©leendertz

The largest documented Ebola outbreak with more than 11.ooo victims, apparently found its origins in a two year old child. Researchers followed the track of the epidemic to a bat tree near a village in Guinea.

About two years ago in West-Africa there was an Ebola-Virus breakout from a previously unknown extent. In three countries, more than 26,000 people suffering from the virus. But where the virus just came from, was previously unknown. In March 2014, a research team from “Robert Koch Institute” pursued by epidemiologist Dr. Fabian Leendertz back the virus to its probable origin.

R73CYkLSqozg7sOZkZc0A6lmIQ5-FfH-2yPd3AixPBM,h-NaYSSLrkV01L-tHW5Ok7Vt4w1asnvMw1ttbcb-nn8

The Researcherteam

While helpers traveled to West Africa, to end the Ebola outbreak, Dr. Leendertz wanted to know how he has even begun, and how the virus has jumped to humans. “Only if you understand it, is such outbreaks can be prevented in the future,” he says. The research team followed the trail up in a village in Guinea back. There was a two year old boy became ill in December 2013 of the disease. Shortly afterwards, three other members of his family became infected and died. “Earlier Ebola outbreaks in Central Africa were always connected to a mass extinction in great apes and forest antelopes,” says Dr. Leendertz. “First, the animals fall ill in the surrounding woods. Then a hunter infected and carries the virus in his village.” A mass extinction like this hadn´t been observed to this village. But not 50 meters from the residence of the child away, the researchers discovered a hollow tree in which the bat mops condylurus had lived in.

The tree was burned down in March 2014, the bats since disappeared. The researchers found DNA traces of bats in the soil and ashes. In conversations with locals, it turned out that the local children had often played and hunted near the tree – among them the first two years was suffering. Whether the boy has found there a bat and played with her, was bitten about to climb into the tree or they, impaled on a stick, has roasted and eaten over the fire remains uncertain. Perhaps he has also infected in bat droppings.

0067YoHfnJt26qVAsy3Kl9YPmWZKs8z0tgQ38Y8hJIo

The little boy has infected most likely at a single infected bat. “He had just an incredible bad luck,” said Dr. Leendertz. All in all, there are only circumstantial, no evidence. But they will not come closer to the origin of the outbreak, according to a report by the Robert Koch Institute. An open question is how the virus of Central Africa came to Guinea. The researchers plan to individual animals that are found in almost every village in Africa provided with transmitters now to track their routes and hubs.

(Photos: with kind permission from Robert Koch Institut © Fabian Leendertz, Natalie Weber, Kathrin Nowak)