First Ebola case diagnosed in the United States

[VaultMan]

Originally Posted by Wrothy

Do you guys know how long this disease has been around? It was first discovered in 1976 - scientists know how it is transmitted. It's not like an influenza virus where there is continuous reassortment and mutation that can change the way it acts.

If you don't trust your own government, then how about the World Health Organisation? Here are extracts from their fact sheet on Ebola:

"Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids."

"The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms is 2 to 21 days. Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms."

You can't get the disease just by touching something that an infected person has touched, unless a) they are showing symptoms of the disease at the time, b) they have left behind blood/body fluids and c) you happen to have a cut on your skin or you rub your eyes/pick your nose or otherwise contact your mucous membranes while the virus is still on your hand. Even then, survival of the virus outside the host seems to be fairly limited at room temperature.

There really is no reason to be concerned.

Steve!


Yeah, that all makes sense..Im still scared

[Underdog07]

Routes of transmission spread. No reason it can't become airborne.

Also people who have it bleed. Lots of those people won't go to the hospital and will infect their families. Domino affect. Avoid the noid.

We don't need to panic but no reason this government can't be proactive about protecting the American people rather than just apologizing for us.

[johnclone]

Originally Posted by Wrothy

Do you guys know how long this disease has been around? It was first discovered in 1976 - scientists know how it is transmitted. It's not like an influenza virus where there is continuous reassortment and mutation that can change the way it acts.

If you don't trust your own government, then how about the World Health Organisation? Here are extracts from their fact sheet on Ebola:

"Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids."

"The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms is 2 to 21 days. Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms."

You can't get the disease just by touching something that an infected person has touched, unless a) they are showing symptoms of the disease at the time, b) they have left behind blood/body fluids and c) you happen to have a cut on your skin or you rub your eyes/pick your nose or otherwise contact your mucous membranes while the virus is still on your hand. Even then, survival of the virus outside the host seems to be fairly limited at room temperature.

There really is no reason to be concerned.

i saw something today that listed the "survival" of the virus outside of a host to about 3 hours.

[CessnaDriver]

I'm not ready to fuel air bomb yet, but they need to STOP air traffic and travel from Ebola nations. The idiocy reigns supreme these days so I don't expect that. We have no borders as it is, lots of other nasty crap coming in.

[johnclone]

Originally Posted by Underdog07

Routes of transmission spread. No reason it can't become airborne.

Also people who have it bleed. Lots of those people won't go to the hospital and will infect their families. Domino affect. Avoid the noid.

We don't need to panic but no reason this government can't be proactive about protecting the American people rather than just apologizing for us.

It has been around for decades, and has yet to mutate to where it becomes transmitted through the air, so according to the experts the likelihood is it won't. But could it, yes.

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Originally Posted by CessnaDriver

I'm not ready to fuel air bomb yet, but they need to STOP air traffic and travel from Ebola nations. The idiocy reigns supreme these days so I don't expect that. We have no borders as it is, lots of other nasty crap coming in.

They don't have near the health care system of developed countries. So we just let them die and let it spread? Nice. Let's not hear about how humanity is going down hill. I think we see it here too.

[biglebowski9999]

It seems many in this country have a cavalier attitude toward this thing. Most commonly, I have heard/read "our healthcare system is much better here" and "there are much more serious diseases to worry about."

They said it would never show up here and guess what, here it is. It was bad enough we imported a couple patients on our own and now we have one (at least) who crashed the party unexpectedly. And the first time we had one show up, we muffed it. He went to the hospital and got sent home. Now the hospital says it was due to a "computer error." They have 100 people he came into contact with quarantined (kinda), and there are pics floating around of the Red Cross delivering supplies to their homes with NO protective gear on. Nobody is going to take it seriously until people start dying I guess.

[Wrothy]

Originally Posted by biglebowski9999

It seems many in this country have a cavalier attitude toward this thing. Most commonly, I have heard/read "our healthcare system is much better here" and "there are much more serious diseases to worry about."

They said it would never show up here and guess what, here it is. It was bad enough we imported a couple patients on our own and now we have one (at least) who crashed the party unexpectedly. And the first time we had one show up, we muffed it. He went to the hospital and got sent home. Now the hospital says it was due to a "computer error." They have 100 people he came into contact with quarantined (kinda), and there are pics floating around of the Red Cross delivering supplies to their homes with NO protective gear on. Nobody is going to take it seriously until people start dying I guess.

You've got to remember - people are not infectious until they start displaying symptoms, so there is no need for protective gear until that time. And with all the recent publicity, you can bet your ass that if someone under quarantine starts displaying symptoms, the first thing they are going to do is contact the relevant authorities, given how nasty the disease is.

[Wrothy]

Originally Posted by johnclone

It has been around for decades, and has yet to mutate to where it becomes transmitted through the air, so according to the experts the likelihood is it won't. But could it, yes.

Precisely. Humans are a dead-end host (no pun intended). Bats are the natural host of the virus, so the virus doesn't need humans to replicate. There is therefore no evolutionary need for the virus to develop the ability to be transmitted through the air, given the high pathogenicity in humans and low reproduction number. This is not to say that it couldn't happen (there are mixed reports of Reston virus - another ebolavirus - being transmitted aerially, although this virus is not pathogenic to humans), but it is unlikely.

[CessnaDriver]

Originally Posted by nbr3bagshotrow

They don't have near the health care system of developed countries. So we just let them die and let it spread? Nice. Let's not hear about how humanity is going down hill. I think we see it here too.

Didn't say that.
How does ebola spreading in the US help them?
Quarantine is a well established method to stop spreading.

If in the off chance it mutates... well the fun begins too, no thanks.

We can help and not allow people to bring it here.
It's not like they don't have communication and doctors there. Their cultural practices have to change also. We can't do that for them.


Ebola’s Deadly Spread in Africa Driven by Public Health Failures, Cultural Beliefs
A late response, the disease's spread to urban areas, and superstition have allowed the virus get out of hand.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...leone-liberia/