Guinean woman undergoing Ebola testing

[webfact]

EBOLA OUTBREAK
Guinean woman undergoing Ebola testing

BANGKOK: -- A woman from Guinea who returned from her Ebola infected country is under quarantine in a hospital pending the results of a blood test for the disease, Permanent Secretary for health Dr Narong Sahamethapat said Tuesday.

The 24-year-old woman arrived in Thailand from Guinea on August 20 and consulted doctors after developing a fever of 38.8 Celsius, a runny nose, sore throat and vomiting nine days later. She was admitted to a provincial hospital on Monday.

She had no fever when she passed through Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Narong said.

Narong said she was the first suspected Ebola case in Thailand. The hospital had already taken a sample of her blood for testing and the results are expected today.

"Her fever has already subsided. Doctors are checking her pulse and temperature every four hours. A second blood test will be done on Thursday to confirm the result," he said.

He said he wanted to emphasise that the woman has not been confirmed as being infected with Ebola. She merely presented with a fever after visiting a country that has been hard hit by the Ebola outbreak.

The doctor said 16 others, both Thai and foreign, who have been in close contact with the patient are also being closely monitored.

"If they show signs of possible infection, they will be brought to the isolation ward in the hospital until the 21day incubation period passes," he said.

He also provided assurances that medical personnel taking care of the woman were wearing highgrade protection gear and appliances were being strictly sterilised.

Meanwhile Dr Sophon Mekthon, director general of the Disease Control department said the woman is categorised as being in the first tier of procedures for preventing Ebola, as she had fever after returned from an affected area.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Guinean-woman-undergoing-Ebola-testing-30242353.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-02

[96tehtarp]

Good Lord!, we all hope this thing doesn't come to Thailand!

If it does, I'm quite confident that Thailand will be able to handle the situation effectively. We already have a military managed country.

Keep your finger's crossed!

[webfact]

Suspected Ebola patient found: Public Health Ministry
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Sept 2 -- Thailand's Ministry of Public Health suspects a Guinean woman aged 24 of contracting the Ebola virus disease (EVD) and her blood test will verify its suspicion.

Dr Narong Sahametapat, Permanent Secretary for Public Health, said that the Guinean woman had a high temperature three days after her arrival in Thailand.

She is being questioned and treated at a provincial hospital.

The woman arrived in Thailand from Guinea on Aug 20.

Passing inspection at immigration on arrival, she sought medical care yesterday after having a high temperature. She is now being treated in an isolation room.

The Department of Medical Sciences and Chulalongkorn University were assigned to check her blood samples and for the time being 16 Thai and foreigners are under close watch for possible EVD infection.

Dr Narong advised the public not to panic.

He said people could live their normal life while following up reports on EVD and its patients from the Ministry of Public Health.

Disease transmission was difficult and possible only through contacts with patients who developed high temperatures and other symptoms, he said.

The disease exists in patients' body fluids and vomit. Light touches would not result in infection, Dr Narong said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-09-02

[smutcakes]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

[whybother]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

Lack of 'transmit-tent' capability?? I think you need to read up on it a bit more.

With its flu like symptoms, people can transmit it before they know they've even got it. It's not as virulent as flu but kills a higher percentage of people that catch it.

[smutcakes]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

Lack of 'transmit-tent' capability?? I think you need to read up on it a bit more.

With its flu like symptoms, people can transmit it before they know they've even got it. It's not as virulent as flu but kills a higher percentage of people that catch it.

Yes about 3K cases in 3 months. Hardly an epidemic really compared to more common diseases.

Yes its serious, and yes it can be contained fairly easily given the correct monitoring and equipment.

More people probably die of more perfunctory diseases everyday but they are not receiving the coverage of this.

[tifino]

missus just mentioned she has read on some Thai languages site(s); that the woman is a Thai returning from Guinea... maybe she was running home from a blacksuger daddy who got sick??

Edited September 2, 2014 by tifino

[whybother]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

Lack of 'transmit-tent' capability?? I think you need to read up on it a bit more.

With its flu like symptoms, people can transmit it before they know they've even got it. It's not as virulent as flu but kills a higher percentage of people that catch it.

Yes about 3K cases in 3 months. Hardly an epidemic really compared to more common diseases.

Yes its serious, and yes it can be contained fairly easily given the correct monitoring and equipment.

More people probably die of more perfunctory diseases everyday but they are not receiving the coverage of this.

But it's not being contained. It's spread to the 5th west African country and probably other neighboring countries that they don't know about yet. If it starts spreading outside of there (such as possibly this case) then the spread could be exponential.

[smutcakes]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

Lack of 'transmit-tent' capability?? I think you need to read up on it a bit more.

With its flu like symptoms, people can transmit it before they know they've even got it. It's not as virulent as flu but kills a higher percentage of people that catch it.

Yes about 3K cases in 3 months. Hardly an epidemic really compared to more common diseases.

Yes its serious, and yes it can be contained fairly easily given the correct monitoring and equipment.

More people probably die of more perfunctory diseases everyday but they are not receiving the coverage of this.

But it's not being contained. It's spread to the 5th west African country and probably other neighboring countries that they don't know about yet. If it starts spreading outside of there (such as possibly this case) then the spread could be exponential.

So far its being very effectively contained given the timeline. Anyway my point was its a hideous problem, but its not a global problem and is fairly easily contained given how it can be transmitted.

Everyone needs to be alert and take precautions but spreading widespread at least now seems unlikely.

[whybother]

So far its being very effectively contained given the timeline. Anyway my point was its a hideous problem, but its not a global problem and is fairly easily contained given how it can be transmitted.

Everyone needs to be alert and take precautions but spreading widespread at least now seems unlikely.

As I said earlier ... I think you need to read up a bit more on Ebola.

If it was "being very effectively contained", why is it spreading to more African countries?

[Canada]

The problem with ebola is that it is contagious long before there are symtoms. Very scary.

[BillyBobThai]

So if I am held in a hospital ward for up to 21 days, who foots the bill if I test negative? If positive, I do.

Edited September 2, 2014 by BillyBobThai

[Greer]

It is not being contained at all, and recent estimates from WHO say they think the real figure including many unreported cases could easily be as high as 20,000+.

Bearing in mind the way food is shared in a normal Thai home, both with friends and family, and the potential that someone could easily go to their local food stall where plates are only rinsed in luke warm or cold water, and the possible spread could be enormous and very fast.

We should not panic, but complacency is just as bad if not worse.

[whybother]

So if I am held in a hospital ward for up to 21 days, who foots the bill if I test negative? If positive, I do.

If you were positive, do you think they would kick you out if you didn't pay your bill?

[96tehtarp]

The woman concerned has tested negative for Ebola.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Tests-clear-woman-back-from-Guinea-30242400.html

[MegaRanter]

Some Key Facts About EbolaRecently, the US Embassy put out a circular concerningEbola which includes how to recognise it and how toprevent yourself from getting infected. Below are some ofthe key points of that circular:

1.The suspected reservoirs for Ebola are fruit bats.

2. Transmission to humans is thought to originatefrom infected bats or primates that have becomeinfected by bats.

3. Undercooked infected bat and primate (bush) meattransmits the virus to humans.

4. Human to human transmission is only achieved byphysical contact with a person who is acutely andgravely ill from the Ebola virus or their body fluids.

5.Transmission among humans is almost exclusivelyamong caregiver family members or health careworkers tending to the very ill.

6.The virus is easily killed by contact with soap,bleach, sunlight, or drying. A washing machine willkill the virus in clothing saturated with infected bodyfluids.

7.A person can incubate the virus without symptomsfor 2-21 days, the average being 5-8 days beforebecoming ill. THEY ARE NOT CONTAGIOUS until theyare acutely ill.

8. Only when ill does the viral load express itself first inthe blood and then in other bodily fluids (to includevomit, feces, urine, breast milk, semen and sweat).

9. If you are walking around you are not infectious toothers.

10. There are documented cases from Kikwit, DRC of anEbola outbreak in a village that had the custom ofchildren never touching an ill adult. Children livingfor days in small one room huts with parents whodied from Ebola did not become infected.

11. You cannot contract Ebola by handling money,buying local bread or swimming in a pool.

12. As always practice good hand washing techniques,but you will not contract Ebola if you do not touch adying person.

Please Share this with all your friends and family

[fish fingers]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

Lack of 'transmit-tent' capability?? I think you need to read up on it a bit more.

With its flu like symptoms, people can transmit it before they know they've even got it. It's not as virulent as flu but kills a higher percentage of people that catch it.

Yes about 3K cases in 3 months. Hardly an epidemic really compared to more common diseases.

Yes its serious, and yes it can be contained fairly easily given the correct monitoring and equipment.

More people probably die of more perfunctory diseases everyday but they are not receiving the coverage of this.

3k? I don't think you've a clue

And its changing into a slow incubation virus

[MegaRanter]

it is easily contained. save for a stupid diplomat that left Lagos to Port Harcourt, it was already cornered in Nigeria. an american deliberately brought it to Nigeria. his name Patrick Sawyer. all 16 cases are traced to him and just 4 fatalities. Nigeria is unorganized and yet have it controlled .any half decent country can handle it

[whybother]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

Lack of 'transmit-tent' capability?? I think you need to read up on it a bit more.

With its flu like symptoms, people can transmit it before they know they've even got it. It's not as virulent as flu but kills a higher percentage of people that catch it.

Yes about 3K cases in 3 months. Hardly an epidemic really compared to more common diseases.

Yes its serious, and yes it can be contained fairly easily given the correct monitoring and equipment.

More people probably die of more perfunctory diseases everyday but they are not receiving the coverage of this.

3k? I don't think you've a clue

And its changing into a slow incubation virus

About 3,000 reported deaths. It is suspected that there are thousands more unreported.

What don't I have a clue about?

[webfact]

EBOLA OUTBREAK
Tests clear woman back from Guinea
Puangchompoo Prasert,
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Lab tests have cleared any concern that a woman travelling from Ebola-hit Guinea may have developed the deadly infection. The 24-year-old woman had been under quarantine for a day pending test results.

Dr Narong Sahamethapat, Public Health Ministry's permanent secretary, said yesterday that results from both Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine and Department of Medical Sciences showed that the woman had tested negative to the Ebola virus.

The woman arrived from Guinea on August 20 and nine days later consulted doctors after her body temperature rose to 38.8 degrees Celsius, and she developed a runny nose, sore throat and began vomiting. She was admitted to a provincial hospital on Monday. She had no fever when she passed through Suvarnabhumi Airport, Narong said.

"She was the first suspected Ebola case in Thailand," he pointed out. The hospital took her blood samples for testing and the results came out yesterday.

"Her fever has already subsided. Doctors are checking her pulse and temperature every four hours. A second blood test will be conducted on Thurs-day to confirm the result," Narong said.

He stressed that the woman had not been confirmed as being infected with Ebola. She merely was presented with a fever after visiting a country that has been hard hit by the Ebola outbreak.

The doctor said 16 others, both Thai and foreign, who have been in close contact with the patient are also being closely monitored.

"If they show signs of possible infection, they will be taken to the isolation ward in the hospital until the 21-day incubation period passes," he said.

He also provided assurances that personnel taking care of the woman were wearing high-grade protection gear and appliances were being strictly sterilised.

Dr Sophon Mekthon, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said the woman was categorised as being on the first tier of procedures for preventing Ebola, as she had fever after returning from an affected area.

Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said some Thai rice exporters had faced problems in shipping rice to West Africa as some international freighters and charters refused to go to ports of countries hit by the Ebola outbreak. Their crews were highly concerned about being infected by the disease.

As a result, some rice stocks had backed up in Thai warehouses, causing problems for exporters. Delays also caused local prices of rice to drop to only Bt7,800-Bt8,000 a tonne this week.

Africa is a major market for Thai rice. Normally, Thailand exports about 45 million tonnes to Africa, mostly to Benin and Nigeria.

Vichai Sriprasert, president of Riceland International, one of Thailand's leading exporters of parboiled rice, said a shortage of labour and the Ebola outbreak had caused problems for Thai rice exporters. He said most shippers refused to carry rice to West Africa. Some companies that had agreed to do so had asked for higher payments.

The International Trade Promotion Department of the Commerce Ministry is closely monitoring the situation in West Africa, and the Thai Trade Office in Nigeria is estimating the situation daily. So far, shipments to Nigeria have not been affected by the Ebola outbreak.

Exports to Africa dropped by 1.5 per cent in July to US$765 million. Shipments to the region rose slightly, by 0.9 per cent, to $4.82 billion in the first seven months year on year.

Total shipments to five countries in West Africa facing the Ebola outbreak were worth a $490 million last year. Most were to Benin ($262.3 million), followed by Nigeria ($205.3 million), Guinea ($8.6 million), Sierra Leone ($7 million, and Liberia ($5.3 million).

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Tests-clear-woman-back-from-Guinea-30242400.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-03

[whybother]

it is easily contained. save for a stupid diplomat that left Lagos to Port Harcourt, it was already cornered in Nigeria. an american deliberately brought it to Nigeria. his name Patrick Sawyer. all 16 cases are traced to him and just 4 fatalities. Nigeria is unorganized and yet have it controlled .any half decent country can handle it

Yes, it is easily contained if people take the right precautions. As you pointed out, not everyone takes the right precautions.

At a hospital in one of the affected countries, 17 infected people "escaped" after the hospital was attacked by mobs looking for drugs. There have been riots where the army has quarantined areas. "Healthy" people from quarantined areas will try to leave because they are scared they will catch it. These people won't take proper precautions.

It is still spreading into new countries in west Africa. It isn't being contained.

[Ricardo]

it is easily contained. save for a stupid diplomat that left Lagos to Port Harcourt, it was already cornered in Nigeria. an american deliberately brought it to Nigeria. his name Patrick Sawyer. all 16 cases are traced to him and just 4 fatalities. Nigeria is unorganized and yet have it controlled .any half decent country can handle it

Yes, it is easily contained if people take the right precautions. As you pointed out, not everyone takes the right precautions.

At a hospital in one of the affected countries, 17 infected people "escaped" after the hospital was attacked by mobs looking for drugs. There have been riots where the army has quarantined areas. "Healthy" people from quarantined areas will try to leave because they are scared they will catch it. These people won't take proper precautions.

It is still spreading into new countries in west Africa. It isn't being contained.

Good to hear that the latest Thai 'possible' was found to be negative, ten days after walking through Swampy, and with only (seems low ?) seventeen possible-contacts !

The three cases in Port Harcourt, one death & two currently ill, are reported as "All three had come into contact with a doctor who died treating the disease.", no mention of any "stupid diplomat" as MR claims.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nigeria-reports-one-new-ebola-case-1409618936

I see no sign of it yet being contained in Nigeria, one can only hope so.

Meanwhile Medecins Sans Frontiers, a major medical charity (and heroes all IMO !) who have been working with the outbreak for some months, say "A global military intervention is needed to curb the largest ever Ebola outbreak", one canMSF said military and civilian teams capable of dealing with a biological disaster were needed immediately as the spread of Ebola "will not be prevented without a massive deployment". either regard them as scaremongering or treat that as good advice from people who really know, and I'd tend (if only on the grounds of caution) towards the latter !

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29031987

"In a damning criticism of world leaders, it says the global response has so far been "lethally inadequate"."

"In a speech to the United Nations, the international president of MSF, Dr Joanne Liu, said repeated calls for help had been ignored."

"MSF said military and civilian teams capable of dealing with a biological disaster were needed immediately as the spread of Ebola "will not be prevented without a massive deployment".", well they might be wrong, but would anyone risk a major global pandemic on that assumption ?

Given that there may still be a chance to contain this spreading outbreak, while it remains mainly in five West African countries, people who play-down the disease as being less-important than a number of other harder-to-spread more-treatable ones may come to regret their words, but too late.

[IamNoone88]

Ebola or not. There is not enough discipline, experience or knowledge to easily contain an outbreak in a densely populated city such as Bangkok. Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids - that includes contact with sweat and saliva. Think about contact with just another persons sweat in your everyday life and without even noticing it.......skytrain, handrails...doors.....should there be an outbreak, it will require massive discipline just as a precaution. Easiest would be to stop persons from infected countries entering Thailand in the first place.

[MaxLee]

Ebola or not. There is not enough discipline, experience or knowledge to easily contain an outbreak in a densely populated city such as Bangkok. Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids - that includes contact with sweat and saliva. Think about contact with just another persons sweat in your everyday life and without even noticing it.......skytrain, handrails...doors.....should there be an outbreak, it will require massive discipline just as a precaution. Easiest would be to stop persons from infected countries entering Thailand in the first place.

Yes indeed, hey, I thought, the authorities in "Smile-land" announced, there's no need to panic over Ebola in Thailand. Or was it just another face saving cover up???

[96tehtarp]

I have what I hope is not inappropriate confidence that Thailand will be able to handle Ebola if it ever comes here.

My point of reference is Dengue Fever which shows its nasty face here where I live every year. The local health clinic has a mobile "Dengue" team which springs into action if there are more than a couple of cases reported. They do house to house inspection in groups of about 8-10 volunteer officers. They also start making public address announcements over the loudspeakers announcing the possibility of the Dengue outbreak, which Sois it has been reported on, and what to look for. I'm always impressed how they seem to be able to nip the outbreak in the bud every rainy season.

Thailand will be able to handle Ebola if it ever comes here. Compare Thailand's "third-world" health system to the east African countries health systems. BBC World service recently reported that Liberia has 1 doctor for 100k population.

[halloween]

Good to hear that the latest Thai 'possible' was found to be negative, ten days after walking through Swampy, and with only (seems low ?) seventeen possible-contacts !

The three cases in Port Harcourt, one death & two currently ill, are reported as "All three had come into contact with a doctor who died treating the disease.", no mention of any "stupid diplomat" as MR claims.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nigeria-reports-one-new-ebola-case-1409618936

The link was hardly helpful; are you selling subscriptions to the WSJ? No mention of a person doesn't negate his existence - he may well have recovered.

[halloween]

The 2 US citizens returned there have been released from hospital and "no longer a danger to public health". Does this mean the virus has been eliminated from their bodies, and how do health authorities tell if this is so?

Many viruses (HPV, HS1 &2, HIV) can be eliminated down to a certain level only to return immune to the earlier treatment. HIV is regularly is reduced to non-detectable level, but it is not a cure, only a delay.

[whybother]

Good to hear that the latest Thai 'possible' was found to be negative, ten days after walking through Swampy, and with only (seems low ?) seventeen possible-contacts !

The three cases in Port Harcourt, one death & two currently ill, are reported as "All three had come into contact with a doctor who died treating the disease.", no mention of any "stupid diplomat" as MR claims.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nigeria-reports-one-new-ebola-case-1409618936

The link was hardly helpful; are you selling subscriptions to the WSJ? No mention of a person doesn't negate his existence - he may well have recovered.

A better link ... http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/09/02/us-health-ebola-nigeria-idUKKBN0GW2ED20140902

and a comment in there regarding containment:

The shift to Port Harcourt shows how easily containment efforts can be undermined.

[Ricardo]

Good to hear that the latest Thai 'possible' was found to be negative, ten days after walking through Swampy, and with only (seems low ?) seventeen possible-contacts !

The three cases in Port Harcourt, one death & two currently ill, are reported as "All three had come into contact with a doctor who died treating the disease.", no mention of any "stupid diplomat" as MR claims.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nigeria-reports-one-new-ebola-case-1409618936

The link was hardly helpful; are you selling subscriptions to the WSJ? No mention of a person doesn't negate his existence - he may well have recovered.

Sorry, no, I hold no brief from the wsj, in fact I detest Murdoch, but that's beside the point.

I had googled 'ebola' & 'nigeria', and got that link on the first page of citations, it led me to the full article & not the cut-short version, which I now see my link leads to, sorry about that.

The article included the sentence which I quoted, but didn't mention any stupid diplomats.

[sae57]

I have what I hope is not inappropriate confidence that Thailand will be able to handle Ebola if it ever comes here.

My point of reference is Dengue Fever which shows its nasty face here where I live every year. The local health clinic has a mobile "Dengue" team which springs into action if there are more than a couple of cases reported. They do house to house inspection in groups of about 8-10 volunteer officers. They also start making public address announcements over the loudspeakers announcing the possibility of the Dengue outbreak, which Sois it has been reported on, and what to look for. I'm always impressed how they seem to be able to nip the outbreak in the bud every rainy season.

Thailand will be able to handle Ebola if it ever comes here. Compare Thailand's "third-world" health system to the east African countries health systems. BBC World service recently reported that Liberia has 1 doctor for 100k population.

Agreed. I suspect Thailand has one of the best public health systems in the world. At least beats the US hands down. And they are evidently on the alert for ebola, so I shouldn't panic. Have also seen them spring into action over dengue, they come around the village & innoculate all the dogs against rabies once a year. & all sorts of health programs.