Curbing Ebola in rural agricultural communities

Though Ebola virus disease (EVD) has not been found in animals in Nigeria, there are calls on the need to exercise caution in the interaction between humans, other reservoir and infected nonhuman primate.Giving a picture of events that form possible means of indirect transmission from the natural host such as bats to animal populations,   Professor […]

Though Ebola virus disease (EVD) has not been found in animals in Nigeria, there are calls on the need to exercise caution in the interaction between humans, other reservoir and infected nonhuman primate.
Giving a picture of events that form possible means of indirect transmission from the natural host such as bats to animal populations,   Professor Abdulkadir Usman Junaidu of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, UDUS elucidated: “Bats drop partially eaten fruits and pulp, terrestrial mammals such as gorillas, chimpanzees and duikers feed on these fallen fruits.
Sometimes outbreaks are traceable to a single index case where an individual handled the carcass of a gorilla, chimpanzee or duiker.”
He said though transmission between natural reservoir and humans are rare, EVD is introduced into human population through close contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals.
Professor Junaidu who was speaking on the topic “The Zoonotic Perspective of the  Ebola Virus Disease” at a public  awareness forum   on the dreaded malady, noted: “Ebola virus disease, formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is a severe, often-fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees) caused by infection with Ebola virus.
The constant and inevitable interaction of man and animals has made zoonotic diseases to remain genuine threats to the health and survival of people, livestock, companion animals and wildlife.”
The veterinary expert explained that a number of zoonoses are among the oldest known diseases and many are entrenched, particularly in rural agricultural communities.
“Increasingly they are also found in urban areas where people keep livestock and live in close contact with their animals,” he pointed out.
Professor Junaidu said while there are some diseases of man transmitted to animals (Zooanthroponoses), some  can be transmitted in both directions,  Amphizoonoses, and that Ebola belongs to the  Anthropozoonoses, diseases of animals transmitted to man.
On the reservoir host, the don recalled that during the outbreaks in 2001 and 2003, traces of Ebola virus were detected in carcasses of gorillas and chimpanzees (which later become the source of human infection).
He added that carcasses of duikers (forest antelope) were also found during the outbreak.
“Of 24 plant species and 19 vertebrate species experimentally inoculated with EBOV, only bats became infected. Absence of clinical signs in these bats is characteristic of a reservoir species,” he explained.
The veterinary professional also noted that in a 2002-2003 survey of 1,030 animals including 679 bats from Gabon and the Republic of Congo, 13 fruit bats were found to contain EV RNA fragments.
“As of 2005, three types of fruit bats (Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomos franqueti and Myonycteris torquata) have been identified as being in contact with EBOV and are now suspected to be EBOV reservoir hosts,” he added.
Clinical signs observed in dying wild animals (of various species) during EVD outbreaks, he noted, included vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss and emaciation, as well as bleeding from the nostrils.
Junaidu said that during the 1989 Ebola Reston virus outbreak in Virginia, anorexia was the first sign of disease in cynomolgus monkeys while some monkeys had swollen eyelids or increased lacrimation and that nasal discharge, coughing and splenomegaly were also seen.
According to him, fever, subcutaneous hemmorhages, epistaxis/or bloody diarrhea were less common signs.
Wild chimpanzees and gorillas are often found dead while in experimentally infected monkeys, signs of EVD include fever, anorexia, vomiting, splenomegaly, weight loss and skin rashes,he added.
However, he observed that no clinical signs have been reported in infected wild bats and that experimentally infected bats remain asymptomatic while the Zaire ebola  virus have been shown to cause disease in pigs experimentally.
He listed factors responsible for the spread of EVD to include human or animal population displacement or translocation, changes in the activity period of wild animals (diurnal/nocturnal) under the pressure of hunting and movement of domestic animals.
Others include migration of wild animals across human habitats, increased contacts with a wildlife reservoir associated with the development of various outdoor leisure activities, such as hunting, fishing or tourism, especially ecotourism and accelerated degradation of the natural environment, notably in developed countries (by deforestation, building of dams, land consolidation) may cause wildlife species to move to new areas, favoring their relocation in suburban zones, therefore entering into contact with humans.
Wild life control and pastoralism were among the challenges he identified.
Professor Junaidu harped on the need to intensify research on the reservoir and virus control among identified reservoirs.
“There is need to develop newer and easy to use rapid diagnostic methods suitable for Africa and used for early detection of viral antigens among reservoirs, nonhuman primates and humans,” he said.
He also noted the need for collaboration and coordinated actions between animal and public health authorities in trying to address the menace of EVD while calling for more public education especially among health care professionals on how to handle outbreak situation, quick action on vaccine production and research in areas of treatment.
Similarly, Chairman, Nigeria Veterinary Medicine Association, Sokoto, Dr. Aminu Muhammad said “the challenges we are having is that when some  lorry drivers see dead chimpanzee, gorilla, antelope, they  take them  home which put the women and  children at risk of  being infected.”
He stressed: “Ebola is a reality, stop eating bush meat for now, stop hunting and look for other means of livelihood, avoid contact with wild animals.”
For the Director of Port Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Nasiru Gwarzo: “At the moment the best prevention people can use is education, the more we are educated about the disease the more we know what to do and we should act rationally and the more likely we avoid listening to rumour like recently there was the rumour of bathing with salt water and eating bitter kola, all these are detrimental to health.
“If one has no knowledge they become vulnerable to all sorts of rumours. But no matter how educated we are, if the people around us are not educated we are at risk, so we advise people to be educated and educate their loved ones.”