title: Multiple Ebola virus transmission events and rapid decline of central African wildlife.
abstract: Several human and animal Ebola outbreaks have occurred over the past 4 years in Gabon and the Republic of Congo. The human outbreaks consisted of multiple simultaneous epidemics caused by different viral strains, and each epidemic resulted from the handling of a distinct gorilla, chimpanzee, or duiker carcass. These animal populations declined markedly during human Ebola outbreaks, apparently as a result of Ebola infection. Recovered carcasses were infected by a variety of Ebola strains, suggesting that Ebola outbreaks in great apes result from multiple virus introductions from the natural host. Surveillance of animal mortality may help to predict and prevent human Ebola outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UR034, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, BP 769 Franceville, Gabon. Eric.Leroy@ird.fr
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Leroy
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rouquet
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Formenty
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Souquière
authors.forename: Annelisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kilbourne
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Froment
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bermejo
authors.forename: Sheilag
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Karesh
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Swanepoel
authors.forename: Sherif R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Zaki
authors.forename: Pierre E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Rollin
mesh_terms: D000350:Africa, Central / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology*; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D001483:Base Sequence; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000821:virology; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000821:virology; D011156:Population Density; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012418:Ruminants / Q000821:virology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C113189:envelope glycoprotein, Ebola virus