Ebola epidemic in Africa.

[MadCatTLX]

So as I'm sure many of you have heard there has been a rather serious outbreak of Ebola. For those who don't know what the Ebola virus is or does, the short answer is that it's infectious through fluids, there's no cure, no vaccine, and a 90% death rate of those infected.

The current outbreak started in Guinea with a handful of cases in March. It has now spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. There are an estimated 1,093 infected people in the area, with 786 confirmed infections, of which 442 of them are dead. It is believed that the current infections are of the Zaire strain, the most deadly.

There is concern of the virus spreading to Nigeria Africa's most populated country. Two American doctors working in the infected areas have been infected so far.

What do y'all think is going to happen from here?

[Ultimate Paragon]

What a tragedy.

[Lt. Fred]

Ebola has a good case for worst disease.

[Sylvana]

What do y'all think is going to happen from here?

I think, its going to decimate middle Africa. Ebola has spread too far and any attempts to contain the pandemic have failed so far. This is party because Africa is a continent where things like roads and following the rules are really optional. Unless neighboring counties are prepared to shoot first at the borders, there is a very good chance it could spread to them.

The good news, is that it is very unlikely that it will spread to any other continent. Airports are easy to quarantine, and ships take too long to get anywhere without the infection becoming visible.

I just sincerely hope that the pandemic runs itself out while still contained in middle Africa. The alarming degree to which it has spread so far as well as the possibility of getting into Nigeria is quite problematic for anyone living in Africa. Nigeria is basically one of the biggest trade and business hubs in Africa. With high levels of corruption I could easily see the virus spreading to most of Africa quite easily from Nigeria.

This pandemic though is a frightening reminder as to how vulnerable we are to disease, as well as how interconnected our lives are. People travel around so easily these days that viruses spread at unheard of rates.

[Ironchew]

What do y'all think is going to happen from here?

Ebolavirus kills people too quickly to reach a pandemic-level threat. It would have a much easier time spreading and killing off a significant chunk of the world population if the time between contagiousness and onset of symptoms weren't so short.

Any genetic engineering attempts to accomplish this would naturally qualify for Dick Cheney levels of pure evil.

[Svata]

Also, anyone with the foresight to move to Madagsacar is in the clear.

[MadCatTLX]

There's at least on infected person who was able to fly to Nigeria before symptoms showed. Although he is now quarantined  the disease is potentially spreading in Nigeria.

Svata: You can't forget Greenland.

[dpareja]

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has quarantined Liberia.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ebola-president-ellen-johnson-sirleaf-restricts-movements-in-liberia-1.2719952

Only three border crossings remain open--all go to Guinea or Sierra Leone--and only two international airports, one in and one near Monrovia.

Since a Liberian official who flew to Nigeria died in a hospital there, there's also concern about an outbreak in Togo, since his plane stopped there as well.

Meanwhile, officials are having problems containing the outbreak since people don't trust doctors, hide sick family members and resort to traditional healing methods rather than modern medicine.

[Ironchew]

There's at least on infected person who was able to fly to Nigeria before symptoms showed.

Well, sure, the incubation period is 21 days. The critical factor, though, is that contagiousness and onset of symptoms happen almost at the same time, which allows for (relatively) easy quarantining.

Had Ebolavirus managed to delay the onset of symptoms by one or two days, we would have had a deadly worldwide pandemic on our hands long ago. Right now it's just an engineering problem for any aspiring supervillain.

[Svata]

Svata: You can't forget Greenland.

Eh, New Zeland always gave me more trouble than Greenland. But Greenland's hospital often stays open until everyone there is dead.

Also, I really hope this doesn't get out of hand and that no one takes offense to me joking about such a serious issue.

[Sylvana]

Well, sure, the incubation period is 21 days. The critical factor, though, is that contagiousness and onset of symptoms happen almost at the same time, which allows for (relatively) easy quarantining.

Had Ebolavirus managed to delay the onset of symptoms by one or two days, we would have had a deadly worldwide pandemic on our hands long ago. Right now it's just an engineering problem for any aspiring supervillain.

Given how infectious it is, you only need about a day of initial symptoms. People with Ebola dont just explode into a fountain of blood. The first day of symptoms is pretty much identical to the common cold. A cold that someone careless might ignore and end up infecting a fair number of people as a result.

I think the world will have to start quarantining all of central Africa soon. There was an infected person who was on a plane to Minnesota in the news today. While I dont doubt the CDC can handle Ebola breaking out in America, it would be better to not test them.

Lastly, this is already a pandemic. A pandemic is a large scale epidemic that crosses country borders.

[Kat S.]

Recently the CDC took back an American that was infected with the Ebola Virus from Monrovia, Liberia to Emory Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia under their supervision and care.  The CDC also plans to take back his colleague who was also infected while working in Liberia.

Meanwhile, there are people commenting all over the internet on how they don't want to bring back the infected people because they fear it will spread in the U.S.  Nevermind that in the articles they comment on, it is explained that the infected medical workers are being transferred in an isolation unit on a government aircraft under the watch of CDC workers.  These articles also explain that the aircraft landed on military bases and not commercial airports.

I think those comments are horrible.  The Americans that became infected with Ebola were not a couple of dumb tourists that ignored the State Department Warnings about traveling to West Africa.  These people are doctors that were helping people in an impoverished country ravaged by Ebola and other medical problems.

[niam2023]

Ebola seriously scares me. The idea it kills you, just one hundred or so percent kills you just...urgh.

And Zaire Ebola destroys your body once its done.

It reminds me of the Cabin Fever stuff Eli Roth came up with...

[Søren]

The virus is a fucking gorgeous thing. Also Cabin Fever is closer to a C Perfringes infection gone into hyperdrive

[Ghoti]

Svata: You can't forget Greenland.

Eh, New Zeland always gave me more trouble than Greenland. But Greenland's hospital often stays open until everyone there is dead.

Also, I really hope this doesn't get out of hand and that no one takes offense to me joking about such a serious issue.

Plague Inc?/Pandemic?