4 ms·

How did the 2-year-old contract the virus in the first place?

• Pxtl 12y ago
  The article makes it clear that this is the big question. Suspects are fruit bat poop and bush meat.
  • iaw 12y ago
    Wouldn't fruit bat poop be more likely? I mean, if it were bush meat I'd suspect it was prepared for the child in which case there would have been a second patient-zero. Whereas fruit bat poop can easily get into a 2 year-olds mouth without anyone noticing.
    • Pxtl 12y ago
      I think they're less sure that humans can catch it from fruit-bat poo.
    • meepmorp 12y ago
      > I mean, if it were bush meat I'd suspect it was prepared for the child in which case there would have been a second patient-zero. Just speculating, but maybe cooking the meat attenuated the virus, and it was only able to take hold in a person with an underdeveloped immune system. Or, maybe, the disease merely progressed faster in the child and so s/he only looks like patient zero, despite the rest of the people eating having gotten infected at the same time.
      • iaw 12y ago
        Good point. I hadn't thought of that, but it is completely plausible.
      • Pxtl 12y ago
        I'm sure the epidemiologists considered that possibility. If it was likely, they would have mentioned it.
• wilsonfiifi 12y ago
  Contaminated vaccine?