Current Ebola Outbreak is the Worst in History and "Out of Control"

I find this somewhat disturbing, ATS. It appears that Ebola strikes again! It popped up in February of 2014 and has been on a rampage across parts of Africa. Doctors are scrambling to contain it but fear that its spread may be difficult to stop.

The disease's spread seemed to slow down for a while, but has picked up in recent weeks. An estimated 528 people have been infected, and 337 have died in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. While it's likely that many cases go uncounted, the Associated Press notes that previously, the largest reported death toll was in the Congo in 1976, when 280 people died. (The most widespread outbreak infected 425 people in Uganda in 2000, killing 224.)

Ebola is one of the deadliest viruses ever known, with the most fatal strains killing up to 90% of people infected. The current strain is killing about 60% of people infected, NBC News reports. There is currently no vaccine and no cure.

Ebola begins as fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat, but soon progresses to vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and impaired organ function. A large proportion of those infected also bleed profusely, both internally and externally. It's considered highly contagious, though it isn't transmitted through the air — instead it's spread by bodily fluids like blood and saliva which can be very hard to avoid when someone is bleeding heavily from every orifice.

So, there you have it, ATS. Your daily dose of Doom Porn.....This sounds like a pretty serious illness with no cure. My only hope is that it can be stopped before it spreads any further. What says ATS?

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When the Earth gets tired of people it has it's own defense mechanisms, Ebola is one of them. At least that is my far out whacky theory. Had that idea ever since seeing "The Happening".

Despite Ebola being transmitted solely through bodily fluids a mutation could make it airborne. If that happened and that little bug loses it's mind it could very well reduce the entire Earths population. I need to find The Last Ship, Quick!



(btw that was a reference to a new TV show about a virulent outbreak decimating the population).

originally posted by: Mamatus
When the Earth gets tired of people it has it's own defense mechanisms, Ebola is one of them. At least that is my far out whacky theory. Had that idea ever since seeing "The Happening".

Despite Ebola being transmitted solely through bodily fluids a mutation could make it airborne. If that happened and that little bug loses it's mind it could very well reduce the entire Earths population. I need to find The Last Ship, Quick!



(btw that was a reference to a new TV show about a virulent outbreak decimating the population).

Let's see how this goes...Hopefully, they can get it under wraps soon.

a reply to: Mamatus

Of course, the bug in The Last Ship was weaponized to make it as virulent as it is.

Seems to me like the Ebola finally made its way into more densely populated areas over there, and we're seeing how scary it can be in third world conditions. Let's just hope it stays over there and doesn't break out into some of the world's other third world areas.

The big threat is that it finds a way to infect enough people in a modern country to overwhelm the advantages of modern sanitation and medical care. Yes, you're pretty much a goner if you get it, but modern medicine can keep you isolated so you don't go out infecting your family and random strangers on the way. If it manages to do that, we're in trouble.

last ship is also a book series and not a bad one at that but in the books its nukes not biological weapons but i wont spoil it for those that are planing on watching the show or reading the series.

as far as i know nothing stops Ebola when you get it right? i mean it either kills you or it doesnt there isnt like an anti virus or vaccine for it correct? as far as i know it tends to stay in warmer wetter climates as well so alaska or montana would not be at as much risk as say florida of spreading ebola? ever since i read rainbow 6 Ebola has scared the crap out of me

a reply to: RalagaNarHallas

Yes, if you get it, you either die or survive, and depending on what strain it is, there are different survival rates. The one they had circulating in the Africa was the 80% mortality strain. There are some that are "nicer," relatively speaking.

So far as I know, the virus reservoir hasn't really been officially determined although bats are thought to play a part, and it's a tropical source. That won't stop it if you get infected people into those climes though. However, once the plague burned out, there wouldn't be anywhere for the virus to go to make a reservoir.

Ebola has been going on for years. No one really knows how long and often it has been going on. It is only recently that such has been recorded.

The reality is that they do not know how this disease is spread, or the carrier animal. And that is part of the problem. The other part is that the majority of the populations in Africa, especially those that are hit by diseases like Ebola, do not trust the medical profession, doctors, or hospitals. And who can blame them, as many of them see the very sick go in, and come out dead. So such is viewed with suspicion and distrust. Combined with deep set cultural practices that are where they are not wanting to break and it is going to be a havoc bearing when it comes to epidemics and disasters.

Add into the political instability of those countries, along with the raise of some western aspects and it is bound to happen time and time again. Ebola was not highly recorded, until of late, and was usually isolated out into the middle of the country. But with the advent of more modern means of travel, and roads, and the virus is travelling along with it. There is a correlation between such, and it is growing, combined with the deforestation of the jungles and native terrains and it is only going to get worse.

The more scary scenario that could happen is that it will spread beyond the borders of the countries that the outbreak is happening in right now. And if it heads north, then Europe is at risk.

For the record on Ebola, it is a member of the family called Filoviruses, that is specifically has Ebola and Marburg. All of the varieties of such are lethal to most primates. The problem is that once a person catches it, it is usually too late, as there is no rapid test for such. And the symptoms often resemble the flue. At that time frame the person is highly infectious.