Are pigs a potential source of an Ebola pandemic in Africa and elsewhere? There are at least 288,000 pigs in Liberia where Ebola has broken out in people. Could Ebola-infected pigs spread Ebola throughout the country? The World Health Organization on Ebola: "Pig farms in Africa can play a role in the amplification of infection because of the presence of fruit bats on these farms." New York Times article mentions pigs eating garbage in Conakry, the capital of Guinea (where Ebola is spreading now)
Friday, April 11, 2014
Certain fruit bats in central Africa carry the virus without ill effects, but people, primates and domestic pigs can become infected if they come in contact with these carrier bats.
