[Kanda444]

also, this:

Ebola virus heading to the U.S.: Here's why you don't need to panic

With Emory University Hospital in Atlanta planning to receive and treat two U.S. citizens who are sick with the Ebola virus, some Americans have expressed fear that a deadly outbreak -- which has killed at least 729 people in West Africa -- could spread in the United States.

If you're one of them, you can calm down. Health officials say there is virtually no danger to the public. Here’s what you need to know about the deadly virus:

What’s the likelihood of a major Ebola outbreak happening in the U.S.?

Remote, according to officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If an Ebola patient were to be identified here, American health systems would quickly identify, isolate and treat the person, along with anyone who may have come into contact with him or her.

Why are we bringing people known to have Ebola into the country?

Evacuation to the U.S. ensures that the two aid workers will have access to “modern medical facilities and technology” that could save their lives, a White House spokesman said Thursday.

Dr. Kent Brantly and missionary Nancy Writebol both contracted Ebola while working in Liberia and are in serious condition, according to Christian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse. Plans are underway to transport them to the U.S. by early next week.

Will other people in the plane be in danger?

The patients won't be flying on a regular commercial airline. They will be transported via a private medical charter plane outfitted with an isolation pod. It’s a portable, tent-like structure that can prevent infected patients from exposing flight crews and other passengers to the deadly virus.

What happens after they land in the U.S.?

Emory University Hospital said it will house its two Ebola patients in a state-of-the-art isolation unit on the hospital campus. The facility, only one of four of its kind in the country, was built in collaboration with the CDC, and is separate from other patient areas.

The unit is outfitted with equipment that provides “an extraordinarily high level” of isolation and ensures that its doctors and staff are highly trained in treating Ebola patients, according to a statement from the hospital.

Since there is no specific treatment or cure for Ebola, the patients aren't likely to receive any care unique to the U.S. facility. But, the hospital says, they will be under constant monitoring and receive blood and IV drips to help them combat dehydration.

Are there any Ebola patients in the United States now?

No. According to the World Health Organization, the countries that have reported confirmed or probable cases within their borders are all in West Africa: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.

Brantly’s wife and two children were living with him in Liberia, and they left for the U.S. just days before he fell ill. They are currently staying with other family members in Texas.

The state Department of Health is currently monitoring their health for any signs of the disease, according to a CDC spokesman.

Might I encounter someone with Ebola at an airport?

Probably not. All of the affected West African nations have announced plans to screen airport passengers before they leave. That includes taking their temperatures to check for fevers.

In the event that a passenger does become ill on a flight, commercial airlines have received special instructions from the CDC on how to notify the agency and effectively isolate the patient -- as well as anyone who may have had contact with them -- on arrival. The CDC has 20 isolation stations at major airports around the country, including one at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. These are staffed 24/7 and are fully equipped to deal with an Ebola patient should they enter the country ill.

There's a conference of African nations in Washington, D.C., next week. Couldn’t that bring an infected person to the U.S.?

President Obama said Friday that U.S. officials are taking extra precautions in light of the Ebola crisis. Anyone leaving the affected countries will be screened for Ebola before departure and screened again upon arrival in the United States.

The CDC has also said it is working on a “multi-agency” approach to ensure that anyone who may fall ill during the conference is given the proper medical care immediately, and is appropriately isolated to contain the threat.

I’m still worried about contracting Ebola. Should I be on the lookout for symptoms?

There's really no need. Unless you or someone you have been in close contact with has recently traveled to West Africa, there’s almost no chance you will get sick with Ebola.

Even if someone is infected, they are not contagious until they exhibit obvious symptoms of being ill, such as fever, vomiting or diarrhea, according to the WHO.

But just so you know, symptoms of Ebola include sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and headaches, along with vomiting and diarrhea. The disease can cause kidney and liver failure, as well as internal bleeding. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms and has recently traveled to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone or a country nearby, go immediately to your doctor and tell them about your recent travel.

(source)

[Kelseecat65]

Originally Posted by Kanda444 ↗

bushmeat....deer, monkey, jungle rodents, birds, bats.... not much there and farming is hard there as well, so not much they can do. people gotta survive with what they have. i mean, Ebola is horrific but so is starving to death.

I would be a vegetarian.

[Kelseecat65]

Originally Posted by Kanda444 ↗

it's only going to get worse if shit doesnt change.



(source)

post.antibiotic.era.


horrific.

I can't tell you how many times I'm at the store and kids are touching everything then putting their hands in the mouths...then touching things again.
It's mortifying. I was walking down an aisle and some kid, probably 5 or so was hugging one of the posts and licking it. I just wanted to puke.

I can't deal with public bathrooms. I will drive like a maniac to make it back home. I'm just so glad stores now have the antibacterial wipes to wipe down the cart handles. I can't use an atm or Redbox w/out wiping them down first. I'm hopelessly germ paranoid!!

[Kanda444]

Originally Posted by Kelseecat65 ↗

I would be a vegetarian.

not a lot of plant based protein in the jungles of Africa, however. we are lucky to live in a place where eating vegetarian diets are easy. in other parts of the world, those options arent there.

[ices]

They have just cured Ebola in those flown to the USA.

Proof that we have more cures than are let on.

[Kanda444]

Originally Posted by ices ↗

They have just cured Ebola in those flown to the USA.

Proof that we have more cures than are let on.

the experimental serum? did it work?

you dont want to cure all diseases right away, sadly.... cases immunity in the virus, which means no more cure.

[30564U]

Ebola is caugh by coming in contact with bodily fluids. Now here's a scary little fact. Something like 78% of the world's population secretes trace amounts of blood in their sweat and fingerprints. Currently law enforcement isn't at the point where it can routinely test fingerprints for DNA, but they will be fairly soon, like within five to ten years. Now here's the yuky/scary part...if so many folks secrete trace amounts of blood in sweat and fingerprints, what could that mean when dealing with something Ebola? I'm sure someone here on DR will research this and come up with an answer, but could this be an issue? I've only every thought about the secreting thing with regard to law enforcement, but this is a completely different thing.

[Blewvane]

The virus may be natural but the spread of it isn't. Some of them piss and shit in the rivers they draw their water from, then scratch their heads wondering why they get sick.

[Kelseecat65]

Originally Posted by Blewvane ↗

The virus may be natural but the spread of it isn't. Some of them piss and shit in the rivers they draw their water from, then scratch their heads wondering why they get sick.

I was reading this online about the local and how their way of life needs to change.

"Ebola responders report that local communities are still very frightened and view health facilities with suspicion. As with earlier outbreaks elsewhere in Africa, containment and treatment measures are often hampered by tradition, superstition, and poor public health infrastructure. But this epidemic is especially pernicious for several reasons.

The people at greatest risk in Ebola outbreak areas have to accept that certain traditional activities, such as eating animals found dead in the forest, or bush meat, can be dangerous and should be abandoned.

And they have to be persuaded to give up some of their longstanding burial practices, such as washing the body, since the Ebola virus can live on the skin of a victim even after death.

These public health messages are now being broadcast on television and radio in the region, but it's not yet clear whether they're changing behaviors"

Unless these folks can be convinced of all of the above, outbreaks will continue to happen.

[30564U]

Does anyone know how long the Ebola virus lives outside the host? I know that Hepatitus C can live quite a long time outside the human body and AIDS and HIV don't live very long. How about other viruses and nasty stuff?