Posted on 04/10/2005 8:52:43 PM PDT by Mother Abigail
Killer virus red alert as more die April 11, 2005
By Own Correspondents and Sapa-AFP
Pretoria/Uige:
South Africa has begun implementing precautions against the deadly Marburg haemorrhagic fever, which has claimed the lives of 193 of the 218 people infected in Angola in the worst outbreak of the disease yet.
South Africa's precautions follow a World Health Organisation (WHO) warning to countries neighbouring Angola that they should go on the alert.
The WHO said late last night that 360 people were being monitored in Angola, where the disease broke out in October.
A severe haemorrhagic fever akin to Ebola, the Marburg virus is spread through contact with body fluids, such as blood, urine, excrement, vomit and saliva.
It can, however, be contained by taking fairly simple health precautions, experts say.
Detailed life histories are being taken down and vigilance has been increased at all points of entry into South Africa. These measures are South Africa's first line of defence.
"There is concern about an outbreak in South Africa as there is a lot of travel between Angola and South Africa," said Lucille Blumberg, of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
Health officials say, however, that it would be too time-consuming and expensive to test everyone entering South Africa for the disease.
"We can't take blood from everyone," said Bonnie Maloba, a doctor.
"What we need to do is exclude people and the best way to do this is to take a detailed history." Top South African pathogen expert Adriano Duse has been asked to join the international team trying to contain and overcome the deadly virus.
Duse, the National Health Laboratory Service's (NHLS) chief specialist, has been contracted by WHO and the Global Alert and Response Network to join the multinational team working in Angola's Uige province - the epicentre of the outbreak.
Through the NHLS, South Africa's expertise has contributed to research and combating infectious diseases, including previous, smaller outbreaks of Marburg fever.
Duse said he had been selected for his expertise in infectious diseases and infection control.
"I will be joining an international team in Luanda and then we are in the hands of the WHO and UN to take us to where we are needed," he said.
The WHO has warned the Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Zambia - all bordering Angola - to be on alert for outbreaks of the virus.
Epidemiologists in Uige are working overtime to trace new cases of the virus, which has sparked panic in Angola.
Every morning, teams from the WHO search the town of Uige for new cases.
"We visit our contacts and look for suspected cases," Francois Libama, a WHO epidemiologist, said.
"If we find a suspected case, we call in the special teams to remove the body."
At the WHO's temporary headquarters in the town, a blackboard gives a grim account of the latest death toll.
"Two corpses in Candombe Velho. Two corpses in Candombe-Novo. One alert in the Popular Quarter. One corpse at the cemetery," it reads.
>> ... we seem to have a 20-day virus, 99% fatal,
>> and possibly airborne.
> How did you arrive at airborne?
I didn't. I saw the question raised in:
Marburg Spread Inside and Outside Angola
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1380939/posts
Indeed.
I read that on previous threads. And, even more bad news, it is possible that this is airborne. Finally, anyone can travel from any land point on the globe to any other land point on the globe (sans the polar regions) in 24 hours.
This situation bears watching closely.
Curiously, I have not seen it on MSM. Thank God for FreeRepublic!!
Aerosol droplet dispersal--sneezes and coughs--are as bad as airborne, imho.
Between this and the avian influenza in Asia........it is hard to keep track.
It is obvious that some people are trying to start paying attention.
That is a major part of the problem for the rest of the world.
Bump
You mean 88% fatal.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newssearch.php
Why aren't people giving the exact number when it's provided in the very first sentence of the article? The case fatalitity rate is not at or near 100%; the case fatality rate is 88%.
ping
Even at 88% that is pretty darn near.
Yet the rate of infection remains arithmetic.
I believe the answer is that different people are at different stages of infection. Those at an earlier stage of infection haven't died, yet. Sorry, this seems so morbid.
There have now been reports of Marburg in four areas in Angola, in the Congo, in South Africa, in the capital of Angola (Luanda) which has an international airport, with direct flights to Houston.
There are also nine people in 21 day isolation quarantine in Italy. There is no report anywhere of their status.
Admitted case numbers are 213 with 17 healthcare workers dead. No one knows how many cases there actually are, WHO is speculating that there are twice as many, but I doubt they have any idea.
I just don't like fuzzy math. :)
Unknown.
That may be true, but the case fatality rate at this point is nonetheless 88%.
Until there are any who have recovered from this, we do not actually know the case fatality rate. To put it another way, no one has yet survived.
Why aren't people giving the exact number when it's provided in the very first sentence of the article? The case fatalitity rate is not at or near 100%; the case fatality rate is 88%
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.