Venturing Into the Mines of Uganda, in Search of the Marburg Virus

NY Times ^ | August 28, 2007 | NICHOLAS BAKALAR

[neverdem]

Researchers reported for the first time last week that they have found the Marburg virus in a nonprimate species — bats.

Now, they have turned their attention to a bat-infested lead and gold mine in western Uganda, in an attempt to determine if bats harbor the disease between periodic outbreaks in southern Africa. One miner working in the mine died of Marburg disease on July 14, and several others apparently recovered from it. “We’re trying to see where this goes,” Jonathan Towner, the lead author of the report, published Aug. 22 in the online journal PloS ONE, said in a telephone interview. “We need a good, solid survey of what’s living here and what might have Marburg in it.”

Dr. Towner, a microbiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is working in Ibanda, Uganda, with a group jointly sponsored by the agency, the World Health Organization and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, a South African government group.

Because Ebola, a closely related virus, had earlier been found in bats, scientists suspected they might harbor Marburg as well. The scientists tested more than 1,100 bats of 10 species in Gabon and Congo and found the virus in four bats of the cave-dwelling species, Rousettus aegyptiacus. The bats, which range all over sub-Saharan Africa, had been trapped in 2005 and 2006 at two locations in Gabon. All of the infected animals appeared healthy.

Marburg infection in humans can be fatal. Symptoms include persistent diarrhea, high fever, bleeding from the nose, gums and vagina, and bloody vomit and feces. There have been periodic occurrences of Marburg in southern Africa during the past three decades, but no one has been able to figure out its natural reservoir — that is, where the virus hides between outbreaks.

[neverdem]

Pierre Formenty/ WHO (left and center); Chris Black/WHO
At a mine in Uganda, left and center, bats are being captured and tested by doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, right. International health groups are jointly studying whether the bats harbor the Marburg virus.

Marburg Virus Infection Detected in a Common African Bat

[neverdem]

micro ping

[MarMema]

WOW, thanks!

[SoldierMedic]

I could never do this work. The Hot Zone is a book of nightmares.

[Wiseghy]

I seem to recall that the HotZone author had traced Ebola back to a particular bat infested cave in Africa as well.

Tropical viruses are the worst. AIDS is just another example.

[JSteff]

"One miner working in the mine died of Marburg disease on July 14, and several others apparently recovered from it." Which means now they might even have the antibodies for it!

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Bkmarked.

[Mother Abigail]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/865868/posts?page=57#57

[SoldierMedic]

If memory serves correct, unlike Ebola, which has a very high death rate, Marburg only has a something like 25% death rate.

[El Sordo]

Innerestin’

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link.

[Grimmy]

Considering the source of this news (NYT), I am kinda wondering if maybe the actual story wasn’t around someone finding a discarded pack of Marlboros and someone nearby said “oh, those are mine”.

Marlboros, mine. Marburg, mine. They’ve spun harder with less.

[neverdem]

Considering the source of this news (NYT),

I linked the actual source of the article, Marburg Virus Infection Detected in a Common African Bat, so what's your point?

[Grimmy]

Wasn’t poking at you, just some bad tempered snark at the NYT. I did read the article and it is interesting.

I do apologize for the lame attempt at sideways humor.

[JSteff]

“Marburg only has a something like 25% death rate”

Still supports using the antibodies to make a vaccine or antivirus (it is a virus, right?).

I think it would be worth it, don’t you? If Marburg got lose in the gp and you knew that that 1 in 4 of your family members or friends would face death... isn’t it worth it?

[Global2010]

add Me thanks

[Global2010]

So if the earthquakes and the fissures open up what animals and viruses could that open up.

I have watched via film brought back the underground sea volcanoes and actual lil crabs and other sea life that live on that molten lava.

Now that I think about it in the seminars we were so wow ed about the continuous eruptions and sea life no on ever asked about the testing of possible viruses.

However when the crew came up with part of the sea cab that got to close to the eruptions it was like hard candy on the oopsie got to close area.

[Global2010]

Two great books/movies but notice we don’t see much anymore in the media?

Was it just Hollywood fiction or fact that Ebola was conected to Primates/Monkeys.

IIRC the book even if fiction had some cave connection. Bat droppings?

[Carbonsteel]

Especially if you've ever seen anyone suffer from Marburg.

It's still a nasty Hemorrhagic fever, and the results aren't pretty, whether you survive it or not.

[Carbonsteel]

Hollywood is picky about some of the causes and charities it champions.

[Smokin' Joe]

Thanks for the ping. Years ago on the Marburg surveillance thread, I suspected that migratory bats may have had some part in the progression of the disease. The bats, some of which can get fairly large, are seen as a delicacy, and droppings might be on fruit or in areas primates would gather, from caves to areas around fruit trees.

It will be interesting to see what role they play in the pathology of the disease.

[Smokin' Joe]

Marburg virus study ping (bats)....(Thanks, neverdem!)

[Smokin' Joe]

Marburg virus study ping (bats)....(Thanks, neverdem!)

[Oorang]

Thanks for the ping Joe.

[Lurker]

TFTP, Joe.

L

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks neverdem. Outbreaks of various previously unknown illnesses punctuate human history.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[Mumbles]

Bruce Wayne and Marburg Virus?

[colorado tanker]

Bats, it had to be bats.

[Global2010]

Oh Yeah.
They tend to make facts fiction and vice versa.

I saw a good documentary of a Doctor who goes to Cuba to care for the sick kids.
He was very honest.
He got so P.O.ed in one part because he paid to get his passports and then was told that they had run out of paper.
Man he was steamed. Had his wife and kid with him. Don’t know if he ever got to leave Cuba and go to his home country.
I had to get back to chores.

It was on Doc day Sundance.
I love it Cadillac is one of Sundances big sponsers/ads.

Green Earth programs on Sundance brought to you by Cadillac. LOL
I think this whole Gore Warming is just another way to make a money. It sells to the kids and hippies.

[Ptarmigan]

I have read that bats carry Marburg and Ebola, which are both Filoviruses. I would not be surprised if they carry those two horrible diseases.

[SunkenCiv]

I think these researchers are just winging it.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Self steaming crabs. God is good.

[Pelham]

Venturing Into the Mines of Uganda, in Search of the Marburg Virus,

I'd say... the clear winner in the Jobs I'd Rather Not Do category.

[Global2010]

Ultra Mini though no meat, darn.
Amazing how they can walk across the thin crust of the molten lava.

One of the scientist tried to be funny and said we can even here this crab eating (zoom into lil crab) Crunch, crunch, crunch chime in with sound effects of scientist eating chips in the sea cab. Humor and Marine biologist IMO not exactly Peanut Butter n Jelly.

However if you lived here you could steam your own fresh crab half a mile down the road after a day on the bay. (now your going to be thinking of fresh dungenous all nite, I am a bad girl)

[united1000]

They don't know what this one is yet:

 

Date: 29 Aug 2007
From: ProMED-mail
Source: Evening Echo Ireland  [edited]
<http://www.eveningecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?j=14974196&p=y4974z4z&n=14974284>


Haemorrhagic fever kills more than 100
-----------------------------------
More than 100 people have died in a remote part of the Democratic
Republic of Congo, the result of a suspected haemorrhagic fever
epidemic, local health officials said today.

People began dying of the suspected fever 2 weeks ago near Mweka, an
area in the province of Kasai Occidental, said Jean-Constatin Kanow,
the chief medical inspector for the province. "We began by suspecting 
typhoid fever, but now we believe it's haemorrhagic fever," said Kanow.

The DRC has in the past seen large outbreaks of Marburg and Ebola,
both haemorrhagic fevers caused by viruses that in severe cases attack
the central nervous system and cause bleeding from the eyes, ears and
other parts of the body.

The deaths began following the funeral of 2 village chiefs.  "Everyone 
that attended those funerals is now dead," said the medical inspector. 
  According to Kanow, haemorrhagic fever is transmitted by contact 
with an infected person.

In all, 4 villages are affected and 217 people have come down with the 
illness.
Of the 103 recorded deaths, 100 were adults and 3 were children, said Kanow.

[colorado tanker]

Sounds like a job for Batman.