Ebola Epidemic Could Become Global Crisis

reply to post by crazyewok

My theory is that it may have been spread by contaminated bat meat.

That's the assumption, but it does not explain the geographic spread to several and various centers. Past outbreaks have been limited to one center. So why so many now?

soficrow

RESTON was mis-identified in VA as ebola-Zaire15 -

If I rember right Reston tested positive on the same anti body test as Zaire. It means that they must be extremely similar with maybe only 1 or 2 gentic differences.

soficrow
Never was infectious to humans - the only Ebola strain that isn't.

If I remember right it was still infectious to humans but didn't cause any illness, at least in the few that got infected (4 people I think).

But anyway either:
1) it shared the same ancestor as Zaire, in which case is the original virus still around , have we already encountered it in the 2 other strains? and can that kill humans?
2) Reston developed from Zaire
or
3) Zaire developed from Reston.

soficrow

That's the assumption, but it does not explain the geographic spread to several and various centers. Past outbreaks have been limited to one center. So why so many now?

Speculation here.

But a bat meat hunter and trader could have killed a infected colony of bats and the meat ended up sold in different locations?
If it was commercial bat meat it MAY have traveled.

Some one could have brought the infected bat meat and it found its way around different areas?

It speculation as I dont know how African trap and sell bat meat.

Just tripped over this bit.

NASA scientists say it is possible to predict outbreaks of diseases like Ebola. They have found that outbreaks of the disease coincide with a particularly dry period followed by a sudden very wet season. Satellite data for the Ebola-triggering pattern could serve as an early warning for future outbreaks, they say.

The NASA research is not in the IPCC report, and there is no observational evidence that suggests climate change is increasing the risk of Ebola outbreaks, said Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, one of the lead authors of the chapter on human health in the IPCC report. But there is a case for “newer approaches such as the use of satellite imagery to give us longer lead times of conditions suitable for transmission. Then we could decrease a lot of health risks from climate change”.

reply to post by crazyewok


I am surprised to find out People eat bats.

reply to post by soficrow


I wonder if that also could be linked to bats.

Seems reasonable that in dry weather bats will travel more to find better food sources and damper areas were there are more insects or fruit.

If it rains and the area become wet there will be more insets or fruit so more bats move in, plus will be more inclined to shelter were humans occupy.

Thurisaz
reply to post by crazyewok

 

I am surprised to find out People eat bats.

They will eat anything in Africa so don't be surprised! Especially if food is short.

crazyewok

soficrow

RESTON was mis-identified in VA as ebola-Zaire15 -

If I rember right Reston tested positive on the same anti body test as Zaire. It means that they must be extremely similar with maybe only 1 or 2 gentic differences.

soficrow
Never was infectious to humans - the only Ebola strain that isn't.

If I remember right it was still infectious to humans but didn't cause any illness, at least in the few that got infected (4 people I think).

But anyway either:
1) it shared the same ancestor as Zaire, in which case is the original virus still around , have we already encountered it in the 2 other strains? and can that kill humans?
2) Reston developed from Zaire
or
3) Zaire developed from Reston.

Hmm. The filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg genera) are all related - and the original Ebola strain was integrated into the human genome 40 million years ago. ...Most likely, Ebola evolved differently in Asia and Africa, and went extinct in other climates/environments.

Filoviruses are associated with acute fatal hemorrhagic diseases of humans and/or nonhuman primates when they spill over from their wildlife reservoir hosts. The family consists of two genera: Marburgvirus and Ebolavirus[1,2]. Five species of ebolavirus have been identified: Ivory Coast ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) and Bundibugyo ebolavirus. RESTV is the only known filovirus that does not cause severe disease in humans; however, it can be fatal in monkeys [3]. In 2009, infection of domestic pigs by RESTV was reported in the Philippines [4]. It was speculated that RESTV infected monkeys and pigs from an as yet unidentified host. Bats have been implicated as reservoirs for Marburgvirus [5] and Ebolavirus [6] in Africa and Asian country, the Philippines [7].

reply to post by crazyewok


If memory serves my right, the assumption is that the Bats pick up the virus from the caves where it was traced to and monkeys eat the bats, humans eat the monkeys. The reston virus, mutated to become airborne while in the monkey house as it was proven to have travelled between animals that had no physical contact.T

The Reston virus was found in humans, they were isolated in Level 4 containment for a few weeks but failed to develop any symptoms.

But no one really knows where the virus originated from, although it has been traced to a specific cave system in Zaire. There have been numerous expeditions to the caves to trap a wide variety of animals to find the virus, but nothing definitive.

I cannot see how this can be a normal Ebola outbreak - never really spread before BUT this time it's already in many different countries.

The outbreak has killed more than 90 people in Guinea and has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Gambia. On Friday, it was suspected to have spread to another country, Mali.

Except for a non-fatal case in Ivory Coast in 1994, when a lab researcher was infected while examining a dead chimp, Ebola had not previously been found in the west of the continent.

How it got there is puzzling experts.............Sylvain Baize, who heads France's National Reference Centre for haemorrhagic fever, said the outbreak "is serious – by all accounts, it is not under control."..................................Past outbreaks of Ebola have generally happened in remote rural areas, which makes their containment easier.

"That Ebola has found its way to densely-populated urban areas is a concern," Jonathan Ball, a professor of molecular virology at England's University of Nottingham said.

"Large numbers of people living at high density really helps infectious diseases spread."

reply to post by redshoes


Please read the information provided to you. RESTON is from the Phillipines; ZEBOV (Zaire Ebola) is from Africa; if you have actual scientific research with genetic evidence showing their relationship and origins, please post links. NOTE: One out-of-date book does not count as evidence.

reply to post by johnb

I cannot see how this can be a normal Ebola outbreak - never really spread before BUT this time it's already in many different countries.

Yes, this outbreak is different.

reply to post by soficrow

And the Elephant in the Room that everyone is skirting around is unwilling to mention even as a remote possibility..................?

reply to post by Elliot

And the Elephant in the Room that everyone is skirting around is unwilling to mention even as a remote possibility..................?

We've mentioned or talked about the following:

* Airborne
* Recombination and mutation
* Corporate bioterrorism (economic agenda)
* Habitat destruction and species relocation
* Climate change

......I give up. I'm tired. What's missing?

And to add to the misery....
Mob Attacks Ebola Treatment Center Run by Doctors Without Borders

A mob attacked an Ebola virus treatment center in Guinea on Friday, forcing Doctors Without Borders staff to shut the center down, an organization spokesman said. "Young individuals from the local community" threatened staff at the center and accused them of bringing Ebola to Guinea, Doctors Without Borders press officer Tim Shenk told NBC News.

reply to post by Pauligirl


It is starting to gain MSM coverage
salt lake tribune

With poor sanitation and high population density, outbreaks of other diseases — particularly cholera — have occurred regularly in Conakry. Earlier suspected cases of Ebola turned out to be cholera.

Neighboring Senegal has closed its border with Guinea over the unprecedented crisis, and Saudi Arabia — which is facing its own epidemic — announced that it is suspending visas for pilgrims from Liberia and Guinea. .

But the geographic dispersal of the disease in this case is particularly worrying. Doctors Without Borders’ Conakry coordinator Mariano Lugli slammed the World Health Organization’s response to the outbreak and called it an "epidemic of a magnitude never before seen."

Erm what epidemic in Saudi - or is this the start of the fear mongering by msm - some headlines from around the world with links

www.sltrib.com... eak-ebola-outbreaks-disease.html.csp

www.nydailynews.com... -york/bronx/ebola-outbreak-guinea-sparks-fears-bronx-article-1.1746127#ixzz2y0DHGrPq

www.euronews.com... inea-most-aggressive-near-totally-fatal/

www.channelnewsasia.com... e/1058908.html

www.theguardian.com... -outbreak-sierra-leone-liberia

www.independent.co... .uk/news/world/africa/ebola-kills-more-than-90-across-west-africa-as-fear-spreads-9239523.html

reply to post by johnb

...what epidemic in Saudi

MERS - it's been going on a while.

Fresh MERS scare at Jeddah hospital

Outbreak In Saudi Arabia Echoes SARS Epidemic 10 Years Ago

Just wanted to come and put in my two cents, as it were. My reasoning that the MSF called this outbreak "unprecedented" is due to the geographic spread. Second, after reading more articles on this than I can count, I discovered that it took them 6 WEEKS to figure out that this was, in fact, Ebola. Given that time period and if you take the longest incubation period (21days, though it usually ends up being shorter than that) that gives folks time to travel ALL over the place.

Sometimes you have to read between the lines, for instance I read an article that said "...it has crossed international borders" making it sound like it's in Europe or Asia,/etc. When in fact it has only spread to surrounding countries which are sandwiched together and often have small borders.

This stuff scares the crap out of me and I know it probably scares you folks too. I do feel reassured that MSF, the CDC, WHO and others are all over this though. Hopefully they can contain it sooner rather than later. I pray for them and the people affected by this horrible disease.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

How can a 3 month old baby be the first victim of an Ebola outbreak? Has she been eating bats? Then, after she dies she has spread it to 15 others. How did she come into contact with Ebola? What is common to 3 month olds?


www.globalpolicyjournal.com...

A thought under consideration, but why?

reply to post by Elliot

How can a 3 month old baby be the first victim of an Ebola outbreak? Has she been eating bats? Then, after she dies she has spread it to 15 others. How did she come into contact with Ebola? What is common to 3 month olds?

It is well-known that Ebola is spread in bodily fluids - including breast milk. The mother may have survived infection, or may be a silent carrier. Are you implying "silent carrier"?

[bioterrorism] A thought under consideration, but why?

The article you link suggests guerilla bushmen terrorists have the ability to acquire contaminated samples and purposefully disseminate same to infect enemies without infecting themselves in the process. A laughably unlikely scenario, imho.

However - it is both likely and plausible that corporate terrorists would spread Ebola to serve economic takeover(s) - they have the personnel, labs, expertise and motivation.

So why is the "blame the native terrorists" idea being floated? To cover up the fact that corporations are stepping up their takeover agenda. Obviously.

This paper deals with agricultural corporations but the analysis can be applied to corporations involved in resource extraction.

Agricultural Biowarfare and Bioterrorism

...Anti-agricultural biowarfare and bioterrorism differ significantly from the same activities directed against humans; for instance, there exist a variety of possibilities for economic gain for perpetrators, and the list of possible perpetrators includes corporations, which may have state-of-the-art technical expertise. Furthermore, attacks are substantially easier to do: the agents aren’t necessarily hazardous to humans; delivery systems are readily available and unsophisticated; maximum effect may only require a few cases; delivery from outside the target country is possible; and an effective attack can be constructed to appear natural. This constellation of characteristics makes biological attack on the agricultural sector of at least some countries a very real threat, perhaps more so than attack on the civilian population.

Agricultural corporations, including producers, processors, and shippers, could benefit immensely from the economic impacts, market share changes, and financial market effects of a successful biological attack. Many also employ expert plant pathologists or veterinarians and have large collections of pathogens. The combination of motivation, expertise, and materials within a single, closed organization is worrisome.