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Ebola research: Fever not a surefire sign of infection
LA Times ^ | 10/12/2014

Posted on 10/14/2014 2:28:15 AM PDT by Altura Ct.

For public health workers screening more than 1,000 air travelers who arrive each week in the United States from Ebola-stricken West Africa, one symptom above all others is supposed to signal danger: fever.

So long as an individual's temperature does not exceed 101.5 degrees and there are no visible symptoms of Ebola, health authorities say it should be assumed the person is not infectious.

Yet the largest study of the current outbreak found that in nearly 13% of "confirmed and probable" cases in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and elsewhere, those infected did not have fevers.

The study, sponsored by the World Health Organization and published online late last month by the New England Journal of Medicine, analyzed data on 3,343 confirmed and 667 probable cases of Ebola.

The finding that 87.1% of those infected exhibited fever — but 12.9% did not — illustrates the challenges confronting health authorities as they struggle to contain the epidemic.

U.S. health officials have repeatedly emphasized that fever is a reliable sign of infectiousness. As a defense against the spread of the virus to this country, the Obama administration has ordered that passengers arriving from West Africa at five U.S. airports be checked for fever.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, underlined the importance of fever in discussing the case of Thomas E. Duncan, a Liberian who traveled by air to Dallas and was diagnosed with Ebola. He died Wednesday.

Referring to those who had close contact with Duncan, Frieden said a week ago: "The only thing we need to ensure is that their temperature is monitored, and if they develop a fever, that they are immediately assessed, isolated and if found to be positive, then appropriately cared for."

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: ebolafever; ebolaoutbreak; ebolasymptoms
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To: jocon307

I’ve been saying for a long time that Barry’s policies on allowing massive immigration - lack luster appreciation of the rules and laws of the US + immigration - allowing large amounts of moslems into the US - all equal social unrest in order to seize the very freedoms we all hold dear - especially the 1st and 2nd Amendments!


21 posted on 10/14/2014 4:35:05 AM PDT by BCW (ARMIS EXPOSCERE PACEM)
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To: Altura Ct.

But, but you’re not contagious until you have a fever! obola and his good buddy Backpedal Frieden promised us!!!


22 posted on 10/14/2014 5:12:39 AM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: jocon307

There is nothing stopping United or American from stopping flights to and from certain areas. They could stop flights from known hubs like Brussels. Sure, that’d cause an uproar but so what.


23 posted on 10/14/2014 5:20:10 AM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: Altura Ct.

STOP THE AIRTRAFFIC, STUPID.


24 posted on 10/14/2014 5:29:51 AM PDT by ThomasMore (Islam is the Whore of Babylon!)
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To: Altura Ct.

If the Dallas nurse’ boyfriend has Ebola, this will contradict what the CDC is telling us about Ebola. This means the disease is transmittable before overt symptoms are exhibited. I think Ebola becomes infective as soon as the virus begins replicating and is present in the saliva and body fluids before significant cellular damage, fever, and symptoms.


25 posted on 10/14/2014 5:37:21 AM PDT by vetvetdoug
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To: Pollster1

The article did not miss that at all.
Read more of the anecdotal cases in the news.
Somehow in up to 13 percent of cases the disease goes through even the final fatal stage...without a fever.


26 posted on 10/14/2014 5:40:18 AM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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