ZIKA (Uganda) — Down winding paths through dense jungles, Mr Gerald Mukisa kicks up the dry leaves noisily with his feet to provide warning sounds, noting that the late afternoon heat is “snake time”.
The forest is calm. Only the sound of insects, birdsong and the rustle of monkeys in the jungle canopy above disturb the air.
It was here in the thick woodland of Zika forest, some 25km from Uganda’s capital Kampala, that the mosquito-borne Zika virus was first discovered in 1947.
The virus, linked to a surge in birth defects, is “spreading explosively”, World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan said this week. An emergency meeting on the outbreak is due tomorrow (Feb 1).
Mr Mukisa, who has worked to guard the forest for the past seven years, only found out about the virus that takes its name two weeks ago.
“A few people who live nearby the forest and have heard about it are getting worried,” he said. “Many others don’t know about it.”
Days ago, the tropical Zika forest was a little-known reserve visited only by bird watchers and scientists.
“Students come every week, coming from all over the world,” said Mr Mukisa, 50, proudly showing off a guest book with signatures and comments from the US, Canada, France and Germany, among other countries. “There are so many types of trees, and all sorts of birds.”
JIMMY CARTER CAME TO BIRDWATCH
Most local cases of the virus were mild, resulting in rash, fever, and red eyes in a small fraction of cases. Global health authorities barely took notice until an outbreak on the Micronesian island of Yap in 2007.
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