BREAKING - Ebola outbreak feared in Congo In the north of Congo-Brazzaville, 16 people have died

Promed ALERT ^ | 02-05-03 | Pascale Harter

[Neuromancer]

Date: Weds 5 Feb 2003

From: ProMED-mail

Source: BBC news 5 Feb 2003 15:29 GMT

Ebola outbreak feared in Congo

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In the north of Congo-Brazzaville, 16 people have died in a suspected outbreak of Ebola virus infection. The Congolese authorities say they are extremely concerned that the virus might spread.

There is no cure for Ebola and little is known about the virus, which causes its victims to die from internal hemorrhaging.

The Congolese Ministry of Health says 16 people are known to have died so far, but communications with the villages of Kele and Mbou, 800 kilometers north of Brazzaville in the Region of Cuvette West, are difficult. Dr Joseph Mboussa, director in the Ministry of Health, says a villager has been dying every few days since the outbreak began on 4 January, and already the death toll could be much higher than 16.

The authorities were first alerted to a possible outbreak when a clan of gorillas in the Cuvette West Region began to die. Tests carried out on the bodies confirmed that the gorillas had died from the Ebola virus, and the disease has now claimed more than 80 per cent of the gorilla clan.

Medical professionals are at great risk of contracting Ebola. The Ebola virus is easily spread just by skin contact with an infected primate or person. Dr Mboussa says this makes the virus particularly difficult to contain, as Congolese funeral rites dictate that the body of a deceased person be washed by the family before burial. The current outbreak is believed to have been caused by villagers eating primates which were already infected with Ebola.

An emergency team of health ministry workers was scheduled to leave for the region on Wednesday to investigate the outbreak and try to contain it, following delays caused by a shortage of petrol and funds for the trip. Ebola experts working for the World Health Organization in Libreville and Geneva also expect to leave soon to investigate the outbreak. Some years ago in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, then President Mobutu Sese Seko adopted a controversial policy of putting an infected village in quarantine. The Ebola virus was contained but the entire village was wiped out. The Congolese health ministry has so far asked local inhabitants not to travel, but the authorities are hopeful they will not have to resort to such drastic measures.

The forestry ministry already has several teams in place trying to make locals aware of the dangers of eating primates, but they admit it is a losing battle in a region where bush meat has formed a staple part of people's diets for centuries.

[per loin]

This seems to be taking down both humans and gorillas.

[Lunatic Fringe]

[Semper Paratus]

In the past couple of decades the outbreaks have been in very remote areas but God help us if it ever gets to a major city.

[Neuromancer]

What is the probability of a dangerous strain of Ebola mutating and becoming airborne?

Ebola is made of RNA. RNA viruses are known to undergo rapid genetic changes. The three most common mechanisms are:

1. Nucleotide substitutions resulting from purportedly high error rates during RNA synthesis;

2. Reassortment of the RNA segments of multipartite genomic viruses

3. RNA-RNA recombination between non-segmented RNAs
 
The Ebola virus can use only the first and the third mechanisms as it has only one segment of RNA by capsid. To become "airborne", the Ebola genome (RNA) would, at least, have to mutate in such a way that its outer protective  coating of proteins (capsid) could resist the forces to which they are subjected in air (e.g., dryness).


It also would probably need to change structure to allow infection through the respiratory system.

There are no exact measures of the rate of mutation in Ebola, but the probability of the required mutation(s) happening is not great.

[Neuromancer]

Amen....

[Snowy]

Then, read this one. Excellent book, but you probably won't sleep for a night or two. :-/

[chance33_98]

"Leave the monkeys alone? What do you mean by that?"

They're likely to be getting Ebola from slaughtering and eating the monkeys.

The question is - what did he think you meant and why did he associate it that way ;) Hmmmm

[Consort]

[Gamecock]

I plan on it just after I finish reading this..

[Ditter]

Yeah! Your mother taught you not to eat monkeys. lol

[blam]

"This current strain is being contracted by humans eating chimp meat. Both are being killed by the same strain. Is that unusual?"

I'm not positive but, I believe that it is.

[myrabach]

Does this mean no more McMonkey?

[diamond6]

This is one hell of a scary virus. I read the Hot Zone and it freaked me out for days!

[RecentConvert]

Send them $15 billion? (Leave the monkeys alone!)

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You mean an additional $15 billions. The first 15 will be used to "combat" AIDS. An additional $15 billion are needed to combat the various lethal infectious deseases in the continent.

Everybody ready for the African safari?

[RecentConvert]

That's scary stuff.

I hope it doesn't spread.

[blam]

"You mean an additional $15 billions."

Yes.

[Gamecock]

From The Congo Cookbook

(BTW: It tastes like chicken)

Monkey bushmeat is commonly consumed in tropical Africa. Monkey meat is prepared fresh in rural areas. It is also smoked to preserve it and allow it to be sent to market in the cities. A common sight along rural roads is smoked whole monkeys for sale, tales tied to heads to make carrying handles. Fresh monkey meat is often cooked in a Tomato Sauce made from tomatoes, chile peppers, and onions. Smoked monkey meat can be prepared in a Tomato-Peanut sauce: Soak the smoked meat in water, then rinse and drain it. Fry tomatoes, onions, chile pepper, in hot palm oil. Add tomato paste and the monkey meat. Simmer until all is tender. Season with salt and pepper.