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- Title
La mémoire longue des chauves-souris du Burkina – « Histoire d'Ebola ou pas ».
- Authors
Cros, Michèle
- Abstract
Ebola is the most monitored zoonotic disease in Africa due to its high lethality. Moreover, its transmission from bats to monkeys and humans has been demonstrated, although it remains controversial. To one of the main questions raised in this special issue—"What do animals, and in this case bats, transmit?"—the answer "Ebola" seems self-evident. This answer imposed itself at the beginning of our research in Dagara and Lobi countries in southwestern Burkina Faso in 2016. Such was the message conveyed to local populations by the health authorities. Yet the question every person must ask him or herself is: "Ebola, really, how and why?" Having failed to transmit this disease to Burkina Faso, bats are instead credited with a myriad of singular and precious properties—for instance, the in-between position they cherish, in caves or in other dark places like the rooms of diviner-healers' spirits. A myth reveals their meaning: It is ultimately with the help of these bats that stand up to God that diviner-healers "sweep away" many diseases, "whether Ebola or not." It is up to today's virus hunters and other virologists to act accordingly towards these bats that are at once rebellious and protective.
- Subjects
BATS; ZOOS; FASO, Burkina; VIROLOGISTS; INTERPERSONAL relations
- Publication
Anthropologica, 2020, Vol 62, Issue 1, p35
- ISSN
0003-5459
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3138/anth.2018-0101.r1