Dr. Benard from Gorilla Doctors speaks about the dynamics of emerging zoonotic viruses in primates, rodents and bats during the EpiCenter for Emerging Infectious Disease Intelligence gathering this year.

Sub-Saharan Africa has been known as one of the regions with leading infectious disease outbreaks. Most outbreaks have come from these countries, especially Uganda and her neighbors in the Central African regions such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

To discover and prevent future epidemics and pandemics, Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) is working to integrate the One Health approach which aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems into its diseases surveillance strategies.

With partners such as the Epicenter for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Intelligence (EpiCenter), University of California Davis, (UCDavis), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Uganda Wild Life Authority (UWA), Gorilla Doctors, and Rugarama Hospital, BCH has embarked on both animal and human population disease surveillance. During the last 25 years, human and animal populations have never been at a higher risk of infectious disease spillover.

This disease surveillance began in 2021 and focuses on arboviruses, filoviruses, and corona viruses which cause such devastating diseases as Zika, Ebola and Covid-19.

Human populations living near wildlife such as the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) are at increased risk of zoonotic spillover (disease spillover from human-to-animals and vice-versa). Given Bwindi Community Hospital’s proximity to both the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with its rich population of primates and bats, there is a heightened risk of zoonotic disease spillover, such as Ebola. The Congo Basin where DRC and BINP are located is a biodiversity hotspot with a history of emerging and re-emerging infectious disease outbreaks.

Through the Bwindi mHealth Project for example, researchers work to improve data capture at the point of zoonotic spillover. Community health workers, commonly known as Village Health Team (VHTs), and community members, are equipped to report both human and animal health data using a basic non-smartphone-based system. Empowering the VHTs to work with local communities strengthens emerging infectious disease surveillance, research, and outbreak response. With this project, early detection is enhanced, and timely interventions carried out, hence preventing future epidemics. Human and animal health data help BCH and partners predict and respond to potential epidemics.

Research also advances the understanding of viral emergencies from wildlife in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and rapidly urbanizing environments such as Kabale Municipality where there is rapid population growth.

Zoonotic spillover first occurs near the forest and then spreads to urbanizing areas where viruses adapt to human-to-human transmission. Land use changes such as deforestation, especially in areas inhabited by wild animals, also increase conflict between humans and wildlife such as bats and primates which are hosts to viruses that can spread to people through the higher frequency of encounters with people.

In addition to bats and primates, mosquitoes also act as vectors to spread infection between humans and animals that may not have otherwise come into close contact with each other. By studying emerging viral threats and their hosts and vectors in these high-priority areas, BCH and partners prepare for and prevent future epidemics and potential pandemics.