Microbiology Department, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2021 Oct;60:66-71. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2021.06.009. Epub 2021 Aug 3.
Africa is becoming known for the emergence and re-emergence of Ebola virus. The virus, which was initially restricted to East and Central Africa, is now emerging in West Africa. Ecological aspects of Ebola virus diseases are poorly understood. It is suspected that the virus is circulating in the forests of Africa, mostly hosted by migratory bats, which spread the virus to other wildlife particularly great apes and duikers. Spillovers occur when humans have contacts with wildlife. Transmission of the virus within human systems occurs through contacts with body fluids of an infected person. Several factors seem to be responsible for the emergence and re-emergence of the virus in Africa including circulation of the virus in forest ecosystems, persistence of the virus in body fluids (during sickness, upon death, and in survivors), transmission through diverse routes (direct contacts, fomites, oral), presence of infected migratory bats and other wildlife species, forest encroachment, and climatic and seasonal changes. Recent studies show that fresh outbreaks can emerge not only from wildlife but also from survivors of previous outbreaks. It is therefore important to understand the ecology of the virus in order to mitigate future emergence.
非洲正以埃博拉病毒的出现和再现而闻名。该病毒最初局限于东非和中非，现在正在西非出现。人们对埃博拉病毒病的生态方面了解甚少。据推测，该病毒在非洲的森林中传播，主要宿主是迁徙的蝙蝠，蝙蝠将病毒传播给其他野生动物，特别是大型猿类和小羚羊。当人类与野生动物接触时，就会发生病毒溢出。病毒在人类系统中的传播是通过与感染者的体液接触而发生的。有几个因素似乎导致了该病毒在非洲的出现和再现，包括病毒在森林生态系统中的循环、病毒在体液中的持续存在（在生病期间、死亡时和幸存者中）、通过多种途径（直接接触、污染物、口腔）传播、受感染的迁徙蝙蝠和其他野生动物物种的存在、森林侵占以及气候和季节变化。最近的研究表明，新的疫情不仅可能从野生动物中爆发，也可能从以前疫情的幸存者中爆发。因此，了解病毒的生态学对于减轻未来的出现非常重要。
