Ebola Epidemic Could Become Global Crisis

Deaths rising (now at 135), but no new suspect cases reported. WHO is still investigating "more than 200" suspected and confirmed cases. Sierra Leone joins the fight against "Ebola stigma," led by new Sierra Leonean Ambassador to The Gambia, Soulay Daramy.

Death Toll from Ebola Outbreak Rises to 135
April 17, 2014

The World Health Organization says the death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has risen to at least 135.

In a Thursday statement the WHO says Guinea's health ministry had reported a total of 122 deaths, while 13 deaths had been reported by Liberian health officials.

The WHO says officials are investigating more than 200 suspected or confirmed cases of the virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Six suspected cases in Mali tested negative and no new suspected cases have been reported.

In Gambia, Sierra Leone fights back against Ebola stigma
April 17, 2014

The newly appointed Sierra Leonean Ambassador to The Gambia Ambassador Soulay Daramy, has even before presenting his credentials to President Yayah Jammeh faced with the uphill task of defending his nation and putting the records straight against the stigma of the deadly EBOLA virus suspected of being present in his country.

No doubt there are/is an agenda here saying that "it is almost (the outbreak) is under control" but I want to point out that I read about mining companies withdrawing peeps, as well has hotels being at half-capacity, etc just shy of two weeks ago. And by bringing that up, I just mean to point out that it wasn't some sudden, crazy surge of fear or something that caused those things to happen-it seems that they were something that happened not long after people realized what was going on over there.

I keep checking ProMedMail and news articles/etc and I do find discrepancies. For instance, I know from reading more than one source that Mali has had no cases of EVD yet, though a recent article out of some paper in Nigeria was quoting an "expert" that had been on one of that country's popular morning shows (Ala GMA) that there was a case(s) in Mali....and there hasn't been. Unfortunately with stuff like this, there's going to be misinformation flying around. I know you posted, Sofi, about a slowdown in cases-fantastic! I know there's bound to be more before they get it under control but good news none the less.

One last thing that is a mite troubling: In the most recent ProMedMail update, there are apparently allegations of people in the rural areas hiding suspected cases and bodies. I feel bad for those people, that they are so scared and misinformed about this disease. Hell, I even read a comment on an article published by a regional newspaper over there that said that there was no such thing as this 'disease', but that it was a bad/evil spirit. *sighs* Though apparently they (MSF/Aid Groups/etc) bring anthropologists for this very reason-so they can hopefully understand the local culture better and work that into thier educational materials/responses to said outbreaks.

reply to post by soficrow


An antiviral would be more likely, but even then, I'll bet that it would be a cross-application more than something developed specifically for Ebola which means we're still looking at a crap shoot or getting lucky that some limited government research comes up with something.

It's sad, but right now, I think that's the hard reality. And don't mistake me, I think everyone would very much like to come up with something for this because it scares the crap out any sane person.

reply to post by ketsuko


I believe there is/are some projects "in the pipes" as it were.

This article here talks about some of them. Promising, but we will see. Like you said, all any of us wants as far as EVD/EHF is some way to treat it.

a reply to: ketsuko

With 137 deaths and over 220 suspected or confirmed cases, the Ebola epidemic in West Africa is not yet under control. Canada just committed almost $1.3 towards Ebola aid. Corgenix is pushing for approval of their rapid test for Ebola.

….the World Health Organization announced that the outbreak has been linked to 137 deaths in the region, the majority of which have been in Guinea.

The UN health agency has identified more than 220 suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola in Guinea and its neighbouring Liberia.

Ebola aid for West Africa: Canada commits $1.3M
Money will go toward humanitarian programs, WHO

….The outbreak of a new strain of the Ebola virus has killed close to 140 people in Guinea since February.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird noted in a statement that biological threats do not recognize borders and are therefore a global problem.

Rapid Tests for Ebola Virus Detection Halted Due to Lack of Funds

….Currently, Ebola virus is spreading rapidly because the blood samples of those suspected of infection is sent to Europe for testing and it takes over 10 days for the reports to come back. By which the infection has spread to the next person or the suspected dies. The test that Corgenix has developed requires blood sample to be applied on a strip and it displays the result as positive or negative, much like a pregnancy test.

Simpson added that this rapid test will help control outbreak at the outset as soon as the patient starts showing symptoms and they can be quarantined immediately.

At the Conference of the World Affairs, Sebelius stated that the possibilities of Ebola affecting other parts of the world are higher as we are no longer separated by ocean. She stated that it is important to find funding to bring Ebola to halt. Prof of Microbiology and Immunology at the Tulane University, Robert Garry stated in an email that the seriousness of this outbreak emphasizes the pertinence of developing a rapid Ebola test. Corgenix along with nine other organizations belonging to the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Consortium, an international group is trying to get the approval for these tests.

a reply to: soficrow

This is really scary. Now that the government knows that we know it could become a global crisis, it probably will. I'm worried.

a reply to: LucidLucinda

Many persons both human and corporate assume that "development" is synonymous with "progress" - forgetting that much lurks forgotten beneath the dark earth, waiting to be let loose and to fly free.

Previous reports included unconfirmed cases - fatalities from clinical cases and case-totals including both suspected and confirmed cases - now, biological analysis will be faster and tolls will no longer include non-confirmed cases.

The Ebola virus has claimed 61 lives in Guinea out of 109 laboratory-confirmed cases since January, the government said Saturday.

They were among 197 suspect cases recorded in the impoverished west African country.

"From now on, biological analysis can be done more quickly, and the toll will no longer include any non-confirmed cases," government spokesman Damantang Albert Camara said in a statement.

Gueckedou, a town in the south of the country which has suffered one of the largest outbreaks, has seen 34 deaths out of 58 confirmed cases. In the capital Conakry, with 36 confirmed cases, 15 people have died.

On Thursday the World Health Organization said there had been 101 laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola in the former French colony, and 56 deaths. Some 24 health-care workers have contracted the virus, 13 of whom have died.

The virus has crossed into neighbouring Liberia, where the government has laboratory confirmation of six cases. The health ministry is investigating 27 cases of haemorrhagic fever, and 13 deaths, to establish whether the victims had contracted Ebola.

More from Reuters about this new strain.

West African Ebola outbreak caused by new strain of disease: study

(Reuters) - An Ebola outbreak blamed for 135 deaths in West Africa in the past month was not imported from Central Africa but caused by a new strain of the disease, a study in a U.S. medical journal said, raising the specter of further regional epidemics.

…."It is possible that EBOV has circulated undetected in this region for some time. The emergence of the virus in Guinea highlights the risk of EBOV outbreaks in the whole West African subregion," the report continued.

….A senior health ministry official told Reuters on Thursday the government planned to stop publicly releasing the death toll to avoid causing unnecessary panic.

….The WHO said earlier this month it would take two to four months to contain the outbreak, which it said had been one of the most challenging it had ever faced.

"What is clear to us from the study is that the virus wasn't brought in from the outside, that it is indigenous," said Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesman for the WHO, which was not involved in authoring the study.

"It means there were possibly outbreaks in the past that were just not detected," he said.

Anyone have any info on this particular case? Like where it is? ....1000 kilometers from Conakry is pretty far away for a brand new strain...

The head of health services in Guineas ministry if health, Sakoba Kéita, said that the only new positive case was reported on Thursday 1,000 kilometres away from Conakry, the Guinean capital.

And from the WHO:
WHO Ebola Update: Guinea Over 200 Cases, No Changes In Liberia

www.avianflutalk.com...

Ebola has possibly reached Tuscnny, Italy, and with the possibity it may have emerged with migrant workers in Pisa where some are under quarantine with symptoms.

www.google.co.uk... 5D.png%253Fimgmax%253D800&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fafludiary.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F03%2Fa-brief-history-of-ebola.html&h=258&w=485&tbnid=awRhxFZA0l6P3M%3 A&zoom=1&docid=b4vCJAV_TxDmwM&hl=en-GB&ei=EwlVU72rLsm-Ofr3gJAH&tbm=isch&client=tablet-android-samsung&iact=rc&uact=3&page=1&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=0CEQQr QM

a reply to: soficrow

It was just a map of outbreak, I can not upload pics on ea. #FAIL

a reply to: BoovDawg

I have used the quote function to strip out the url you provided and I followed that back and I found this picture of, hopefully, the map that you were wanting to embed!

I shall embed that picture and also link it ...

picture link



I hope this helps!

There is no actual proof of it reaching italy. There was concern that maybe it had but the travel time it takes to get from west Africa to Italy by the route they took takes longer than the incubation max period (21 days). I have been digging all morning about this and it seems that quite a few places in the English alt media are pulling from Turner Radio Network...A known source of hoaxing/blowing things out of size using only a thread of truth. That and Shtfplan.com, which I respected until they got the bulk of their info from them. It's hard to know for sure about some facts because Google translate only does so much, you know?

My reading on it is that they had a scare, and are now hyper aware with all that surveillance and all that. I don't give any government a whole lot of competency but not every individual or parts of a government agency is imcompotent. I feel this was just blown was blown way out of proportion. Pardon any typos or odd sentences as I am on mobile.

a reply to: Sundowner

www.inquisitr.com...

Death tolls will no longer be given to avoid unnecessary panic?

According to the recent death tolls it had hardly risen, so who was in a panic?

a reply to: Sundowner

I saw that all over BIN yesterday (I read it for entertainment value like I used to read the tabloids at the checkout) and was wondering how legit it was. Sometimes, those thing on BIN contain a grain of truth, but since I saw nothing else on any of my other sources, I haven't been unduly worried about it, yet.

It was just within the realm of possibility that some migrants could have made it into Europe. That's always possible depending on the mode of travel and route taken.

No worries. I'm sure one of the big pharmas will develope something to combat this and charge governments billions to dispense it if the poor can't pay. Here in the USA they'll worry us unneccessarily and charge us citizens $250 a pop for a shot. As Joe Biden said, don't let a crisis go to waste.

a reply to: Elliot

Just caught that inquistr report before I logged in. Could be bogus sensationalism, but who knows? Can't find anything else. ...It's Guinea who's stopping reports of suspected cases and death tolls - because Guineans are panicking, not to mention tourists and international investors.

....It absolutely IS possible for disease to enter countries undetected via plane travel, before symptoms occur. May not be what's going on in Italy though. Always important to report responsibly, even on ATS. ; )

originally posted by: Elliot
www.avianflutalk.com...

Ebola has possibly reached Tuscnny, Italy, and with the possibity it may have emerged with migrant workers in Pisa where some are under quarantine with symptoms.

Quite the projections.

Thanks for the link.

a reply to: DietJoke

Thank you very much, ye look it says animal out break...