Will the Ebola virus go airborne? (And is that even the right question?)


The Ebola virus, which has killed more than 2,400 people during the ongoing epidemic in West Africa, spreads through contact with bodily fluids. That means you can catch it from infected blood, for example, or if you come in contact with vomit from an Ebola patient.

You can't catch it from breathing in the same air as someone suffering from Ebola — at least you can't right now. But as the virus continues to spread and mutate, could airborne transmission become a concern?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/15/will-the-ebola-virus-go-airborne-and-is-that-even-the-right-question/

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U.S. State Department Orders 160,000 Ebola Hazmat Suits
Bulk purchase prompts concerns about spread of deadly epidemic


The U.S. State Department has ordered 160,000 Hazmat suits for Ebola, prompting concerns that the federal government is anticipating the rapid spread of a virus that has already claimed an unprecedented number of lives.

http://www.infowars.com/u-s-state-department-orders-160000-ebola-hazmat-suits/

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Ebola, despite everything said, will not reach US.
I'm more worried about ISIS, in the US. :(

200,000 from Ebola countries have visas to enter U.S.

There are about 200,000 Africans from countries hosting the deadly Ebola virus who hold temporary visas to visit the United States, greatly raising the stakes it could spread to America, according to a group following the immigration issue.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/200000-from-ebola-countries-have-visas-to-enter-u.s./article/2553386

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Will the Ebola virus go airborne? (And is that even the right question?)


The Ebola virus, which has killed more than 2,400 people during the ongoing epidemic in West Africa, spreads through contact with bodily fluids. That means you can catch it from infected blood, for example, or if you come in contact with vomit from an Ebola patient.

You can't catch it from breathing in the same air as someone suffering from Ebola — at least you can't right now. But as the virus continues to spread and mutate, could airborne transmission become a concern?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/15/will-the-ebola-virus-go-airborne-and-is-that-even-the-right-question/

Why cant a cough or a sneeze not spread it. Ever see a slow mo of someone sneezing? Thats liquid being sprayed at high velocity. Thats one way the common cold spreads.
I think they are a bit ignorant on how ebola gets tranmitted.

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[/quote]

Old James

Will the Ebola virus go airborne? (And is that even the right question?)


The Ebola virus, which has killed more than 2,400 people during the ongoing epidemic in West Africa, spreads through contact with bodily fluids. That means you can catch it from infected blood, for example, or if you come in contact with vomit from an Ebola patient.

You can't catch it from breathing in the same air as someone suffering from Ebola — at least you can't right now. But as the virus continues to spread and mutate, could airborne transmission become a concern?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/15/will-the-ebola-virus-go-airborne-and-is-that-even-the-right-question/

Why cant a cough or a sneeze not spread it. Ever see a slow mo of someone sneezing? Thats liquid being sprayed at high velocity. Thats one way the common cold spreads.
I think they are a bit ignorant on how ebola gets tranmitted.

You hit the nail on the head here James.

And you are right, Lynn (in the post James quoted)... It is not the right question.

Ebolavirus IS capable of airborne transmission, and has been for quite some time.

The question, Lynn, should be:

Is the Ebolavirus currently circulating in the West African outbreak capable of Reliable airborne transmission between humans?

The Reston Ebolavirus outbreaks in the USA (1989-1990, 1996) were airborne between monkeys. In the Reston, Virginia 1989 outbreak 6 humans also caught the virus.

You may say that the Reston Ebolavirus is not the one currently circulating in West Africa, and you would be correct. You can also say that Reston Ebolavirus is not pathogenic in humans at this time, and you would also be correct. However the Reston Ebolavirus is most closely related to the Sudan Ebolavirus which IS deadly in humans (though not as deadly as the Zaire Ebolavirus currently circulating in West Africa). You could also say that the Reston Ebolavirus is not found in the wild in Africa, and you would be correct. But it *IS* found in the wild in a number of other areas, namely Bangledesh, the People's Republic of China, and the Philippines (source of the US outbreaks).

So let is concentrate then on the Zaire Ebolavirus.

The Zaire Ebolavirus (more specifically the Kikwit 95 strain of Zaire Ebolavirus) has been shown to be airborne transmissible between pigs and monkeys back in 2012 (well before the current outbreak).

The research paper:

http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/121115/srep00811/full/srep00811.html

Its abstract:

Ebola viruses (EBOV) cause often fatal hemorrhagic fever in several species of simian primates including human. While fruit bats are considered natural reservoir, involvement of other species in EBOV transmission is unclear. In 2009, Reston-EBOV was the first EBOV detected in swine with indicated transmission to humans. In-contact transmission of Zaire-EBOV (ZEBOV) between pigs was demonstrated experimentally. Here we show ZEBOV transmission from pigs to cynomolgus macaques without direct contact. Interestingly, transmission between macaques in similar housing conditions was never observed. Piglets inoculated oro-nasally with ZEBOV were transferred to the room housing macaques in an open inaccessible cage system. All macaques became infected. Infectious virus was detected in oro-nasal swabs of piglets, and in blood, swabs, and tissues of macaques. This is the first report of experimental interspecies virus transmission, with the macaques also used as a human surrogate. Our finding may influence prevention and control measures during EBOV outbreaks.

So, is the currently circulating strain(s) of Zaire Ebolavirus in West Africa capable of reliable airborne transmission in humans?

At this time, it does not appear to be so. That said, we do not and can not know for sure. It is, after all, both ethically and morally wrong to experiment with it on humans.

We will not know for sure until it starts happening, and then it will likely be too late.

Dr. Michael T. Osterholm's op-ed in the NYT the other day has been widely criticized by other experts in the field, but not because he is wrong.

He is being criticized because they feel it was counter-productive, and the criticisms that I have read say so.

It is in everyone's best interests to contain Ebola outbreaks ASAP, for reasons outlined in Osterholm's NYT Op-Ed (rapid mutation, etc.). However, the time to do so was MONTHS AGO. It is on the verge of being too-little, too-late. The West Africa outbreak is too large at this time to easily contain, and inadequate efforts to do so could actually spread it further.

Remember, in one of the affected nations, over one third of that nation's physicians have ALREADY DIED in the outbreak. Standard medical responses are quite counter-productive. You need somewhat expensive enhanced measures to protect against the 'bodily fluids' transmission.

But even these 'enhanced' measures currently in use will fail if/when it goes airborne. By the time we figured out that it had gone airborne, it would be too late and we will have already widely spread it through the relief effort.

We need to prep our response *FROM THE START* to be against an airborne Ebola pathogen. Yes, it will be hideously expensive, but we can not afford to not do so.

ALL aid workers (doctors, nurses, others) MUST HAVE FULL Level-4 protective gear and be trained in its use.

Any aid worker that has been exposed needs to be immediately slapped into full quarantine isolation.

Any/all aid workers need to be sent FOR THE DURATION. No rotation back to the USA.

We do NOT need Ebola making it to the USA (or any other nation). Even in its current 'bodily fluids' transmission mode, it would be BAD if it did. Almost no hospitals and very few research labs in the USA are up to full level-4 standards in their construction, their equipment, and their staff training.

In war, it is said that the most expensive army in the world is the one that is 2nd best.

A similar statement could be made about Ebola. The most expensive response would be one that wasn't up to the task.

Lynn, in another post to this thread said that he/she was more concerned with ISIS/ISIL/whatever its called today. Sorry, but they are nowhere near the threat currently that Ebola is. I disagree with your statement most emphatically.

Yes, ISIS/ISIL *could* blow up a few things in the USA, and maybe behead a few more US Citizens. But they are chicken-feed compared to Ebola.

If Ebola gets over here, we are talking a 50% to 90% death rate, and there would basically be two sorts of doctors. Those that died of it, and those that ran away and hid when the first reports hit.

ISIS/ISIL can irritate us. Ebola can kill most of us, and totally end civilization as we know it.

Will the Ebola virus go airborne? (And is that even the right question?)


The Ebola virus, which has killed more than 2,400 people during the ongoing epidemic in West Africa, spreads through contact with bodily fluids. That means you can catch it from infected blood, for example, or if you come in contact with vomit from an Ebola patient.

You can't catch it from breathing in the same air as someone suffering from Ebola — at least you can't right now. But as the virus continues to spread and mutate, could airborne transmission become a concern?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/15/will-the-ebola-virus-go-airborne-and-is-that-even-the-right-question/

Why cant a cough or a sneeze not spread it. Ever see a slow mo of someone sneezing? Thats liquid being sprayed at high velocity. Thats one way the common cold spreads.
I think they are a bit ignorant on how ebola gets tranmitted.

You hit the nail on the head here James.

And you are right, Lynn (in the post James quoted)... It is not the right question.

Ebolavirus IS capable of airborne transmission, and has been for quite some time.

The question, Lynn, should be:

Is the Ebolavirus currently circulating in the West African outbreak capable of Reliable airborne transmission between humans?

The Reston Ebolavirus outbreaks in the USA (1989-1990, 1996) were airborne between monkeys. In the Reston, Virginia 1989 outbreak 6 humans also caught the virus.

You may say that the Reston Ebolavirus is not the one currently circulating in West Africa, and you would be correct. You can also say that Reston Ebolavirus is not pathogenic in humans at this time, and you would also be correct. However the Reston Ebolavirus is most closely related to the Sudan Ebolavirus which IS deadly in humans (though not as deadly as the Zaire Ebolavirus currently circulating in West Africa). You could also say that the Reston Ebolavirus is not found in the wild in Africa, and you would be correct. But it *IS* found in the wild in a number of other areas, namely Bangledesh, the People's Republic of China, and the Philippines (source of the US outbreaks).

So let is concentrate then on the Zaire Ebolavirus.

The Zaire Ebolavirus (more specifically the Kikwit 95 strain of Zaire Ebolavirus) has been shown to be airborne transmissible between pigs and monkeys back in 2012 (well before the current outbreak).

The research paper:

http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/121115/srep00811/full/srep00811.html

Its abstract:

Ebola viruses (EBOV) cause often fatal hemorrhagic fever in several species of simian primates including human. While fruit bats are considered natural reservoir, involvement of other species in EBOV transmission is unclear. In 2009, Reston-EBOV was the first EBOV detected in swine with indicated transmission to humans. In-contact transmission of Zaire-EBOV (ZEBOV) between pigs was demonstrated experimentally. Here we show ZEBOV transmission from pigs to cynomolgus macaques without direct contact. Interestingly, transmission between macaques in similar housing conditions was never observed. Piglets inoculated oro-nasally with ZEBOV were transferred to the room housing macaques in an open inaccessible cage system. All macaques became infected. Infectious virus was detected in oro-nasal swabs of piglets, and in blood, swabs, and tissues of macaques. This is the first report of experimental interspecies virus transmission, with the macaques also used as a human surrogate. Our finding may influence prevention and control measures during EBOV outbreaks.

So, is the currently circulating strain(s) of Zaire Ebolavirus in West Africa capable of reliable airborne transmission in humans?

At this time, it does not appear to be so. That said, we do not and can not know for sure. It is, after all, both ethically and morally wrong to experiment with it on humans.

We will not know for sure until it starts happening, and then it will likely be too late.

Dr. Michael T. Osterholm's op-ed in the NYT the other day has been widely criticized by other experts in the field, but not because he is wrong.

He is being criticized because they feel it was counter-productive, and the criticisms that I have read say so.

It is in everyone's best interests to contain Ebola outbreaks ASAP, for reasons outlined in Osterholm's NYT Op-Ed (rapid mutation, etc.). However, the time to do so was MONTHS AGO. It is on the verge of being too-little, too-late. The West Africa outbreak is too large at this time to easily contain, and inadequate efforts to do so could actually spread it further.

Remember, in one of the affected nations, over one third of that nation's physicians have ALREADY DIED in the outbreak. Standard medical responses are quite counter-productive. You need somewhat expensive enhanced measures to protect against the 'bodily fluids' transmission.

But even these 'enhanced' measures currently in use will fail if/when it goes airborne. By the time we figured out that it had gone airborne, it would be too late and we will have already widely spread it through the relief effort.

We need to prep our response *FROM THE START* to be against an airborne Ebola pathogen. Yes, it will be hideously expensive, but we can not afford to not do so.

ALL aid workers (doctors, nurses, others) MUST HAVE FULL Level-4 protective gear and be trained in its use.

Any aid worker that has been exposed needs to be immediately slapped into full quarantine isolation.

Any/all aid workers need to be sent FOR THE DURATION. No rotation back to the USA.

We do NOT need Ebola making it to the USA (or any other nation). Even in its current 'bodily fluids' transmission mode, it would be BAD if it did. Almost no hospitals and very few research labs in the USA are up to full level-4 standards in their construction, their equipment, and their staff training.

In war, it is said that the most expensive army in the world is the one that is 2nd best.

A similar statement could be made about Ebola. The most expensive response would be one that wasn't up to the task.

Lynn, in another post to this thread said that he/she was more concerned with ISIS/ISIL/whatever its called today. Sorry, but they are nowhere near the threat currently that Ebola is. I disagree with your statement most emphatically.

Yes, ISIS/ISIL *could* blow up a few things in the USA, and maybe behead a few more US Citizens. But they are chicken-feed compared to Ebola.

If Ebola gets over here, we are talking a 50% to 90% death rate, and there would basically be two sorts of doctors. Those that died of it, and those that ran away and hid when the first reports hit.

ISIS/ISIL can irritate us. Ebola can kill most of us, and totally end civilization as we know it.

Sorry for my comments. :( You might be correct.

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Ebola Epidemic 'Spiraling Out of Control,' Obama Says

Declaring the Ebola outbreak a "threat to global security," President Obama today announced a significant American military effort in West Africa to help bring the spread of the deadly disease under control.

"We have to act fast. We can't dawdle on this one," Obama said during a visit to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

"It is spiraling out of control, it's getting worse, it's spreading exponentially," he said. "If the outbreak is not stopped now we could be looking at hundreds of thousands of people infected."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ebola-epidemic-spiraling-control-obama/story?id=25534859

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Ebola Epidemic 'Spiraling Out of Control,' Obama Says

Declaring the Ebola outbreak a "threat to global security," President Obama today announced a significant American military effort in West Africa to help bring the spread of the deadly disease under control.

"We have to act fast. We can't dawdle on this one," Obama said during a visit to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

"It is spiraling out of control, it's getting worse, it's spreading exponentially," he said. "If the outbreak is not stopped now we could be looking at hundreds of thousands of people infected."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ebola-epidemic-spiraling-control-obama/story?id=25534859

He, Like the WHO are a day late and a dollar short.
But,It seems the world could care less about ebola now that ISIS is in the news. Untill an outbreak happens in a supposed civilized country.

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[/quote]

Old James

in the news..

$1 Billion Needed For Ebola Response: WHO

GENEVA (AP) — The number of Ebola cases could start doubling every three weeks in West Africa, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, warning that the outbreak will cost nearly $1 billion to contain so it does not turn into a "human catastrophe."

Even as President Barack Obama is ordering the deployment of 3,000 U.S. military personnel to help provide aid in the region, Doctors Without Borders said the global response to Ebola has been far short of what is needed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/16/ebola-response_n_5828162.html

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Sierra Leone to Shut Down for 3 Days to Slow Ebola

Shoppers in Sierra Leone rushed to stock up on food Thursday ahead of a three-day nationwide shutdown, during which the country's 6 million people will be confined to their homes while volunteers search house-to-house for Ebola victims in hiding and hand out soap in a desperate bid to slow the accelerating outbreak.

The disease sweeping West Africa has also touched Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal and is believed to have sickened more than 5,300 people, the World Health Organization reported. In a sign the crisis is picking up steam, more than 700 of those cases were recorded in the last week for which data is available.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/uk-nurse-survived-ebola-flies-us-25587593

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outbreak, not going away :((((

Ebola patients buying survivors' blood from black market, WHO warns

(CNN) -- As hospitals in nations hardest hit by Ebola struggle to keep up, desperate patients are turning to the black market to buy blood from survivors of the virus, the World Health Organization warned.

The deadliest Ebola outbreak in history has killed at least 2,400 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone -- the countries most affected by the virus.

Thousands more are infected, and new cases have emerged in Nigeria and Senegal.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/18/health/ebola-blood-black-market/

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I heard on the radio the United Nations will send help!

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rOZZ
Music
Pictures

I heard on the radio the United Nations will send help!

Thanks Julie :)

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UN declares "Ebola is a threat to world security"

"The Council heard the international response had to be three times bigger than it was now to contain the crisis."

Any word if all those airports in affected areas are still letting people fly willy nilly all over the world?
I predict we aint seen nothing yet.

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[/quote]

Old James

Any word if all those airports in affected areas are still letting people fly willy nilly all over the world?
I predict we aint seen nothing yet.

James, below is all I could find, regarding airports.

http://www.voanews.com/content/airlines-cuts-in-flights-to-west-africa-delay-ebola-aid/2448006.html
Airlines Cut West Africa Flights, Delay Ebola Aid

https://www.internationalsos.com/ebola/index.cfm?content_id=435&language_id=ENG
Travel security advisories - Flight bans and closures

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Ebola outbreak in the U.S.? Probably not happening.

So far, other than a few patients evacuated by air ambulance from West Africa, there have been no known cases of Ebola-infected people traveling from that region to other parts of the world. But could that luck be running out?

Every month, week and day that the Ebola epidemic continues to rage, the chances of exportation to other countries increases. But at the moment, the likelihood of an Ebola victim landing, unchecked, in the United States is fairly small, according to researchers who have run computer simulations of air travel between affected countries and other parts of the world.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/19/ebola-in-the-u-s-dont-bet-on-it/

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Sierra Leone, on lock down.

Very sad. :(

8 killed in Guinea town over Ebola fears

CNN) -- They were traveling to raise awareness about the spread of the deadly Ebola virus. Instead, it seems, they encountered violence.

Eight people on an Ebola team were killed in southeastern Guinea, near the country's border with Liberia, a government spokesman said in a statement Thursday. Among them were health care workers and local journalists.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/19/health/ebola-guinea-killing/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

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Sierra Leone, on lock down.

Very sad. :(

8 killed in Guinea town over Ebola fears

CNN) -- They were traveling to raise awareness about the spread of the deadly Ebola virus. Instead, it seems, they encountered violence.

Eight people on an Ebola team were killed in southeastern Guinea, near the country's border with Liberia, a government spokesman said in a statement Thursday. Among them were health care workers and local journalists.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/19/health/ebola-guinea-killing/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

That just shows you cant fight a deadly diasease and ignorance laced with a lot of fear.

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[/quote]

Old James

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-19/ebola-worst-case-scenario-has-more-than-500-000-cases.html

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa could spread to hundreds of thousands more people by the end of January, according to an estimate under development by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that puts one worst-case scenario at 550,000 or more infections.

The report, scheduled to be released next week, was described by two people familiar with its contents, who asked to remain anonymous because it isn’t yet public.

550,000? That is one heck of a lot more than the old 'worst case' estimate of 20,000.