Saudi Arabia tests first suspected Ebola case; outbreak worse than people know

A man in his 40's was committed to a Saudi Arabian hospital after experiencing hemorrhagic fever symptoms after he returned home from a trip to Sierra Leone. Saudi Arabia confirms they are testing this man as possibly their first case of Ebola.

Saudi Arabia is testing a man for suspected Ebola infection after he returned recently from a business trip to Sierra Leone, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. It said the man, a Saudi in his 40s, was at a hospital in the Red Sea city of Jeddah after showing “symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever,” which resemble symptoms of the Ebola virus. The ministry said it had taken precautionary measures, including isolating the patient at a specialist hospital and had sent blood samples to an international laboratory in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) for further checks.

Suadi Arabia testing first case of Ebola

IMO, this disease is far more widespread than we are being told. It blows my mind that international flights are still traveling to and from these infected countries of West Africa, but truth be told, it probably doesn't matter anymore. How many cases are probably spread across the world at this point with this much air travel. The disease takes up to 20 days to manifest into full-blown symptoms, so despite governments claiming that travelers are being screened for symptoms...an infected person can easily appear fine and dandy prior to boarding the plane and simply cough or sneeze halfway through the flight, or not even till after landing and arriving home.

Also, the numbers of infected persons are way below the 900 currently dead. I've read news reports that in Monrovia, people are leaving the dead where they lie out of fear of catching the disease. The streets have bodies in them. If this is true, then the numbers are sure to be much higher than reported. And there are many Africans who are leery of doctors and believe they brought the disease to them (which may be true according to one thread about bio-warfare scientists being in the area of the first outbreak). These people choose to face the disease head on rather than go to the doctors.

A doctor in Monrovia said that he believes the numbers are higher to as cases are going unreported.

The official Ebola death toll jumped from 729 to 887 on Monday as Liberia confirmed dozens of new cases, but the doctor told us he believes the real number is at least 50 percent higher. He put this down to the fact that people are scared to report Ebola cases, and have instead been hiding sick relatives and burying the still-contagious bodies of the dead in secret. Traditions in parts of West Africa involve touching bodies before burial — potentially putting unknown numbers of family and community members at risk. The Liberian government has ordered that the corpses of all Ebola victims be cremated. The international non-profit group Doctors Without Borders has issued a statement saying it is over-stretched and under-staffed on the ground in the region, and its workers still don’t have a full grasp on all the infected areas. The implication in that statement is that the disease could be quietly spreading in parts of Liberia and neighboring nations where victims’ families have not yet come forward.

Of course the numbers are cooked could you imagine WHO coming out and saying that its out of thier control... well imho saudi arabia allowed that guy back on purpose it is a bioweapn how many more countries are going to collect paitients???a reply to: Rezlooper

a reply to: Rezlooper
Right now, everyone is on high alert and everyone is afraid. We are going to hear a ton of stories about countries testing people who have returned from the area of infection and present symptoms but it is highly unlikely that any of these cases will turn out to be Ebola... for now. I do, however, agree that this is far worse than they are telling us. Given the number of healthcare workers that have been infected (according to Reuters that number is over 100), I believe a mutation has occurred that either makes the illness far more virulent or airborne. In reading comments to an article on ZeroHedge yesterday, a man whose wife is a medical professional and has worked in Sierra Leon indicated his wife believes it is airborne. That's absolutely frightening and it can easily reach foreign shores if it has not already.

I'd like to know the strain of the virus they think he has. If it's the one ripping away at Africa little by little I'll be worried if it's a different strain I'll be less worried.

Has anyone else considered why a Saudi Arabian man went to Sierra Leone knowing what is happening there?

Perhaps it wasn't that he simply went there, but rather that he was sent there?

Terrorists NEVER get their hands on biological weapons... this is easy pickings for them.

If they really want to wreak havoc, all they have to do is send a squad of guys down there who already would blow themselves up for their belief, and instead, infect themselves and start making their way all over the world, making sure to cough inside of crowded airports and planes and sneeze all over people, and never wash their sweaty hands.

And you call yourselves conspiracy theorists?

~Namaste

Yea i just commented on that its a free for all watch next " terrorists" are goin to fly to africa!!!a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

British airways have suspended flights to Sierra Leone and Liberia

That's what sky news is saying

a reply to: Rezlooper

Read somewhere there could already be tens of thousands of infected people. It's reported on CNN that 6 more people entered Mt. Sinai with symptoms, but more info is not being released.

This Ebola outbreak along with the infiltration of many multinational illegals, will certainly effect the economy as many, like myself, will avoid eating out and visiting public places. The majority of food handlers are immigrants. The risks are there. The world is spinning off it's axis and our great leadership is off on vacation and playing golf.

originally posted by: Bilk22
a reply to: Rezlooper

Read somewhere there could already be tens of thousands of infected people. It's reported on CNN that 6 more people entered Mt. Sinai with symptoms, but more info is not being released.

This Ebola outbreak along with the infiltration of many multinational illegals, will certainly effect the economy as many, like myself, will avoid eating out and visiting public places. The majority of food handlers are immigrants. The risks are there. The world is spinning off it's axis and our great leadership is off on vacation and playing golf.

It's not like they ever cared to begin with, I'm sure they can keep playing golf in their underground/mountain facilities so nothing will be out of the ordinary for them, business as usual as they say

It can take up to 20 days to show symptoms but most people show symptoms within 2 days. Those who are very strong with good healthy systems could take 20 days but the rest of us would know within a week at most. If we start to see cases increase in far off places within the next two weeks then I'd say we have a problem. If we don't see an increase even a month from now we're more than likely in the clear.

Well this evil plot is thwarted from the get go. First they'd have to make sure they've contracted the disease and they would have to be showing symptoms to be sure. Then they would have to attempt air travel while showing symptoms of Ebola. The disease in not contagious in the incubation period. It's contagious when symptoms are apparent and for up to four days after death. Of course they could try leaving dead bodies around in airports but chances are if a person doesn't touch them they will never contract the disease. As a terrorist plot this one is doomed to failure. reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

originally posted by: SunnyRunner360
a reply to: Rezlooper
Right now, everyone is on high alert and everyone is afraid. We are going to hear a ton of stories about countries testing people who have returned from the area of infection and present symptoms but it is highly unlikely that any of these cases will turn out to be Ebola... for now. I do, however, agree that this is far worse than they are telling us. Given the number of healthcare workers that have been infected (according to Reuters that number is over 100), I believe a mutation has occurred that either makes the illness far more virulent or airborne. In reading comments to an article on ZeroHedge yesterday, a man whose wife is a medical professional and has worked in Sierra Leon indicated his wife believes it is airborne. That's absolutely frightening and it can easily reach foreign shores if it has not already.

I also think it's airborne. It seems that in just the past few weeks the outbreak is gaining a lot of steam.

originally posted by: SonOfTheLawOfOne
Has anyone else considered why a Saudi Arabian man went to Sierra Leone knowing what is happening there?

Perhaps it wasn't that he simply went there, but rather that he was sent there?

Terrorists NEVER get their hands on biological weapons... this is easy pickings for them.

If they really want to wreak havoc, all they have to do is send a squad of guys down there who already would blow themselves up for their belief, and instead, infect themselves and start making their way all over the world, making sure to cough inside of crowded airports and planes and sneeze all over people, and never wash their sweaty hands.

And you call yourselves conspiracy theorists?

~Namaste

Never thought of that one. Pretty scary to think about how easy that would be for these guys.

originally posted by: Thefarmer
British airways have suspended flights to Sierra Leone and Liberia

That's what sky news is saying

About friggin time. They should have done that by now, as well as all the others. Also, they should expand that to include all of West Africa, including Nigeria where there are two cases in Lagos.

Before we get all up in arms about this or that, the first thing to do is calm down.

There are different kinds of hemorrhagic fevers, different strains and types, not just Ebola. There are 4 main family groupings for such and each one has different symptoms and ultimately all cause bleeding as part of the symptoms and damage to the soft tissues of the body.
For all we know, he may be suffering from Rift valley or Lassa, which are common in Africa. It is hard to say what the man is infected with and right now, until they get the testing back, it should not be speculated as to what a person does or does not have.

So how about we wait till the tests get back to see if it is conclusive or not.

Have to keep an eye on Hajj (sp?) this year...

Might be interesting.

a reply to: Bilk22

Yes, they did report 6 cases in NY, but....it gets worse! Now the CDC its advising airlines to take precautions against the airborne spread of this disease. The gov't through its propaganda outlets has long contended that Ebola isn't communicable by air. Now apparently, on the basis of Canadian research done in 2012, it is suspected that Ebola can be spread by airborne droplets from respiration and/or sneezing.

Now this folks, takes the matter to a whole nother level when your talking environments like New York City. Its crowded, its cramped and many travel to and from work by subway, packed like the animals they are into little tube trains where they're all breathing and coughing, spitting and sneezing on one another. If this thing is communicable by airborne particulates....watch out!

Ok. someone que up Blue Oyster Cult.....Don't fear the Reaper.........

I for one am keeping a close eye on this one, Nuclear war use to scare me sh!tless, but after I learned about diseases like

this one, it pales in comparison. And if you talk to someone who studies epidemics such as these, it's not a matter

of "if" it will happen, but "when" .

As usual Rez, a very well thought out and put together thread.

S-N-F

a reply to: sdcigarpig

It appears this man has died from whatever disease he contracted.

RIYADH (Reuters) - A Saudi Arabian man suspected of having contracted the Ebola virus during a recent business trip to Sierra Leone died early on Wednesday in Jeddah, the Health Ministry said.

Saudi Arabian man being tested for Ebola virus dies

The results of the tests are still out regarding whether he died from Ebola or some other variant.

Bishop

a reply to: Bishop2199

Concerns about the spread of the deadly virus escalated with Saudi Arabia reporting that a man died, apparently of the virus, after a trip to Sierra Leone, and Nigeria reported that a nurse died after treating someone believed to have contracted Ebola in Liberia.

This is a report from CNN that states the man from Saudi Arabia died of the virus. If this is actually true, then it means the disease has spread outside of Africa...officially. This is the only story I could find about the test results on this man. They sure don't want to come right out and say it, but CNN does say it in this report.

World watches as Ebola death toll rises

WHO still hasn't put these two cases in their official toll numbers just yet, but it appears those working with him are confident it was Ebola.

The Saudi man died Wednesday at a specialized hospital in Jeddah, the Saudi Ministry of Health said.
He had been in intensive care since late Monday "after exhibiting symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever following a business trip to Sierra Leone," the ministry said in a statement.

ADD to EDIT:

Here is a story about Saudi Arabia denying a second Ebola case, which by the title, sounds like they are admitting it had a first case.

August 07, 2014

Saudi Arabia: Second Ebola case denied

Via Arab News: 2nd Ebola case denied. This sounds like an indirect confirmation of the first case. The KSA MOH has still not published an explicit confirmation. The full report:

The Health Ministry denied Thursday the appearance of another Ebola virus fever case in Jeddah and urged the media not to publish such reports without confirmation.
“We will inform the public about the development of the new killer virus in full transparency and have taken measures to protect citizens and residents from such infectious diseases,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz Al-Zahrani, the brother of the man who died of Ebola on Wednesday, blamed the negligence of medical staff at a private hospital in the city for the death.
“They delayed identifying Ibrahim’s disease, resulting in his demise,” he said.
He ruled out suggestions that Ibrahim had taken medicines that complicated his disease.
He said Ibrahim had stayed two days at a private hospital north of Jeddah before he was transferred to King Fahd Hospital.
He requested the ministry to conduct medical tests on all the members of Ibrahim’s family to make sure they are free from the disease.

Source