http://www.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2014/08/27/science.1259657.DC1/Gire.SM.pdf
Page 12 is very interesting.
“several suspected cases showed evidence of other
pathogens prevalent in West Africa, including plasmodia (5 cases), HIV-1 (2 cases), and Lassa Fever (1 case). These findings confirm that EVD can be easily mistaken for other common illnesses and vice versa, therefore highlighting the importance of accurate diagnostics. “
But the most important line:
“There is no obvious correlation between infection with malaria and
EVD, suggesting that a positive diagnosis for malaria does not necessarily rule out EVD”
So now I’m wondering how many other false negatives that were also infected with malaria in fact WERE ebola positive. Particularly since there’s some doubt about the diagnostic in use due to the mutagenic changes in the virus.
And that guy that died in Ireland came from Sierra Leone. Where all these mutations were noted. In particular the ones associated with false negatives. It was assume that he had Malaria and everyone was in the clear since his ebola test came back negative. If that was not the case in reality, Ireland will have a really big problem on its hands in a couple of weeks if he went to that festival ‘symptomatic’ but early and just took a tylenol thinking a a local brew would do the trick.
“City’s first Ebola suspect wheeled intoNaiduhospital”
Better hope this one is ‘just’ malaria.
“An 18-yearold student of Mahindra United World College of India, in Mulshi taluka, who is a citizen of Nigeria, was admitted to the Naidu Hospital for Infectious Diseases on Thursday night.
“The principal of the institute had alerted us about his deteriorating health on Thursday, following which we ferried the patient in our ambulance to Naidu hospital’s quarantine ward.”
Pelham Lindfield Roberts, principal of Mahindra United World College of India, confirmed that he had written to the state medical authorities on Thursday morning, requesting them to admit the patient at a local hospital. “He looked healthy after returning from his vacation, displaying no symptoms of the disease, which surfaced only over the last two days. Fearing other students’ safety, we wrote to the medical authorities seeking treatment,” “