Ebola round 2

[skjl47]

On the news last night, they were discussing using experimental drugs to treat it etc, and that the american patients were showing recovery.

My cynical and rather dry sense of humour immediately wondered how it could be an incurable virus until two Americans got it.

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Hello; Remaining questions of this experimental serum, assuming they survive, are the possible side effects and the actual ability of the serum to help with the recovery of an ill person. While the reports so far seem promising it may be too early to give the serum a thumbs up.

That said, were I to catch the virus I would likely be willing to take the serum unless some adverse side effects do show up.

 

[heatherbeast]

The previous outbreaks were very quickly contained simply by the virus going off like a bomb and killing everyone within that remote village. Previously, 'do not eat that bat' or 'stop going into the Ebola cave' were sufficient to protect the rest of the planet.

If things go too badly in this thread, I hope the mods are there to protect me from having an aneurysm. Thanks, guys.

In the meantime, the Ebola outbreak has been going on long enough that it's prompted a local artist to make a song about it. It's NOT QUITE a Public Service Announcement, and I wish it did NOT include the picture of smallpox and the mosquito, since those are NOT related to Ebola. :v

[video=youtube;1_WOR22-SnY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_WOR22-SnY[/video]

 

[joe jaskot]

Hello; This is an interesting way to look at the situation. The odds will likely be a bit more skewed depending on where you are and how many people you actually have regular contact with. I live alone in a rural area and only have rare physical contact with others. back when I was still teaching the story was quite different.

Having worked in public schools for over 30 years I observed that most do not have a good grasp the hygene practices necessary to prevent catching an infectious disease.

Here is an interesting video on how the ebola virus spread in a real life situation: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/v...to-start-end-ebola-outbreak-orig-nws.cnn.html

 

[Bottomfeeder]

Now spread to US is inevitable?

Where did you get that assumption from? The article says basically the exact opposite. Ebola doesnt spread through the air. An infected person would have to basically spit in your mouth for you to get it. The reason it spread so quickly in Africa is that they dont have access to the proper resources needed to contain and sterilize people, places, and objects infected with the virus. Here, not only do we have those resources, we have protocols in every hospital to do exactly that.

I'm not saying it's impossible, just that it remains unlikely.

 

[ecoli73]

Where did you get that assumption from? The article says basically the exact opposite. Ebola doesnt spread through the air. An infected person would have to basically spit in your mouth for you to get it. The reason it spread so quickly in Africa is that they dont have access to the proper resources needed to contain and sterilize people, places, and objects infected with the virus. Here, not only do we have those resources, we have protocols in every hospital to do exactly that.

I'm not saying it's impossible, just that it remains unlikely.

That is what the cdc chair said.


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[heatherbeast]

Dr. Tom Frieden did say that. Reaching here and spreading within are two different matters. The second is very unlikely. The CDC has 20 -- now 21 -- quarantine stations set up throughout the country that can house international travelers.

Also, just a reminder -- here's the type of facility that most of the ill in Africa have access to:

http://www.nytimes.com/video/world/...s-hospital-and-dashes-hope.html?smid=tw-share

 

[skjl47]

Where did you get that assumption from? The article says basically the exact opposite. Ebola doesnt spread through the air. An infected person would have to basically spit in your mouth for you to get it. The reason it spread so quickly in Africa is that they dont have access to the proper resources needed to contain and sterilize people, places, and objects infected with the virus. Here, not only do we have those resources, we have protocols in every hospital to do exactly that.

I'm not saying it's impossible, just that it remains unlikely.

Hello; The virus is much easier to pick up that an exchange of saliva, although that would work. Any body fluid can and likely will have the virus. Clothes, bedding and other surfaces can hold virus capable of infecting others and need to be disposed of properly.

Two prime examples. The male infected doctor now at the Emory facility in Atlanta was well aware of how the virus spread but picked up the virus somehow. I imagine he took the sort of precautions and followed basic protocols you are talking about.
A trained African healthcare worker became infected took the virus home and now he, his wife and children are all passed from ebola.

At least one study found that a strain of the virus passed from pigs to primates that were separated physically (no direct contact) in a building. I believe the researchers did not identify the exact method of transmission, but gave three educated guesses. While it seems the virus is not truly airborne it may be transmittable in aerosol conditions. Aerosol droplets can form during a sneeze, flushing a toilet and such. The virus may be able to survive longer in air on suspended water droplets. A main thing is that the virus was transmitted with no direct contact. I no longer have the link saved but found the report with a simple search.

 

[heatherbeast]

I dug up the link and my interpretation from the locked thread.

Has anyone actually read the original Nature article about the ebola transmission from piglets to monkeys? I finally did this morning. What a disappointment.

http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/1211...srep00811.html

The authors state twice in the article that they cannot tell if it was aerosolized, airborne, or if the pigs were coughing and spitting! The monkeys' cages were placed 8 inches away from the pigs - I think a lot of us on here have fish longer than that! Also, the monkeys stayed there 24/7, 8 inches away from coughing animals (which the article also points out are bigger shedding and aerosol producers than any other mammal), for a week before falling ill. Air samplers situated 2 feet away from the pigs ran for 30 minutes, and recovered no virus particles. Yes, it is non-direct transmission, but you cannot conclude that it is airborne, either.

 

[joe jaskot]

Ebola is airborne to America. It was flown in from Africa. LOL!

 

[ecoli73]

I asked this before but I wonder how virus mutation works...two different strains of flu virus can exchange genetic info in the same animal(read pigs), how likely is that to happen if in the same pig lungs there are both flu and Ebola viruses?

I am happier if the answer is not very likely or impossible.


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