Mmmmmm....bat pee.
Posted on 02/24/2002 8:50:37 AM PST by Neuromancer
On 7 Dec 2001, sera from the last 2 cases who died were sent to the Centre International de Recherches Medicales de Franceville (CIRMF) for testing by ebola [sic] antigen virus capture ELISA assay and IgG ELISA assay. Reverse transcriptase PCR to detect ebola [sic] viral RNA was also done on 200 µL of each serum sample (ref. 1). The 2 sera had high titres (>256) of virus antigen and contained ebola [sic] virus RNA. These results confirmed Ebola virus infection. No IgG to ebola [sic] viral antigens was detected, but this finding is consistent with previous results, showing that fatal cases of ebola [sic] infection do not develop specific IgG (ref. 2). The outbreak of ebola [sic] haemorrhagic fever was officially declared on 8 Dec 2001.
To characterise this new strain, we extracted viral RNA from the 2 sera. The first strands of cDNA from the L-gene were synthesised and amplified by a DNA thermal cycler 9700 (ref. 1). Analysis of the sequenced PCR products (420 bp) showed only 4 synonymous substitutions compared with Mayinga-76 (DR Congo, 1976), Kikwit-95 (DR Congo, 1995), and Gabon-94 sequences. This strain is, therefore, new (Mekambo-01) and belongs to the Zaire subtype. The genetic diversity of this 420 bp sequence between Mekambo-01 and Gabon-94 strains is 0·95%. Molecular characterisation of the glycoprotein and the nucleoprotein genes is in progress at CIRMF.
This is the fourth outbreak of Ebola in Gabon in 6 years, the last one ending in May 1997 (ref.3), and for the fourth time, the outbreak happened in the same area of Gabon (Ogooue-Ivindo province). The virus, therefore, circulates at a high concentration in this area. The reservoir for Ebola virus is still unknown and this situation reinforces the need to search for it in this densely contaminated area.
E M Leroy, S Souquiere, P Rouquet, D Drevet Centre International de Recherches Medicales de Franceville, BP 769, Franceville, Gabon
I probably I ought to buy a specimen just because no home is complete without dinosaur poop in the curio cabinet.
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Mmmmmm....bat pee.
Just take the usual precautions against plague and don't sweep up dried deer-mouse urine and you can avoid Hanta virus too. Neither disease is borne by scorpions nor by rattlesnakes.
"Coprolite Happens!"
(I thought it was spelled "copralite", but I stand corrected!)
g
The epidemiology of Ebola doesn't seem to be consistent with a bacterial resevoir. Your question was still a good one. Bats, insects, plants, and rocks have been looked at with no result.
Oh, I want that bumper sticker.
They've got this wonderful small tree down there called “poison bush”.
It oozes a black, tar-like goo that will give you a hell of a rash. It doesn't itch but it looks like hell.
Bats don’t pee square, Dog.
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