Anyone following the ebola outbreak?

[vokain]

I think the disease is so deadly that it caps its own virulence and spread

[NewLiberty]

God forbid the virus mutates to become airborne.

Captain Trips and The Stand anyone?

While possible, that is not the worst thing.

Go forbid it develops a longer incubation period - you would lose all containment.

Was the airborne Marburg strain ever verified?

The worst thing (IMHO) would be the weaponized form.

[Balthazar]

Don't forget that domestic animals (dogs and cats) are able to become asymptomatic carriers.

By the way, there are a few experimental vaccines exist, they were developed by Sarepta and Tekmira and successfully tested on animals. But development was frozen a long time ago.

[bryant.coleman]

Don't forget that domestic animals (dogs and cats) are able to become asymptomatic carriers.

As far as I know, Ebola virus is not transmitted through domesticated animals such as cats and dogs. But it is strongly suspected that the virus is transmitted by the African fruit bat, which lives in remote caves deep inside the tropical forests. It is said that the virus first interacted with humans, after loggers who were cutting down the rain-forest went inside these caves to take shelter from heavy rain.

[Balthazar]

But it is strongly suspected that the virus is transmitted by the African fruit bat, which lives in remote caves deep inside the tropical forests. It is said that the virus first interacted with humans, after loggers who were cutting down the rain-forest went inside these caves to take shelter from heavy rain.

This version isn't confirmed for a long time. There is a strong suspicion that, like in case of other hemorrhagic fever pathogens, natural reservoir of virus is presented by rodents and ungulates.

As far as I know, Ebola virus is not transmitted through domesticated animals such as cats and dogs.

It was proven that dogs are able to develop asymptomatic form of infection. They don't get sick, but stable and significant titres of virus are reached in their blood and saliva.

See

Weingartl HM, Nfon C, Kobinger G (2013) Review of Ebola virus infections in domestic animals. Dev Biol (Basel). 2013;135:211–218

for more info.

[bryant.coleman]

^^^^ Well... I have checked the news coming out of Guinea and Liberia. It seems that almost all of the new victims got infected by other humans (through body fluids). There is no reference to any animals. Probably the patient zero was infected by some animal. But the chance is that all the remaining victims got the virus from other humans.

[Balthazar]

^^^^ Well... I have checked the news coming out of Guinea and Liberia. It seems that almost all of the new victims got infected by other humans (through body fluids). There is no reference to any animals. Probably the patient zero was infected by some animal. But the chance is that all the remaining victims got the virus from other humans.

By the way, it's interesting that survey in the endemic areas shown that ~7% of healthy population have antibodies to the Ebola virus, i.e. they had infection in the past. So some humans also have an ability to develop harmless or even asymptomatic forms of the disease.

[ObscureBean]

I wonder what would happen if the virus managed to get past our defenses and spread across the world. Our hospitals would very quickly get overwhelmed.
How long would humanity last? One interesting side-effect though : war/fighting is likely to come to an end 

[Balthazar]

How long would humanity last?

Even if there will be the end of humanity then ebola won't be a reason.

1) The most of infections are caused by unregulated comsumption of bushmeat. There is no such problem in the developed contries.

2) As I've mentioned earlier, it seems that ~7% of population are capable to reach sufficient antibody titres before virus titres will be enough for getting sick. It protects them from developing the symptomatics of disease. So, even if everybody on Earth gets infected and mortality rate is 100%, we have ~ 7000000000*0.07 = 490000000 of potential survivors.

3) Even in the case of a severe form of the disease and the total absence of treatment, not everybody dies. It's correct for any infection, even for AIDS. There always will be somebody who survives, that's how natural selection works.

[247crypto]

Is the new strain more contagious ?  I always understood it was very difficult to spread from human to human ?

No contact diffusion is confirmed.

[TECSHARE]

Is the new strain more contagious ?  I always understood it was very difficult to spread from human to human ?

No contact diffusion is confirmed.

One of the cases a robber was infected by stealing the cell phone of another infected person.

[Balthazar]

Is the new strain more contagious ?  I always understood it was very difficult to spread from human to human ?

No contact diffusion is confirmed.

One of the cases a robber was infected by stealing the cell phone of another infected person.

It seems that he will never steal anything.

[SaveYourBitcoin.com]

Is the new strain more contagious ?  I always understood it was very difficult to spread from human to human ?

No contact diffusion is confirmed.

One of the cases a robber was infected by stealing the cell phone of another infected person.

New way to stop scammers?

[Rooothlespredators]

Or new way to slyly murder someone when they ask to borrow your phone

[SaveYourBitcoin.com]

Or new way to slyly murder someone when they ask to borrow your phone

I lent a guy my phone one time in my.life and he disappeared, was crazy. Guess I'm too nice. Needed that Ebola phone.

[Swordsoffreedom]

Well looks like some aid workers are being sent to the US in intensive quarantine because they were infected with Ebola
This would be the first case of Ebola to come to the USA in known medical history so its interesting from a medical standpoint
(As long as it doesn't break  quarantine and become a pandemic kid)
Near the CDC maybe they will take samples to study it though like Anthrax etc.

[counter]

Heard a discussion about this today and someone mentioned that some people in the area eat monkey meat..  This type of thing also gives me the impression that the viral spread started with a wild animal and human contact.

Don't forget that domestic animals (dogs and cats) are able to become asymptomatic carriers.

As far as I know, Ebola virus is not transmitted through domesticated animals such as cats and dogs. But it is strongly suspected that the virus is transmitted by the African fruit bat, which lives in remote caves deep inside the tropical forests. It is said that the virus first interacted with humans, after loggers who were cutting down the rain-forest went inside these caves to take shelter from heavy rain.

 Not sure why things like this aren't getting the proper attention by the politicians who claim to be humanitarians when it is time for war.  I don't get why when it comes to issues like this or Gaza they are nowhere to be seen.

[TECSHARE]

Well looks like some aid workers are being sent to the US in intensive quarantine because they were infected with Ebola
This would be the first case of Ebola to come to the USA in known medical history so its interesting from a medical standpoint
(As long as it doesn't break  quarantine and become a pandemic kid)
Near the CDC maybe they will take samples to study it though like Anthrax etc.

This is fucking insanity.

[lemfuture]

just heard in news today the victims rack up to a thousand, last few days i heard it was only three hundred something

[Swordsoffreedom]

Well looks like some aid workers are being sent to the US in intensive quarantine because they were infected with Ebola
This would be the first case of Ebola to come to the USA in known medical history so its interesting from a medical standpoint
(As long as it doesn't break  quarantine and become a pandemic kid)
Near the CDC maybe they will take samples to study it though like Anthrax etc.

This is fucking insanity.

Yep here's the official newsfeed
http://time.com/3070012/ebola-virus-liberia-sierra-leone-guinea-africa/

Soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel advisory on Thursday for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, all struggling to contain an outbreak of Ebola, it was reported that two Americans infected with the virus would be evacuated.

That’s one of the primary reasons CDC Director Tom Frieden said the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has grown: Many health systems in these countries “are not highly functional.” In Atlanta, Emory’s hospital has an isolation unit that was set up in collaboration with the CDC to care for patients with serious infectious diseases.

Treating a patient there with highly trained experts and CDC oversight (CDC headquarters is nearby) is likely a better location for American patients who, tragically and unlike many victims in West Africa, could have a chance at better care and survival.