過去12年來，伊波拉病毒的爆發已造成全球25%的大猩猩數量死亡，而證明這些猩猩死亡案例的科學家近日表示，替目前仍存活的野生猩猩接種疫苗，可以協助牠們免受病毒的傷害。
5月份《美國自然學家》期刊上所發表的研究報告帶來一線生機，報告中指出，最新研發的疫苗可以控制伊波拉病毒對野生猩猩所產生的毀滅性傷害。
科學家發現，伊波拉疾情可能是透過猩猩社群間的傳播而爆發，這項發現也成為充滿希望的線索。
德國萊比錫普朗克（Planck）演化人類學研究所教授，也是此項研究的主要作者瓦許（Peter Walsh）博士表示，這項發現意味著，替一隻猩猩接種將不只是單單保護一隻猩猩，同時也保護了傳播鏈之下的所有猩猩。
此項研究同時也首次證實，某個單一社群的猩猩會仔細檢查另一個社群的猩猩屍體，研究人員據此指出，在葬禮上與屍體接觸會成為人類之間傳播伊波拉病毒的途徑。
Outbreaks of Ebola virus over the past 12 years have killed roughly 25 percent of the world gorilla population, and now the scientists who documented these deaths say vaccination of wild gorillas could help protect those that remain.
A study published in the May issue of the journal "The American Naturalist" provides hope that newly developed vaccines can control the devastating impact of Ebola on wild apes.
The hopeful clues come from the discovery that outbreaks may be amplified by Ebola transmission between ape social groups.
"It means that vaccinating one gorilla does not protect only that gorilla, it also protects gorillas further down the transmission chain," said Peter Walsh of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, the lead author on the study.
The study also provided the first evidence that gorillas from one social group closely inspect the carcasses of gorillas from other groups. The researchers point out that contact with corpses at funerals is a major mechanism of Ebola transmission in humans.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
