A disease of deforestation: how Ebola is linked to the smartphone in your pocket
Summary
Ebola outbreaks have grown larger and more frequent, partly because cutting down forests in Central Africa pushes virus-carrying bats closer to people. This deforestation is linked to local mining for minerals used in technology products like smartphones, which destroys bat habitats and increases the risk of the virus spreading to humans.Key Facts
- Ebola was discovered in 1976, and early outbreaks were small and contained.
- Recent outbreaks have been much bigger, such as the 2014 West Africa outbreak with over 28,000 cases.
- The current Ebola outbreak started in May in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has spread to Uganda.
- Ebola virus usually lives in bats without harming them, but deforestation forces bats to live closer to people.
- Each percentage of forest loss in Central Africa increases the chances of Ebola and malaria outbreaks by 20% to 40%.
- The 2014 Ebola outbreak began after 85% of forest in southwestern Guinea was cut down.
- A big cause of deforestation in DRC is artisanal mining, where locals dig for minerals like gold, coltan, and cobalt.
- These minerals are important for tech products like smartphones, and global demand for them is growing fast.
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