THE EBOLA VIRUS: Examining link between deforestation and emergence of the virus

FOREWORD

Ebola is a killer.

The virus is a violent, ravaging agent. Ebola moves like wildfire among its victims, physically destroying and dissolving its victims. Death is a relief when it comes, after days of untold suffering and pain. The virus is extremely, extremely contagious.

Diseases like Malaria and Hepatitis which claim thousands of lives every year are considered highly dangerous diseases and yet they kill only about 5 % of the infected persons.

Ebola Zaire kills 80 % of infected persons. There is no known cure for Ebola.

The only reason why Ebola has not received as much attention as AIDS or other common diseases is that it emerges sporadically, mainly in central and western Africa, and then disappears till the next outbreak. Ebola also seems to diminish in its lethal capacity with successive infections.
A virus is a highly adaptable life form, mutating with lightning speed, such that a single patient suffering from AIDS may die with multiple strains of the virus in his body.

The Andromeda Strain ?

The possibility Ebola may emerge as a threat to the human race cannot be discounted and some scientists even put forth the possibility that Ebola may evolve as the “Andromeda Strain” of legends. The Andromeda strain is a lethal biological agent with the capacity to destroy mankind, which can be transmitted even by air.

History has proved this a possibility, with the Bubonic Plague wiping out large segments of population in Europe in the middle ages. Ebola has the potential to reduce the human species by up to 90 %, if it were to adapt to a more successful penetration of the human species.
As you read on, you will be entering the world of Biosafety Level 4, the world of lethal Biological agents.

Aims and Methodology

This study is aimed at proving a link between the destruction of the rainforest, the consequent closer contact of man with areas of high biodiversity and thus the invasion of the Ebola virus into the human race. This study cannot be termed as a scientific study. It is a conjecture, with no possibility of hard evidence to support the study.

Assumptions

However, the study is based on the following assumptions – that the Ebola virus has a reservoir, deep within the rainforests of Africa. This reservoir species, still unknown, probably has had no previous contact with the human race. The pressure of population on land resources, the clearing of rainforest for human habitation and agriculture, a recent phenomenon, has brought this unknown reservoir species into contact with man and the virus has found a new host for replication.

This basic assumption will be supported by a study of the relation between the outbreaks of the Ebola virus and the areas of tropical rainforests that have been cleared.

· Step 1 - Studying the virus

As a part of the study, the virus, its morphology and its life cycle have been studied. A comparison also has been made with the AIDS virus, another virus believed to have its origins from deep within the rainforest. Locations of outbreaks have been recorded, along with fatalities and if available, details of these outbreaks have been included.

· Step 2 – GIS analysis

As a part of the case study maps of Zaire (now known as Congo) and Gabon, showing vegetation covers, have been digitised. The maps were then processed in ArcView and maps with locations of outbreaks were overlaid, to look for a correlation between degraded forest areas and outbreak locations.

· Conclusion

A final conclusion has been drawn from the observations and results of the GIS analysis. Although the work does not have a scientific basis, the conclusions drawn have a sound logical basis and present very interesting findings.

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FOREWORD

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AIMS AND METHODOLOGY

What are we trying to prove?

INTRODUCTION