Posted on 08/28/2004 5:31:20 AM PDT by Mother Abigail
Scientists fear new Ebola outbreak may explain sudden gorilla disappearance
More than 20,000 Western lowland gorillas could die within months if outbreak confirmed
August 27, 2004 (Torino, Italy) – Scientists fear that emerging evidence may suggest a new outbreak of the Ebola virus, which, in addition to threatening human lives, would threaten tens of thousands of great apes – in this case gorillas and chimpanzees – in the Republic of Congo. The announcement was made by the International Primatological Society (IPS) and Great Ape Survival Project (GRASP) at the IPS's 20th Congress, being held this week in Turin, Italy.
Congo's Odzala National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, contains an estimated 30,000 western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), the largest such population of the endangered species in the world.
Until late last year, hundreds could regularly be spotted in Lokoue Bai, a natural clearing in the park where separate groups of the gorillas predictably congregated. But whereas 45 groups of gorillas (each with an average of eight individuals) were once normally observed there, the number since May has plummeted to only nine groups.
"We have not confirmed this as an outbreak of Ebola yet, but there are clear indications that we need to take that possibility seriously," said Dr. Dieudonnè Ankara, GRASP Focal Point for Congo-Brazzaville, who confirmed these recent developments. "This situation demands serious attention, since another Ebola outbreak would have devastating effects not only for wildlife, but for my neighbors who call the area home."
Fewer than 100,000 western lowland gorillas remain on Earth. A study published in the journal Nature last year suggested that when an ebola outbreak affects a given area, more than 80 percent of all great apes living in that area die of the disease.
Ebola outbreaks have already occurred in this general area. In the past two years, two reported cases were confirmed in Lossi Forest, approximately 50 kilometers south of Odzala. In both cases, more than 80 percent of all lowland gorillas and roughly 70 percent of all chimpanzees living there died.
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often-fatal disease that affects humans and non-human primates, such as monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees.
Researchers believe the disease, which first emerged in 1976, is zoonotic, or animal-borne. Many scientists believe it is spread through the butchering and handling of primate bushmeat. The disease has been confirmed only in six African nations: the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, and Uganda.
I'm sure the cows were grateful.< /sarcasm >
"I am sure the cows were grateful"
I know you were making a joke but the Peta folks & others who want us to stop eating meat to save the cows don't realize it but, if we didn't raise cows for food they would be on the endangered species list.
Those PITA "people" are idiots. They have no common sense or aptitude for critical thinking. They're a lot like democRATs. Oh wait.....most of them ARE democRATs. Never mind.
Right! LOL!
Maybe if/when all the gorillas in the wild have died off, ebola will not be a big problem in the human population. I can't see anyone raising gorillas for food like cattle.
I didn't say it was something to sneeze at... my goodness putting words in people's mouths. To argue "first apes, then humans" is a huge stretch in regards to Ebola.
If Ebola were to whipe out the Apes, it is no indication that it would "whipe out humans". That's just PC and PR nonsense. Yes Ebola is a serious disease and I am not suggesting treate it asnything less than that, but to claim as go apes so go humans is ecotrash mantra, not scientific fact.
I take it that you are not familiar with African customs concerning the dead.
Sweet Libert,
We attempt find cures for HIV and Cancer to save the lives of Humans, it was not Cancer among the animals or HIV among monkeys that drove us to persue conquering them.
Yes we are charged with responsibile stewardship over our world and its beasts by God. I am not advocating the wholesale slaughter of Apes to rid them from the planet. I am saying that if Ebola is whiping out 80% of apes with every outbreak and the species has 1 infant every 4 to 5 years, and outbreaks average 1 per year or so, apes will be going extinct by this, and if so its not man's fault.
I am not saying the extinction of the Apes is a noble thing, I am saying however that it does appear to be nature taking its course. To blame the extinction of the Ape on Humanity should it go extinct due to Ebola is of course going to be the charge of the ecotrash bretheren, however if a disease does kill 80% of individuals with every outbreak with a reproduction cycle of only 1 per ever 4 or 45 years, Extinction is the end game no matter what the population numbers, the only difference the base number of start individuals has, is how many years until the endgame.
To imply that one is not a person of faith just for stating facts is a bit dubious. To turn the statement of fact into an uncompassionate stand is again dubious. When you as a human see a cheetah chasing an injured, old or young Gazelle, our compassion may be to stop the Cheetah, however by doing so, we deny the Cheetah its ability to do what God put it here to do. Just because one feels compassionate for something, as nature on its base is VERY VERY HARSH, does not mean it is our duty as children of God to undermine or stop those actions.
While we have stewardship over the beasts of the fields, animals are not humans, and to raise them to the level of humans is an afront to the almighty. Just as Man is not God, and to do that as well is a blasphemous affront.
And do african customs relegate to world wide exposure? No.. and do all african nations and people engage in ritualized cleansing? NO. In fact in areas that verbal history speaks of devestating outbreaks, not only are these practices not followed, but houses are built away from one another and not in a close communal location.
To attempt to lump all of "africa" into one behaviour because one behavior is prevalent in a part of Africa is nonsense. Its a continent and its people and tribes and cultures are just as diverse as any other continent on the planet, and are an amalgamtion of their history and communal experiences, and differ greatly from one area to another.
It was not my intention to imply that. It was simply that I didn't know what your position was on matters of faith and I was simply saying that for anyone who believes in the scriptures, that that was the case. I apologize for the misunderstanding.
"Just because one feels compassionate for something, as nature on its base is VERY VERY HARSH, does not mean it is our duty as children of God to undermine or stop those actions"
That is why I qualified those stements by saying that exercising wisdom was the key.
Uh oh.
Your contention used to be valid, but not anymore. Emergent diseases can hitch a ride on an airplane and be anywhere in the world in a matter of hours.
do all african nations and people engage in ritualized cleansing? NO
Quite true, not all African cultures participate in ritualized cleansing...but enough of them do to further the spread of disease.
But you have missed the point of the article posted, and your mind is not open to rational discussion. I am saddened that more than a few of our fellow posters to this thread are in the same boat.
The ones who live have immunity and so will their offspring. This is how the Humans have survived the plague, smallpox, flu, etc.
Where's Dustin Hoffman when you need him? I'm sure he could solve this crisis. What was that movie he made? Wag The Outbreak... or something like that? Maybe he and PETA can go to the congo and start a campaign to get people to stop eating monkeys.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.