Scientists from
different parts of the world
are camping at the Tai forest
in western Ivory Coast to
track down the source of the
ebola virus. The research
team has set up a laboratory
each in the forest and the
capital Abidjan to identify
ebola antibodies in captured
forest animals. So far, the
search for the natural host -
the plant or animal which
harbours the virus when it is not affecting humans or
other primates - has not led
to the culprit. The research is
being conducted here as
there had been a few ebola
outbreaks in the country
and it has a well-researched
population of primates.
The ebola virus has been
found to kill chimpanzees in
the Tal forest. These chimps
had fed on the highly-
decomposed carcass of a red
colobus monkey. Scientists
are now studying the red
colobus and tropical bats
which have been found to
carry the virus without getting affected. The ebola tends
to break out at the end of
rainy season in November.
During rains, the colobus
monkeys share tree hollows
with bats and other creatures.
A change in their diet also
makes them susceptible to
the virus during this season.
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