African Woman Dies Of Ebola After Flight To London

Mirror - UK ^

[traumer]

KILLER BUG AIR SCARE

A WOMAN who arrived in London on a flight from Africa yesterday is reported to have died from the deadly and contagious ebola virus.

Panic has spread among cabin crew and hospital staff after the death of the 38-year-old Briton.

The unnamed woman is understood to work at an embassy in the African kingdom of Lesotho.

Before boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight from Johannesburg to Heathrow she visited a doctor complaining of flu-like symptoms.

She was allowed to fly, but during Flight VS602 to the UK she suffered a violent fit which left her unconscious.

Cabin crew and passengers rushed to her aid but towards the end of the flight she began to vomiting.

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When the Airbus A340-600, carrying 267 passengers and crew, touchdown at Heathrow she was rushed to nearby Hillingdon Hospital, West London.

Her symptoms matched those of the viral haemorraghing fever, ebola. The results of a post mortem are awaited.

Virgin Atlantic cabin crew who came into contact with the woman have been told to monitor their health. One said: "We are now terrified what we may have caught."

Deadly ebola is often characterised by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.

[Smokin' Joe]

On the Marburg Surveillance Thread ( This forum ) we had postulated that fruit bats (migratory) might be a vector by which the primates infected got the disease to pass it on to hunters and others who killed the monkeys for food or came into contact with the bodies. Some bats are pretty large and considered a delicacy in parts of SubSaharan Africa, so direct infection could occur as well if the bats are the vector.

I do not know if research has borne this theory out or not.

This would have helped account for the widespread nature of the individual outbreaks, their intermittent nature, and possibly the association with rainy weather, which would accompany seasonal migration.

But, as far as I know, it is just a theory.

If there is some article which confirms it, and you have a link, please post it--I and others would like to read it as well. (thanks!)

[Myrddin]

Thanks.

[djf]

If I hear any more, I'll let ya know.

[fatima]

Thanks for the ping Smokin' Joe.

[GOPJ]

OMG

[Smokin' Joe]

Thanks!

[Doctor Stochastic]

Ebola isn't an airborne virus so the odds of it spreading are very slim.

Bad logic. True, it's not airborne, but it spreads by contact with infected fluids, tissues, etc. Sneezes, coughs, sputum, excrement, blood, sweat, tears, stains, residue, etc.

Ebola is extremely contageous.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

I agree. Burn the plane to ashes. Who'd want to fly on it, ever?

[Dustbunny]

This is not good. I hope they have totally disinfected the whole plane and have everyone on it carefully monitored.

[GOPJ]

"Virgin Atlantic cabin crew who came into contact with the woman have been told to monitor their health."

Excellent, let them march around in the general population for a while until they develop the proper symptoms.

Is every public official brain-dead? What is the matter with these people?

[Calpernia]

ping

[GOPJ]

ping

[The Red Zone]

It could be worse. Some diseases prevail in spite of a robust immune response. At least with this there is some hope of getting through it.

[Doctor Stochastic]

...her symptoms "matched" ebola...

Well, Marburg and Machupo (South American) both match ebola. Others probably do. Perhaps she only had a bad case of toasted cheese and threw up.

[Calpernia]

Ebola ping

[skr]

Whoever cleaned up the poor woman's vomit is probably very scared right now. Prayers for all concerned.

[Calpernia]

Ebola ping

[FreedomPoster]

>>We need to isolate the British and burn down their villages along with the french and belgiums.

Are you German?

[The Red Zone]

And then she kicked the bucket, doc

[Doctor Stochastic]

Yep. Forgot that. Of course, there are eight million ways to die in London. Ebola is one of the rarer.