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The researchers determined that the baseline case of the Ebola outbreak in 2017 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had been infected through close contact with bushmeat.
Only U.S nSiO , MPH, an epidemiologist from the DRC Ministry of Health and his colleagues also determined that the small epidemic, which occurred in a hard-to-reach area in northern DRC, involved a new variant of Ebola closely related to the first isolated.
"To our knowledge, this is the first [Ebola virus] epidemic in which cases were identified in real time at the site of the epidemic, based on serological data consistent with the epidemiological findings, "wrote Nsio and colleagues.
According to the researchers, between March 27 and July 1, 2017, three probable cases and five confirmed cases were recorded. Cases were detected in four separate areas, resulting in 277 monitored contacts, they reported. Next-generation sequencing revealed that the variant came from Zaire ebolavirus with a 98.73% homology with the Ebola virus variant among the DRC epidemics in 1976-1977, the first recorded Ebola outbreaks.
According to the study, researchers were able to determine that the outbreak was caused by a single secondary event. Specifically, they determined that the reference case, a 45-year-old hunter, had been infected through close contact with bushmeat. They explained that he had slaughtered a boar after bringing the carcbad back to the village, as well as a non-human primate that he had sold on a local market.
"The results described in this article have important implications for the genetic stability of [Ebola virus] in the environment for decades and stress the importance of understanding the natural evolution of filoviruses and the selection pressure at play which favors the introduction of specific variants in humans, "concluded the authors.- by Caitlyn Stulpin
Disclosures: The authors do not report any relevant financial information.
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