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Murdstone
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Ebola - chimpanzee - not fatal - bush meat - fatal to humans - why?
Ebola - chimpanzee - not fatal
FactChecker said:It is fatal to chimps. They tested the spread of ebola through air by placing cages of chimps side-by-side and seeing if infections in one cage spread to the other. It did not. I remember reading that infected chimps died. They are also using chimps to test ebola vaccines.
P.S. ebola outbreaks have killed about one third of the world's gorillas.
That happened at first. Later, they were more careful when cleaning the cages. The ebola did not spread from cage to cage after that. The conclusion was that there was cross contamination when the cages were cleaned.Shadowmaru said:I read the study on this, and the chimps did not have contact with each other, but caught the virus. It's never been proven, but well documented and accepted the chimps did not have contact with each other, so that would leave only one conclusion.
FactChecker said:That happened at first. Later, they were more careful when cleaning the cages. The ebola did not spread from cage to cage after that. The conclusion was that there was cross contamination when the cages were cleaned.
Shadowmaru said:that would leave only one conclusion.
Torbjorn_L said:I'm faintly amazed by the seeming success of using surviving humans as serum donors instead of the usual (IIRC) horse or rabbit. The probably can't use asymptomatic dogs though. Bummer.
[The vaccines coming out are likely only taking care of of the most virulent lineage. But at least 2 are circulating in the current outbreak(s), as seen by the different survival frequencies in the different areas. By the way, it would have been nice to vaccinate against all of them at once.]
Ygggdrasil said:What evidence is there for two circulating strains? As far as I know, the best evidence suggests the current ebola outbreak originates from one zoonotic event and no other strains have arisen (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6202/1369). The different survival frequencies in different areas could simply be a result of differing qualities of medical care in the different areas.
atyy said:Congo is reported to have a different strain from the West African outbreak. http://news.sciencemag.org/africa/2...la-unrelated-escalating-west-african-epidemic: "A new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is unrelated to the 6-month-old epidemic in West Africa, a genetic analysis has confirmed. Although the virus belongs to the same species, Ebola-Zaire, the strain is genetically so different that it "is definitely not a dissemination of the outbreak in West Africa,” says virologist Eric Leroy of the International Centre for Medical Research of Franceville, the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating center in Gabon that is characterizing the DRC virus."
Ygggdrasil said:Thanks for the info, I must have missed that. Does anyone know about the broadness of the specificity of the vaccines under development? I was under the impression that the current antibody therapies (e.g. ZMapp) and the vaccines were developed based on virus from previous outbreaks of Ebola-Zaire. Are these treatments thought to be effective against all known forms of Ebola-Zaire or do the strains differ enough that different treatments are required for different strains (or does the virus mutate enough that it will quickly evade any drug or vaccine we develop)?
Torbjorn_L said:I'm faintly amazed by the seeming success of using surviving humans as serum donors instead of the usual (IIRC) horse or rabbit. The probably can't use asymptomatic dogs though. Bummer.
[The vaccines coming out are likely only taking care of of the most virulent lineage. But at least 2 are circulating in the current outbreak(s), as seen by the different survival frequencies in the different areas. By the way, it would have been nice to vaccinate against all of them at once.]
Are you suggesting an air or water borne virus? It is not. [ http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/index.html?s_cid=cs_3923 ]
Ygggdrasil said:Wouldn't the human immune system recognize horse or rabbit serum as foreign and attack those antibodies?
Ygggdrasil said:What evidence is there for two circulating strains? As far as I know, the best evidence suggests the current ebola outbreak originates from one zoonotic event and no other strains have arisen (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6202/1369). The different survival frequencies in different areas could simply be a result of differing qualities of medical care in the different areas.
Shadowmaru said:This depends what you class as Air Borne ?
Sneezing into someone else's face ? The Virus can also survive on surfaces outside of the host.
Torbjorn_L said:I was thinking of making polyclonal antibodies, I believe. I don't know if you can use the serum directly.
The difference in fatality rates between humans and chimps is due to genetic differences. Humans have a weaker immune response to Ebola compared to chimps, making them more susceptible to the virus. Additionally, humans tend to come into closer contact with each other, allowing the virus to spread more easily.
Ebola is a highly virulent virus that attacks the body's immune system, causing severe hemorrhagic fever. The virus targets immune cells and destroys them, leading to a weakened immune response and making it easier for the virus to spread throughout the body and cause damage.
While Ebola affects both humans and chimps in similar ways, the difference lies in the strength of the immune response. Chimps have a stronger immune system that is able to fight off the virus more effectively, whereas humans have a weaker response that allows the virus to spread and cause more damage.
While it is possible for chimps to spread Ebola to humans, it is not a common occurrence. Chimps are more likely to contract the virus from other animals in the wild, rather than from humans. However, it is important to take precautions when handling and interacting with wild animals to prevent the spread of any potential diseases.
There is currently no specific cure for Ebola, but supportive care and treatments can help manage symptoms and improve the chance of survival. Researchers are continuously working on developing vaccines and treatments for Ebola, but prevention through proper hygiene and avoiding contact with infected individuals is currently the best way to prevent the spread of the virus.