The source of the current Ebola outbreak – which has thus far claimed 7600 lives in West Africa – has not yet been firmly established. However, the first casualty, a two-year old child in Meliandou, Guinea, lived and played with his family and friends in close proximity to a tall, hollow tree that was home to thousands of bats.
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Ebola may not be the only viral threat to come out of Africa. Another family of viruses, deadly in some cases, may have already jumped from fruit bats into humans in Africa, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Communications.
The study provides the first, preliminary scientific evidence that “spillover” of henipaviruses into human populations is underway.
Henipaviruses are known to cause rare infections, with some strains harmless, and others with mortality rates approaching 90 percent (similar rates to Ebola). This family of viruses has been a concern since two of its members, Nipah and Hendra, emerged in Australia and Southeast Asia less than 20 years ago.
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We are all programmed to have strong reactions to the vivid color of the life-giving fluid that runs through our veins. For some, it is a morbid fascination that causes them to watch horror movies, but for others it evokes terror and can often have a deeply profound effect when witnessed; phobia of blood is very common and can cause fainting in those who are particularly sensitive.
Researchers believe that, in fact, this is a deep-rooted reaction that may once have saved our lives in primitive times:
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The search for 132 potential Ebola victims has now begun in the United States after an infected nurse flew from Ohio to Dallas on a Frontier Airlines flight.
The nurse, Amber Vincent, had been treating Ebola patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, who has since died in a Dallas hospital. She was unaware that she had contracted the disease and had been visiting her mother since Friday to prepare for her wedding.
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