Quarantine, West Africa: EBOLA UPDATE

Launching a $100 million action plan, leaders in Sierra Leone and Liberia are relying on quarantine to contain the Ebola epidemic, and on armed military and police for enforcement. Unfortunately, epidemic containment depends on "contact tracing" - finding everyone in contact with an infected victim, then isolating, monitoring and testing them for the disease - but that's not happening much. It's all about quarantine.

The main quarantine area is about 70,685 square kilometers of jungle, spreading from Kenema -the location of the US' Bio-War research facilities- in eastern Sierra Leone to Macenta in southern Guinea and including most of Liberia's northern forests. Think Vietnam.

No word on the strategy to quarantine fruit bats or other animals. (Fruit bats carry Ebola, and are blamed for transmitting the virus to humans. Also on the list of "potentially infected" are pigs and other animals - from primates to antelopes, porcupines, rodents and dogs.)

In addition to quarantining the jungle, armed military and police patrol various quarantined communities in Sierra Leone and Liberia (maybe Nigeria too?). Supposedly their orders are, "Shoot to kill." No one is about to touch anyone alive or dead (for fear of infection) - and reports say dead bodies are lying in the streets.

Still no word on that fruit bat quarantine.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone President Bai Koroma vowed to quarantine sick patients at home and have authorities conduct house-to-house searches. Given the lack of protective gear for doctors and medical workers actually treating patients on the actual frontlines, one does wonder just how these "authorities" plan to protect themselves from infection. And what they intend to do with infected victims when they find them. Armed guards again? Are there enough to station at hundreds of homes? Or will they "shoot to kill"?

The city of Monrovia, Liberia, has 3 teams for contact tracing, but only one working vehicle. The other two vehicles aren't working - one is broken and there's no fuel for the other one. Apparently though, there are plenty of fully operational government vehicles in the Ministry parking lot.

Obviously, the "quarantine" won't work. It's just a big show to justify the money grab - the latest pot being $100 million. We can only wait to see what happens next. In West Africa and the rest of the world.

The Scariest Virus: Ebola Is Back, and It’s Worse Than Ever

….Last Saturday, (John Berestecky, a microbiologist and visiting professor at the University of Liberia) says, he “rode around town with a contact tracing team.” ….

According to Berestecky, there are just three contact tracing teams in Monrovia. The one he rode with last weekend was the only one in the field. “The other two were not operating because of one broken vehicle and the lack of fuel for the other vehicle,” his post notes, although there appeared to be “no shortage of operational government vehicles in the Ministry parking lot.”

Worse, says the professor, “I learned that day there was only one Case Investigation Team operating.” He explained, that’s the team sent to “investigate and classify all symptomatic patients and any suspicious dead bodies in the various communities of all of Monrovia.” The single team is “days behind in investigating reported cases.”

[NOTE: "there appeared to be “no shortage of operational government vehicles in the Ministry parking lot.” "

West Africa seeks to seal off Ebola-hit regions

West Africa’s Ebola-hit nations have agreed to impose a cross-border isolation zone at the epicentre of the world’s worst-ever outbreak, amid warnings that the deadly epidemic is spiralling out of control.

….“We have agreed to take important and extraordinary actions at the inter-country level to focus on cross-border regions that have more than 70 percent of the epidemic,” said Hadja Saran Darab, the secretary-general of the Mano River Union bloc grouping the nations.

“These areas will be isolated by police and military. The people in these areas being isolated will be provided with material support,”…. [Sure. Like the tracing teams have access to vehicles, right? Out-of-gas and broken-down?]

Quarantines are being enforced in Sierra Leone and Liberia by police and military after the countries declared a state of emergency. Yet the virus is dramatically gaining momentum in Sierra Leone. [sic. At least.] …

….the epicentre of the outbreak has a diameter of almost 300 kilometres (185 miles), spreading from Kenema -the location of the US' Bio-War research facilities- in eastern Sierra Leone to Macenta in southern Guinea, and taking in most of Liberia’s extreme northern forests. ….

[NOTE: That's about 70,685 square kilometers of jungle under quarantine. Think Vietnam. Again, no word on the wild bat quarantine.]

Sierra Leone president promises house to house hunt as death by Ebola reaches a record deaths

….In Sierra Leone, president Ernest Bai Koroma vowed to quarantine sick patients at home and have authorities conduct house-to-house searches for others who may have been exposed as the country struggles with families resisting treatment at isolation centers. …

West African Countries Affected by Ebola Agree to Isolate Outbreak Epicenter

West Africa seeks to seal off Ebola-hit regions

Million-Dollar Fruit Bat Trade Could Be Spreading Ebola, UN Warns

….the most likely “ground zero” is the fruit bat. These bats serve as natural reservoirs, occasionally infecting other animals—from primates to antelopes, porcupines, rodents, dogs, and pigs.

The WHO announced a new, $100 million push to contain the outbreak on July 31.

Unless they're willing to take the economic hit to completely shut down global air travel, this will get out. But since international commerce is what our entire economic system is based on, and too many people don't know enough about what's truly going on here, they won't do that in time, if ever.

The bell that can't be unrung is starting to ring, right now.

originally posted by: signalfire
Unless they're willing to take the economic hit to completely shut down global air travel, this will get out. But since international commerce is what our entire economic system is based on, and too many people don't know enough about what's truly going on here, they won't do that in time, if ever.

The bell that can't be unrung is starting to ring, right now.

You don't need to shut down global air travel that would completely and utterly stupid and a over reaction.

Shutting down air travel to west Africa would do plenty.

a reply to: soficrow

Thanks, this proves what I was saying in the other thread, if and when there is one case of a death or even suspicion of EBOLA in the United States, there will be no attempt to find individuals who may have come in contact, an instant quarantine zone will be declared for some area, and of course with that some sort of martial or FEMA provisioning and oversight, don't we all remember Katrina and how that worked out, but this scenario will be much worse, as all movement will be restricted and all government control in those areas will probably be taken over by FEMA and the Federal authorities, no state control of the quarantine area.

originally posted by: signalfire
Unless they're willing to take the economic hit to completely shut down global air travel, this will get out. But since international commerce is what our entire economic system is based on, and too many people don't know enough about what's truly going on here, they won't do that in time, if ever.

The bell that can't be unrung is starting to ring, right now.

You're right - that bell is definitely ringing. Quarantining the Kenema area might have worked back in December, 2013, when the first case appeared, maybe even in January 2014. But everyone was denying everything, even when Doctors Without Borders (MSF) started calling it in February. By the time March rolled around it had 5 or 7 epicenters - one was the city of Conakry - and it was too late. But even then the WHO, and all the medical "authorities" and pundits were still saying it would burn itself out.

...Shutting down global air travel would involve a total rethink -and restructuring- of how we live. And it still wouldn't change the fact that the whole world is inter-connected. Everything gets around, eventually, in some way or another and in some form or another. I'd rather see a rethink and restructuring around how we treat our global petrie dish aka interconnected bio- eco- and other systems.

a reply to: crazyewok

....Shutting down air travel to west Africa would do plenty.

I think it's too late. Plus, it's not like West Africa is not connected to the rest of Africa - and animals do not respect political borders. Fruit bats fly, antelope run. ....And no, I do not advocate quarantining the whole of Africa.

originally posted by: phinubian
a reply to: soficrow

Thanks, this proves what I was saying in the other thread,

....if and when there is one case of a death or even suspicion of EBOLA in the United States, there will be no attempt to find individuals who may have come in contact, an instant quarantine zone will be declared for some area, and of course with that some sort of martial or FEMA provisioning and oversight, don't we all remember Katrina and how that worked out, but this scenario will be much worse, as all movement will be restricted and all government control in those areas will probably be taken over by FEMA and the Federal authorities, no state control of the quarantine area.

You're welcome, and thank you. I almost think organized federal oversight will be better and more human - one agency warning about the new quarantine rules said it was guaranteed to create "dictators" at the local levels.... Which as I recall, is exactly how the Katrina fiasco began before it was well and truly fubarred by incompetent federal interventions.

But yeah, the dangers we all talked about years ago seem nearly upon us. Truth is, nobody really knows what to do or how to handle global catastrophe. The standard response - throw money at it - won't work 'cuz there just isn't enough money.

They should lock down travel outside these countries for at least 30 days of the last known case to ensure it is contained. No reason to stop shipments of food etc going inn just nothing coming out. Every life that might save is important.

a reply to: Xeven
Haven't they in some places?

That would be a wise move. It's probably already out, but it would stop more from getting out.

a reply to: soficrow

Well, it's clear from my reading the train already left the station. So if anything, this will further victimize people in one of the most corrupt and physically challenging places to live in the world.

Maybe the world should have a better plan next time when these issues arise.

a reply to: Xeven

One consequence that will be hard to deal with is that 'healthy' people will want to get out of Dodge. Of course, even many of the exposed and sick will seek the same.

I'd even be willing to predict that more people will needlessly die from the quarantine policy than Ebola itself.

This is no easy problem. That is for sure.

Suspected cases in the Phillipines now -

The Phillipines has reported the country's first suspected cases of the Ebola virus. According to the country's health officials, seven workers who returned to the Phillipines from Sierra Leone are showing symptoms symilar to that of the tropical virus.

Hopefully a false alarm, but 7 people just happening to be sick with something else ???

english.cntv.cn...

a reply to: loam

IMPORTANT FYI - the first articles I read on Sawyer (in African news sources) said Sawyer was visiting with his sister before she died of Ebola - and before he flew to Nigeria. That info started shifting quite quickly, until no sources carried the information, then the campaign started - effectively blaming Sawyer for his own plight and not incidentally, painting Nigeria -and its medical system- as innocent and not liable.

....Maybe the world should have a better plan next time when these issues arise.

A better plan to serve which agenda?

I can easily imagine that some people think this is working out beautifully: West Africa's almost under control (read desperate and vulnerable - which is how predators like their prey), the better to access their resources; the USA now has the legal framework to institute equally Draconian quarantine measures for all kinds of unspecified reasons, the better to whip Americans into any given corral; and the list goes on. What more could any global corporate dictator ask?

....There WAS a good plan - but it centered on having the resources (manpower etc) to identify patients and trace contacts. However, the US messed up in Kenema so Liberia and Sierra Leone had them over a barrel, and meanwhile, the world's nations decided to cut the WHO's funding.

* The first Ebola patient was in December 2013 near Kenema - but because of the US Army's involvement in the research there, the cover-ups went into gear - meanwhile, corrupt government officials from Sierra Leone and Liberia used the opportunity to start negotiating for cash (aka blackmail).

* The only hospital in the area was in Kenema - and it was affiliated with the US research teams. From the getgo, people from the region said the hospital in Kenema was bad, and made people sick. They said they got injections for Ebola - but there is no treatment for Ebola and no reason to get injections - and the injections made them sick.

* By February, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was on location dealing with the mess, and

* By March, called the epidemic. Area residents still kept insisting there was something "bad" about the Kenema hospital.

* And the WHO basically said "we can't fit it into our budget - we have other, greater priorities."

* By the time more doctors and medical finally started showing up, the rumors about the Kenema research hospital were circulating everywhere - and people were terrified of doctors.

.......The $100 million earmarked for the epidemic went through the WHO to the 3 governments, who were responsible for developing (and implementing) their strategy - Guinea is good and responsible, but it's just another windfall to Sierra Leone and Liberia. They'll buy votes by paying their friends to set up military-style hierarchies with generals and sergeants and grunts to patrol the streets and jungle and "enforce the quarantine." It's all a really bad joke.

a reply to: Maluhia

Looks like it's just a "watch."

Philippines monitors arrivals from west Africa for Ebola

The Philippines said on Friday (August 1) that people arriving from west African countries hit by the Ebola outbreak would be monitored for a month to prevent the virus spreading to the Asian nation.

Ebola watch: 7 Filipinos from Africa checked daily

Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net...
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

....Health authorities are closely monitoring the condition of seven of 15 Filipino migrant workers who returned last month from Sierra Leone, in West Africa, where an Ebola outbreak has killed more than 700 people.

Officials said most of the migrants were construction workers repatriated from Sierra Leone on orders of their employers due to the Ebola outbreak, which has also stricken Guinea and Liberia.

....Lyndon See Suy, spokesperson for the Department of Health, told a press briefing on Friday that health authorities have been monitoring the migrant workers since they returned from Sierra Leone in late June.

“They came in batches starting the last week of June until mid-July. Since their arrival, we have been calling them every day to check on them,” Suy said.

the only way an ebola outbreak would spread in the US is if it were a deliberate one (water supply, food supply)...

human to human contact would not spread in the states very effectively, unless you stand real close to everybody you talk to and spit in their mouth, so there isn't much to worry about unless it were a deliberate contamination...

originally posted by: here4awhile
the only way an ebola outbreak would spread in the US is if it were a deliberate one (water supply, food supply)...

human to human contact would not spread in the states very effectively, unless you stand real close to everybody you talk to and spit in their mouth, so there isn't much to worry about unless it were a deliberate contamination...

You're right, standard old Ebola does NOT spread efficiently and would be easily contained in the US. But. Viruses can and do mutate naturally. Ebola is known to be very, very stable and slow to mutate but our planet's environment has changed a lot, and West Africa's deforestation is a big change too. Most everything is mutating very rapidly these days. Everywhere.

...If the virus was somehow tweaked (even with the assumption it was safe and could be contained) and got out into the wild, what might happen is anyone's guess.

originally posted by: soficrow

No one is about to touch anyone alive or dead (for fear of infection) - and reports say dead bodies are lying in the streets.

And, just there for scavengers...both animal and insect....to feast upon and possibly become contaminated.

Seems to me, burying or burning should be done ASAP.....

originally posted by: DontTreadOnMe

originally posted by: soficrow

No one is about to touch anyone alive or dead (for fear of infection) - and reports say dead bodies are lying in the streets.

And, just there for scavengers...both animal and insect....to feast upon and possibly become contaminated.

Seems to me, burying or burning should be done ASAP.....

No kidding. Some cremation efforts are being made - but like most everything with this crisis, it's just a joke. Lots of animals are known to carry Ebola - bats and dogs are common in urban environments. ...Authorities claim insects are not a vector - but I doubt enough (any?) research has been done to make that claim. ...Then there's the soil sequestration thing - where diseases hide in the soil til a host comes along. I doubt Lagos has many paved streets - they're dirt. Nobody anywhere talks much about soil reservoirs for any diseases (at least not publicly) - but it's common. Bird flu in Asia, Mad Cow and CWD in the US, not to mention all those newly mutated versions of e. Coli, salmonella and the rest of them.

....posted recently that if all the people flipping out over Ebola in the States knew even 10% about what is already here and loose they'd go into a catatonic coma. And they would.

Can you imagine living through this?

Sierra Leone, Liberia deploy troops as Ebola toll hits 887

Hundreds of troops deployed in Sierra Leone and Liberia on Monday to quarantine communities hit by the deadly Ebola virus, as the death toll from the worst-ever outbreak reached 887 and three new cases were reported in Nigeria.

…Long convoys of military trucks ferried troops and medical workers on Monday to Sierra Leone's far east, where the density of cases is highest. Military spokesman Colonel Michael Samoura said the operation, code-named Octopus, involved around 750 military personnel.

Troops will gather in the southeastern town of Bo before travelling to isolated communities to implement quarantines, he added. Healthcare workers will be allowed to come and go freely, and the communities will be kept supplied with food.

In neighbouring Liberia, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and ministers held a crisis meeting on Sunday to discuss a series of anti-Ebola measures as police contained infected communities in the northern Lofa county.

Police were setting up checkpoints and roadblocks for key entrance and exit points to those infected communities, which nobody will be allowed to leave.

……..A Reuters witness in the Liberian capital Monrovia said several clinics were spontaneously closing their doors because doctors were too afraid to treat patients. More than 60 doctors have already died of Ebola, hampering efforts to control the outbreak.

Health workers in Liberia say they are overwhelmed by the number of cases, a condition exacerbated by the departure of some international staff following the infection of two U.S. aid workers in Liberia.

So Sierra Leone have deployed "hundreds" of troops to enforce quarantine in over 17,000 square kilometres of jungle as well as in villages, towns and cities. Say 1000 soldiers are getting somewhere around $100 per month (a veritable fortune in Africa), that's about $100,000 per month, or $1.2 million for a year. So where's the rest of the $100 million?

And now, Nigeria is starting to own up about cases there.

Also NOTE April 1 Damage control:

Nigerian Government Refutes Ebola Outbreak Claims

At a news conference in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, said “most Nigerians mistake Dengue fever, which is also transmitted by mosquitoes in urban and semi urban areas, for Ebola disease.

He dismissed media report that there was an outbreak of the disease, saying that laboratory investigations revealed that it is not Ebola. ....