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African Woman Dies Of
Ebola After Flight To London
Mirror - UK ^
Posted on 05/21/2006 3:13:29 PM PDT by 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.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: africa; ebola; lesotho; outbreak; virginatlantic
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To: COEXERJ145
"Ebola isn't an airborne virus so the odds of it spreading are very slim. There is definitely no chance of it becoming a pandemic."The pandemic part of your statement is most likely true, however in this particular case we are treading on new ground.
I don't know of a case where an ebola victim with full blown symptoms was allowed on a commercial airplane. She should have been stopped before boarding, especially with the bird flu scare in Africa.
This will end up being one of those test cases, however I would be worried more about the crew members that had direct contact with her and any people they come in direct contact with.
To: Harmless Teddy Bear
yeah something isn't adding up here....
They are saying it's Ebola, but if she died from it in 2 days, she's in the 1% or so who die that quickly....
And they haven't yet posted the body, which makes me wonder.
62
posted on
05/21/2006 3:46:13 PM PDT
by
MikefromOhio
(aka MikeinIraq - Woohoo!! I'm on A List!!! yay!!!!)
To: mewzilla
63
posted on
05/21/2006 3:50:54 PM PDT
by
mewzilla
(Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
To: traumer
]If they caught on to the diagnosis and quickly, London should have the infrastructure to contain this. Quarantine and consider contagious ALL of them until the experts (there probably are some in London) declare them safe. Minimize interaction among the crew and passengers so as not to spread it further within that group. Be very careful not to spread it to the medical staff, a major problem in some outbreaks. Don't let the normal cleaning staff do the plane. It probably can be decontaminated and at least mostly salvaged, but let the experts think through the details first. Fortunately human Ebola, although potentially very contagious on contact, hasn't yet been contagious by air so those who had no contact with the victim will likely get off with just a bad scare and some travel delays.
To: mewzilla
Notify your employer immediately.
Monitor your health for 21 days following the exposure. If you develop sudden fever, chills, muscle aches, rash, or other symptoms consistent with Ebola virus infection, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Before visiting a doctors office, alert the health-care provider, clinic, or emergency room in advance about the possible exposure to Ebola virus, so that arrangements can be made to prevent transmission to others in the health-care setting.
When traveling to a health-care provider, limit your contact with others. All other travel should be avoided
It sounds like the concern of infection arises with the symptoms.
65
posted on
05/21/2006 3:56:22 PM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
To: traumer
The most terrifying disease, ever.
Even Stephen King said he was creeped out after reading The Hot Zone.
66
posted on
05/21/2006 3:58:35 PM PDT
by
SkyPilot
To: cripplecreek
I think the only folks who might have something to worry about are any employees who came in close contact with the woman, and possibly any passenger sitting within three feet or so of her.
67
posted on
05/21/2006 3:59:35 PM PDT
by
mewzilla
(Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
To: traumer
I've said it once, I'll say it a million times, nothing ruins a good flight like hemmoragic fever...
68
posted on
05/21/2006 4:03:41 PM PDT
by
jcs1744
To: MikefromOhio
Just off the top of my head it sounds more like Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.
Something to consider is that the disease might not have killed her. Sorry to be gross but if she was unconscious and vomiting she may have drowned.
69
posted on
05/21/2006 4:03:46 PM PDT
by
Harmless Teddy Bear
(Every lady in this land hath 20 nails on each hand five and twenty on hand and feet)
To: Harmless Teddy Bear
possibly....
or something in her vomitus may have been caught in her throat, a lot of things.
That why saying it was Ebola without a post mortem examination doesn't sound quite right given the timeframe.
70
posted on
05/21/2006 4:05:41 PM PDT
by
MikefromOhio
(aka MikeinIraq - Woohoo!! I'm on A List!!! yay!!!!)
To: Teacher317
I agree, the book is wonderful. The movie adaptation was pure eco-fiction. The book was based on real events and real folks of USAMRIID at Fr. Detrick. I grew up next door to the person who succeeded the main character. Had the events in Reston happened 1 year later he'd have been in charge of that investigation. I haven't seen him for years, but sometimes see his family. They're very proud of him, but glad when he rotated to a less virulent post.
To: MikefromOhio
Made an attention grabbing headline though!
72
posted on
05/21/2006 4:10:36 PM PDT
by
Harmless Teddy Bear
(Every lady in this land hath 20 nails on each hand five and twenty on hand and feet)
To: SkyPilot
I read "The Hot Zone" years ago and didn't sleep for 2 weeks. It's that scary. Preston (?) does a fabulous job in this book. If I remember correctly, he had won a great deal of scientific writing awards. This book is NOT fiction.
I lent the book to someone and never got it back. Going to have to order another. Incredible story.
73
posted on
05/21/2006 4:10:37 PM PDT
by
nuclady
(( Nagin, Blanco and Landrieu: Wynkin', Blynkin', and Nod ))
To: Harmless Teddy Bear
I got the feeling that is what it may be about....
74
posted on
05/21/2006 4:13:09 PM PDT
by
MikefromOhio
(aka MikeinIraq - Woohoo!! I'm on A List!!! yay!!!!)
To: Teacher317
That was excellent. I listened to iton books-on-tape during a couple days worth of commuting. I found myself sitting in a parking lot a block from work just to finish listening to another tape. I was late more than once that week!
75
posted on
05/21/2006 4:14:20 PM PDT
by
Toby06
(tagline suspended for the race.)
To: ItsForTheChildren
76
posted on
05/21/2006 4:18:13 PM PDT
by
Toby06
(tagline suspended for the race.)
To: traumer
77
posted on
05/21/2006 4:21:20 PM PDT
by
Flavius
(Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
To: traumer
I hate these blood borne disease stuff ... gives ya the creeps. Always makes me think of the effects of the ultimate blood borne infection and its results:
78
posted on
05/21/2006 4:38:55 PM PDT
by
MaDeuce
(Do it to them, before they do it to you! (MaDuce = M2HB .50 BMG))
To: COEXERJ145
According to the book "The Hot Zone", at least one strain of the virus did spread and infect (monkeys) through the air.
79
posted on
05/21/2006 4:56:55 PM PDT
by
XRdsRev
(The Democrat Party - Keeping Black folks on the "Plantation" since 1790)
To: neverdem
80
posted on
05/21/2006 5:02:24 PM PDT
by
raybbr
(You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote!!!)
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