Ebola In Japan? Authorities Test First Potential Case Of Infected Traveler In Tokyo

International Business Times ^ | 10/27/2014 | Dennis Lynch

[SeekAndFind]

Japanese health officials tested a man for the Ebola virus on Monday, after the Japanese-Canadian showed a 100-degree fever at Haneda airport in Tokyo after traveling to Liberia. Test results were expected early Tuesday.

The 45-year-old man is a journalist who spent two months in the West African country devastated by a massive Ebola virus outbreak, according to the Japan Times. He was transported to the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Shinjuku, where his blood was tested by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

The man flew to Belgium and the United Kingdom before arriving in Tokyo. He was in Liberia from August until mid-October, when he visited Belgium, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. If confirmed, it would be Japan’s first case of the disease.

At a news conference, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki urged the public to be calm. “You would not become infected with Ebola unless you come into contact with an Ebola patient,” he said.

Shiozaki’s ministry began asking all passengers arriving at Japan’s 30 international airports if they were in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea or the Democratic Republic of Congo within the last 21 days, which is how long the Ebola virus can incubate in a person before causing symptoms. Fever typically sets in before the most visible and violent symptoms, like severe vomiting and diarrhea. A sore throat and muscle pain are also early signs of the virus.

All passengers that have been to those four countries are sent to a special quarantine area where health care workers take their temperature and confirm if they had contact with Ebola patients. Officials put similar measures into place at Japan’s seaports.

[SandRat]

CAUTION.

[null and void]

Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your......

(hat tip to: fivecatsandadog!)

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...

[chajin]

The Japanese are usually much more proactive than this; I was surprised to learn earlier today that they hadn’t restricted travel to/from the infected African areas.

[stboz]

At least the guy will have access to Avigan if he’s positive.

[caligatrux]

“You would not become infected with Ebola unless you come into contact with an Ebola patient..."

But, if you feel feverish, don't ride the bus, just in case.

I was just commenting on this in another thread, but think of some of the mostly densely populated areas of the world. Like Mumbai, with 14 million people living in about 190 square miles of each other.

How well will quarantines work there?

[caligatrux]

“You would not become infected with Ebola unless you come into contact with an Ebola patient..."

But, if you feel feverish, don't ride the bus, just in case.

I was just commenting on this in another thread, but think of some of the mostly densely populated areas of the world. Like Mumbai, with 14 million people living in about 190 square miles of each other.

How well will quarantines work there?

[tbw2]

To be honest, I doubt Japan has any travelers from those nations in normal circumstances, so they didn’t see the need.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I doubt Japan has any travelers from those nations in normal circumstances, so they didn’t see the need.

I think there are Japanese doctors and nurses who volunteer for Doctors Without Borders.

Not sure if they’re stationed in West Africa...

[toast]

Half the train commuters in Japan already wear face masks.

[Mariner]

Japanese Sanitation would surprise MANY.

This is one area where they are not as advanced as what would be expected for a modern nation.

OK, I'll say it!

They still have open sewers and the place stinks. Not a good place to drop Eboli.

[SevenofNine]

I hope Godzilla is not effect LOL!

I hate to see FR fav lizard monster get sick with EBOLA

[SandRat]

I’d hate to see FR watchers of teir fav lizard monster get sick with EBOLA

[OKSooner]

Gojira would kick ebola’s ass. 0bola’s too...

[logi_cal869]

Well, now...this oughta spike the conspiracy-theory/tin-hat stories for the next week.

In all seriousness: If there were ONE other country on the planet where Ebola might be most likely to mutate (outside of its natural environment & host)...

Japan: Mutation-central and radiological garbage dump.

[Smokin' Joe]

Ping...

A link to this thread has been posted on the Ebola Surveillance Thread

[SevenofNine]

Oh yeah even my lib cousin got give us props that Freepers are into Star Trek Star Wars Games of throne and other show that her lib buddies don’t like she could always come to FR she under Sci fi geek here LOL!

Yeah we don’t want see ole Godzilla get sick with Ebola too valuable beside he need go back to work in late part of 2015 for filming of second Godzilla movie