The Ebola superhighway: Why the new outbreak terrifies public health authorities

The Hill ^ | 05/19/18 09:27 AM EDT | By Reid Wilson -

[BenLurkin]

In all eight of the previous known Ebola outbreaks in Congo, the virus has been contained within remote jungle villages or relatively small towns, where isolated populations are less likely to spread the disease.

But the Congo River is effectively the region’s highway system. Barges and boats travel from Kisangani in the east through major cities including Bumba, Mbandaka — and eventually Kinshasa, the capital of Congo and home to more than 11 million people, as well as Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo.

“The Congo River connects three national capitals and multiple other large cities,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, who led the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance during the 2014-2015 outbreak. “The fact that there are now several cases in an urban center of more than a million people underscores the potential for this outbreak to get out of control.”

If the Ebola virus traveled upriver from Bikoro to Mbandaka, some officials wonder, has it also traveled downstream toward Kinshasa, which offers direct air traffic to cities including Brussels, Paris, Dubai and Lagos, Nigeria?

...

Aiding the response further is a new vaccine, finalized in the last days of the West Africa outbreak. About 4,000 doses of the vaccine are headed to the epicenter of the new outbreak, where they will be used in two ways: First, health-care workers, those most vulnerable to exposure, will be vaccinated. Then, those who have come into contact with anyone infected, and the contact’s contacts, will be vaccinated, a practice known as ring vaccination.

...

Congo is also far more prepared to respond to an Ebola outbreak because the virus is known to be endemic to the region. The first modern outbreak of the Ebola virus occurred in the village of Yambuku... back in 1976

[Vaquero]

Block ALL traffic from CRAP HOLE parts of the world.

[allendale]

Obama refused to quarantine to protect the United States during the last outbreak. Suspect Trump will act differently.

[Texas Eagle]

In all eight of the previous known Ebola outbreaks in Congo,

When I first read this, I thought it said Chicago.

My apologies to Congo for confusing it with an uncivilized society.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Here’s a solution: Stop bathing in, washing clothes in, and carrying water on top of your heads from, the very rivers.

[Lurker]

“Stop bathing in, washing clothes in, and carrying water on top of your heads from, the very rivers.”

That would require a thing we here in the civilized world like to call “infrastructure”. They don’t have it.

L

[Steve_Seattle]

One more reason to enforce the borders.

[null and void]

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.

[odawg]

“Suspect Trump will act differently.”

Well, since he was accused of saying sh*th*le, a Federal judge would issue him an injunction for racism and require the importation of all the sick to the United States. And if the disease started to spread and kill here, then that would only provide us an opportunity to prove we are not racist and atone for slavery.

[Oorang]

Thanks for the ping nully

[the OlLine Rebel]

These leftist apologist enablers can be the first to greet the planes and house the immigrants.

[Snickering Hound]

Waaayyy too much hygiene in the West for Ebola to take hold.

India and China are another matter.

[sailor76]

Waaayyy too much hygiene in the West for Ebola to take hold.
========================

I totally disagree. This country, in particular, has millions and millions of wetback booger eaters who don't know what think soap is.

Have you read about the E-coli outbreak on lettuce that effected 32 states?

It could just as easily been Ebola.

Don't kid yourself.

[sailor76]

who don't know what think soap is.
=================

who don't know what think soap is.

Fixed

[iceskater]

1) This article quotes Tom Frieden who is a total idiot and was a complete disaster as head of the CDC. Any article that quotes him is immediately suspect.

2) I am glad to see that Trump is planning to send CDC staffers there rather than bring infecteds here.

[Snickering Hound]

We just don't have living density like this anymore like when the Spanish Flu burned through.

Where you might get a bath on Saturday night after a dozen people had been in the water first.

India and China are different.

[Does so]

Here’s a solution: Stop bathing in, washing clothes in, and carrying water on top of your heads from, the very rivers.

I just got through writing yesterday: "the top of heads are used for transporting in Florida". It's the peculiarity of female immigrants from Haiti. IOW:

IT'S HERE!

≡≡8-O

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3654883/posts?q=1&;page=29

[sailor76]

I hope you’re right.