Episode 5: The Fruit Bat Strikes Back

AKA “Where does Ebola come from?”

Mr. Ebola is here to explain his circuitous route to infecting humans. Take it away little buddy!

Mr. Ebola: Well you see my friends Marburg et al and I have been hiding in the depths of Africa for easily hundreds of years. You meat bags would never know. I first showed up on your radar in ’76. We like bats. Three species to be specific, the hammer-headed bat, Franquet's epauletted fruit bat, and the little collared fruit bat. But Marburg has his own preferences, and my fellow Ebola strains have theirs too. 

Dr. M- So you’re enzootic (cause no disease to little disease and infect small to medium amounts of population) in fruit bats?

Mr. Ebola: Well, not exactly. We mix it up. There are a few strains of me and we’re not all the same. Ebola-Zaire likes to make his bats pretty sick. Ebola-Sudan is also pretty wicked to his bats. I’m actually a new strain, they’re probably going to name me Ebola-Guinea or something stupid and lame like that. 

Dr. M- What would you like to be called?

Mr. Ebola: He who covers the Earth.

Dr. M- Hey now Mr. E, isn’t that getting a little ahead of yourself? There is a very small amount of evidence that filoviridae like yourself and Marburg infect bats as far reaching as the Philippines and Southeast Asia, but we’re not sure if you are one of those strains. It could just be your buddy Marburg.

Mr. Ebola: Wouldn’t you like to know meat bag? Bwhahahahaha

Dr. M- You do know that world health organizations and governmental entities are out there sampling everything from wild primates to dogs to pigs to bats trying to pin down where you hide right?

Mr. Ebola: Knowledge can’t help you meat bag. Sure we kill the gorillas and the chimps for fun.

Dr. M- Well actually, yeah it can. I mean if we prove that you are actually an epidemic or outbreak in bats caused by transmission via some kind of parasite like a strebelid fly, then all we have to do is kill off the flies. Save the humans and the monkeys and the bats a whole lot of trouble.

Mr. Ebola: Go die in a fever meat bag. 

Dr. M- *Sighs* It’s “Go die in a fire” Mr Ebola.

Mr. Ebola: Same difference…to your precious brain. *cackles* 

Dr. M- Well in the meantime, most West African countries have prohibited the butchering and sale of any kind of raw bushmeat- primate or bat – in an effort to cut down on possible transmission lines from the wild Ebola reservoir to the human populace. Regrettably, as food becomes scarce due to lack of workers for the harvests, people are more likely to encroach on the forest and wild animals in search of something to eat. Just another reason to try to support the flow of trade and international aid to the region with the basic necessities as well as medical supplies.