David McIver, PhD

The Origins of Ebola as a Human Pathogen

Date: April 23, 2025
Time: noon to 1 p.m. PST

Mission Hall, Room 3500
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David McIver, PhD

Human-driven land use change (LUC) increases disease spillover and drives viral evolution. This research links LUC to the emergence and spread of Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) and Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV). The phylogeographic analysis traces EBOV’s origins to 1960 in the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo and SUDV’s to 1958 in Sudan. Landscape fragmentation coincided with viral divergence, expansion and genetic mutations, suggesting host adaptation. The findings highlight LUC’s role in shaping virus evolution and increasing spillover risk.


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