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Boy and bats spread Ebola in West Africa, say scientists
London: A young boy playing near a colony of virus-infected bats may have precipitated the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, scientists said Tuesday.
The two-year-old boy – described as the index case, or “patient zero” – became infected and was the first to die in the village of Meliandou in Guinea, the Daily Mail reported.
Before his death, he had been near a tree harbouring free-tailed bats, according to reports.
Subsequently, the Ebola virus spread to other areas of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal.
The epidemic represents the largest ever-recorded Ebola outbreak, killing 7,800 people by Dec 17, 2014.
Fruit bats are the commonly suspected carriers of the Ebola virus and have been linked to previous outbreaks in Africa.
They are often hunted for food, but according to scientists, food-borne transmission would have affected adults before or at the same time as the two-year-old boy.
This suggested a source of infection unrelated to food and that the boy somehow came into contact with the insect-eating free-tailed bats.
Researchers from the Robert Koch-Institute in Berlin were part of a team, which took part in a four-week field mission in Guinea.
This was to examine human exposure to bats, survey the local wildlife and capture and sample bats in Meliandou and in neighbouring forests.
However, the village where the boy died was not located in the forest. Instead, the source of the infection was probably a large colony of free-tailed insectivorous bats occupying a hollow tree, scientists concluded.
Villagers reported that children often used to play in and around the tree, which might have resulted in a massive exposure to the bats.
According to researcher Fabian Leendertz, the Ebola virus is transmitted to humans either through contact with larger wildlife or by direct contact with bats.
Writing in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine he said: “We monitored large mammal populations close to the index village Meliandou in south-eastern Guinea and found no evidence of a concurrent outbreak.”
Instead, a more plausible source of the outbreak was contact with bats, rather than larger wildlife.
The Ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. It is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.
Symptoms of the disease typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus.
In the beginning, the symptoms may range from fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headache.
Then, vomiting and diarrhoea usually follow, along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. Some of those affected may also bleed both internally and externally.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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