@FAOGhana/David Youngs

FAO supports the ongoing efforts to find a possible reservoir of Marburg virus in wild bats that might be responsible for the spillover of the disease into the human population and possibly domestic animals

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations builds the capacity of staff of the Veterinary Service  Directorate (VSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Wildlife Division of Forestry Commission in bat trapping, capture and sampling for wildlife disease surveillance and diagnoses during a training from 20 to 24 March 2023, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

In July 2022, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research of the University of Ghana confirmed Ghana’s first case of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in humans. MVD is a rare but severe hemorrhagic fever which affects both people and non-human primates. Ghana has therefore initiated an outbreak response to investigate the source of the virus for mitigation and control. The FAO, through its Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, is supporting the outbreak through the reinforcement of capacities of the available workforce from the Wildlife Division and Veterinary Services. On this occasion, FAO conducts this practical training on capturing and handling bats in the three ecozones of Ghana (Southern, Middle and Northern ecological zones).

There are very few wildlife veterinarians and veterinary laboratory personnel, and even fewer with skills in bat trapping and sampling in the country. This training will increase the number of personnel in both VSD and Wildlife in this area of expertise, and improve the country's capacity and capability to detect and respond to zoonotic disease threats from wildlife.

Improving Wildlife Disease Surveillance

At the Welcoming remarks, FAO ECTAD Country Team Leader, Garba Ahmed, indicated that “The FAO support for Marburg Disease control and prevention is complementary to that of ECOHealh Alliance and WHO, with the FAO training focused on increasing the number of personnel with skills in bat capture and handling in the country ”. The Director of Forestry Commission Training Centre, Honourable Andy Okra, said that “knowing that Marburg Virus Disease is as fatal as Ebola Virus Disease, makes this training very necessary”. The representative of the Veterinary Service Directorate, Dr Danso Fenteng stated that ”Outbreaks of Marburg Virus Disease are the reason for this training and the One Health Approach is applied in this training”.

At the end of the training, the capacity of the personnel from the veterinary laboratories and staff of the two zoos will be built in bat trapping, capture and sampling to enable them collect samples from bats for diagnostic or surveillance purposes.

Wildlife and the balance of ecosystems

Most recently, bat-derived zoonotic pathogens such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, (SARS)-like coronaviruses, the Ebola and Marburg viruses have gained notoriety as leading emerging diseases transmitted directly from bats to people, or via intermediate livestock and companion animal hosts, or fomites.

It has become clear that the emergence of infectious diseases is driven to some extent by ecosystem changes associated with the growing global human population, more intensive farming systems, unsustainable natural resource consumption, biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation, which lead to the loss of ecosystem services and species. Natural systems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands and oceans provide ecological services that all life depends on. The alteration in natural systems – whether in a rural, modified peri-urban or urban setting results in decreased ecosystem services availability, leading to disease and increased health risks for all of the species in the ecosystem, including plants, wildlife, livestock and humans.

Approximately 70 per cent of the 1.5 billion poorest people are dependent on livestock and natural resources. In a globalized world where pathogens can travel the world in a day, emerging diseases, especially those affecting humans, livestock or wildlife, can have large negative socioeconomic implications. Impacts can be severe for public health, livelihoods and food security, as well as for international trade and tourism.

It is clear that the solution to the challenge of emerging infectious diseases relies on collaboration and integration of multiple disciplines and partners, including ministries of forestry and environment, agriculture and health. Changes in thinking and behaviour must be encouraged, and future decision-making must be cognizant that protecting wildlife health, safeguarding biodiversity- and investing in a healthier, more sustainable future.