Ebola virus disease EVD or “Ebola” is a severe human and non-human primate disease caused by Ebola viruses. These viruses belongs to the family: Filoviridae, Genus: Ebolavirus, Species: Tai forest ebolavirus (TAFV), Reston ebolavirus (RESTV), Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) and Bundibugy ebolavirus (BOBV) (Bukreyev et al., 2014). Zaire ebolavirus or simply Ebola virus (EBOV) is the most virulent of the genus and accounts for the highest numbers of outbreaks. The virus spreads by direct contact with body fluids or secretions of infected animals. Although the natural reservoir of the virus is yet to be ascertained, fruit Bats has experimentally been “implicated” as the natural host (Swanepoel et al., 1996). Humans get infected through direct physical contact with infected bat or
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Although understanding of the main reservoirs of Ebola virus and the extent of its geographic spread amid animals remains limited, human EVD cases prospectively results from contact with infected Bats, Duikers and non-human primates. Bats have scientifically been implicated as the natural reservoir of Ebola virus (Swanepoel et al., 1996). They are very common in sub-Sahara Africa and can migrate up to 2500 kilometer (Reference). The 2007 outbreak in DR Congo is evidently linked to the annual massive migration and hunting of fruit Bats in the region (Leroy et al., 2009). In 2008, Ebola virus antibodies were detected in 32 of 88 Bats screened in Ghana, of these, 9 were ZEBOV positive (Hayman et al., 2012). The existence of 9 bats in Ghana with ZEBOV antibodies suggest that these animals may have migrated from central Africa, since this species is mainly found in the region. Evidently, prior to any outbreak, the virus may have being in the reservoirs or intermediate host for unascertained period of time, for conditions for spillover (hunting) to presented
Although understanding of the main reservoirs of Ebola virus and the extent of its geographic spread amid animals remains limited, human EVD cases prospectively results from contact with infected Bats, Duikers and non-human primates. Bats have scientifically been implicated as the natural reservoir of Ebola virus (Swanepoel et al., 1996). They are very common in sub-Sahara Africa and can migrate up to 2500 kilometer (Reference). The 2007 outbreak in DR Congo is evidently linked to the annual massive migration and hunting of fruit Bats in the region (Leroy et al., 2009). In 2008, Ebola virus antibodies were detected in 32 of 88 Bats screened in Ghana, of these, 9 were ZEBOV positive (Hayman et al., 2012). The existence of 9 bats in Ghana with ZEBOV antibodies suggest that these animals may have migrated from central Africa, since this species is mainly found in the region. Evidently, prior to any outbreak, the virus may have being in the reservoirs or intermediate host for unascertained period of time, for conditions for spillover (hunting) to presented