Abstract

Many emerging infections are zoonotic in origin. With a high biodiversity of reservoir species, including primates and bats, and increasing contact with wildlife, sub-Saharan Africa is a potential crucible of emerging infections. While the emergence of new human pathogens may be a relatively rare event, spill-over of pathogens from wildlife to humans may be relatively common, although many of these events go undetected. I will describe an ongoing study of wildlife and local people in rural Western Uganda, near Kibale National Park, which has a high diversity of non-human primates that harbour a variety of chronic viral infections, as a model for how viruses may jump host species.

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