Burkina Faso bans hunting for bats over Ebola fears

Burkina Faso's environment ministry has banned special hunting for bats, the main carrier of Ebola virus, due to threats of spreading the disease which has already claimed more than 900 lives in West Africa since the beginning of the year.
"The special hunt for bats which began on July 1 to Aug. 31 has been suspended across the national territory due to risks associated with Ebola fever," a ministerial statement said on Wednesday.
Ebola virus is caused by a virus transmitted to human beings through bats or rats.
It is very contagious and transmitted through direct contact with patients, infected body fluids as well as cloths of those infected with the disease.
The World Health Organization has noted that Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and recently Nigeria are the countries most affected by the disease in Africa.
Even though no case has so far been reported in Burkina Faso, the country's health ministry said on Monday that measures had been put in place to counter any eventual outbreak of the disease.