Airborne Ebola outbreak in monkeys raises possibility virus could mutate

1989 episode at Reston, Virginia research facility inspired movie ‘Hot Zone’

Both President Obama and his top infectious disease experts tried to calm Americans’ fears about Ebola this week by saying the current outbreak cannot be transmitted through the air. But less than 30 miles from where top government officials made their declarations in Washington, scientists a quarter century ago did in fact prove that an Ebola strain contained to monkeys could spread airborne.

The 1989 episode at the suburban Reston, Virginia, monkey research facility — made famous by Hollywood movie “Hot Zone” — along with additional research by a scientist who helped fight the Reston outbreak and then went to Africa to treat a later Ebola outbreak in humans — leaves some of the nation’s top disease experts willing to consider that the Ebola virus could mutate or go airborne.

“We can never, say never, but I just don’t think the risk is very high,” said Thomas Geisbert, a professor at the University of Texas at Galveston who co-discovered the Reston strain of Ebola.

There’s no evidence of airborne transmission in today’s cases, although a team supervisor for the Reston outbreak, Dr. C.J. Peters, challenged declarations by federal scientists designed to reassure the public at a fearful time.

Dr. Peters wrote in an extensive study on Ebola in humans that he found some evidence that a 1995 outbreak in Congo may in fact have spread in some cases by aerosol transmission.

“We just don’t have the data to exclude it,” Dr. Peters, a professor at the University of Texas in Galveston, told The Los Angeles Times.

Several types of fluid droplets are possible, and any may be ejected by cough, sneeze, or gastrointestinal effort.

Depending on the progress of EBOLA disease development within a person, it does seem probable that some EBOLA viri may be transported via such droplets.

The life of droplets varies, depending upon the atmospheric conditions of whatever indoor/outdoor space the event occurs, and that includes variations depending upon available light, humidity, pressure, and temperature.

Droplets are more vulnerable to dry air, light, and heat. On the other hand, moist air, despite light and warmer temperatures, argue in favor of a bit longer lifespan for the droplets.

In addition, the velocity of ejection matters. A strong sneeze can force droplets to travel 6 ft (still air); and, larger droplets may travel further. Of course, wind direction matters.

Some small droplets may float for some time, if the atmosphere is cool and wet.

So ... YES - EBOLA can be transported by droplet from one being to another being.

Will the EBOLA virus float by itself? It is NOT likely to be ejected by itself.

Imagine for the moment, your blowing bubbles. Typically, to blow bubbles, you would use bubble-soap -— something that increases the duration of flight of the bubbles.

There’s a chance that some droplets ejected from a victim of EBOLA, could have greater endurance, but for the most part, a droplet ejected, is much more vulnerable ... and likely to leave any EBOLA virus isolated - ie exposed to the elements as mentioned.

Here is the tricky part: There seems to be a lot of variation in the information online, about how long the EBOLA virus can endure “in the open.” Clorox bleach is said to be a certain killer of EBOLA within 10 minutes. Sunlight and dry air take a bit longer.

A droplet, in droplet experimentation, can last 6 hours -— but that, again, is in experiments designed to see how long a droplet can be made to endure, and that does not include “as a vehicle transporting a pathogen.”

This cold and flu season, anybody NOT wearing a mask when coughing and sneezing, will be terribly selfish.

DISCLAIMER: ALL OF THE ABOVE IS MY BEST GUESS REGARDING DROPLET TRANSMISSION OF A PATHOGEN BASED UPON INFORMATION IN THE NEWS AND ONLINE. (A number of sources, I read thru / scanned and cannot cite!)

I’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT EBOLA BECOMING AIRBORNE WITHOUT ITS NEED FOR A DROPLET AS A VEHICLE.

Here's a little more ...

[10/06/2014] Centers for Disease Control: Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease)

Can Ebola spread by coughing? By sneezing?
Although coughing and sneezing are not common symptoms of Ebola, if a symptomatic patient with Ebola coughs or sneezes on someone, and saliva or mucus come into contact with that person’s eyes, nose or mouth, these fluids may transmit the disease.

Yet, I've read that the auger / drilling glycoprotein* "head" of the EBOLA virus will work on almost any cell except bone and some specific muscle. Meaning, it will work thru surface skin cells --- "contact with that person’s eyes, nose or mouth" are NOT required ... ie an opportunistic site is not required.

(*That link refers back to Dr. Erica Saphire - it *does not* refer to where I read about the types of cells, penetrated by EBOLA.)

But, it does seem that simply human gestures are often the culprit that transfers EBOLA to the vulnerable mucosa / wounds.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.