ebola ebola

[ronnybabes]

If ever there was a time to make our Ports, and Airports secure, it has to be now, surely!

But I bet our Politicians will only act when it becomes too late, and the problem becomes rife, as it eventually reaches our Shores.

We, by that I mean, our elected representatives, seem incapable of prevention, and then scurry around like headless chickens when the inevitable, (which could easily have been prevented) happens.

[geosacha007]

I can't understand why they are letting any flights into the UK from Liberia, Sierra Leone etc.  It should be emergency travel in and out of those countries only.

They know that it takes weeks for the symptons to show so taking their temperature to check will only stop a small fraction of infected people. 

One person on a plane with the disease can infect other pasengers, who then spread it all round the world.  This seems obvious.

[saasher2012]

It should apply at both points of travel not just on entry to this country, but of course it won't !.

[suzieseaside]

Not so easily prevented, not least because it can take up to 21 days for symptoms to appear after exposure and it's almost impossible to track where everyone has been.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/simon-calder-ebola-virus-enhanced-screening-will...

The spread needs to be curtailed in the source countries, and quickly, before it gets completely out of control.  Half the medical staff where the disease rife are infected and they don't have protected suits etc.  

Avaaz.org is calling for medically trained people in the West to volunteer to help and many have already.  Good on them - brave people and I hope that they keep safe in their mission to help.

[suzieseaside]

---

@geosacha007 wrote:

One person on a plane with the disease can infect other pasengers, who then spread it all round the world.  This seems obvious.

---

Transmission isn't airborne.  You can only get it via contact with bodily fluids of an infected person.

[margaret*e]

Getting prepared here.

http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/local-news/port-of-tyne-on-alert-for-deadly-ebola-virus-1-6888677

[geosacha007]

I was not saying it was airbourne.  You can touch people on planes and if you have a cut or something that could transmit it to others.  (Not the whole plane but some).

Would coughing and sneezing transmit it too?

[saasher2012]

All bodily fluids including sweat!.

[aernethril]

I'd have thought that sneezing certainly could spread it if someone nearby was unfortunately sprayed or (and this does happen) got into their food or drink.

And if the person is not scrupulous about their hygene, from the toilets and toilet door handles etc.

[saasher2012]

Exactly, this is how colds are spread & it's amazing how many people don't know this.

[Anonymous]

Ebola can "ride" on aerosolised particles of blood, mucous and other body fluids. Someone sneezing, for example, can cause Ebola viruses to be aerosolised where they land on other people's hands or faces. It only takes one virus entering the corner of your eye (or the corner of your mouth) to set off a full-blown infection.

In fact, a 2012 BBC article entitled "Growing concerns over 'in the air' transmission of Ebola" states:

Canadian scientists have shown that the deadliest form of the Ebola virus could be transmitted by air between species. In experiments, they demonstrated that the virus was transmitted from pigs to monkeys without any direct contact between them. In their experiments, the pigs carrying the virus were housed in pens with the monkeys in close proximity but separated by a wire barrier. After eight days, some of the macaques were showing clinical signs typical of Ebola and were euthanized.

[ronnybabes]

And yet again Harry, in spite of all the imformation and knowledge, our elected representatives, that are supposed to secure the safety of the UK, cannot see what nearly everyone else can see.

They already have made one U-turn, in a very short space of time, but still do not seem to be taking it seriously...... if they were, then a lot more would be happening then is actually happening.

[saasher2012]

Once again they used an infected smuggled bush meat to hide a more serious threat, bit of a coincidence don't you think or am I being cynical?

[upthecreekyetagain]

There is really only one way of stopping the spread of this virus worldwide and that is to work at stopping the spread of the virus where it is most virulent. 

Stopping/checking flights from infected areas sounds good but is pointless unless either every other country in the world does the same or we totally stop all movement in or out of the country.

An almost aside of an item was on the news the other day about grave diggers who are at real risk, (no suits or breathing equipment), complaining because they hadn't been paid for two weeks!

Aid in the way of equipment and money needs to be directed urgently towards the infected areas.

[joe_bloggs*]

I watched a news report the other day about Sierra Leone saying the USA were sending thousands of troops,as an afterthought they also said Cuba were sending over 150 doctors,perhaps the rest of the world should follow Cuba's example

[suzieseaside]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Ebola can "ride" on aerosolised particles of blood, mucous and other body fluids. Someone sneezing, for example, can cause Ebola viruses to be aerosolised where they land on other people's hands or faces. It only takes one virus entering the corner of your eye (or the corner of your mouth) to set off a full-blown infection.

In fact, a 2012 BBC article entitled "Growing concerns over 'in the air' transmission of Ebola" states:

Canadian scientists have shown that the deadliest form of the Ebola virus could be transmitted by air between species. In experiments, they demonstrated that the virus was transmitted from pigs to monkeys without any direct contact between them. In their experiments, the pigs carrying the virus were housed in pens with the monkeys in close proximity but separated by a wire barrier. After eight days, some of the macaques were showing clinical signs typical of Ebola and were euthanized.

---

Perhaps in droplets which don't travel far, so via fairly close contact - that makes sense, but some of the accounts in the press will confuse and worry some people more than necessary if they think this means the same thing as airborne transmission. 

There have been comments about the pig-monkey experiment.

To really appreciate what this study shows, we have to understand that there are significant differences between the diseases caused by Ebola Zaire in monkeys compared to pigs. Ebola Zaire infection in monkeys causes severe systemic infection and immune dysregulation leading to hemorrhagic fever with 90% fatality. In pigs the disease caused by Ebola Zaire is strikingly different. Infection is predominantly limited to the respiratory tract and the pigs get sick but recover.

This clearly indicates that virus dissemination and pathogenesis in monkeys is very different from that in pigs. It also tells us that pigs will produce far more copious infectious fluids from their respiratory tract than will a monkey.

They did the experiment again, this time with only monkeys and found that without direct contact, infectious monkeys did not transmit virus to other monkeys that were in the same room. The virus was not airborne.

http://globalbiodefense.com/2014/09/29/airborne-ebola-flight-fancy/

I know some people (some youngsters in a local pub) who are terrified that the mode of transmission could mutate into truly airborne. That would indeed be a nightmare scenario but I don't think any nasty virus has ever had a major change in its mode of transmission and also remained as virulent.  I suppose we could never say it would never happen, but at least it is believed to be highly unlikely.

I only hope that no-one attempts to try to engineer a mutation in a biosafety lab somewhere - way too risky IMO to rely on absolute containment when you factor in human error or some possible crazy terrorist plot.

[tommy.irene]

[*.*..lola..*.*]

I woke up this morning and my whole body was covered in raffle tickets

I think I've contracted Tombola  

[saasher2012]

😀 very good!

[suzieseaside]