EBOLA SPREADING - NEW CASES NOT CONNECTED

AP ^ | 12-29-01 | ALEXANDRA ZAVIS, Associated Press Writer

[Neuromancer]

Saturday December 29 12:30 PM ET

Doctors Fear Ebola is Spreading

By ALEXANDRA ZAVIS, Associated Press Writer

MAKOKOU, Gabon (AP) - Doctors confirmed Saturday that a 16-year-old boy has the Ebola (news - web sites) virus and another patient has similar symptoms, prompting fears the deadly disease is continuing to spread in Central Africa.

The boy was admitted last week at Makokou's hospital and tested for Ebola, which already has killed 21 people in Gabon and neighboring Republic of Congo, regional health director Prosper Abessolo Mengue said Saturday.

Another patient was admitted Friday with symptoms of the disease, including fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Neither patient is known to have had contact with any of the previous victims, raising the possibility of still more unidentified cases.

``This is very worrying,´´ said Dr. Julien Meyong, medical chief of the hospital in Makokou, about 360 miles east of the capital, Libreville. Medical officials have identified 18 Ebola cases in this remote part of Gabon since the outbreak began in late October, according to government figures. Fifteen of those patients died.

Twelve more suspected cases have been identified in neighboring Republic of Congo, with six deaths. The affected region is one of the most thinly populated in both countries. It is covered by vast forests with tiny villages inhabited by Pygmies and other hunter tribes.

A team of medical experts from the World Health Organization (news - web sites) and Gabon's health ministry arrived in December and has been working with military doctors to trace victims, treat patients and educate people about the disease.

[NetValue]

If anyone unleashes a bio-terrorist attack on the US I predict the policy would be for a nuclear response. I hope even the terrorists are not that foolish. We would dismantle them from the inside out. No terror-supporting government would be left standing.

[tet68]

There's simply no way to even handle the stuff outside of a level 5 biocontainment field without infecting yourself.

Ah there's the rub,if you have people prepared to die!

It would have a nasty way of coming back to you though.

[Bryan24]

FANTASTIC book. Remember the FAA shutting down the Air traffic control system? That ain't nothin. Great book. I think it gives a good insight into how stressful presidential decision-making can be.

[Autodidactic]

Another Clancy classic I believe; Rainbow 6. Great pc video game too.

As to all the thought of bioterrorism, I've personally been scanning the news lately looking for mention of outbreaks in the US of Anthrax or Smallpox or whatever after all those threats that some "big event" was supposed to happen at the end of Ramadan.

Since there was no high profile attack, a bioterrorist attack at the end of Ramadan [what, about 10 days ago??] wouldn't become evident until right about now......

I don't know about you but it creeps me out when one of those rag-headded heathens says that the destruction of the US is immenent. All I can think of is Dark Winter and shudder.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Robin Cook's "Vector" was about inhalational anthrax and botulism, wasn't it? I've read it four times already, love the ending.

[janeliberty]

I think you're referring to Rainbow 6 by Tom Clancy. Good book. Above environmental extremists and ebola.

[janeliberty]

Yup. Anthrax and botulism. It seems pretty easy to get those bio-terrorism authors mixed up. After a while they sort of blend together or is it just me? Can't explain why but these type of books are addicting. I picked up two more of Cook's books from the library "Contagion" and "Toxin". Can't imagine why I have trouble getting to sleep!