GENEVA (Reuters) – The current Ebola outbreak appears to have been triggered by a latent disease in the human population since the last outbreak rather than from the virus ‘jumped into the gender barrier again, an official from the World Health Organization said Friday.
At least 18 cases of Ebola were reported in Guinea’s first resurgence of the virus since the 2013-16 revolution which was the worst in history and spread through West Africa, killing thousands.
WHO chief emergency officer Mike Ryan said he was informing the initial decision based on the original genetic series “amazing” because of the length of time the virus appeared to have appeared. However, he urged further investigation.
“This (revolution) is unlikely to be based on genetic sequences associated with a new zoonotic reservoir and is much more likely to be linked to the survival or latency of infection in a human subject,” he said. “We are not dealing, as far as we understand it now, with breaking the species barrier,” he said.
A second WHO official at the same meeting said it was too early to make decisions on the origins of the uprising.
Ebola, one of the most deadly viruses known to humans, can be transmitted to humans by bats or monkeys. It can remain in parts of the body of those who have otherwise survived in good health such as the eyes, breasts and testicles and are sometimes still transmitted, for example through semen.
Ryan said the initial decisions reinforced the need not to stigmatize Ebola survivors and give them the support and encouragement they need.
Reciting with Emma Farge; Edited by Toby Chopra