Venezuela on alert over mysterious, deadly disease (ebola?)

Local 10 ^ | 9/17/2014 | Local 10

[Vermont Lt]

What would prevent that?

They would not be contagious until they were symptomatic.
They would have a short time to “infect good people” by close quarter contact. Just standing next to someone is not going to do it.
Then they would be unable to move, because they would be dehydrated and bleeding from every possible opening .

[blackdog]

A virus is not a living organism. It is a protein shell with some DNA inside. Effecting either the shell or the DNA render it non viable. You really can't kill something that's not living. Adaptations may let it remain viable for a thousand years in the right medium, temperature, and ph balance.

Nasty little "things". Their simplicity is their key to keeping us company. Once we have an immune system that has been programmed with the ability to identify it and the white cells eat it up and die in the process of getting rid of it, the problem is solved.

It's been said that at any given time we have 40 immune system magic bullets in our white cell army inside the body. That army continuously issues orders to remove the plans to kill the thing they least see and dealt with the longest time ago in favor of updating the orders to new exposures and reprogramming those white cells to do their job. The problem is that Ebola is not recognized. It's been around a long time and you would think that immune systems would have kicked in by now?

[B212]

liberalism will kill us all....the proper decision about a month ago would have been to lock down Africa, no external air traffic, no ships....but

[Blood of Tyrants]

Obama will be importing sick Venezuelans into the country to make it “fair”.

[Black Agnes]

https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Infection_Mechanism_of_Genus_Ebolavirus

Maybe you were the one who posted that most highly interesting page.

Very interesting indeedy.

[Black Agnes]

CDC recommends N100 now.

The N95 recommendation is outdated.

[ansel12]

I would rather be prepped when a plague or pandemic spread through America, than not.

Who wouldn’t?

[blackdog]

Very informative. Thank You. My understanding of viruses is based on my 11th grade biology teacher who was crazy smart and was able to excite us to want to learn. My final exam in 11th grade was to explain in complete detail if a virus was a living or non living thing. That was it. One question. It took two hours to complete the answer to that one question if you learned anything under the honor of her teachings.

So everything I know about viruses comes from an 11th grader. That is until you shared that link. Cool stuff!

[grania]

agenda is more important than honesty about medical issues

When or if Ebola or some other horrific disease makes an appearance in the US, "the agenda" will be our worst enemy. Media will be told to reassure the public. Planes will continue flying, schools will stay opened, people will be expected to show up at work in buildings with closed air systems. People will gather at conventions and concerts.

It will be "for our own good" and for economic considerations. There will be concerns that doing anything dramatic would cause panic, so governments and the media will encourage no change in routines.

The thing to do is to stay alert and decide for oneself if there's a real threat. If there is, self quarantine for a few months might make sense.

I'm preparing not just with foods and emergency supplies, but plenty of books, puzzles, CDs, DVDs...... Will it happen? Probably not. But if it does, we'll mostly be on our own to tell when there's a situation where quarantine is wise.

JMHO

[Black Agnes]

You’re very welcome. I have bookmarked so many links I can’t remember who posted them :)

[himno hero]

Yup, it will diminish and disappear... slowly erode all risks.

Nature has a way of mediating all risks.

[blackdog]

I am very glad winter is coming. This rascal seems to prefer it hot and wet. I have given up shaking hands and no longer use my desk phone at work. I forwarded it to my cell phone. I also have modified my habits to prevent my using public bathrooms. I try to avoid touching things people have touched.

I feel like Howard Hughes without the money.

[Black Agnes]

It’s actually more stable in cold. It’s the humidity it likes.

140F and over attenuate/kill it.

[blackdog]

"Nature has a way of mediating all risks."

Unlike nature, we re-elect them.

[steve86]

From there, the biggest concern is physical contamination, of mostly the hands.

Yes, and pretty much inevitable if in close proximity to a patient and/or infected materials. If you were to go into a room with a symptomatic patient -- and touch anything that has been in contact with the patient, or the patient coughs -- it would be essentially pointless to wear a mask. You're going to be infected, unless you're also wearing a full containment suit, and maybe even then unless it is decontaminated and removed properly.

[metmom]

You’re probably late to the party.

[steve86]

Where I work we do 'fit' tests for masks, despite positive pressure demand regulators.

So no beards on your oil rig?

[familyop]

"Interesting thing is it will work mostly (and prosper) in equatorial third world unsanitary areas...I am SURE freeze thaw cycles will inhibit it’s activities."

We can assure everyone that surfaces in convenience stores, restaurants, on fuel pump handles and around resorts (richer and therefore cleaner international visitors in those places) are quite sanitary in the U.S.A. As for temperatures, yes, we're home free...or being called home...or something.

Public Health Agency of Canada
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/res/psds-ftss/ebola-eng.php

In another study, Ebolavirus dried onto glass, polymeric silicone rubber, or painted aluminum alloy is able to survive in the dark for several hours under ambient conditions (between 20 and 250C and 30–40% relative humidity) (amount of virus reduced to 37% after 15.4 hours), but is less stable than some other viral hemorrhagic fevers (Lassa) Footnote 53. When dried in tissue culture media onto glass and stored at 4 °C, Zaire ebolavirus survived for over 50 days

[At -70C, it can be preserved virtually indefinitely--more recently deleted from the site above.]

[steve86]

What is to prevent this or something similar from happening?

There isn't much contagion threat until the person is symptomatic. Once symptomatic, they won't be shaking hands much, and they will be recognized, quarantined and contacts investigated. There probably would be some transmission before they were caught, but probably not as bad as you imagined.

[metmom]

They would not be contagious until they were symptomatic.

They would have a short time to “infect good people” by close quarter contact. Just standing next to someone is not going to do it.

Then they would be unable to move, because they would be dehydrated and bleeding from every possible opening .

Nevertheless, it is spreading like wildfire in Africa.

Granted we have better hygiene and medical savvy than them, however, if it happens in a crowded location, many people could be infected.

I think it will hit here eventually, but not to the degree that it would in Africa. But it won't be pretty and it will cause a LOT of problems.

I am still making ready to spend a significant amount of time isolated.

Course, by all indications, this winter is going to be a bear and I always get ready anyway. We don't live particularly close to a store and I don't like hauling stuff in through the slop and don't have the luxury of running out for the least little thing I need if I run short. So I'm ready anyway. But this is solidifying the plans I am making.