The world endured a pandemic that brought with it unprecedented levels of lockdowns and other curbs
But scientists have found a cave in Africa that they think could be an incubator for zoonotic diseases
Kitum Cave is located on the slopes of Mount Elgon, a dormant volcano on the border between Kenya and Uganda
It gained notoriety due to its association with the Marburg, a highly infectious and potentially deadly virus similar to Ebola
The virus is believed to have been transmitted to humans from infected bats that inhabit the cave
Researchers have hypothesised that the body fluids or excretions of bats may have contained the virus and infected those who ventured into the cave
The outbreak occurred in 1980 when several individuals, including a French engineer, became infected after visiting the cave
In 1987, a Danish schoolboy explored the same cave during a family vacation, and he died of a related hemorrhagic virus, now called Ravn virus
Last year, WHO teams were deployed across Africa to halt another outbreak of Marburg, which has since been discovered in other caves across the continent
Doctors in the US are also being warned to be on the lookout for imported cases, sparking fears that the virus may be spreading under the radar
Marburg virus has been touted as a next big pandemic threat, with the WHO describing it as "epidemic prone"
Marburg virus has been touted as a next big pandemic threat, with the WHO describing it as "epidemic prone"