Ebola In Thailand..... Are You Prepared?

[harryfrompattaya]

I expect that soon Thailand will ban entry of those from the Ebola Hotspot Countries of West Africa and even other adjacent countries in Africa... Thailand has - for better or worse - a strong sense of who they want in the country and who they do not.

Anyone who proclaims that banning entry of people from countries that have a incidence of Ebola infected patients - that it will do no good - are just simple minded. Such actions may not stave off a world wide epidemic forever but it will go a long way towards keeping Ebola out Thailand... Xenophobia may just payoff this time around.

Thailand - as we all know - is quite experienced at checking passport and visa travel history and credentials... If Thailand does - as I hope they soon do - ban issuance of entrance visas to all residents of the Ebola endemic countries of West Africa and ban entry to those people who have recently traveled in the Ebola afflicted West African Countries as well - then Ebola disease in Thailand will be a long time coming.

Too bad the leaders of my own home country will not do likewise... Fools they are -- soon to become criminals for their actions.

You are right but you for North America and the EU

As both have cases todat

[harryfrompattaya]

(Due in a large part to reckless endangerment of top American leadership) IMO as an America citizen...

*****************************************************************************************************

...

Why do you say that or is that just another predictable Obama bash?

This is bigger than Obama I as a America ( black American for 85 years ) can not believe have liberals defend him as a Obama bash

[umbanda]

Are Thailand prepare for this?????

http://news.yahoo.com/nina-pham-identified-as-dallas-nurse-with-ebola-165521689.html

[Thaijack2014]

If Thailand can cope with it or not... according from what i read about it, that you must be blind to catch it...http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/13/how-avoid-catching-ebola

[wandasloan]

Some ex CIA guy gave a interview to the newspaper

Well, that confirms it then.

.

[JDGRUEN]

I expect that soon Thailand will ban entry of those from the Ebola Hotspot Countries of West Africa and even other adjacent countries in Africa... Thailand has - for better or worse - a strong sense of who they want in the country and who they do not.

Anyone who proclaims that banning entry of people from countries that have a incidence of Ebola infected patients - that it will do no good - are just simple minded. Such actions may not stave off a world wide epidemic forever but it will go a long way towards keeping Ebola out Thailand... Xenophobia may just payoff this time around.

Thailand - as we all know - is quite experienced at checking passport and visa travel history and credentials... If Thailand does - as I hope they soon do - ban issuance of entrance visas to all residents of the Ebola endemic countries of West Africa and ban entry to those people who have recently traveled in the Ebola afflicted West African Countries as well - then Ebola disease in Thailand will be a long time coming.

Too bad the leaders of my own home country will not do likewise... Fools they are -- soon to become criminals for their actions.

You are right but you for North America and the EU

As both have cases todat

Yes - exactly and there would not be if the respective countries had leaders with commons sense... keep Ebola out of other countries... bar issuance of visas... If the U.S. would bar the issuance of any more visas to the residents Ebola Hot Spot Countries of West Africa... there is a very high probability that the U.S. would quickly quell the small outbreak of Ebola there and eradicate from America as there is currently only the one case ... but keep letting them and there will definitely be more cases. Spain has declared it has quelled the small outbreak there ... it remains to be seen.

Residents of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have a high probability of getting Ebola... Right now residents of America and of Spain have a very low probability of getting Ebola... A difference in probability of many orders of magnitude...

[JDGRUEN]

Unconfirmed - but seems legitimate ...

Ebola Nurse Boyfriend Reportedly Admitted With Ebola Symptoms

An email sent out to the Alcon staff by its CEO reportedly said that the ebola nurse’s boyfriend was admitted into hospital with “Ebola-like symptoms.”

Gotnews.com has received word from two different Alcon employees, both of whom asked not to be identified.

Alcon’s U.S. headquarters are in Fort Worth, Texas. It is an opthomological pharmaceutical company.

Requests for comment from Alcon were not returned.

So, parents work at Alcon and so does Nina Pham's boyfriend.. He's now in quarantine

http://gotnews.com/ebola-nurse-boyfriend-reportedly-admitted-ebola-symptoms/

Edited October 14, 2014 by JDGRUEN

[stgrhe]

Actually, a few weeks ago a major rehersal was conducted in Hua Hin by the health authorities of Thailand. The scenario was someone arriving at Hua Hin Airport but while on board had started to get ill with ebola sympthoms. I was acting as the ill person. On arrival at the airport the 'aeroplane' (a bus) was met with several ambulances and I was taken to Hua Hin hospitals isolation ward dressed in 'moon clothing'. The individuals who had been seated around me on board the 'aeroplane' were also transported to the hospital for isolation and check-ups.

The whole scenario was recorded live and broadcasted around Thailand as an instruction film. I think it functioned well and everyone knew what to do.

[Sayonarax]

Propaganda fear campaign of a plague like outbreak.

So serious you can still visit there..

[ExpatJ]

One positive thing is that the international and national responses. (hello Spain and texas) have been such shambles that I think many many lessons are being learned and can. Be ready to apply for future (more virulent) pandemics. As to current situation if knowingly infected or exposed people are honest and stay put at home and or go to their nearest hospital this Ebola thing should be contained in the West.

The risk comes from selfish idiots like the first case in the USA who lied at the airport about getting exposed and then traveled to another country.

Edited October 14, 2014 by ExpatJ

[JDGRUEN]

Tom Frieden, CDC Director commenting of dealing with the ability of people to come to the United States from Ebola Epidemic West African Countries...

“Like any intervention, there are upsides and downsides,” Dr. Frieden said. There are a lot of downsides. You slow travel. You end up costing people money.”

This is the Director of the Center for Disease Control not for International Trade... This is the mentality of the obama Administration when it comes to dealing with the Ebola problem in America. Frieden has advised obama - along with other yes men and yes women that the U.S. Government cannot just stop issuance of visas to residents of Ebola stricken West African countries.

I will be happen to give my shoe to someone if you will throw it at this guy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/us/ebola-patients-journey-shows-how-global-travel-is-open-to-the-spread-of-disease.html?_r=0

[thailiketoo]

Tom Frieden, CDC Director commenting of dealing with the ability of people to come to the United States from Ebola Epidemic West African Countries...

“Like any intervention, there are upsides and downsides,” Dr. Frieden said. There are a lot of downsides. You slow travel. You end up costing people money.”

This is the Director of the Center for Disease Control not for International Trade... This is the mentality of the obama Administration when it comes to dealing with the Ebola problem in America. Frieden has advised obama - along with other yes men and yes women that the U.S. Government cannot just stop issuance of visas to residents of Ebola stricken West African countries.

I will be happen to give my shoe to someone if you will throw it at this guy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/us/ebola-patients-journey-shows-how-global-travel-is-open-to-the-spread-of-disease.html?_r=0

Charge D’affaires, Tariq MA Bakhah, told The Brunei Times that people from West African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak will not be given visas to perform the Haj. People who have visited affected countries within the last two weeks must also seek doctor’s clearance before entering Saudi Arabia.

[JDGRUEN]

I expect that soon Thailand will ban entry of those from the Ebola Hotspot Countries of West Africa and even other adjacent countries in Africa... Thailand has - for better or worse - a strong sense of who they want in the country and who they do not.

Anyone who proclaims that banning entry of people from countries that have a incidence of Ebola infected patients - that it will do no good - are just simple minded. Such actions may not stave off a world wide epidemic forever but it will go a long way towards keeping Ebola out Thailand... Xenophobia may just payoff this time around.

Thailand - as we all know - is quite experienced at checking passport and visa travel history and credentials... If Thailand does - as I hope they soon do - ban issuance of entrance visas to all residents of the Ebola endemic countries of West Africa and ban entry to those people who have recently traveled in the Ebola afflicted West African Countries as well - then Ebola disease in Thailand will be a long time coming.

Too bad the leaders of my own home country will not do likewise... Fools they are -- soon to become criminals for their actions.

I had to give you a like for that.

But I really don't think we are far away from a possible global no fly situation.

How I think this will pan out....

First of all, the figures as a 'bast case scenario' for West Africa is about 550,000 infections and 'worst case' is 1.4 million by January.... But I believe that all West African countries with the biggest infection rates will be locked down long before we reach January.

I have done lots of travelling through Africa and they are the most porous borders in the world. There is already reports of people being shot trying to cross illegally and there is a 'shoot on sight' policy in this area as we speak.

Eventually the situation is going to get so bad, the populations are going to become so terrified they will move en-masse to try to get out of their countries and cause a huge refugee crisis where the epidemic will spread like wild fire and will be on the move.... It won't be long before the spread through the African continent will be out of control.

When millions are on the move, it is not easy to stop them, especially when west Africa is covered in thick jungle, criss crossed with jungle tracks. It will eventually spread across central Africa. Then Africa will be locked down by the rest of the world.... no flights in and no flights out.

But by then it will have already leaked out into places like Europe and the Middle East and the entire population of Africa will be panicking and when an entire continent panics, they are going to do everything they can to get out of that continent.... Who wants to be seen blowing boats full of refugees out of the water? The EU or UN is going to allow it??

So will we end up with Ebola rich refugee camps al over southern Europe and the Middle East?... One can just imagine the problems containing it when the real panic sets in, and many of those people will be trying to get away from being hemmed in with many infected, they will probably eventually get out into a terrified European population. Then we will see a global lockdown.

I think this is a realistic scenario if it rages across the African continent. The WHO already know it is out of control in West Africa, they know it is already at the tipping point and possibly well past it, because of the exponential spread rate. It is now nigh on impossible to stop the growth rate.

I mean 550,000 infections by January in the best case scenario..... How the hell do you contain that????

Well - thank you. I do have to say though that I think any extrapolations of the current situation into a world-wide no fly zone... is premature. Isolating the Ebola Affected West African countries by stopping Visa issuance world-wide and providing as much help to those Afflicted Countries at the same time will delay a world-wide epidemic... By doing nothing we only accelerate. By slowing the Ebola epidemic down we buy time for a vaccine development and perhaps some strong anti-viral medications. Claims that a isolation of these countries would be disastrous is rubbish - providing huge amounts of aid and assistance will override the 'disaster'.

You can only hope that it can be contained.... Trust me, if these numbers start spiralling out of control outside of Africa, a global no travel ban is a real possibility.

Yes, it is premature to do it now, but hey.... The infected countries are not even on lockdown. Nationals are allowed to move in and out at the moment.

One of the major problems with even containing this in West Africa is that it is taking down the heath care staff. 25% of all ebola deaths so far in that region are health workers... Liberia itself is now down to 250 only doctors.

When you talk of a vaccine..... That again is hope. This is the ebola Zaire strain. It has been coming and going for almost 40 years and they still don't have a vaccine. Each time it comes back it mutates to different strains, it is sneaky, it can mutate to a different style of ebola from host to host.

A few thousand cases and it is already in 8 countries, what happens with the best case scenario predictions of 550,000 by January?... How far and wide will it travel then? Or worse, what happens if it is 1.4 million infected by January?

I don't think we disagree that much - it is just how one minces the words.

[iamariva1957]

This is a case of too much information gathering. Fear of Ebola though warranted, should not consume every waking moment of one's life.

Yes, it is a situation that has to be dealt with on a global scale, at least regarding the precautions that should be taken to minimize its traveling to other countries (like shut down all air traffic to and from the Western Africa locations now fighting the outbreak would be a good start). But it has to be remembered that the virus's incubation time is 10 to 14 days and so we may not know that anyone is ill right away. So the world had better get geared up... just in case and be able to act quickly.

But here in Thailand, fighting the spread of this virus if it hits land here might be difficult. Even though the Thai medical people say that they have discovered a way to combat this virus, we have seen what they were able to do with the Koh Tao killings... so perhaps we should not take too much stock in that claim... just yet.

However, this country is far better off than West African states. There is a far greater sense of personal hygiene here and although there is trash in the streets and not every surface is cleaned as in the West, Thailand is far from being Liberia (if you have been there you will know what I mean).

So though fear of the virus is a good thing, panic is not. The cases in the EU and the US are from protocols not being followed to the letter within the isolation wards. But vigilantes has to be maintained and the CDC has to monitor the situation and the drug firms have to get the lead out and get the drugs to those that need them and the "Untested" issues be damned.

[Arandora]

Ebola is not an airborne transmitted disease. It is transmitted by the exchange of body fluids. So unless you come in from an Ebola infected country or come into physical contact with and exchange bodily fluids with an infected person you are not at risk. So said the doctor I was just watching here in UK on BBC Breakfast TV as Heathrow Airport prepares for Ebola screening. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29605988 Government says there are Contingency Plans for extending screening to Birmingham and Manchester if necessary.

[JDGRUEN]

Ebola is not an airborne transmitted disease. It is transmitted by the exchange of body fluids. So unless you come in from an Ebola infected country or come into physical contact with and exchange bodily fluids with an infected person you are not at risk. So said the doctor I was just watching here in UK on BBC Breakfast TV as Heathrow Airport prepares for Ebola screening. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29605988 Government says there are Contingency Plans for extending screening to Birmingham and Manchester if necessary.

Well - I hope the U.K. gets a handle on things - few others are...

Also, Airborne is a definition reserved for a particle containing a load of viruses that is small enough and light enough to float in the air.

On the other hand - spittle or just spit/saliva can be expelled as micro droplets when someone talks to you at close range... airline seat for instance. Also if an Ebola patient coughs or sneezes for any reason as humans do from time to time... then any micro droplets or nasal secretions, or micro globlets of phlegm can be expelled onto another person or object another person touches. Fomits are such objects and dried secretions can be infectious for several hours - commode handles, faucet handles, door handles... Plus if a patient behaves as Mr. Duncan did - that patient can go though a period of projectile vomiting and uncontrolled liquid diarrhea - contaminating entire restrooms, seat covers, commode seats, flush handles... If the patient has had this happen and does not clean up well - or perhaps even if they do... infectious virus loads are everywhere... Thus the reason a suspected Ebola patient must isolated and the area he/she was occupying decontaminated as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. And better yet - kept in West Africa.

[Alwyn]

A lot of people are saying the OP is paranoid etc and maybe this is so. If Ebola comes, it comes. It's been discovered just a couple of days ago that the initial findings - that you need to physically touch a person with it - are nonsense. It can be airborne and we can get it from touching door handles etc that have been touched by an infected person. In the news yesterday there was a story about a nurse in Texas contracting Ebola from the infected person at the hospital and she had full hazmat gear on ALL of the time! LHR started screening today so the UK are taking it serious. One person earlier said he has a month's worth of food and will just stay home. Seems like a plan to me! Good luck everybody!

[Arandora]

Ebola is not an airborne transmitted disease. It is transmitted by the exchange of body fluids. So unless you come in from an Ebola infected country or come into physical contact with and exchange bodily fluids with an infected person you are not at risk. So said the doctor I was just watching here in UK on BBC Breakfast TV as Heathrow Airport prepares for Ebola screening. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29605988 Government says there are Contingency Plans for extending screening to Birmingham and Manchester if necessary.

Well - I hope the U.K. gets a handle on things - few others are...

Also, Airborne is a definition reserved for a particle containing a load of viruses that is small enough and light enough to float in the air.

On the other hand - spittle or just spit/saliva can be expelled as micro droplets when someone talks to you at close range... airline seat for instance. Also if an Ebola patient coughs or sneezes for any reason as humans do from time to time... then any micro droplets or nasal secretions, or micro globlets of phlegm can be expelled onto another person or object another person touches. Fomits are such objects and dried secretions can be infectious for several hours - commode handles, faucet handles, door handles... Plus if a patient behaves as Mr. Duncan did - that patient can go though a period of projectile vomiting and uncontrolled liquid diarrhea - contaminating entire restrooms, seat covers, commode seats, flush handles... If the patient has had this happen and does not clean up well - or perhaps even if they do... infectious virus loads are everywhere... Thus the reason a suspected Ebola patient must isolated and the area he/she was occupying decontaminated as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. And better yet - kept in West Africa.

"On the other hand - spittle or just spit/saliva can be expelled as micro droplets when someone talks to you at close range... airline seat for instance. Also if an Ebola patient coughs or sneezes for any reason as humans do from time to time... ."

- the doctor dismissed that as a risk but then again she's only a doctor!

[Mudcrab]

Ebola is not an airborne transmitted disease. It is transmitted by the exchange of body fluids. So unless you come in from an Ebola infected country or come into physical contact with and exchange bodily fluids with an infected person you are not at risk. So said the doctor I was just watching here in UK on BBC Breakfast TV as Heathrow Airport prepares for Ebola screening. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29605988 Government says there are Contingency Plans for extending screening to Birmingham and Manchester if necessary.

Not airborne? It has been in the past , and this particular mutation may again. Google Reston VA Zairean ebola. Fortunately there were no fatalities at that time. Will be that lucky if it becomes airborne this time? I certainly hope so for all our sakes.

I don't think there are any absolutes in this situation.

The immigration people can prepare all they want. If a healthy , but infected person (not even realising they are infected) arrives showing no symptoms, no elevated temperature etc - what are they going to do? Nothing.

A couple of weeks later the real problems start.

At the moment all we are hearing about are protocols for this, screening for that. In my opinion the only protocol is a lockdown. I can't see any other method working. As sad as it is to say the only real survival strategy, should the outbreak really become uncontrollable will be to keep the infected out and let them die. Heartless I agree, but for the survival of the species it may be the only workable solution.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Mudcrab

[wackybacky]

This is a case of too much information gathering. Fear of Ebola though warranted, should not consume every waking moment of one's life.

Yes, it is a situation that has to be dealt with on a global scale, at least regarding the precautions that should be taken to minimize its traveling to other countries (like shut down all air traffic to and from the Western Africa locations now fighting the outbreak would be a good start). But it has to be remembered that the virus's incubation time is 10 to 14 days and so we may not know that anyone is ill right away. So the world had better get geared up... just in case and be able to act quickly.

But here in Thailand, fighting the spread of this virus if it hits land here might be difficult. Even though the Thai medical people say that they have discovered a way to combat this virus, we have seen what they were able to do with the Koh Tao killings... so perhaps we should not take too much stock in that claim... just yet.

However, this country is far better off than West African states. There is a far greater sense of personal hygiene here and although there is trash in the streets and not every surface is cleaned as in the West, Thailand is far from being Liberia (if you have been there you will know what I mean).

So though fear of the virus is a good thing, panic is not. The cases in the EU and the US are from protocols not being followed to the letter within the isolation wards. But vigilantes has to be maintained and the CDC has to monitor the situation and the drug firms have to get the lead out and get the drugs to those that need them and the "Untested" issues be damned.

Many many experts are already saying that ebola is poised (if not already) to go airborne as is incredibly likely to do so. The ONLY organization that is denying it has or is likely to is the CDC.

The CDC are also scapegoating the nurse who has now contracted it, by saying she didn't follow protocol... I don't buy it. If you are working with an ebola patient in the most infectious stages of the illness, you are not going to be sloppy with your own safety.

Compound this with the fact that many health workers in the front line in West Africa have died of the disease. In Liberia it is reported that 25% of the deaths are health workers and only have 250 doctors left in the country.

I don't think the protective equipment is enough to stop the transmission and may already be airborne and all they seem to be using are paper masks...... Not enough.

Also don't forget the worst material for contamination is faeces, and we all know how hygienic the Thais are when they go to the toilet. They clean themselves with their hand and cold water and then come out of the toilet and continue to prepare your food, such as chopping your salad etc.....

If it gets to Thailand it can spread like a bush fire with these practices. You going to be able to educate an entire country of people who have been doing it the Thai way for centuries to stop doing it the Thai way?

[zydeco]

Ebola is not an airborne transmitted disease. It is transmitted by the exchange of body fluids. So unless you come in from an Ebola infected country or come into physical contact with and exchange bodily fluids with an infected person you are not at risk. So said the doctor I was just watching here in UK on BBC Breakfast TV as Heathrow Airport prepares for Ebola screening. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29605988 Government says there are Contingency Plans for extending screening to Birmingham and Manchester if necessary.

Well - I hope the U.K. gets a handle on things - few others are...

Also, Airborne is a definition reserved for a particle containing a load of viruses that is small enough and light enough to float in the air.

On the other hand - spittle or just spit/saliva can be expelled as micro droplets when someone talks to you at close range... airline seat for instance. Also if an Ebola patient coughs or sneezes for any reason as humans do from time to time... then any micro droplets or nasal secretions, or micro globlets of phlegm can be expelled onto another person or object another person touches. Fomits are such objects and dried secretions can be infectious for several hours - commode handles, faucet handles, door handles... Plus if a patient behaves as Mr. Duncan did - that patient can go though a period of projectile vomiting and uncontrolled liquid diarrhea - contaminating entire restrooms, seat covers, commode seats, flush handles... If the patient has had this happen and does not clean up well - or perhaps even if they do... infectious virus loads are everywhere... Thus the reason a suspected Ebola patient must isolated and the area he/she was occupying decontaminated as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. And better yet - kept in West Africa.

"On the other hand - spittle or just spit/saliva can be expelled as micro droplets when someone talks to you at close range... airline seat for instance. Also if an Ebola patient coughs or sneezes for any reason as humans do from time to time... ."

- the doctor dismissed that as a risk but then again she's only a doctor!

Then, again, she was wrong. http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20141012-research-doesnt-rule-out-transmission-by-floating-droplets.ece

[Mudcrab]

Ebola is not an airborne transmitted disease. It is transmitted by the exchange of body fluids. So unless you come in from an Ebola infected country or come into physical contact with and exchange bodily fluids with an infected person you are not at risk. So said the doctor I was just watching here in UK on BBC Breakfast TV as Heathrow Airport prepares for Ebola screening. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29605988 Government says there are Contingency Plans for extending screening to Birmingham and Manchester if necessary.

Well - I hope the U.K. gets a handle on things - few others are...

Also, Airborne is a definition reserved for a particle containing a load of viruses that is small enough and light enough to float in the air.

On the other hand - spittle or just spit/saliva can be expelled as micro droplets when someone talks to you at close range... airline seat for instance. Also if an Ebola patient coughs or sneezes for any reason as humans do from time to time... then any micro droplets or nasal secretions, or micro globlets of phlegm can be expelled onto another person or object another person touches. Fomits are such objects and dried secretions can be infectious for several hours - commode handles, faucet handles, door handles... Plus if a patient behaves as Mr. Duncan did - that patient can go though a period of projectile vomiting and uncontrolled liquid diarrhea - contaminating entire restrooms, seat covers, commode seats, flush handles... If the patient has had this happen and does not clean up well - or perhaps even if they do... infectious virus loads are everywhere... Thus the reason a suspected Ebola patient must isolated and the area he/she was occupying decontaminated as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. And better yet - kept in West Africa.

"On the other hand - spittle or just spit/saliva can be expelled as micro droplets when someone talks to you at close range... airline seat for instance. Also if an Ebola patient coughs or sneezes for any reason as humans do from time to time... ."

- the doctor dismissed that as a risk but then again she's only a doctor!

Then, again, she was wrong. http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20141012-research-doesnt-rule-out-transmission-by-floating-droplets.ece

The Zairean mutation I mentioned earlier spread between rhesus monkeys in different rooms. The conclusion was that it must have been transmitted via the airconditioning system

[attrayant]

Not airborne? It has been in the past , and this particular mutation may again. Google Reston VA Zairean ebola. Fortunately there were no fatalities at that time. Will be that lucky if it becomes airborne this time? I certainly hope so for all our sakes.

Becoming airborne is not going to happen via mutation. Ebola (all strains) lacks the protein keys to infect cells in the upper respiratory tract. Such a major change in the protein coat of the virus would have to be driven by evolution, not mutation. There's no evolutionary pressure for the virus to develop these keys, so we can take some comfort in that. That still doesn't put us at zero chance of it becoming airborne, but the odds are very very tiny. I don't think it has ever been documented that an infectious agent has changed its method of infection so radically.

[attrayant]

The Zairean mutation I mentioned earlier spread between rhesus monkeys in different rooms. The conclusion was that it must have been transmitted via the airconditioning system

But note that humans in the same room weren't infected. I'd call that a hypothesis more than a conclusion.

[Arandora]

I think I'll carry on listening to and reading qualified opinion on the current situation.

[wackybacky]

Ebola is not an airborne transmitted disease. It is transmitted by the exchange of body fluids. So unless you come in from an Ebola infected country or come into physical contact with and exchange bodily fluids with an infected person you are not at risk. So said the doctor I was just watching here in UK on BBC Breakfast TV as Heathrow Airport prepares for Ebola screening. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29605988 Government says there are Contingency Plans for extending screening to Birmingham and Manchester if necessary.

Not airborne? It has been in the past , and this particular mutation may again. Google Reston VA Zairean ebola. Fortunately there were no fatalities at that time. Will be that lucky if it becomes airborne this time? I certainly hope so for all our sakes.

I don't think there are any absolutes in this situation.

The immigration people can prepare all they want. If a healthy , but infected person (not even realising they are infected) arrives showing no symptoms, no elevated temperature etc - what are they going to do? Nothing.

A couple of weeks later the real problems start.

At the moment all we are hearing about are protocols for this, screening for that. In my opinion the only protocol is a lockdown. I can't see any other method working. As sad as it is to say the only real survival strategy, should the outbreak really become uncontrollable will be to keep the infected out and let them die. Heartless I agree, but for the survival of the species it may be the only workable solution.

Very good post.

Something else I think we may start hearing soon that nobody has yet touched on.

Islamic extremists going to West Africa to collect the virus and return to their country as a carrier. Then infecting a whole bunch of like minded suicide agents and them moving to places like the UK, USA, Israel Aus etc...... contaminating as many places as they can before eventually pegging it.

Anyone think ISIS wouldn't want to try it? Look how many Islamic extremists there are in Africa.

So this can be deliberately spread and I can't see how the powers that be can have a hope in hell of preventing it.

[Mudcrab]

Not airborne? It has been in the past , and this particular mutation may again. Google Reston VA Zairean ebola. Fortunately there were no fatalities at that time. Will be that lucky if it becomes airborne this time? I certainly hope so for all our sakes.

Becoming airborne is not going to happen via mutation. Ebola (all strains) lacks the protein keys to infect cells in the upper respiratory tract. Such a major change in the protein coat of the virus would have to be driven by evolution, not mutation. There's no evolutionary pressure for the virus to develop these keys, so we can take some comfort in that. That still doesn't put us at zero chance of it becoming airborne, but the odds are very very tiny. I don't think it has ever been documented that an infectious agent has changed its method of infection so radically.

Only one problem with your post. It has become airborne previously.

I hope to God that this version doesn't or we are all going to be in big trouble.

My worry is that while we are aware that people are dying of "Ebola" but are they all dying from the same strain or mutation - or are there multiple strains of the virus closely related involved? I doubt we will know for quite a while.

Edit: I guess by the New Year we will have a better understanding one way or the other.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Mudcrab

[zydeco]

I think I'll carry on listening to and reading qualified opinion on the current situation.

By all means continue to listen to your BBC TV doctor and disregard what agencies such as the CDC are now admitting to be a threat.

[Rimmer]

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[wackybacky]

Not airborne? It has been in the past , and this particular mutation may again. Google Reston VA Zairean ebola. Fortunately there were no fatalities at that time. Will be that lucky if it becomes airborne this time? I certainly hope so for all our sakes.

Becoming airborne is not going to happen via mutation. Ebola (all strains) lacks the protein keys to infect cells in the upper respiratory tract. Such a major change in the protein coat of the virus would have to be driven by evolution, not mutation. There's no evolutionary pressure for the virus to develop these keys, so we can take some comfort in that. That still doesn't put us at zero chance of it becoming airborne, but the odds are very very tiny. I don't think it has ever been documented that an infectious agent has changed its method of infection so radically.

I think several very prominent virologists would argue with your research.

The strain 'ebola zaire' is highly capable of becoming airborne. It already went airborne in tests between pigs and monkeys who were separated by barbed wire and all the monkeys got infected. Also with each new host it infects is a new evolutionary stage to get it these and already the number of transmissions has far outweighed the number of transmissions in all ebola outbreaks since 1976 combined and represents trillions of rolls of the genetic dice.

So not only is it quite possible, it is highly likely to go airborne if not already. Because we are seeing evidence of people now contacting it after not having ANY direct skin to skin contact.... So the only way they could have become infected is if they breathed it in, and yes..... It can get in through the upper lung.http://www.infowars.com/ebola-expert-virus-may-soon-go-airborne/

Edited October 14, 2014 by wackybacky