**New Approaches to Studying the Natural Cycle of the Ebola Virus in Wildlife**

**Ndong Mebaley Telstar Ghestin1, 2, Becquart Pierre1, Maganga Gaël Darren1, 2, and Leroy Eric1** <sup>1</sup> Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC) (IRD 224—CNRS 5290—Université de Montpellier). <sup>2</sup> Unité Emergence des Maladies Virales, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de

#### Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769 Franceville, Gabon

In recent years, Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemics have continued to multiply across the African continent, claiming a growing number of victims. The natural cycle of the Ebola virus and the mechanisms that lead to human contamination are still largely unknown. Among the many studies carried out since the first epidemic in 1976, only antibodies and nucleotide sequences have been detected in several species of fruit bats and insectivores in Africa between 2002 and 2019. Given the many grey areas surrounding the circulation of EBOV in its environment, the main aim of this subject is to study the natural cycle of the Ebola virus in wildlife using new technological approaches and to show the involvement of domestic animals in human infection in Gabon. The aim of my presentation will be to review the state-of-the-art on the epidemic situation of the Ebola virus in Africa and to present new technological approaches to genome detection and serological markers. To meet these objectives, the work is based on a multidisciplinary approach. Indeed, EBOV represents a particularly interesting model of infectious agents from wildlife, whose study can provide innovative and relevant information on the diversity of mechanisms involved in the circulation of infectious agents in wildlife and their passage to the human species. With this in mind, the use of modern, highly sensitive virus detection techniques based on non-invasive biological samples (bat urine and guano collected at the foot of fruit trees and saliva left on fruit; blood and organs collected from bush meat; blood from domestic animals (dogs and small ruminants)) could prove fruitful. We propose to search for RNA using digital PCR (dPCR), which has the advantages of greater detection accuracy in a complex mixture of samples, increased sensitivity, and tolerance to inhibitors; Ebola virus-specific antibodies by Luminex, with the advantages of multiplexing and low biological sample consumption.


Ces travaux ont pour objectif principal d'étudier le cycle naturel du virus Ebola dans la faune sauvage en utilisant des nouvelles approches et montrer l'implication des animaux domestiques dans l'infection chez l'Homme au Gabon.

#### Authors

Ndong Mebaley Telstar Ghestin1,2, Becquart Pierre1, Maganga Gaël Darren1,2, and Leroy Eric1

1 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC) (IRD 224—CNRS 5290— Université de Montpellier).

2 Unité Emergence des Maladies Virales, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769 Franceville, Gabon.

#### Méthodes

**Ville de Mékambo** Mékambo - Mazingo Mékouma - Malouma Mékambo - Ekata

chauves-souris

Fruits consommés par des chauvessouris

Organes d'animaux sauvages

Sang d'animaux domestiques

Technique sérologique: Luminex Technique de biologie moléculaire: Digitale PCR

#### References

