Ebola Comes To USA

[skychief]

Some encouraging news from the Liberian 'hot zone':
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"The first large-scale trials of two experimental vaccines against Ebola have begun in Liberia.

The potentially preventative medicines were taken under strict security to a secret location in the West African country.

Scientists aim to immunize 30,000 volunteers, including front-line health workers.

The trial, which began on Monday, involves injecting 12 volunteers with a vaccine that contains a small, harmless fragment of the Ebola virus.

The aim is to trick the body into producing an immune response. More volunteers will be immunized as the trial progresses.

The senior Liberian scientist involved in the trials, Stephen Kennedy, told the BBC the volunteers were safe.

"There is no danger because the piece of the Zaire strain that has been put into the vaccine is a weak strain and it cannot and will not cause Ebola, so it is impossible that any one of the volunteers will contract Ebola from the vaccine," Mr Kennedy said.

However, it is not yet clear whether the trial vaccines will offer protection against the disease."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31087727
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That last sentence is rather bothersome, though. I guess we can just hope for the best. To date, the Zaire strain of ebola has claimed nearly NINE THOUSAND lives. But the incidence of infection is slowly tapering, so the light at the end of the Ebola tunnel is visible, regardless of whether the two experimental vaccines are effective or not.

 

[skychief]

Good and not-so-good news on the Ebola Front:

The good news is Liberia (the hardest impacted by Ebola deaths) went a TWO FULL MONTHS without a single case of Ebola this year.

Sadly, they backslid a bit. They are now treating five new Ebola patients.

Inside Liberia Ebola medical facility - BBC News


Guinea and Sierra Leone are still battling the disease with 220+ more cases since May 3rd 2015.


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Cumulative Cases (to date) 27,573

Cumulative Deaths (to date) 11,246

Last November, it was hoped (by W.H.O. officials) that the disease would be eradicated by this time (July 2015), obviously that's not the case.

But the fact that Liberia went 2 months without a single Ebola Case is encouraging. We all hope there is a light at the end of this extremely long tunnel.

 

[sissy kathy]

Good and not-so-good news on the Ebola Front:

The good news is Liberia (the hardest impacted by Ebola deaths) went a TWO FULL MONTHS without a single case of Ebola this year.

Sadly, they backslid a bit. They are now treating five new Ebola patients.

Inside Liberia Ebola medical facility - BBC News


Guinea and Sierra Leone are still battling the disease with 220+ more cases since May 3rd 2015.


Invalid Link Removed

Cumulative Cases (to date) 27,573

Cumulative Deaths (to date) 11,246

Last November, it was hoped (by W.H.O. officials) that the disease would be eradicated by this time (July 2015), obviously that's not the case.

But the fact that Liberia went 2 months without a single Ebola Case is encouraging. We all hope there is a light at the end of this extremely long tunnel.

It would be interesting to know where the new 'patient 0' came from. Maybe it will help them discover the origin.

 

[skychief]

It would be interesting to know where the new 'patient 0' came from. Maybe it will help them discover the origin.

Actually, they do. With a reasonable degree of certainty, anyways.

It was a two-year-old toddler from Guinea named Emile Ouamouno. He died DEc 6 2013. It is supposed that he contracted the virus by playing in the vicinity of guano (bat-poop) from this hollow tree near his home. So this tree would be regarded as the 'origin' of this strain of Ebola.

The black charred debris in the middle is a result of the villagers burning the tree.

 

[sissy kathy]

You misunderstand my intent, or I didn't communicate effectively; I was speaking of the young man (17) that died a couple weeks ago. After 42 days of no new infections where did that one come from? All reports I have seen indicated the was in a metro area and not exposed to bats. If that is the case it throws the theory into doubt.

EDIT: I just reread the story about that young man, he was traveling on the highway outside the capitol about an hour away. So probably not a metropolitan area when he fell ill. But latest reports I've seen still haven't managed to pinpoint the origin.

 

[sissy kathy]

The linked article is ominous, if this is the case, could turn into a disaster:

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[ErebusBass]

The only thing left to do is panic. We're all doomed.

 

[One Drop]

The only thing left to do is panic. We're all doomed.

Really. Here we go again, I guess some people never learn, and this whole thread is perfect proof.

I refrained from saying I told you so to the posters who would not see reason, but in the end it makes no difference.

 

[Mosfed]

SO this thread actually took a break for a while right? Or have you guys actually been full on at it since summer and I just missed it? Seriously?

 

[skychief]

You misunderstand my intent, or I didn't communicate effectively; I was speaking of the young man (17) that died a couple weeks ago.

Ooops .. I misread your question. I missed the word NEW patient zero and assumed you were referring to the original patient 0.

Anyways, I read the NY TIMES article in the link you posted. It states "The boy’s virus did not match strains still circulating in the continuing outbreak in Guinea and Sierra Leone." meaning that it was probably transmitted sexually.

Not so ominous, if this is the case.

But if the year-old virus is lurking dormant in some unknown reservoir somewhere, then ya, that could be ominous.

 

[Gaolee]

There's an aerosol vaccine that works on certain kinds of monkeys. So, there's progress. We aren't doomed from Ebola. The big earthquake will make the west coast of the US disappear under the waves, but that's later, so why worry?

 

[skychief]

The big earthquake will make the west coast of the US disappear under the waves, but that's later, so why worry?

Let me guess... You're wearing a hat made of a very shiny material.

Am I right?

 

[One Drop]

SO this thread actually took a break for a while right? Or have you guys actually been full on at it since summer and I just missed it? Seriously?

It came up on my watched threads list, like waking up to I Got You Babe once again.

 

[sissy kathy]

Ooops .. I misread your question. I missed the word NEW patient zero and assumed you were referring to the original patient 0.

Anyways, I read the NY TIMES article in the link you posted. It states "The boy’s virus did not match strains still circulating in the continuing outbreak in Guinea and Sierra Leone." meaning that it was probably transmitted sexually.

Not so ominous, if this is the case.

But if the year-old virus is lurking dormant in some unknown reservoir somewhere, then ya, that could be ominous.

Let me see you convince 18-20 yr olds to use condoms. Maybe it'll be different with their lives on the line, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for results.

 

[One Drop]

Let me see you convince 18-20 yr olds to use condoms. Maybe it'll be different with their lives on the line, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for results.

There are countries that have very good sex education (based not only on sex and birth control but on relationships, responsibility, and respecting limits, etc) that have virtually ended teenage unwanted pregnancy and created very responsible young adults.

I grew up in the era that AIDS changed the way everyone thought about unprotected sex, and it certainly got me started wearing them. Unfortunately there were many who simply didn't know better or who chose to ignore the risk.

That's where the role of women take responsibility for themselves and to insist men comply became so important in the case of hetero sexual relations.

 

[Gaolee]

Let me guess... You're wearing a hat made of a very shiny material.

Am I right?

Yes, I am. It keeps the CIA from infiltrating my brain at awkward times and lets me be happy about the world. It works great! Plus, I got me some really great water wings so when the big one comes, and Seattle becomes Atlantis, I'll just float off to Idaho.

 

[tastybasslines]

Let me see you convince 18-20 yr olds to use condoms. Maybe it'll be different with their lives on the line, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for results.

Actually, I think you are more likely to use condoms when you are younger. It when you get older that you don't give a F.

 

[metron]

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[skychief]

Nine people monitored for Ebola symptoms in Alabama after patient who traveled from West Africa is struck down by fever

A patient with Ebola-like symptoms has been admitted to University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital while eight others are being quarantined or monitored.
Tests are being carried out on the patient, who has recently traveled to West Africa, to determine if it is the deadly disease.
The Jefferson County Department of Health said the patient contacted authorities when they developed a fever but said it could be one of a number of other illnesses or disease, including malaria.

They said that the person in question had been traveling in places where Ebola was still present but had not come into contact with anyone who had the disease.

Medical director Edward Khan said: 'This person would fit into our low-risk category, meaning they did not come into contact with any known Ebola cases while over there, and they didn't participate in any high-risk activities such as burial ceremonies or health care work.'

Emergency vehicles, including Birmingham Fire and Rescue Services' decontamination unit, were stationed on the back of the UAB Hospital emergency room with the entire 500 block of 19th Street South closed for about an hour.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were advised of the situation, officials confirmed on Tuesday night.

It is not known which country the patient, who has not been identified visited. Their temperature is being monitored twice a day while staff are watching for Ebola-like symptoms, which is standard protocol after an American has visited an Ebola-stricken country.

It is also unclear how the rescue workers came into contact with the patient, but Khan said the hospital was aware of the Ebola-like symptoms before the patient arrived Tuesday night.





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[ddnidd1]

A patient with Ebola-like symptoms has been admitted to University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital while eight others are being quarantined or monitored.
Tests are being carried out on the patient, who has recently traveled to West Africa, to determine if it is the deadly disease.
The Jefferson County Department of Health said the patient contacted authorities when they developed a fever but said it could be one of a number of other illnesses or disease, including malaria.

but said it could be one of a number of other illnesses or disease, including malaria.