[FourtySeven]

U.S. scientists have received samples from the Angola Marburg outbreak and are investigating whether the drug might work in monkeys infected with the virus, Ryan said.

Where are they investigating this? Here in the U.S.? Have they brought a seemingly highly infectious strain into the U.S.?

I know I know, BSL III, IV (maybe even higher) and all that. Still, to me, this seems to have the makings of a real life "The Stand".

I'm off to adjust my tinfoil biosafety suit! (two birds with one stone dontcha know :) )

[Dog Gone]

Have they brought a seemingly highly infectious strain into the U.S.?

They've been conducting the tests primarily in US labs, although some German labs have been mentioned as well. There's no doubt we're going to infect some monkeys here and see how that antiviral drug works.

So, if you've got loose monkeys in your neighborhood, try not get too intimate with them.

[MarkL]

Have they brought a seemingly highly infectious strain into the U.S.?

We've already had a loss of containment of a strain of ebola. It's "Ebola Reston," after Reston, VA, a suburb of Washington DC. It was a strain that did spread via airborn transmission, but we got very lucky in that the strain is only fatal in monkeys: In humans, it only causes cold-like symptoms.

It's documented in the book, "The Hot Zone."

Mark