Confinement and disinfected bedding: An ape sanctuary in DRC responds to Ebola

- The Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center, located in South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has gone into lockdown to protect its primates. - Primatologists say Ebola transmission from infected wild primates to humans has been documented repeatedly but there are no recorded cases of transmission from humans to great apes. - Emergency plans have also been activated to limit the spread of the virus in the protected areas of the Greater Virunga Landscape, a transboundary area shared among the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda. - As of May 27, the World Health Organization has already recorded 223 suspected deaths linked to the current outbreak. Since May 23, more than 200 primates housed at the Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center (LPRC) in South Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been placed under confinement due to the Ebola outbreak. This measure follows the death of a man who tested positive for the virus on May 21. This individual, a resident of Kahungu, located just 2 km (1.2 miles) from the town of Lwiro, where the center is situated, had traveled in early May to neighboring Ituri province. Ituri is the epicenter of the outbreak, which, as of May 27, is linked to more than 200 suspected deaths. A threat for humans and apes The LPRC houses at least 129 chimpanzees and 108 monkeys of various species, including olive baboons (Papio anubis), yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus), L’Hoest’s monkeys (Cercopithecus l’hoesti), blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis), agile mangabeys (Cercocebus agilis) and others. Parrots, turtles and porcupines can also be found there. These primates, rescued from poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, are being kept in confinement even though “for the moment, no cases of Ebola virus transmission from a human to a great ape have been reported,” primatologist Liz Williamson explained in an email to Mongabay. According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola virus is transmitted to humans through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. Williamson, who is part of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, further noted that in the past, individuals have contracted the Ebola virus — and subsequently died — after transporting and butchering the carcass of an infected, deceased gorilla found in the forest. She also explained that the Ebola virus is one of the primary reasons why western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) have been classified as “critically endangered” since 2008. The Ebola virus can enter gorilla populations via spillover from other wild animals. An Ebola protocol An Ebola protocol, which the Lwiro center had been preparing since May 18, officially went into effect on May 23. This implementation involved confining the animals, as well as a team of 15 care staff members, who are now completely cut off from the outside world. “Two veterinarians conduct two daily rounds to monitor the health of both the staff and the animals, specifically by checking their temperatures. Our maintenance manager also ensures that the electric fences are functioning correctly,” Itsaso Vélez del Burgo Guinea, technical director of the LPRC, explained in an email to Mongabay. Handwashing stations have been installed throughout the sanctuary, equipped with water, bleach and soap. Each keeper is also provided with their own supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as well as face masks and gloves. Vélez del Burgo Guinea emphasized that handwashing is mandatory, particularly before feeding the animals and after using the restroom. “Food supplies are delivered to the exterior of the sanctuary grounds,” Vélez del Burgo Guinea said. “The team transports it inside and disinfects it with bleach before giving it to the animals. The same applies to the bedding, as the chimpanzees build fresh nests using vegetation every day.” Workers collect bedding material — in particular, dry banana leaves — every day. They deposit them at the entrance of the sanctuary where the vets spray them with bleach to disinfect the leaves and then let them dry before allowing the chimps to build their nests with the vegetation. The Lwiro sanctuary initially went into lockdown for 10 days, starting on May 23, a period subject to extension depending on the evolving health situation in the Lwiro area, where four deaths, all linked to the first reported case, have already been recorded, according to Vélez del Burgo Guinea. Emergency plans have also been activated to limit the spread of the virus in the protected areas of the Greater Virunga Landscape, a transboundary area shared among the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda. According to Wellard Makambo, director of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, a nongovernmental conservation organization operating primarily within the Greater Virunga region, conservation partners are currently assessing the extent of the Ebola outbreak as well as the resources available to prevent any potential spread. This zone, which encompasses three contiguous national parks (Virunga National Park in the DRC, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in southwestern Uganda), remains highly vulnerable to this deadly virus, according to experts. The mountainous land is home to three great ape species: the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), the eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) and the eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). ‘One Health’ Paul Hatanga, the Central Africa Greater Virunga Coordinator for WWF Uganda, told Mongabay that all ongoing interventions in light of the Ebola resurgence are focused on the “One Health” approach, which aims to optimize the health of both the communities living around the three national parks and the wildlife within them. “We must remain vigilant, as the Ebola virus poses a health threat to humans — one that also risks spreading to wildlife within the park if appropriate measures are not taken,” he told Mongabay. The communities living adjacent to the Lwiro center also find themselves in a situation of extreme vulnerability and in dire need of assistance amid this health crisis. The LPRC has alerted international organizations to the highly concerning plight of the communities; consequently, since May 25, the NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has deployed relief teams to Lwiro. “We are also attempting to provide aid to neighboring communities, such as Kahungu and Lwiro, where the population currently lacks basic protective equipment. Until now, it was the families themselves who were transporting the sick — a practice that significantly increases the risk of transmission,” Vélez del Burgo Guinea said. Banner image: A family of chimpanzees at the Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center, located in South Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Image courtesy of Itsaso Vélez del Burgo Guinea/ Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center. Citations: Le Gouar, P. J., Vallet, D., David, L., Bermejo, M., Gatti, S., Levréro, F., … Ménard, N. (2009). How Ebola impacts genetics of western lowland gorilla populations. PLOS One, 4(12), e8375. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008375 Zimmerman, D. M., Hardgrove, E., Sullivan, S., Mitchell, S., Kambale, E., Nziza, J., … Lacy, R. C. (2023). Projecting the impact of an Ebola virus outbreak on endangered mountain gorillas. Scientific Reports, 13(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-023-32432-8 Can deforestation predict Ebola outbreaks? Q&A with CDC’s Carson Telford FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.