Ebola now in US

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

Like lots of others have pointed out before me, a disease changing it's infection vector like that is very unlikely.

I also believe it is very unlikely, but I read a while ago (before this recent outbreak), that although rare, Ebola would be a candidate for adapting to being airborne. The Ebola virus can persist in the environment for quite some time without a host and those tend to the be viruses that can produce airborne strains. As opposed to a virus like HIV that dies usually within hours of being exposed to air, Ebola can last several weeks without a host.

[Wastedyouth]

I wonder if the current mortality rate is because of the care levels of the infected in impoverished countries? Or is it a legitimate mortality rate with high levels of care?

Has any of the NA or European infected died, who were of a decent health before infection?

[Thor]

I blame the movie Outbreak for the fears of it becoming airborne, because the reality of it happening are extremely unlikely.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...l-go-airborne/

But interviews with several infectious diseases experts reveal that whereas such a mutation—or more likely series of mutations—might physically be possible, it’s highly unlikely. In fact, there’s almost no historical precedent for any virus to change its basic mode of transmission so radically. “We have so many problems with Ebola, let’s not make another one that, of course, is theoretically possible but is pretty way down on the list of likely issues," says infectious diseases expert William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University. "Everything that is happening now can easily be comprehensively explained by person-to-person spread via body contact. We don’t have to invoke anything else.”

Here is what it would take for it to become a real airborne risk: First off, a substantial amount of Ebola virus would need to start replicating in cells that reside in the throat, the bronchial tubes and possibly in the lungs. Second, the airborne method would have to be so much more efficient than the current extremely efficient means of transmission that it would overcome any genetic costs to the virus stemming from the mutation itself. Substantial natural hurdles make it unlikely that either event will occur.

Currently, Ebola typically gains entry into the body through breaks in the skin, the watery fluid around the eye or the moist tissues of the nose or mouth. Then it infects various cells of the immune system, which it tricks into making more copies of itself. The end result: a massive attack on the blood vessels, not the respiratory system.

Even viruses that are well adapted to attacking the respiratory system often have a hard time getting transmitted through the airways. Consider the experience so far with avian flu, which is easily transmitted through the air in birds but hasn’t yet mutated to become easily spreadable in that fashion among people.

[photon]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...014-story.html

The nurses' statement alleged that when Duncan was brought to Texas Health Presbyterian by ambulance with Ebola-like symptoms, he was “left for several hours, not in isolation, in an area” where up to seven other patients were. “Subsequently, a nurse supervisor arrived and demanded that he be moved to an isolation unit, yet faced stiff resistance from other hospital authorities,” they alleged.

Duncan's lab samples were sent through the usual hospital tube system “without being specifically sealed and hand-delivered. The result is that the entire tube system … was potentially contaminated,” they said.

The statement described a hospital with no clear rules on how to handle Ebola patients, despite months of alerts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta about the possibility of Ebola coming to the United States.

“There was no advanced preparedness on what to do with the patient. There was no protocol. There was no system. The nurses were asked to call the infectious disease department” if they had questions, but that department didn't have answers either, the statement said. So nurses were essentially left to figure things out on their own as they dealt with “copious amounts” of highly contagious bodily fluids from the dying Duncan while they wore gloves with no wrist tape, flimsy gowns that did not cover their necks, and no surgical booties, the statement alleged.

“Hospital officials allowed nurses who interacted with Mr. Duncan to then continue normal patient-care duties,” potentially exposing others, it said.

There was no way to independently confirm the allegations, which are in sharp contrast to statements from hospital officials. Since Duncan's diagnosis last month and subsequent death, they have portrayed the 898-bed facility as up-to-date on CDC guidelines and prepared to handle Ebola.

[photon]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...014-story.html

The nurses' statement alleged that when Duncan was brought to Texas Health Presbyterian by ambulance with Ebola-like symptoms, he was “left for several hours, not in isolation, in an area” where up to seven other patients were. “Subsequently, a nurse supervisor arrived and demanded that he be moved to an isolation unit, yet faced stiff resistance from other hospital authorities,” they alleged.

Duncan's lab samples were sent through the usual hospital tube system “without being specifically sealed and hand-delivered. The result is that the entire tube system … was potentially contaminated,” they said.

The statement described a hospital with no clear rules on how to handle Ebola patients, despite months of alerts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta about the possibility of Ebola coming to the United States.

“There was no advanced preparedness on what to do with the patient. There was no protocol. There was no system. The nurses were asked to call the infectious disease department” if they had questions, but that department didn't have answers either, the statement said. So nurses were essentially left to figure things out on their own as they dealt with “copious amounts” of highly contagious bodily fluids from the dying Duncan while they wore gloves with no wrist tape, flimsy gowns that did not cover their necks, and no surgical booties, the statement alleged.

“Hospital officials allowed nurses who interacted with Mr. Duncan to then continue normal patient-care duties,” potentially exposing others, it said.

There was no way to independently confirm the allegations, which are in sharp contrast to statements from hospital officials. Since Duncan's diagnosis last month and subsequent death, they have portrayed the 898-bed facility as up-to-date on CDC guidelines and prepared to handle Ebola.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by photon

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...014-story.html

It sounds like the blame game has started.

Apparently the nurse that was recently diagnosed was on a plane with 137 people less than 24 hours before being diagnosed. While her fever didn't start until after she landed, you have to wonder if the infectious period starts immediately after symptoms start or if there is some time before when the virus can be spread.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ebola-o...-ill-1.2798937

[FlamesAddiction]

Out of curiousity, is there a reason that this recent outbreak is so big? I noticed on the WHO website, that since 1976, the most cases in a single outbreak was 425. In this situation, we are up to the thousands.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

Is it a new strain, or is it because it is hitting more urban areas this time?

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by photon

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...014-story.html

I think this is an example of North American arrogance towards Ebola. Our health care systems aren't as robust as we like to think (in my humble and slightly paranoid opinion). We can barely handle our population of senior citizens and our emergency rooms are frequently overfull and dangerously close to crashing just handling day-to-day illnesses.

To assume that we'll all the sudden be able to enact efficient diagnosis and isolation procedures for Ebola is, again just in my opinion, foolish.

[annasuave]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Out of curiousity, is there a reason that this recent outbreak is so big? I noticed on the WHO website, that since 1976, the most cases in a single outbreak was 425. In this situation, we are up to the thousands.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

Is it a new strain, or is it because it is hitting more urban areas this time?

Urban areas.

Successful viruses typically either don't kill their host, or don't kill their host right away. For a virus to well and truly spread, it needs to have a mortality rate low enough to allow those infected to survive long enough to pass the virus on to many others. Up until now, Ebola has been considered too virulent to spread widely.

Ebola has been considered a "self-limiting" disease because its high mortality rate would restrict the spread; it would pretty much kill everyone infected in a small area giving it limited opportunities to spread.

This outbreak, having got a foothold in densely populated areas has more opportunity to infect more people. Metropolitan areas also have a higher chance of having affluent people infected, who have the means to travel, and thus spread the infection further afield.

[firebug]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Out of curiousity, is there a reason that this recent outbreak is so big? I noticed on the WHO website, that since 1976, the most cases in a single outbreak was 425. In this situation, we are up to the thousands.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

Is it a new strain, or is it because it is hitting more urban areas this time?

Great article in Vanity Fair about the beginnings of this outbreak and why it has affected so many more people.

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2...ic-containment

TLDR: Dr's initially thought it was a cholera outbreak (as Ebola had never been present in the area). Ended up wiping out the medical infrastructure in an urban region.

[FlameOn]

Insiders within the Dallas hospital where the two nurses got sick are reporting that the entire medical team that treated the initial US patient are showing high fevers. That makes 5-6 more nurses + a doctor.

CDC is now aggressively investigating these new cases.

Spoiler!

The second nurse that was infected traveled on Frontier Air flight 1143 prior to showing symptoms and CDC is now investigating those cases.

[jar_e]

I think there's this false sense of security living in North America when it comes to it and that lies heavily on medical staff and their lack of proper protocol, etc. Besides the Dallas team possibly being infected, here's another good read from the LA Times:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...014-story.html

Dr. Nancy Snyderman is taking the heat from the media after she and members of her NBC News crew violated a mandatory three-week quarantine after returning from West Africa.Snyderman, who is NBC News' chief medical correspondent, recently returned from Africa after reporting on the devastating Ebola outbreak there. One of her cameramen, Ashoka Mukpo, tested positive for the virus, and the rest of Snyderman's crew agreed to a 21-day voluntary quarantine.

Texas nurse Nina Pham, who contracted Ebola while treating a patient, says she is "doing well" as she recovers.

However, according to reports from TMZ and Planet Princeton, Snyderman and members of her crew were spotted outside the Peasant Grill restaurant in Hopewell, N.J., on Oct. 9.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by jar_e

I think there's this false sense of security living in North America when it comes to it and that lies heavily on medical staff and their lack of proper protocol, etc. Besides the Dallas team possibly being infected, here's another good read from the LA Times:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...014-story.html

There is some great free advertising for Pleasant Grill!

I agree, there seems to be some western arrogance. While it is true that we have the ability and means to deal with and better control outbreaks here, it still needs to be taken seriously and those means need to be exercised properly (which doesn't sound like is happening as well as it could).

[Coys1882]

Looking forward to flying to Dallas on Saturday!!!

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

Looking forward to flying to Dallas on Saturday!!!

Consider yourself lucky. I've got a friend flying to Africa on Friday.

[Schraderbrau]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Consider yourself lucky. I've got a friend flying to Africa on Friday.

"Had" a friend. Be sure to throw them a big gowing away wake er I mean party.

[nik-]

This is actually getting a little scary. With that incubation period, if it really starts taking a hold in the US, it can really spread before anyone even knows it's spreading.

[polak]

Yeah I agree. 21 days is basically a month and cases keep popping up...

[FlameOn]

I have a coworker who brought up the whole thing about anti-vaxxers and jehovahs witnesses who refuse vaccinations. Does the government impose emergency measures in an outbreak against patient wishes here for the greater good? Or how will that work. Assuming of course that the anti-virals and vaccines in the works pan out of course.

[nik-]

I'm guessing those people's opinions will change when they're faced with a virus like Ebola.

Shockingly.