Ebola outbreak

[Schone23666]

In the 1990's epidemiologists thought Ebola might be the disease they have a name for-"Slate Wiper". The original mutates millions of times every 24 hours. The original is probably safer than the weaponized samples Russia has. Developed countries transportation networks make it scary, isolation of the sick is Africa's chief defense.

I'd read in Ken Alibek's "Biohazard" (highly recommended and scary as hell if you haven't read it yet) that the Biopreparat (Soviet secret biological weapons program for those who don't know) was experimenting with different strains of Ebola in an attempt to weaponize it, supposedly one nasty cocktail they came up with was Ebopox, basically a combination of Ebola and smallpox.

[.45cultist]

I'd read in Ken Alibek's "Biohazard" (highly recommended and scary as hell if you haven't read it yet) that the Biopreparat (Soviet secret biological weapons program for those who don't know) was experimenting with different strains of Ebola in an attempt to weaponize it, supposedly one nasty cocktail they came up with was Ebopox, basically a combination of Ebola and smallpox.

It was that agencie's work with Marburg and Ebola that inspired my disease. That book went into the fact they preferred to play with incurable, no vaccine biohazards. I could see new interest in Ebola if Russia could inoculate thier soldiers.

[Schone23666]

Update

Well, the situation in West Africa is getting no better. Bodies are being dumped in the streets now, where all that Ebola-tainted bodily fluids can seep around on streets and into groundwater, sewage systems, etc. And the infrastructure in these parts of the world aren't the cleanest.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/05/us-health-ebola-africa-idUSKBN0G51VF20140805

And now this just in....they're testing a patient who traveled to West Africa for possible exposure to Ebola at Mt. Sinai hospital in New York City. A former biomedical coworker of mine works at Bronx Hospital Center not far from it. They're saying the possibility that said patient has Ebola is "unlikely".

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/health/patient-at-mount-sinai-has-ebola-like-symptoms-hospital-says.html_r=0

Yeah, maybe, but I'm not banking on that until the test results come out. Yes, I know, most modern hospitals these days have special isolation rooms, air-scrubbing filters and strict infection-control procedures (I work in one myself), but...New York City! Talk about ground zero, sheesh.

It was that agencie's work with Marburg and Ebola that inspired my disease. That book went into the fact they preferred to play with incurable, no vaccine biohazards. I could see new interest in Ebola if Russia could inoculate thier soldiers.

Well, to quote Ken Alibek "The most effective bioweapons are those for which there is no vaccine, no cure." Simple, true, yet scary as f**k.

[.45cultist]

Well, the situation in West Africa is getting no better. Bodies are being dumped in the streets now, where all that Ebola-tainted bodily fluids can seep around on streets and into groundwater, sewage systems, etc. And the infrastructure in these parts of the world aren't the cleanest.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/05/us-health-ebola-africa-idUSKBN0G51VF20140805

And now this just in....they're testing a patient who traveled to West Africa for possible exposure to Ebola at Mt. Sinai hospital in New York City. A former biomedical coworker of mine works at Bronx Hospital Center not far from it. They're saying the possibility that said patient has Ebola is "unlikely".

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/health/patient-at-mount-sinai-has-ebola-like-symptoms-hospital-says.html_r=0

Yeah, maybe, but I'm not banking on that until the test results come out. Yes, I know, most modern hospitals these days have special isolation rooms, air-scrubbing filters and strict infection-control procedures (I work in one myself), but...New York City! Talk about ground zero, sheesh.




Well, to quote Ken Alibek "The most effective bioweapons are those for which there is no vaccine, no cure." Simple, true, yet scary as f**k.

Modern hospitals are fighting Staph and a host of other resistant organisms.

[stormlion1]

Look at it this way, the Black Plague killed how many Ebola if it gets free in clear in a heavily populated first world city with a major airport could easily eclipse the Black Plagues death toll. And the CDC is located in Atlanta with one of the biggest airports in the country. Just one person, at the wrong place and wrong time and with the ability to be a Typhoid Mary could doom us all. As for Africa in the areas were its really impacting there is only one real choice. March everyone out and separate them into groups and then let those infected die. Push the bodys back into the towns were they came from and light the place on fire. Preferably with napalm. For something like this, humanitarian issues need to be put aside.

[kato13]

That might be a bit of an overreaction at this point, but my concerns are certainly raised.

This strain seems to have moved closer to the slate wiper strain than any prior one. Years ago I felt that 5 or 6 mutations would be necessary for a truly scary Ebola to emerge. I think this one has certainly moved forward in 2 of them.

It has shown
Longer incubation
Greater ease is infection beyond blood-borne

This one might be able to survive in an aerosol longer than prior strains, but I am not ready to concede that it is airborne. There still seems to be a need for contact with fluid generated outside of the respiratory system.

If the strain does go airborne where someone can infect anther via exhaling and it is found new infections can occur when a patient is asymptomatic, I could see some pretty draconian measures being pulled out.

[Targan]

Look at it this way, the Black Plague killed how many Ebola if it gets free in clear in a heavily populated first world city with a major airport could easily eclipse the Black Plagues death toll. And the CDC is located in Atlanta with one of the biggest airports in the country. Just one person, at the wrong place and wrong time and with the ability to be a Typhoid Mary could doom us all. As for Africa in the areas were its really impacting there is only one real choice. March everyone out and separate them into groups and then let those infected die. Push the bodys back into the towns were they came from and light the place on fire. Preferably with napalm. For something like this, humanitarian issues need to be put aside.

Not a particularly strong comparison. The plague is really easy to treat with modern antibiotics.

I'd be having a bit of a laugh and maybe having a gentle dig at members here talking about a potential outbreak of Ebola in the US, but I haven't because I understand why some might be concerned about the risks and I won't make light of genuinely held fears. I'll just say that of all the potential pandemic pathogens, Ebola isn't that high on the list and I'm sure you'll all be safe. Aside from Ebola's own limitations in becoming pandemic, the USA has some of the finest facilities and specialists in the world for dealing with these sorts of things. Trust your experts, they know what they're doing.

[Cdnwolf]

Not a particularly strong comparison. The plague is really easy to treat with modern antibiotics.

I'd be having a bit of a laugh and maybe having a gentle dig at members here talking about a potential outbreak of Ebola in the US, but I haven't because I understand why some might be concerned about the risks and I won't make light of genuinely held fears. I'll just say that of all the potential pandemic pathogens, Ebola isn't that high on the list and I'm sure you'll all be safe. Aside from Ebola's own limitations in becoming pandemic, the USA has some of the finest facilities and specialists in the world for dealing with these sorts of things. Trust your experts, they know what they're doing.

I was in Toronto during the SARS outbreak... it showed how easy it was for something to spread quickly even in a Modern city with top facilities.

[.45cultist]

In game terms pandemics, zombies are nice apolitical TEOTWAWKI, all are vulnerable regardless of views.

[Cdnwolf]

It has spread to Saudi Arabia now...

(CNN) "A nurse in Nigeria. A businessman in Saudi Arabia. A Spanish priest in Liberia.

With the World Health Organization announcing Wednesday that 932 deaths had been reported or confirmed as a result of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Saudi Arabia joined the list of countries with suspected cases.

[stormlion1]

"Trust your experts they know what there doing" rates as high as "Were with the government and were here to help you." While not a huge threat Ebola if it gets loose can cause damage on par with the Black Plague, sure there two different disease's but at this time were in the same boat as the people of the Middle Ages were. Large populations and no way to effectively treat the disease. People are people and someone will always try to get out rather than stay and seek medical attention. And that's how something like this will spread.

[Schone23666]

Looks like someone in D.C. is taking this seriously, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has issued their highest alert of 1 and a "all hands on deck" for this one:

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/cdc-raises-response-highest-alert-amid-ebola-outbreak-n174496

[Cdnwolf]

Canada has already put measures in place.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/canadas-ebola-outbreak-prep-led-090000565.html

[Cdnwolf]

Police and soldiers in Sierra Leone blockaded rural areas hit by the deadly Ebola virus on Thursday, a senior officer said, after neighbouring Liberia declared a state of emergency to tackle the worst-ever outbreak of the disease, which has killed 932 people.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf announced emergency measures late on Wednesday that will, for 90 days, allow her government to curtail civil rights by imposing quarantines on badly affected communities to contain an epidemic that has struck four West African nations.

[Cdnwolf]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/08/08/brampton_civic_hospitals_patient_sparks_ebola_worries.html

Hope it is nothing...