Original research article ebola and zika virus

Filovirus Outbreaks in Humans—Brief History Including 
Known Links to Bat Exposure 
 
Lake Victoria marburgvirus 
was the first filovirus discovered 
in 1967, when laboratory workers in Marburg, Germany and 
Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Republic of Serbia) were contact 
with infected, imported green monkeys (Chlorocebus spp.) 
Subsequently, a number of small human outbreaks of 
Marburgvirus (both Marburg virus and Ravn virus) occurred 
sporadically between1975–1997, some of which had some link 
to bat caves (Taylor 
et al
., 2011; Brauburger 
et al
., 2012). The 
two largest outbreaks of Marburg virus happened in the 
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 1998–2000 where 
128/154 infected people died in Angola in 2004–2005 where 
227/252 patients succumbed to the virus (Brauburger 
et al
., 
2012). The DRC outbreak was linked to gold mining in 
Goroumbwa cave (Bausch 
et al
., 2003), and origins of the 
Angola outbreak are not certain. Both Kitaka and Python cave 
are known to harbor large bat populations, and have been sites 
for follow up studies on Marburg ecology (Towner 
et al
., 
2009; Amman 
et al
., 2012). The history of Ebolavirus 
outbreaks in Africa including an excellent summary of 
outbreaks up until 2005 (Pourrut 
et al
., 2005).
Transmission 
Natural reservoir of Ebola virus has not yet been identified, it 
is unknown how the virus first appears in a human at the start 
of an outbreak. However, researchers believe that the first 
Person becomes infected through contact with an infected 
animal, such as a fruit bat or nonhuman primate. Ebola is 
transmitted through direct contact (through broken skin or 
unprotected mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, 
nose, or mouth) with
1.
Blood or body fluids (including but not limited to feces, 
saliva, sweat, urine, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a 
person. 
2.
Objects (like needles and syringes) that have been 
contaminated with the virus,
3.
Infected fruit bats or primates (apes and monkeys), and
4.
Possibly from contact with semen from a man who has 
recovered from ebola (for example, by having oral, 
vaginal, or anal sex)
Ebola is not spread through the air, water or in general, by 
food. In Africa, Ebola may be spread as a result of handling 
bush meat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with 
infected bats. There is no evidence that mosquitos or other 
insects can transmit Ebola virus. Only a few species of 
mammals (for example, humans, monkeys, and apes) have 
shown the ability to become infected with and spread Ebola 
virus.