Ebola reported in Lagos, Nigeria, Megacity of 21 Million People

a reply to: new_here

You are seeing clearly how difficult this is to quarantine. All those things you mentioned are factors in the spread of the virus.

It only takes one host to travel and mingle at hi traffic places (like airports) to really complicate matters. The clock is ticking on this one in Nigeria. We'll see if/when others come down with it.

Surely a stretching of already limited resources.

The problem with diagnosing someone with the virus is that its not a quick procedure. You can't stop everyone at the airport gates and wave a "detector" over them before allowing them to proceed on their way. It doesn't work like that. Neither can you lock the doors and hold everyone there for 21 days until the all clear can be sounded.

Actually tracking people that are suspected hosts requires first knowing who the index case contacted, finding them and then sequestering them for the length of the incubation period.

Imagine your roommate contracts Ebola you come home from work and as you approach your house or apartment a neighbor says, your friend has Ebola, health workers want to "talk to you". What do you do? If you submit they may quarantine you with others that already have Ebola.

The are very busy and may or may not test you to see. It is easier (for them) to just wait and see if you break with it. Thats a long quarantine, your life is totally disrupted and you are locked up with others that may or may not have it. You may catch it while in quarantine when you didn't have it before you went there.

Thats all very scary to people who are nearby and they tend to run and hide rather than "volunteer". If infected they may be in denial of symptoms or not tell others that they are transmitting it to.

You add the regions limited medical resources and the superstitions of some of the locals to that mix and…
This bears watching on our parts.

Ebola has always terrified me... but what is really starting to scare me is that the MSM is starting to cover it, that makes me wonder how bad has it really gotten.

a reply to: intrptr

Excellent explanation/overview. Thank you. S&


a reply to: Irishhaf

The MSM is covering it because they want to sell their news products - overall, the headlines are sensationalized, the coverage is questionable and often inaccurate, and the focus is inappropriately on American victims. But hey! It sells. ...Not to say the Ebola epidemic in West Africa is not a global problem - but the focus should be on West Africa. Instead, many pundits and authorities still insist "Ebola is so deadly outbreaks burn out quickly."


ETA:

'We Need More': Fight Against Ebola Is Thin on the Ground

BY MAGGIE FOX

It’s the biggest outbreak ever of Ebola, affecting more than 1,200 people in three countries — four, if you count the man who traveled to Nigeria and died there. The virus is spreading out of control, according to all the experts involved, and there is no clear end in sight.

The casualties include health care workers on the front lines, most recently an American doctor and a hygienist colleague working for charities, and Dr. Sheik Umar Khan, the doctor leading the fight in Sierra Leone, who died.

So there must be a cast of thousands in there, deploying equipment, medications and vaccines, and dispensing advice, right?

Wrong.


....MORE....

I've posted these links elsewhere but they need to be here too. ...Volunteer Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and missionaries are carrying the load in West Africa - and failing because they don't have the resources. And this Ebola epidemic is really different from others, and no one is acknowledging -or dealing with- the differences. And then there's the little fact that we're all connected. Never mind missionaries who are returning home who are possibly infected. Never mind global trade and travel. The winds blow microbes and particles around the world, and rain plays a role too - the grasshopper effect can make it happen in days. Our different climates used to protect us, but no longer. And who knows what other natural processes of "sharing" we have yet to discover? Fact is, we really are all one - right down to the nano-level. And we really need to recognize the fact and deal with it better.

'We Need More': Fight Against Ebola Is Thin on the Ground

BY MAGGIE FOX

It’s the biggest outbreak ever of Ebola, affecting more than 1,200 people in three countries — four, if you count the man who traveled to Nigeria and died there. The virus is spreading out of control, according to all the experts involved, and there is no clear end in sight.

The casualties include health care workers on the front lines, most recently an American doctor and a hygienist colleague working for charities, and Dr. Sheik Umar Khan, the doctor leading the fight in Sierra Leone, who died.

So there must be a cast of thousands in there, deploying equipment, medications and vaccines, and dispensing advice, right?

Wrong.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent 12 people. ...

They’re not treating patients — they’re providing advice.

What about the World Health Organization? That’s a big international group. (but) ... Cutbacks in international investment have forced WHO to slash budgets. [and resources, and staff]

The rest is being covered by nonprofits, and the affected countries' health departments, which are not even close to being equipped to handle an outbreak like this.

2002. Dust in the wind: Fallout from Africa

…An ocean away from the Sahel (in Africa), coral reef ecosystems around the Caribbean are dying, and scientists are beginning to think that dust from Africa is playing a major role in their collapse.

…Dust reaching the opposite shore of the Atlantic is nothing new. Haze from the Sahel occasionally reduces visibility and reddens sunsets from Miami to Caracas, and is the source of up to half the particulates in Miami's summertime air. Pre-Columbian pottery in the Bahamas is made of windborne deposits of African clay; orchids and other epiphytes growing in the ralnforest canopy of the Amazon depend on African dust for a large share of their nutrients.

….Satellite photos of the largest dust event ever recorded, in February 2000, show a continuous dust bridge connecting Africa and the Americas.

….Researchers have since found a variety of live bacteria and fungus in dust hitting the Caribbean, defying conventional wisdom among microbiologists that microbes could not survive a five-day trip three miles up in the atmosphere. "Swarms of live locusts made it all the way across alive in 1988 and landed in the Windward Islands," Shinn says. "If one-inch grasshoppers can make it, I imagine almost anything can make it."

….After the seasonal floods of the Niger River recede and its banks dry, mud--mixed with raw sewage, human and animal waste, and miscellaneous garbage left behind--turns to dust. "Microbes, synthetic organics, pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, you name it," Garrison explains. "Then the winds come, and it's a perfect avenue to take those substances aloft, often north toward Europe or west toward the United States."

….Africa is not the only source of dust that affects faraway places. Nutrients from the deserts of north-western China sustain Hawaiian rainforests growing on weathered soils. Chinese haze has long afflicted residents of Japan and Korea…. South Korean officials suspect that the dust may have been the source of a recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among cattle along Korea's west coast. …

…."It's just another example of how small the Earth is, and how so many things are interconnected: global processes mixed up with how people live their lives," says Garrison. The mounting evidence of damaging fallout thousands of miles from sources of dust may help convince the rest of the world to pay more attention again to the forgotten, dusty corners of planet Earth. "Maybe we're not quite as isolated as we thought from areas with major health problems," says Garrison. "And maybe we should be more concerned about the welfare of people and the land in these far away places."

The Grasshopper Effect

Persistent and volatile pollutants – including certain pesticides, industrial chemicals and heavy metals – evaporate out of the soil in warmer countries where they are still used, and travel in the atmosphere toward cooler areas, condensing out again when the temperature drops. The process, repeated in "hops", can carry them thousands of kilometres in a matter of days.

Time to Quarantine Africa the continent. No one new goes in and no one comes away from there until they are disease free. Airlines should stop service to the continent. Otherwise, if the disease gets free 90% of everyone we know is going to be gone. Time to act responsibly.

a reply to: frugal

Quarantine is irresponsible - it doesn't work, except to victimize and depopulate. Which most likely is the goal if corporate bio-terrorists are to blame. Which they seem to be.

UPDATE

I feel like crying for the first time since starting to track this epidemic 5 months ago. Everyone knows quarantine doesn't work - and there is no way they'd be quarantining whole communities unless the reality is much, much worse than reports indicate. And that's just in Liberia. Nigeria is trying to find 30,000 people linked to Sawyer, who died in Lagos on Friday after flying in from Liberia with stops in Ghana and Togo.

Ebola epidemic 'out of control' says charity

Doctors Without Borders says outbreak can only worsen, as Nigeria tries to trace 30,000 people linked to first victim.

…."The level of contamination on the ground is extremely worrying and we need to scale up our action before many more lives are lost," said the EU's humanitarian aid commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva.

The bloc has deployed experts on the ground to help victims and try to limit contagion.

Communities quarantined

The warnings came as Liberia ordered the closure of all schools across the country and the quarantine of a number of communities in a bid to halt the outbreak.

Security forces have been ordered to enforce the new measures, part of a new action plan that included placing all non-essential government workers on 30-day compulsory leave.

In Nigeria, health authorities announced they were trying to trace more than 30,000 people who could be at risk of contracting Ebola after Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian, died from the disease in Lagos on Friday.

CNN is reporting: The Peace Corps is temporarily removing its 340 volunteers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea due to the Ebola outbreak

a reply to: LDragonFire

there goes the neighbourhood.

and i would assume the panic'ed fleeing has started? rich first followed by??

a reply to: LDragonFire

It's frustrating - nobody seems to "get" that Lagos is an international travel hub, or what that implies for disease spread.

[sigh]

Still, witnesses say Sawyer, a 40-year-old Liberian Finance Ministry employee en route to a conference in Nigeria, was vomiting and had diarrhea aboard at least one of his flights with some 50 other passengers aboard. Ebola can be contracted from traces of feces or vomit, experts say.

Sawyer was immediately quarantined upon arrival in Lagos–a city of 21 million people–and Nigerian authorities say his fellow travelers were advised of Ebola’s symptoms and then were allowed to leave. The incubation period can be as long as 21 days, meaning anyone infected may not fall ill for several weeks.

Are they trying to help it spread?

Ebola Victim Who Sparked Fears of a Worldwide Outbreak Was American



Another suspected case of Ebola in Nigeria

The latest victim, who was said to have helped the late Sawyer, but has not yet been named, was among the 59 persons the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government registered to have had contact with the late Sawyer immediately on his arrival in Nigeria on Sun­day, July 20.

link


Not good at all.

a reply to: soficrow

With a 3 week incubation.....omg!

originally posted by: LDragonFire
CNN is reporting: The Peace Corps is temporarily removing its 340 volunteers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea due to the Ebola outbreak

Here's to hoping that none of them are infected

X

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

Thanks for helping update. S&

MORE UPDATES....

Finally, the world is starting to pay attention. I hope it's not too late.

As of July 23, the number of Ebola cases in West Africa reached 1,201, with 672 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

As of July 27, there were more than 1,300 cases of the Ebola virus in the West African countries of Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria and as many as 729 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

Another suspected case of Ebola in Nigeria

Barely seven days after Mr. Pat­rick Sawyer, a Liberian, died in a private hospital in La­gos, one of the personnel, who helped him out of the aircraft on his arrival in Lagos, has shown signs of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The latest victim, who was said to have helped the late Sawyer, but has not yet been named, was among the 59 persons the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government registered to have had contact with the late Sawyer immediately on his arrival in Nigeria on Sun­day, July 20.

….Medical charities say hope that the latest outbreak will be over soon is unrealistic.

Antoine Gauge, head of the MSF emergency response in Guinea, says: "We are very sceptical that the outbreak will be done by the end of the year.

"Ebola has no limits between borders. People here are travelling, they have family in Sierra Leone and Liberia. For sure in Guinea, we are at a more advanced stage of the response, but we can't say there will be no cases here soon."

CDC ISSUES EBOLA AIRLINE ADVISORY
Guidelines warn of 'severe, often-fatal disease'

NEW YORK – Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on record that Ebola poses little risk to the U.S. population, the agency still published guidance for airline flight crews, cleaning personnel and cargo workers regarding safe handling of infected passengers.

The advisory begins by describing Ebola as “a severe, often-fatal disease” that while rare, can spread from person to person, especially among health care staff and other people who have close contact with an infected person.



The advisory then notes the likelihood of contracting Ebola is extremely low unless a person has direct contact with the bodily fluids of a person or animal that is infected and showing symptoms.

TOO STUPID TO BELIEVE:

From the UK's Daily Star.

RED ALERT: Flesh-eating Ebola outbreak is 'very serious threat to Britain'

THE OUTBREAK of the deadly Ebola virus is a "very serious threat" to Britain, according to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

NOTE & FYI - Ebola is NOT a "flesh-eating" disease.

The article goes on to say they are trying to contact 30,000 people or anyone at one of four airports visited by American dad-of-three, Dr. Sawyer. ? that might be a chore IMO.

“Most outbreaks last six weeks to two months. This one began in February and is speeding up.

Not a great source but the article is reporting on a "Cobra" meeting in London last night..
www.mirror.co.uk...

The scary part is, a untold number of infected people could have flown all over the world 2 weeks ago and will not start showing symptoms for another week..... and so on. This is the most scary disease I have ever heard of and it could already be worldwide and we wouldn't have a clue.

Time to keep one eye on the wealthy, if they all start going away on sudden vacations we know something is up. I think congress is set to take off on vacation anytime, coincidence?

a reply to: 727Sky

The info that they're tracking 30,000 contacts seems good - it's popping up in several sources and most importantly, is attributed (to Yewande Adeshina, a public health adviser). Most countries are having meetings and releasing public statements to reassure people - truth is though, border checks are unreliable and there's not much to be done unless someone self-reports as at risk and "fluey." We can hope and pray - and hopefully, not blow off West Africa while we do it.

...I remain quite concerned about the Draconian measures being taken in Nigeria...

a reply to: 727Sky

"Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a leading developer of RNA interference therapeutics, today announced an update on the TKM-Ebola ..."

at least there not called Umbrela Corp.

u know T-Cell science ,gone wrong,, leading to,,,a pretty good movie.

originally posted by: BobAthome
a reply to: 727Sky

"Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a leading developer of RNA interference therapeutics, today announced an update on the TKM-Ebola ..."

at least there not called Umbrela Corp.

u know T-Cell science ,gone wrong,, leading to,,,a pretty good movie.

Hahaha great minds and all that.. I just wrote a short story called "500 Million" about the cause and effect of a little biotech that got out of hand.. Totally fiction... I hope...

OOps. Forgetting to update this thread. ...But it's started. Well, rephrase: 'they' are admitting it started.

Nigeria Confirms Doctor as 2nd Ebola Case

Also NOTE: This WHO report indicates Sawyer was NOT confirmed as having Ebola. ...?

As of 1 August 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the four countries stands at 1 603 including 887 deaths. The distribution and classification of the cases are as follows: Guinea, 485 cases (340 confirmed, 133 probable, and 12 suspected) including 358 deaths; Liberia, 468 cases (129 confirmed, 234 probable, and 105 suspected) including 255 deaths; Nigeria, 4 cases (0 confirmed, 3 probable, 1 suspected) including 1 death; and Sierra Leone, 646 cases (540 confirmed, 46 probable, and 60 suspected) including 273 deaths.

This maybe a bit off topic but Ive been pondering the origins of this virus... I mean what is the original reservoir of this virus? Has it been proven that its bats? Could it be in the soil/land and could mining possibly contribute to disrupting this dormant virus? I did some research and many of the big/top mines are in these West African countries. Thoughts?