MODELLING THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF EBOLA AND MARBURG DISEASES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA THROUGH GIS AND REMOTE SENSING

Viral haemorrhagic fevers are among the most prominent diseases that have plagued humanity. Among the most notorious of haemorrhagic fevers are Ebola and Marburg, which are two highly infectious and deadly diseases that have appeared sporadically in some parts of Africa, causing many epidemics that have led to deaths of people and non-human primates in Sub-Saharan Africa. Studies are ongoing to identify the natural reservoir of the viruses, which is expected to lead to better understanding of the viruses, and subsequently to development of possible cure for them, or establishment of preventive measures against future occurrences. This research was carried out to provide a broader knowledge of filoviruses in Africa, by characterising environmental conditions associated with the breeding of the viruses, and subsequently model the distribution of the viruses. Remote sensing and GIS techniques, such as unsupervised classification, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), band ratios, reclassification, and map overlay, were employed in this research. The result obtained from the various analyses carried out in this research, identified some locations in and outside Africa as possible habitats of filoviruses, although the natural reservoir of the virus was not identified. It is believed that the results obtained from this research have extended the knowledge in the quest for identification of the natural reservoir of the two deadly viruses. Journal of Environmental Management and Safety, Vol. 2 No. 2 (2011)