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Which other animals are suspected of carrying ebolaviruses in tropical forests?
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Ebola
Numerous filamentous ebolavirus particles (blue) budding from a chronically-infected VERO E6 cell (yellow-green) in this digitally colorized scanning electron micrograph produced by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
While fruit bats are considered the primary suspected natural reservoir for ebolaviruses, researchers have identified several other animals in tropical forests that are suspected of carrying or harboring the virus. These include:
- Nonhuman primates: Such as chimpanzees and gorillas, which are known to be susceptible to infection and have been involved in documented outbreaks.12
- Rodents: Various species of rodents are also considered potential reservoirs.3
- Insects: Certain insects inhabiting tropical regions are suspected of playing a role in the transmission or maintenance of the virus.3
Additionally, outbreaks have been recorded in domestic pigs, and the Bombali virus has been specifically detected in various species of free-tailed bats. While these animals are suspected of being involved in the ecology of the virus, the definitive natural reservoirs for all ebolavirus species remain a subject of ongoing scientific investigation.423