Ebola Epidemic Could Become Global Crisis

www.bbc.com...

Ebola Spread in this region is Unprecedented says Medecins Sans Frontieres

PDUK

reply to post by PurpleDog UK


Good news for Bats though….. (originally a BBC online report…)

Guinea Ebola outbreak: Bat-eating banned to curb virus

Fruit bats are believed to be a major carrier of the Ebola virus but do not show symptoms

Progress towards Ebola vaccine
Scientists 'closer to Ebola drug'
Guinea country profile
Guinea has banned the sale and consumption of bats to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, its health minister has said.

Bats, a local delicacy, appeared to be the "main agents" for the Ebola outbreak in the south, Rene Lamah said.

Sixty-two people have now been killed by the virus in Guinea, with suspected cases reported in neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Ebola is spread by close contact. There is no known cure or vaccine.

It kills between 25% and 90% of victims, depending on the strain of the virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

This is the first time such a national health threat has come to our borders”

Brima Kargbo
Sierra Leone health official
Symptoms include internal and external bleeding, diarrhoea and vomiting.

'Quarantine sites'
It is the first time Ebola has struck Guinea, with recent outbreaks thousands of miles away, in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mr Lamah announced the ban on the sale and consumption of bats during a tour of Forest Region, the epicentre of the epidemic, reports the BBC's Alhassan Sillah from the capital, Conakry.

People who eat the animals often boil them into a sort of spicy pepper soup, our correspondent says. The soup is sold in village stores where people gather to drink alcohol.

Other ways of preparing the bats to eat include drying them over a fire.

File photo of officials from the World Health Organization in protective clothing preparing to enter Kagadi Hospital in Kibale District, about 200 kilometres from Kampala, where an outbreak of Ebola virus started (28 July 2012)
There is no known cure or vaccine for Ebola
Medical supplies being loaded in Guinea's capital, Conakry (24 March 2014)
Aid agencies and the government are taking medical supplies to the affected areas in Guinea
Certain species of bat found in West and Central Africa are thought to be the natural reservoir of Ebola, although they do not show any symptoms.

Health officials reported one more death on Tuesday, bringing the number of people killed by Ebola to 62, our correspondent adds.

map
The charity Medecins Sans Frontieres has set up two quarantine sites in southern Guinea to try to contain the outbreak, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Health authorities are receiving help from the WHO while messages are being broadcast on national television to reassure people.

Sierra Leone's health ministry said it was investigating two suspected cases of Ebola.

"We still do not have any confirmed cases of Ebola in the country," its chief medical officer Brima Kargbo told AFP.

Continue reading the main story
Ebola virus disease

Causes severe outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF)
Fatality rate of up to 90%
Occurs mostly in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests
Transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads through human-to-human contact
Fruit bats are thought to carry the Ebola virus
No treatment or vaccine
Source: WHO

"What we do have are suspected cases, which our health teams are investigating and taking blood samples from people who had come in contact with those suspected to have the virus," he added.

Mr Kargbo said one suspected case involved a 14-year-old boy buried in a Sierra Leonean village after he apparently died across the border in Guinea two weeks ago, AFP reports.

The other patient was still alive in the northern border district of Kambia, he added.

Five people are reported to have died in Liberia after crossing from southern Guinea for treatment, Liberia's Health Minister Walter Gwenigale told journalists on Monday.

However, it is not clear whether they had Ebola.

Outbreaks of Ebola occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests, the World Health Organization says.

I saw this a while back on RSOE EDIS for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada. This fellow recently returned from a trip to Africa with a disease which presented as Ebola, but has been ruled out from testing, however they still don't know what he has.

Doctors say the man isolated in a Saskatoon hospital after returning home from Africa has an undiagnosed fever of unknown origin. Rod Ogilvie remains in critical condition and is intubated with failing organs according to Denise Werker, Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer. Late Monday night, lab tests resulted negative for the four most serious pathogens of viral hemorrhagic fever: Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Crimean-Congo virus and Lassa virus. Werker said there are other hemorrhagic fevers, like Dangue, but those are not transmissible from person to person. As a precaution, doctors also isolated some of Ogilvie's family members while they investigated the possibility for viral hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola but those people have been released now that it has been ruled out. Doctors still don't know exactly what kind of illness Ogilvie is suffering from so more lab tests are being done into other diseases like Malaria.

Ogilvie returned to Saskatchewan on March 8 but did not start to show symptoms until March 20. Werker stressed there was no risk to public health between that time for people on the aircraft or on public transit because most people only become contagious once they are symptomatic. There would also have to be direct contact between bodily fluids like blood or using his toothbrush.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Ebola was weaponsied a long, long time ago.

As far as I'm aware it has never managed to 'travel' 500 miles in a few days before. That is unusual. The above thread is interesting.

reply to post by Elliot


that is unusual about the guy with the fever they can't diagnose....and the ebola has traveled farther than before....will keep an eye on this

reply to post by soficrow


Any ebola outbreak could be a pandemic...no kidding

chrismarco
reply to post by soficrow

 

Any ebola outbreak could be a pandemic...no kidding

/yawn

Stop with the doom porn people.

Ebola= bad news for Africa
Not bad ned for the USA and EU

Elliot
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Ebola was weaponsied a long, long time ago.

As far as I'm aware it has never managed to 'travel' 500 miles in a few days before. That is unusual. The above thread is interesting.

Let's hope the bio-engineers developed vaccines when they weaponized the sucker - and that it works against the Zaire strain that's spreading now. ...The death toll is now over 80, it's crossing borders and containment is a big concern because of the geographic spread.

Ebola’s Death Toll Reaches 80 in ‘Unprecedented’ Outbreak

The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, where the death toll climbed to 80, is “unprecedented,” international aid organization Doctors Without Borders said.

The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, where the death toll climbed to 80, is “unprecedented,” international aid organization Doctors Without Borders said.

In neighboring Liberia, one of two confirmed cases has died, while a second person who died with a suspected Ebola infection tested negative for the virus, the World Health Organization said in a statement. Both confirmed cases in Liberia were exposed to Ebola in Guinea, Gregory Hartl, a WHO spokesman, said on Twitter.

The outbreak is the worst in seven years, and the first in Guinea, which has 122 suspected or confirmed cases, the WHO said yesterday. The distribution of cases in different areas of the West African nation, from villages in the country’s south to the coastal capital of Conakry, makes the outbreak unlike any other, according to Doctors Without Borders.

“We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases,” Mariano Lugli, coordinator of the organization’s project in Conakry, said yesterday in a statement. “This geographical spread is worrisome because it will greatly complicate the tasks of the organizations working to control the epidemic.”

Ebola’s geographic spread across Guinea unprecedented

The protective gear was rushed to the isolation wards as soon as it arrived at Guinea’s main airport on Sunday: 1,500 sets of full-body protective suits including masks, gloves, goggles, aprons, boots and hats.

The emergency aid shipment was a frightening reminder of the deadly power of Ebola, one of the world’s most lethal infectious diseases, which has no known cure or vaccine. The latest epidemic, suspected of killing 80 people so far, has spread in an “unprecedented” manner to several towns and cities scattered across Guinea, the medical relief organization Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders) warned on Monday.

...The outbreak in Guinea is caused by the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, which kills 90 per cent of those who catch it. “This is the most aggressive and deadly known form of the virus,” said MSF epidemiologist Michel Van Herp, who is currently in one of the southern regions in Guinea where the epidemic has struck.

The disease often causes severe external bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea, all of which can spread the virus. ...

...The World Health Organization has sent a medical anthropologist into Guinea to try to identify the source of the latest outbreak and how it was spread. So far, it appears to have been spread by the travel of infected people from the original source region in the south, rather than from multiple infection sites. ...

Guinea faces Ebola epidemic on unprecedented scale, ...death toll passes 80

...Liberia has recorded seven suspected and confirmed cases, including four deaths, the World Health Organisation said. Sierra Leone has reported five suspected cases, none of which have been confirmed yet.

...Senegal, another neighbour of Guinea, closed its land border over the weekend and has suspended weekly markets near the border to prevent the spread of the disease.

The regional airline Gambia Bird delayed the launch of services to Conakry, due to start on Sunday, because of the outbreak.

If the deaths are all confirmed as Ebola, a disease that leads to vomiting, diarrhoea and external bleeding, it would be the most deadly epidemic since 187 people died in Luebo, in Congo's Kasai-Occidental province, in 2007.

reply to post by soficrow

Is there any evidence that it has become 'airborne' yet?

Usually, Ebola outbreaks are limited to very rural areas and a few locals. I hadn't heard of it crossing borders until this occurence and so, in that manner it is unusual.

All very well some people saying, it's only Africa, so don't worry about it. Any humanly engineered disease realeased in order to rob a continent is genocide, IF that is what has happened.......and let's hope it is under control very soon with no more fatalities.

They couldn't get bird flu to make the global civilizations use their injections, so now a little nudge on ebola to scare the people into conformance? Won't be surprised to see a vaccine crop up shortly.

Elliot
reply to post by soficrow

 

Is there any evidence that it has become 'airborne' yet?

Usually, Ebola outbreaks are limited to very rural areas and a few locals. I hadn't heard of it crossing borders until this occurence and so, in that manner it is unusual.

All very well some people saying, it's only Africa, so don't worry about it. Any humanly engineered disease realeased in order to rob a continent is genocide, IF that is what has happened.......and let's hope it is under control very soon with no more fatalities.

No - no evidence it's airborne. But the geographical spread is very unusual - and unprecedented.

I doubt it's been engineered - it's the standard Zaire strain although I recall reading that some doctors say other strains may be involved. ...???

Found it:

But other viruses may be playing a role, according to epidemiologists, including Lassa, another hemorrhagic fever endemic to west Africa.

tmeister182
They couldn't get bird flu to make the global civilizations use their injections, so now a little nudge on ebola to scare the people into conformance? Won't be surprised to see a vaccine crop up shortly.

Ebola is native to Africa and found naturally in monkeys, bats and other bushmeat. True, it has been weaponized but supposedly there's no treatment or vaccine despite decades of trying to develop same (kinda like what happened with HIV). ....I think your "purposeful release" hypothesis needs a lot more work - "Big Pharma did it to sell more drugs" doesn't quite wash with this one. Especially since mankind and industry in general have done so much to alter the environment and promote rapid evolution in viruses and microbes.


Beyond the "Big Pharma did it to sell more drugs" hypothesis, many Americans fear the "quarantine solution" - conspiracy theories abound regarding FEMA camps set up for potential pandemics. In the past though, governments did not take control - people took matters into their own hands and communities shunned the diseased and malformed. And the old ways are playing out in Africa today.

West Africa: Battling Fear and Stigma Over Ebola

Fear and stigma are often common human reactions to a disease, in particular when it comes to Ebola, a highly infectious disease which can spread quickly and for which there is no known cure.

In Guinea, a west African country, which is currently experiencing a rampant spread of Ebola cases, fear and stigma related to the disease are becoming increasingly visible. Many residents are limiting their movements, refusing to venture too far from their homes. …."When Uganda experienced an Ebola outbreak in 2012, we met people whose family and friends were scared of them because they were being monitored as possibly carrying the virus. No one could touch them. They were avoided, even after they recovered. It is this kind of fear and stigma which we must address immediately."

….Avoiding direct contact with people carrying the Ebola virus is one of the key measures used to reduce the spread of the disease. But this also has a negative effect as people who suffer from other severe illnesses like malaria are sometimes admitted into isolation as a precaution. But when they recover and are discharged, the community still believes they were actually being treated for Ebola and could still be contagious. Fear of being marginalized or isolated may also cause people to conceal their illness.

Survivors of Ebola who have had family members die, also suffer from stigma. Even after they recover and are discharged, the community still believes they have contracted the Ebola virus and do not want them in the market, in their house or places of worship.

Saudi suspends visas for Guinea, Liberia pilgrims over Ebola

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced the suspension of visas for Muslim pilgrims from Guinea and Liberia, two African countries hit by an outbreak of the deadly Ebola epidemic.

The "preventive" measure came at the request of the Saudi health ministry "due to the danger of the disease and its highly contagious" nature, state news agency SPA reported.

….The tropical virus leads to haemorrhagic fever, causing muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.

Guinea's Ebola victims wait for death

Isolated from the outside world in a medical centre in Ebola-hit southern Guinea, victims of one of the deadliest viruses known to mankind wait listlessly for the merciful release of death.

….Patients suffer a particularly unpleasant death, succumbing to severe fever and muscle pain before their organs break down.

In the worst cases the agony is accompanied by profuse, unstoppable internal and external bleeding.

"Rose will probably die soon and then it will definitely be my turn," sobbed Ren, 18, a family member admitted to the suspect cases building two days ago.

JUST A THOUGHT - Ebola has been weaponized, so there MUST be a vaccine or treatments. No doubt these "assets" are being protected but can't someone share?

Van Herp said the best his charity could do was to help patients produce antibodies, adding there was no treatment to cure the disease.

"We aim at making infected people stronger. We ensure that their bodies are not dehydrated, so they are able to produce antibodies that will clean their bodies of the virus," he said.

"There is no treatment. There is no drug that specifically kills the virus," he added.

Ebola is is one of the world's most lethal infectious diseases with a fatality rate of up to 90 percent. It leads to vomiting, diarrhoea and external bleeding.

reply to post by PurpleDog UK


yeah just reading that on AlJazeera:
MSF: Guinea Ebola outbreak unprecedented

not sure if that is the same as your news source... but thought I would add it anyway.

An aid organisation has described the outbreak of Ebola in Guinea as an "unprecedented epidemic" with a "worrisome" geographical spread.

Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) said on Monday that the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus was the most aggressive and deadly, killing more than 90 percent of patients.

"We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases in the country: Gueckedou, Macenta Kissidougou, Nzerekore, and now Conakry," said Mariano Lugli, who is coordinating MSF's project in the Guinean capital of Conakry.

chrismarco
reply to post by soficrow

 

Any ebola outbreak could be a pandemic...no kidding

Bloody oath. If it hits our shores it would be catastrophic.

Thurisaz

chrismarco
reply to post by soficrow

 

Any ebola outbreak could be a pandemic...no kidding

Bloody oath. If it hits our shores it would be catastrophic.

True. But Ebola is a tropical disease, and climate change does NOT help diseases spread.



/sarcasm/

www.avianflutalk.com...


Update from the WHO on 30th March - 2 days ago

Deaths still at 80, suspected cases up to 150 from 122, and the MSM is running with this story now - one of the best overviews was written by Alan Yuhas, and published by The Guardian.

Guinea's Ebola outbreak: what is the virus and what's being done?

….Since January, Guinea health authorities have reported more than 150 suspected cases and nearly 80 deaths, scattered far across the country. The outbreak has led to travel alerts and thrust one of the world’s most lethal infectious diseases back into the spotlight.

What is Ebola?

"One of the most virulent viral diseases known to humankind", reads the WHO's alarming first sentence on Ebola, the group of five viruses with a case fatality ranging from 25-90% in humans. Ebola infects humans through direct contact with a sick person's (or animal's) blood or bodily fluids, or through contact with contaminated objects (such as needles and bedsheets). A "viral haemorrhagic fever", symptoms at first resemble those of a normal fever, infections spread quickly among family and friends caring for sick people, and then among medical staff who haven't confirmed the cause of sickness.

….On 23 March, authorities confirmed infections nationwide, from rural, southern towns to its capital, the port city of Conakry, where over two million people live. As doctors must quarantine the sick with extreme precaution, the wide range of infections could be disastrous.

…..On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia suspended visas for people from Guinea and Liberia. Senegal, to the north, has closed its borders. Liberia, to the south, has reported four deaths among seven suspected and confirmed cases. Sierra Leone, almost surrounded by Guinea's borders, reports five suspected cases, and has begun screening anyone who wants to cross the border. Reuters reports that the regional airline Gambia Bird has delayed service to Conakry, the capital. A coordinator for Médecins sans Frontières told the BBC that this could be "an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen". Liberia has warned people to stop having sex, kissing and shaking hands, and many people have taken to wearing gloves.

Also see Reuters.

reply to post by soficrow


Why was a new Thread started on this?

I posted in the other one 2 days ago I think and no wonder no-one replied.

Anyway, I posted this:

Got an update on the virus in Guinea and its not good reading. Its spreading at an alarming rate!

Guinea Facing 'Unprecedented Ebola Epidemic'

MSF coordinator Mariano Lugli said: "We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases in the country."

Mr Lugli said previous outbreaks handled by MSF were "much more geographically contained and involved more remote locations."

Guinea's health ministry has reported 122 suspected cases, with at least 78 deaths linked to the virus. Of those there are 22 laboratory confirmed cases.

Liberia also confirmed its first cases overnight on Sunday.



news.sky.com...

reply to post by TruthxIsxInxThexMist


www.nbcnews.com...


USA sends team of 5 experts ..... But the outbreak is worrisome both because it’s an especially deadly strain of the virus and because it’s in a border area.

“This is the most aggressive and deadly Zaire strain of Ebola virus. It kills more than 9 out of 10 patients,” said Michel Van Herp, an epidemiologist for the non-profit group Medecins sans

reply to post by research100


I'm just glad its only transmitted via bodily fluids at the moment.

I won't be kissing anyone for a while or having sex if this thing escalates!

I also won't be sharing any toilets with anyone.