New Vaccines in the Pipeline 2020
This Kenya Cave, Believed To Be Source Of Ebola, Could Cause Next Pandemic
The cave turned out to be home to some of the deadliest viruses in human history.
The world's deadliest cave Kitum, located in Mount Elgon National Park in Kenya, could cause the next pandemic, as per a report in Science Times. The cave turned out to be home to some of the deadliest viruses in human history. Ebola virus and Marburg virus were reported to have started there. Now, experts worry that it may be home to the next pandemic- the Marburg virus, The World Health Organisation issued a warning, stating that the Marburg virus was "epidemic prone."
According to the report, Marburg is a "highly virulent disease that causes hemorrhagic fever." The illness lowers the body's functional capacity and harms the cardiovascular system. With a mortality rate of up to 88 per cent, the virus is related to the virus that causes Ebola. Fruit bats, which are widespread throughout central Africa, can also spread the virus from person to person by contact with an infected person's body fluids. Additionally, the disease can be transmitted to other people by touching towels or other objects that have come into contact with an infected individual.
Notably, the virus takes at least three weeks to "incubate" before a patient starts showing symptoms. However, the warning signs mostly resemble those of malaria and Ebola. Several people infected with the virus develop deep-set eyes and expressionless faces. It can also cause bleeding from the vagina, eyes, nose, and gums, in later stages. Unfortunately, no vaccines are available for the virus and doctors treat symptoms by medications and fluids.
Meanwhile, in 1980, while investigating Kitum Cave, a French engineer employed at a nearby sugar mill came into touch with the body-melting Marburg virus. He soon died at a Nairobi hospital. The man's fast decline from viral hemorrhagic or blood-letting fever was described in a book about the case as "as if the face is detaching itself from the skull," with his face seeming to hang from the underlying bone as the connective tissue dissolved. Years later, a Danish boy on vacation with his family became the victim of the deadly caves. He also died from a similar hemorrhagic virus called Ravn. The important salty minerals discovered in the cave have drawn not just elephants but also buffaloes, antelope, leopards, and hyenas from western Kenya, making Kitum a breeding ground for zoonotic infections, the researchers said. The 600-foot-deep cave has been continuously dug and expanded by elephants, only to have disease-carrying bats make it their home, the Science Times report added.Inside 'world's Deadliest Cave' That Could Cause Next Pandemic: Kitum In Kenya Gave Rise To Ebola And 'eye Bleeding' Marburg Virus
Carved by the tusks of elephants, who visit its caverns to scrape the walls for salt, Kitum cave in Kenya hosts some of the deadliest pathogens known to man.
In 1980, a French engineer from a nearby sugar factory contracted the body-melting Marburg virus from visiting Kitum cave, which resides within the dormant volcano at the heart of Kenya's Mount Elgon National Park. He died quickly at a Nairobi hospital.
'Connective tissue in his face is dissolving, and his face appears to hang from the underlying bone,' a book on the case described the man's rapid decay from the viral hemorrhagic or blood-letting fever, 'as if the face is detaching itself from the skull.'
Seven years later, Kitum cave took another victim, a Danish schoolboy on vacation with his family. The boy died of a related hemorrhagic virus, now called Ravn virus.
Scientists now realize that the cave's valued salty minerals, which have made it a destination not just for elephants, but also western Kenya's buffaloes, antelope, leopards and hyenas, has turned Kitum into an incubator for zoonotic diseases.
Carved ever deeper by the tusks of elephants, who visit to scrape its walls for salt, Kitum cave in Kenya hosts some of the deadliest diseases known to man
In 1980, a French engineer from a nearby sugar factory contracted the body-melting Marburg virus from visiting the cave, which resides within the dormant volcano at the heart of Kenya's Mount Elgon National Park. He died quickly at a Nairobi hospital
When Kitum was first discovered, researchers did not know what to make of the scrapes and scratches along its walls — theorizing that ancient Egyptian workers had excavated the site in search of gold or diamonds.
The realization that the 600-foot deep cave had been continually deepened and widened by elephants, only to become a haven for disease-carrying bats, came later.
The United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) launched an expedition into Kitum cave after the 1980s incidents, wearing pressurized, filtered Racal suits, but struggled to identify the species responsible for the spread of the deadly pathogens to humans.
But, over a decade later, Marburg RNA was detected in a seemingly healthy Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) pulled from the cave in July 2007.
Reservoirs of the deadly virus were present in the pregnant female bat's liver, spleen, and lung tissue.
Scientists have since found vast quantities of protective 'type 1 interferon genes' inside these Egyptian fruit bats, as well as so-called natural killer 'NK' cell receptors.
'Folks had previously looked at a number of bat genomes and not been able to find any traditional NK cell receptors,' as Boston University microbiologist Stephanie Pavlovich explained to the school's in-house publication The Brink.
'The bat may be assuaging the virus for a short period of time, trying to prevent the virus' growth without making a full-on attack,' according to Pavlovich's colleague microbiologist Tom Kepler.
'There's something really interesting going on here.'
When Kitum was first discovered, researchers did not know what to make of the scrapes and scratches along its walls
They theorized that ancient Egyptian workers had excavated the site in search of gold or diamonds
The realization that the 600-foot deep cave had been continually deepened and widened by elephants, only to become a haven for disease-carrying bats came later
Last year, teams from the United Nation's World Health Organization were deployed across Africa, working at 'full steam' to halt another outbreak of Marburg, which has since been discovered in other caves, across the continent.
Doctors in the US are also being warned to be on the lookout for imported cases, sparking fears that the virus may be spreading under the radar.
Marburg virus has been touted as a next big pandemic threat, with the WHO describing it as 'epidemic prone'.
It can jump into humans from fruit bats that live across central Africa and can also be spread between people via contact with bodily fluids from an infected person.
People can also catch the disease by touching towels or surfaces that have also come into contact with an infected person.
Marburg virus can incubate in people it infects for two to 21 days before causing symptoms.
But warning signs, when they do erupt, initially look similar to other tropical diseases like Ebola and malaria.
Infected patients become 'ghost-like', often developing deep-set eyes and expressionless faces.
But in later stages, it triggers bleeding from multiple orifices including the nose, gums, eyes and vagina.
There are no vaccines or treatments approved for the virus, with doctors instead having to rely on drugs to ease symptoms and fluids to hydrate patients.
Next Pandemic Underway? Reports Say World's Most Deadly Cave In Kenya Could Bring Another Tragedy
In the heart of Mount Elgon National Park in Kenya lies a natural wonder with a dark and deadly secret - the Kitum Cave. This seemingly ordinary cave has earned itself the ominous title of the 'most dangerous place on Earth,' and for good reason.
What sets Kitum Cave apart is the invisible threat that lurks within its dark passages. Hidden within its depths is a deadly virus known as Marburg, capable of causing severe viral hemorrhagic fever in humans.
The story of Kitum Cave's deadly reputation dates back to the 1980s when tragedy struck not once, but twice. Two unfortunate visitors lost their lives after contracting the lethal Marburg virus, sparking widespread fear and speculation.
Marburg virus, much like its notorious cousin Ebola, is a highly contagious pathogen that can cause a range of debilitating symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle pain, and severe internal bleeding. Originating from Rousettus bats, commonly found in caves like Kitum, this insidious virus can be transmitted to humans through close contact with infected bodily fluids.
ALSO SEE: Ancient 'Zombie' Virus Might Awaken After 48,500 Years, Poses Global Threat; Scientists Warn
Reports suggest that Kitum Cave may also have played a role in the birth of the Ebola virus, another deadly pathogen with devastating consequences. Experts have reportedly warned that the conditions within the cave could provide the perfect breeding ground for yet another pandemic, further fueling concerns about the potential for future outbreaks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been closely monitoring the situation, issuing warnings and advisories to prevent the spread of Marburg and other deadly diseases. In 2023, an outbreak of Marburg virus in several African nations prompted global alarm, with WHO highlighting the virus's staggering fatality rate of over 88%.
The virus was first identified in Marburg, Germany in 1967 but its outbreak has been reported as far as Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa, according to WHO.
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