revenue for the local villagers. The Lossi Gorilla Sanctuary
was created at the request of the villagers when they realised that the
long-term benefits from gorilla viewing far outweighed any short term
benefits from hunting. The disappearance of these families is an enormous
setback for the villages.
This most recent outbreak at Lossi suggests that the devastating effects of
Ebola virus on great ape populations appears to be moving eastwards. The
forests in and around the Odzala National Park are known to contain the
highest known density of lowland gorillas in Africa. Bermejo and Ilera
recorded densities of up to 9 gorillas/square kilometer in certain areas of
Marantaceae forest in the Odzala ecosystem. Scientists from Rennes
University working with ECOFAC have documented up to 47 families of
gorillas visiting a single 3-hectare forest clearing in the north of Odzala
National Park.
The ECOFAC programme fears that this is a catastrophic decline in ape
populations at the very heart of their range in central Africa. This area
is thought to contain the majority of central Africa's lowland gorillas
because of its isolation, the presence of several protected areas, and
presence of large undisturbed areas of habitat types particularly favoured
by gorillas.
The epidemic seems to be spreading from west to east. Scientists from WWF
working in Minkebe National Park in northern Gabon have already documented
the disappearance of great apes from an estimated area of 20 000 square
kilometers sometime between 1990 and 2000, and suspected that Ebola virus
might have been the cause. 3 Ebola fever epidemics were recorded in
villages in the Minkebe area between 1994 and 1996.
Between November 2001 and June 2002 at least 80 people died during an
outbreak of the disease in the cross border area of north eastern Gabon and
north western Congo (Mekambo-Ekata-Mbomo-Kelle). During this epidemic,
scientists from ECOFAC, CIRMF, and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) also
documented deaths of great apes in the same area, and Ebola virus was
confirmed from one carcass. In several cases it was established that
handling fresh ape carcasses that they had found in the forest had
contaminated humans.
--
William B Karesh, DVM
Department Head
Field Veterinary Program
Wildlife Conservation Society
Bronx, NY 10460 USA
<wkaresh@wcs.org>
[ProMED-mail is indebted to Dr William Karesh for forwarding this
information. For more information about ECOFAC, please visit
Aveling, Cellule de Coordination ECOFAC, Libreville, Gabon at either
<ecofac.coord@internetgabon.com> or <caveling@solsi.ga>. The enigma remains
unresolved; the source of infection for humans and great apes? - Mod.CP]
See Also
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo Rep: suspected 20030205.0315Ebola hemorrhagic fever, apes - Congo Rep. 20030124.0207
2002
---
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 - Gabon/Congo Rep (26) 20020510.4151
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon: gorilla-to-human? 20020409.3915
Ebola hemorrhagic fever, new diagnostic test 20020228.3647
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon/Congo Rep 20020102.3149
2001
---
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon/Congo Rep (04) 20011231.3142
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon/Congo Rep 20011225.3109
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon: dead wildlife (03) 20011220.3079
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo Rep. 20011220.3075
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon (07) 20011220.3074
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon: dead wildlife 20011216.3041
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon: WHO confirms 20011211.3002
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Gabon 20011205.2950
..................cp/pg/sh
*##########################################################*
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
############################################################