Most rabies infections in the United States come from bats, CDC says.

 

Most rabies infections in the United States come from bats, CDC says.In the United States, the culprit behind most rabies cases has shifted from dogs to bats. The flying mammals now cause 7 out of 10 US rabies cases, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

 Researchers looked at rabies trends in the United States over the span of 80 years, from 1938 to 2018. They found that most infections came from dog bites until 1960, when wildlife species -- specifically bats -- became the primary source for human infection. 

This followed nationwide efforts in the 1950s to mandate pet vaccines and implement leash control laws, the report stated. "Reducing rabies in dogs is a remarkable achievement of the U.S. public health system, but with this deadly disease still present in thousands of wild animals, it's important that Americans are aware of the risk," CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said in a news release. 

From 1960 to 2018, 125 human rabies were cases reported . From 1960 to 2018, 125 human rabies were cases reported in the United States. Of these, 28% came from contact with dogs outside the United States, where rabies vaccines may not be required or readily available. 

The cases acquired in the United States came from wildlife species, with 70% resulting from bat bites or scratches and the rest due to human contact with raccoons, skunks or foxes. In the United States, most human deaths from rabies occur because people don't seek medical treatment, probably because they are unaware of the animal contact. 

For example, bat bites can be smaller than the top of a pencil eraser, the CDC said. "We've been seeing cases in people in the United States who seem to not really be aware that rabies can be transmitted by wildlife, especially bats," Pieracci said. "A lot of times, bat bites and scratches are very tiny. So a lot of people will try to hold a bat and they don't realize that bat has bitten."

 If you happen to wake up with a bat in your immediate surroundings, you should assume rabies exposure and seek medical care right away, the CDC recommends.

US had 5 rabies deaths last year, highest total in a decade.

 

Five Americans died of rabies last year — the largest number in a decade — and health officials said Thursday that some of the people didn't realize they had been infected or refused life-saving shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on three of the deaths, all stemming from contact with bats. 

CDC officials said the deaths were tragic and could have been prevented. One, an 80-year-old Illinois man, refused to take life-saving shots because of a longstanding fear of vaccines. An Idaho man and a Texas boy did not get shots because of a belief that no bat bite or scratch broke their skin. In all three cases, people “either trivialized the exposure (to bats) or they didn't recognize the severity of rabies,” said Ryan Wallace, a CDC rabies expert who co-authored the report. 

 Two other deaths occurred earlier in 2021. One was a Minnesota man bitten by a bat. He got the shots, but an undiagnosed immune system problem hampered their effectiveness, CDC officials said. The other victim was bitten by a rabid dog while traveling in the Philippines and died in New York after returning to the U.S.

 Rabies is caused by a virus that invades the central nervous system and is usually fatal in animals and humans. It’s most commonly spread through a bite from an infected animal, with most U.S. infections in recent years traced to bat encounters.

COVID-19:A close relative of SARS-CoV-2 found in bats offers more evidence it evolved naturally.

COVID-19:A close relative of SARS-CoV-2 found in bats offers more evidence it evolved naturally.There is ongoing debate among policymakers and the general public about where SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, came from. While researchers consider bats the most likely natural hosts for SARS-CoV-2, the origins of the virus are still unclear. On May 10 in the journal Current Biology, researchers describe a recently identified bat coronavirus that is SARS-CoV-2's closest relative in some regions of the genome and which contains insertions of amino acids at the junction of the S1 and S2 subunits of the virus's spike protein in a manner similar to SAR-CoV-2. While it's not a direct evolutionary precursor of SARS-CoV-2, this new virus, RmYN02, suggests that these types of seemingly unusual insertion events can occur naturally in coronavirus evolution, the researchers say.

Scientists Say Bats Could Be Linked To Coronavirus .

Scientists Say Bats Could Be Linked To Coronavirus As Videos Of Bat Soup Appear Online.Scientists in China have suggested the coronavirus could have originated from fruit bats, while videos of people tucking into bat soup have been shared online. A statement published in the South China Morning Post: "The Wuhan coronavirus' natural host could be bats... but between bats and humans there may be an unknown intermediate."The report comes as videos have gone viral showing people tucking into bat soup - considered a delicacy in parts of China. Clips shared online show a bat floating inside a bowl of broth, while another shows a woman eating a bat with a pair of chopsticks. Scientists are still unclear on how the virus has spread, but the report found it has a 'strong binding affinity' to a human protein called ACE2. Scientists say this binding protein has a 'high resemblance to that of SARS'.more

RESEARCH: Ebola virus found in bat in West Africa for the first time.

RESEARCH: Ebola virus found in bat in West Africa for the first time.The Ebola virus has been found in a bat in Liberia, the country’s government and scientists with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health announced this week. The discovery marks the first time the virus has ever been found in a bat in West Africa, though it has previously been found in bats in Central Africa, according to the Tech Times. The university's Mailman School of Public Health said in a statement Thursday that scientists found “genetic material from the virus and ebolavirus antibodies” in a greater long-fingered bat located in the Nimna District of Liberia. Preliminary testing indicates a specific strain of the virus — Zaire ebolavirus — may have been found in the bat. Zaire ebolavirus is “responsible for causing the West African Ebola epidemic which infected nearly 30,000 people between 2013 and 2016,” according to the Mailman School of Public Health's statement.

WHAT IS MARBURG? THIS VIRUS CAUSES VICTIMS TO BLEED FROM EVERY ORIFICE AND DIE

WHAT IS MARBURG? THIS VIRUS CAUSES VICTIMS TO BLEED FROM EVERY ORIFICE AND DIE. The virus is usually spread to humans from animals, most often bats and monkeys. Once in the human population, it can continue to spread by contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals. In Uganda, there’s currently an outbreak of Marburg virus, an extremely infectious virus that causes victims to bleed from every orifice before finally succumbing to severe dehydration and blood loss. With a current fatality rate of 100 percent, the African nation has also reported a national outbreak of the horrific virus, also known as Ebola’s cousin. Here’s what you need to know. First recognized in 1967, Marburg virus, formerly known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever, is a rare but extremely fatal hemorrhagic disease. The World Health Organization report that the fatality rate is about 50/50 for this virus, but in past outbreaks fatality rates have been as high as 88 percent. In the current outbreak all three of the three victims have died from the disease and Uganda did not wait for further deaths before declaring a national outbreak on October 19, CNN reported. The CDC report initial symptoms of the virus include fever chills, headache and generally not feeling very well. Later on, however, the symptoms can become more serious, such as nausea, vomiting, chest pain, sore throat, abdominal pain, and severe diarrhea. The symptoms of the Marburg virus include high fevers, head and body aches, and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

RABIES SURVIVOR GETS TWINS!!!.

The first person to survive rabies without being vaccinated is now a new mom of twins. Jeanna Giese-Frassetto gave birth to fraternal twins, Carly Ann Frassetto and Connor Primo Frassetto, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, March 26. "Our family is very blessed to have these children. We are lucky to have such beautiful babies," Jeanna said. In 2004, Giese-Frassetto was bitten by a bat in Fond du Lac. She did not seek immediate treatment and was diagnosed with rabies three weeks later. Doctors say she would have died if not for an experimental treatment, now known as the Milwaukee Protocol, that included a medically induced coma. Giese-Frassetto had a long recovery, including relearning to walk and talk.She married Scot Frassetto in September of 2014 and is now living in the Fox Valley. culled from Fox11online news

BAT'S IMMUNITY; A NEW MODEL FOR PREVENTING DISEASES IN MAN.

Bats are a natural host for more than 100 viruses, some of which are lethal to people, including Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Ebola and Hendra virus, however, interestingly bats do not get sick or show signs of disease from these viruses. A new study has revealed the distinct ability in bats,that enables them carry disease-agents and still remain unaffected by such organisms.For the first time researchers have uncovered a unique ability in bats which allows them to carry but remain unaffected by lethal diseases. Unlike humans, bats keep their immune systems switched on 24/7 and scientists believe this could hold the key to protecting people from deadly diseases like Ebola. The research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), this new research examines the genes and immune system of the Australian black flying fox. Whenever our body encounters a foreign organism, like bacteria or a virus, a complicated set of immune responses are set in motion, one of which is the defense mechanism known as innate immunity,leading bat immunologist at CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory Dr Michelle Baker said. The team focused on the innate immunity of bats with particular reference to the role of interferons -which are essential for innate immune responses in mammals and to understand what's special about how bats respond to invading viruses. It was discovered that bats only have three interferons which is only a fraction -- about a quarter -- of the number of interferons found in people.This is surprising given bats have this unique ability to control viral infections that are lethal in people and yet they can do this with a lower number of interferons. The team also compared two type 1 interferons -- alpha and beta.The research showed that bats express a heightened innate immune response even when they were not infected with any detectable virus. Man and mice activate their immune systems only in response to infection, the bats interferon-alpha is constantly 'switched on' acting as a 24/7 front line defense against diseases In other mammalian species, having the immune response constantly switched on is dangerous because it's toxic to tissue and cells- whereas the bat immune system operates in harmony. The important role bats play in the eco-system as pollinators and insect controllers is recognized, bats are also increasingly demonstrating their worth in potentially helping to protect people from infectious diseases.

RABIES AND GLOBAL TRAVEL.

Scientists/researchers have warned tourist/holiday enthusiast to stay away from animals including bats on such travelling.This advice came on the heels of a lady that died after she was bitten by a dog while on a trip in India for 2 weeks. 

 Rabies is an acute viral infection of the central nervous system. The virus is usually transmitted through a dog bite, and results in at least 40,000 deaths worldwide every year.Around 90% of deaths occur in the developing world,particularly in India, where dogs that roam freely are largely responsible. Rabies is rare in the UK, where just 12 cases have been reported since 1977, 11 contracted abroad and one rare case acquired from a bat in the UK. 

 A team of researchers describe the case of a woman in her late 30s who was admitted to hospital with shooting pain in her lower back and left leg. Three and a half months earlier, she had been bitten by a puppy on a lead during a two week holiday in Goa. It left a slight graze, but she did not seek medical help, and she had not received a vaccination before travelling. 

She was diagnosed with rabies and died after 18 days in hospital. This case serves as an important reminder of the risk of rabies for any traveler to a country where rabies is endemic, even tourists on a short visit to a holiday resort, say the authors. 

 Travelers need to know whether they are visiting a country where rabies is endemic, and that any dog bite must be taken seriously,even an apparently innocuous bite from a pet. The risk can also be reduced by avoiding contact with animals that might be susceptible to rabies. stay away from roaming dogs ,cats or wildlife.

MONKEYS, BATS AND INFECTION IN MAN.

When it comes to spreading viruses, bats are thought to be among the worst. Now a new study of nearly 900 nonhuman primates in Bangladesh and Cambodia shows that macaques harbor more diverse astroviruses, which can cause infectious gastroenteritis or diarrhea in humans. A bat has bat astrovirus, but a monkey, you could have everything, a research scientist at the University of Washington National Primate Research Primate Center and a co-author of the study, published in PLOS Pathogens. This research, the scientists said, is the first to show evidence of human astroviruses in animals, and among the earliest to demonstrate that astroviruses can move between mammalian species .Astroviruses from a number of species, including human, bovine, bird, cow and dog, were detected in monkeys, This "challenges the paradigm that AstV (astrovirus) infection is species-specific," the authors wrote. It is still unknown whether these viruses are two-way and can be transmitted to humans. They did find evidence that, in monkeys, two species of astrovirus recombined.Knowing that nonhuman primates can harbor diverse astroviruses -- including novel, recombinant viruses that may be pathogenic and/or more efficiently transmitted -- highlights the importance of continued monitoring, the authors said. This is particularly true in countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia, where macaques and humans live side-by-side."This study is an example of the concept of One Health for new viruses," noted author Stacey Schultz-Cherry at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. "This is an indication that we really need to think about animal partners in One Health." Astroviruses are most commonly associated with diarrhea. They can also cause clinical diseases such as nephritis, hepatitis and encephalitis. Astroviruses also can be asymptomatic, depending on the species, the researchers reported. Currently, the only treatment is oral rehydration. story source; science daily.

Viruses that spread from animals to humans are on the rise.

Viruses that develop in animals and can spread to humans are on the rise around the world and scientists say more research is needed to prevent them from evolving. Viruses that pose a risk to both human and animal health are known as zoonotic diseases.The more severe examples include ebola in west Africa, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the Arabian Peninsula, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asia, and even Hendra in Australia. The University's Dr Siobhan Mor has just completed a study into how much scientists know about such animal diseases before they develop.She said half of the data that exists focuses on known zoonotic diseases, and there is a lack of information on animal viruses that have the potential to develop into human ones."We identified 10 diseases that occur at the livestock-wildlife interface, majority of which also affect humans, and found that the majority of the research has been occurring on these [10] particular diseases since the 1960s," Dr Mor said."There has been a lot of research on these particular diseases, with far less on other diseases occurring."Dr Mor said the findings are concerning, given animal diseases could pose a greater risk to human health as livestock production systems become more intensive."We are seeing more diseases occurring now in people as a result of those livestock systems and the way we are producing human food," she said.We are seeing more diseases occurring now in people as a result of those livestock systems and the way we are producing human food. Dr Siobhan Mor, University of Sydney, "We are raising animals in close proximity to wildlife because we have cleared land in order to make way for our agricultural production." Dr Mor said sometimes new diseases are detected in humans first, which are later found to have initially developed in animals, such as HIV."Historically, we know that HIV comes from animals, but what the research shows is there are increasingly new diseases being found in humans and we later determine have been occurring in animals as well."Dr Mor said Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, is a more modern example of an animal disease that has become more problematic for humans in recent decades."I think everyone's eyes are on viruses known as coronaviruses," she said. Zoonotic diseases have become more publicised recently with the west African ebola outbreak, which has so far killed more than 10,000 people.Fruit bats are thought to be the natural hosts of the ebola virus, as is also the case with the deadly Hendra virus in Australia. Hendra has infected seven Australians and killed four, as well as countless horses, since it was first recorded in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra in 1994. Dr Mor said human Hendra cases demonstrated a need to understand more about bats, which are linked to a number of zoonotic diseases."Bats are really interesting and we now know they harbour many germs which can make people very sick," Read more here; http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-21/researchers-say-more-information-is-needed-zoonotic-diseases/6635738

HENDRA VIRUS IN HORSES.

Horses that came into contact with urine from black flying foxes were most likely to catch the virus, It has long been known that bats are the natural hosts of the Hendra virus and could pass it to horses, but exactly how that happens has been difficult to prove. Dr Hume Field is a science and policy advisor with US conservation group EcoHealth Alliance, and the former principal scientist with the Queensland Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases. He said a recent study of 3,000 bats from Charters Towers in north Queensland, to Sydney in New South Wales, indicated urine was the most likely link."The study took samples from urine, faeces, saliva, and nasal discharge and the clear evidence was that urine, by far, was the most common source in which the virus was found," Dr Field said."Faeces was further down the line and saliva and nasal discharge were very infrequent."But despite urine being the most likely source of contamination, Dr Field said more information was needed to establish how horses come into contact with it. if you had a horse that was resting or grazing under a tree where flying foxes were feeding, and flying foxes urinate a lot when foraging in trees, there is the potential for that horse stranding underneath to get directly contaminated."It can happen through the nose, the mucus membranes of the eyes or as well horses can ingest some urine on grass."Dr Hume said researchers had also identified which species of flying fox were more likely to pass on the disease, and said horse owners in areas where black flying foxes were common should be most wary. Dr Hume said the study explored three species; red flying foxes, black flying foxes, and grey-headed flying foxes.He said various information over the years made scientists think that not all flying foxes were the same when it came to the Hendra virus risk they posed.But this study into 3,000 animals across three species offered a better understanding, he said."It was abundantly clear that all of the positive detections of Hendra viruses came from black flying foxes and none came from little red flying foxes and none came from grey-headed flying foxes," he said."We know there are antibodies in all of those species, so they all get infected at some stage." The Department of Agriculture said vaccination was the best defence, and everyone should make their own choice. vaccination may be enforced in some cases to prevent death in horses. read more here;http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-27/hendra-urine-queensland/6650128

BATS @ RABIES!!!!

HOW RABIES KILLS

' Rabies claims the life of one person every 10 minutes,This is a sad story of how a bat snuffed out the life of Zach Jones. A bird had flown into his room and he got bitten without knowing it, He had the window screens down . He'd woken to find a bat fluttering around his face and a friend who was around just dropped a towel over the bat and threw it out of the window – luckily she didn't come into contact with it at the time or we may have lost her as well. At the time they had no idea that rabies could occur in bats and so we thought nothing more of it.Read what led to his death. Zach was very athletic and loved sport. He was a swimmer and played football regularly. He was very healthy and careful about what medications he put into his body. Looking back, he showed some minor symptoms early on – he had a slight cough and a runny nose – but I put that down to springtime allergies. On May 4 though, he displayed some rabies symptoms. He came home from school and said: "Mom, there's something very wrong with my mind, I can't explain it." He told us that he'd been coming home on the bus and that he'd felt very frightened by the loud noises it was making. He seemed very agitated but the really classic symptom he showed was what we now know as hydrophobia – he tried to drink but he couldn't swallow. He said if he drank the water, he wouldn't be able to breathe. He went to bed that night and at 2.30am he woke up and came to tell me again that there was something very wrong. I switched on the light in the kitchen and he cowered away from it. He said he'd been awake all night and he'd been hallucinating. We took him to the emergency room at around 4am. We had no idea what could be wrong. Zach was transferred to the children's hospital in Houston, where they did some tests. Because he was a teenager they decided he must have taken drugs, but we knew Zach was a good kid and we knew he was not the type to do that. He was then transferred to a mental facility, where they then told us that he was not a mental patient but a medical patient and he did not belong there, so it was back to the hospital. That is why, to this day, I always a led to his death.dvise people to get a second opinion. Unfortunately medical staff are not always right. Early the next morning, the same neighbour of mine who had thrown the bat out of Zach's room came to the hospital. She had suddenly remembered the bat and wondered if it had any significance. The doctor said there was very little chance it had any relevance, but I asked if they could do a rabies test and, two days later, it came back positive. A few days afterwards, on May 12, we lost our son Zach. We know there are many others whose lives have been saved because of Zach. In my husband Larry's family alone, eight members including cousins and nieces have been bitten by bats since Zach died, and because of his story they all knew to get vaccinated. It's so important to educate others about rabies because people, including health officials, don't know that it still exists where we live. Aside from this a lot of doctors tend to play down the threat and try to say the risk is low, and then because of that people do not get vaccinated. The sad thing is that it is completely preventable if people know the facts and get the right medical advice. Larry and I are trying to raise awareness about this in our community. We've set up the Zach Jones Memorial Fund and we have annual fundraisers. The community donates items to be sold for auction, and we also do a golf tournament. Last year we raised $85,000 and we want to use this money to educate people about the dangers of contracting this disease. At the moment we're funding the Texas State Health Department's poster competition about rabies which will help people, especially school children, to be more informed. We have also set up a scholarship in Zach's name to enable kids in the area to go to college. Doing this makes us feel better about what has happened. If we knew then what we know now, Zach would still be alive, but if we can save even one more life by doing this, it makes the pain of losing him a little easier to bear. Rabies is fatal but preventable, vaccinate your pets. stay away from wild animals//stray animals. Bat-proof your homes.

RABIES# STEPS TO FOLLOW WHEN BITTEN.

When bitten by an animal,that vaccination status is not reported follow these steps;As rabies is a fatal disease, it is often best to start the series of shots until further information is available. The animal should be isolated and observed for 10 days. Wild animals that can be captured can be killed and tested for the virus. If the animal can't be found, it is best to consult with the local health department. Post exposure prophylaxis (protective treatment) for rabies requires the following information: Bite: Did a bite occur, and where is the location of the bite? Non-bite incident: Did the saliva touch an open would or a mucous membrane? Bats: Any contact with a bat that leads to a potential scratch, bite, or mucous membrane exposure to saliva needs to be evaluated. If prolonged exposure to a bat is discovered (sleeping in a room where a bat is found), post exposure prophylaxis needs to be considered. When bitten, wash bite site with soap and water and visit the hospital to start post exposure treatment. The first is a rabies immune globulin that helps to prevent the virus from infecting the individual, Part of this immunization is given near the animal bite.This is followed by five injections over the next two weeks. These are rabies vaccines to help the body fight the virus given at day 0, 3 7,14 and 28.

RABIES !!! THE BAT CONNECTION.

Rabies is a very serious disease caused by a virus. Rabies is mainly a disease of animals but humans can get rabies if bitten or scratched by an infected animal. The virus infects the brain, causing an animal to exhibit unusual, often aggressive, behavior. The rabies virus is present in the saliva of the infected animal and is spread when the saliva gets into a bite or scratch. Wild animals like bats are the most common source of transmission of rabies to humans ; Skunks, raccoons, dogs, cats, coyotes and foxes are other examples of animals that can transmit the disease. When traveling, it is always prudent to avoid approaching any wild or domestic animal. Avoid contact with wild and unfamiliar domestic animals .Wild animals should not be kept as pets and should never be handled by people who are not properly trained and vaccinated. Dogs, cats or ferrets that have received rabies vaccination are unlikely to be infected with rabies. Bites from wild animals are considered to carry a risk of rabies unless proven otherwise by testing. Bats causes rabies anyone who is bitten or scratched by a bat should receive post-exposure prophylaxis, unless the bat can be tested and its negative for rabies. However, under certain circumstances, bats can bite and transmit rabies without the victim being aware of the bite.Bats should never be kept as pets and should not be picked up or handled by anyone, except those who are trained and have received rabies vaccination. When someone contracts rabies, there are no symptoms initially ,Sometimes it is weeks to even months after a bite when symptoms begin. The first symptoms of rabies may be very similar to those of the flu, including general weakness or discomfort, fever or headache. These symptoms may last for days. There may be also discomfort or a prickling or itching sensation at the site of bite. Additional symptoms are anxiety, confusion, agitation, seizures, abnormal behavior, hallucinations and insomnia. Human rabies almost always results in death. Rabies infection can be prevented, even after a bite or a scratch from an infected animal occurs. Wounds should be washed with soap and lots of water and may be rinsed with an antiseptic. This will reduce the risk of the rabies virus entering the body. A series of injections, including rabies vaccine and human rabies immune globulin, can prevent rabies, even if the virus enters the body. This preventive strategy is called post-exposure prophylaxis. Rabies immune globulin contains antibodies against the rabies virus and provides immediate protection against rabies infection, whereas the rabies vaccine provides protection within approximately two weeks. Certain information is needed to determine if post-exposure rabies prophylaxis is needed. This includes: whether the person was bitten or scratched, and the location of the wounds and the type of animal involved.Whether the exposure was provoked or unprovoked (animals infected with rabies are more likely to attack, even when not provoked). The vaccination status of the animal against rabies and the presence of rabies in that animal species in the region and the availability of the animal for testing or observation. The post-exposure prophylaxis consists of a regimen of one dose of immune globulin and four doses of rabies vaccine. Rabies immune globulin and the first dose of rabies vaccine should be given by the health care provider as soon as possible after exposure. Additional doses of the rabies vaccine should be given on days 3, 7 and 14 after the first vaccination.

E-B-O-L-A.

The Ebola virus can easily be contained if certain habits are changed and new habits cultivated.The issue of eating bush meat,bats and wild antelopes is linked to maintaining the foci of infection,so if this practice is stopped the cycle ends.

COMMON PRACTICES THAT SPREAD EBOLA VIRUS.

Hunting of wild animals referred to as bush meat,bats and community kitchen and parlors have been identified as foci of transmission. Markets that deal in bush meat,porcupine,wild antelopes and bats are also foci of infection and transmission.

E-B-O-L-A AND THE BUSH MEAT CONNECTION.

The Ebola virus has taken its toll on countries in West Africa and some citizens outside west Africa. The virus is deadly and only proper management in terms of isolation,,re- hydration and symptomatic treatment of patients only ensures recovery . The Ebola virus has been linked to fruit bats which is postulated to be the reservoir host,and also chimpanzees,monkeys and wild antelopes all popularly referred to as bush meat. The hunting,preparation and consumption have been traced as the major route of transmission of the virus to man.The recent outbreak of Ebola in Guinea started in a family in Meliandou, the area sits deep within the Guinea forest surrounded by flowing reeds.The boy died after infection with the virus,followed by the sister then the pregnant mum,it is important to note that the family were bat hunters. The Ebola virus spread from that family to other communities,Sierra leone and Liberia.The hunting of wild animals that has had contact with fruit bats,is the major route of infection .The hunting and consumption of wild animals have been discouraged,but more and more people are consuming bush meat and bats.The sale and smuggling of bush meat and bats across borders,within communities are major routes of spread of the virus. Consumption of bats ,bush meat and exportation should be curbed by active surveillance and mass education on the health hazards associated with consumption of these animals. Border patrol, airport surveillance and hospital check /screening result for people travelling from Ebola affected countries.

E-B-O-L-A ON THE MOVE .

The Ebola virus has caused a lot of deaths in and outside Africa.The worst hit African countries are Liberia,Sierra Leone and Guniea. The 3 countries with highest death toll were on the verge of a declaration as EBOLA FREE by the W.H.O before pockets of new cases emerged. The president of Guinea ; Alpha Conda, has announced the 45-day health emergency in the country.The restriction involve 5 major districts which are 1) Forecaniah, 2) Coyan 3) Dubreku 4)Boffa and 5) Kindia. The president noted that the virus has been traced along the coastal areas,the restrictions is to stamp out the virus and ensure proper surveillance and isolation. The latest cases of the Ebola virus occurred within the medical community, amongst health workers.Three doctors have been infected in Conakry hospital, this has been linked to lack of infection control in the hospital, and these lapses fueled the outbreak, and further spread of the virus. Six more medical personnel have been infected across 3 clinics in the western area of the country.The health facilities where personnel were infected have been quarantined and closed. Sierra leone also declared a 3 day nationwide lock down, which was fueled by fears that the virus was making a new entry.The health workers are going on a door-door campaign ,telling the citizens about the Ebola virus ,its mode of transmission and management protocol. The authorities also have a dedicated helpline which citizens are to dial in case of any new outbreak. Mass education and mobilization of the citizens and health workers are also underway, to ensure prevention of the virus and more deaths. The lifestyle of the people in the country has been linked to the the infection with the virus and consequent spread of the virus.It is worthy of note that bush meat and bats which are reservoir host of the Ebola virus is a delicacy in these countries,also community festivals, cooking parlors which are common place in these countries are another means of spread of the virus. Complacency on the part of health workers has also been fingered in the spread and maintenance of foci of infection. The virus is inactivated with soap and water; hence handwashing is key to prevent spread ,also alcohol based hand sanitizers will kill the virus.Decontamination of clothing and premises with bleach is also another means to kill the virus.Cleaning floors,tables,walls and drains with bleach also go a long way to destroy the virus. Keep washing hands with soap and clean floors with bleach.