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PADemD

(4,482 posts) Sat Jul 5, 2014, 03:43 PM Jul 2014

Ebola 'out of control' in West Africa as health workers rush to trace 1,500 possible victims

Hundreds of West Africans could be carrying the deadly Ebola virus and not know it, potentially infecting hundreds more, as cash-strapped governments and overwhelmed aid agencies struggle to contain the virus's spread.

At least 1,500 people have not yet been traced who are known to have come into contact with others confirmed or suspected to be infected with the haemorrhagic fever, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) told The Telegraph.

Many more could be moving freely in the three countries battling the virus, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, but fear of the illness and mistrust of Western medicine means they refuse to come forward to speak to doctors.

The current outbreak is the worst ever. So far 467 people have died and health staff have identified at least 292 other suspected or confirmed cases.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/guinea/10942598/Ebola-out-of-control-in-West-Africa-as-health-workers-rush-to-trace-1500-possible-victims.html

12 replies

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Ebola 'out of control' in West Africa as health workers rush to trace 1,500 possible victims (Original Post) PADemD Jul 2014 OP

Pray harder. blkmusclmachine Jul 2014 #1

good thing the USA is deploying military to Iraq instead nt msongs Jul 2014 #2

Yes, when they should be deploying medical personnel to West Africa. Louisiana1976 Jul 2014 #3

Probably Cuba will. nt kelliekat44 Jul 2014 #6

When the first cases enter through customs in New York, Atlanta and Huston. another_liberal Jul 2014 #4

I think they are trying to get a handle on things Marrah_G Jul 2014 #5

We had better hope they're trying . . . another_liberal Jul 2014 #7

Influenza is more of a threat to be honest Marrah_G Jul 2014 #8

Those five hundred people . . . another_liberal Jul 2014 #9

Like I said, it is devasting to the families and the communities. Marrah_G Jul 2014 #12

Those poor people. Has anyone read The Hot Zone? octoberlib Jul 2014 #10

Yes and I loved it Marrah_G Jul 2014 #11

blkmusclmachine

(16,149 posts)

1. Pray harder.

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 04:08 PM

Jul 2014

msongs

(67,443 posts)

2. good thing the USA is deploying military to Iraq instead nt

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 06:05 PM

Jul 2014

Louisiana1976

(3,962 posts)

3. Yes, when they should be deploying medical personnel to West Africa.

Reply to msongs (Reply #2)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 06:40 PM

Jul 2014

kelliekat44

(7,759 posts)

6. Probably Cuba will. nt

Reply to Louisiana1976 (Reply #3)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 06:57 PM

Jul 2014

another_liberal

(8,821 posts)

4. When the first cases enter through customs in New York, Atlanta and Huston.

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 06:46 PM

Jul 2014

We may start to see some action.

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)

5. I think they are trying to get a handle on things

Reply to another_liberal (Reply #4)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 06:56 PM

Jul 2014

WHO, CDC and MSF (doctors without borders) are all working over there to track down people but it is not easy. It would be much easier to control here in the US or other first world countries. Access to media, communications and clean, sterile medical care is a huge factor in being able to track down and isolate cases.

another_liberal

(8,821 posts)

7. We had better hope they're trying . . .

Reply to Marrah_G (Reply #5)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 08:13 PM

Jul 2014

If two thousand people are currently infected, and over a wide geographical area, we may soon have a problem on a very different scale. Diseases travel fast these days.

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)

8. Influenza is more of a threat to be honest

Reply to another_liberal (Reply #7)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 08:22 PM

Jul 2014

Ebola isn't airborne and has too high a kill rate to make it a good candidate for a pandemic. Avian flu (although really all flu is bird flu) is a much bigger threat if you ask an epidemiologist. Not to make light of this, Ebola is devastating to the families and communities it infects.

Unfortunately, the high number of deaths in this outbreak is due to poverty and through poverty, the general lack of good medical care and protective clothing for healthcare workers. Most contract it while caring for someone who has it easier while sick or preparing the bodies after death, which is very culturally significant for them.

http://www.afro.who.int/en/media-centre/pressreleases/item/6695-health-ministers-agree-on-priority-actions-to-end-ebola-outbreak-in-west-africa.html

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2014_07_03_ebola/en/

another_liberal

(8,821 posts)

9. Those five hundred people . . .

Reply to Marrah_G (Reply #8)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 09:58 PM

Jul 2014

Theoretically much worse, I'm sure you're right. Though friends and family of those five hundred people who have already died may not agree.

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)

12. Like I said, it is devasting to the families and the communities.

Reply to another_liberal (Reply #9)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 11:04 PM

Jul 2014

The point of my post was to calm fears that this is the beginning of a pandemic, which is very unlikely.

octoberlib

(14,971 posts)

10. Those poor people. Has anyone read The Hot Zone?

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 10:09 PM

Jul 2014

Ebola is a horrifying disease.

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)

11. Yes and I loved it

Reply to octoberlib (Reply #10)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 10:58 PM

Jul 2014

I've read a lot more books on the topic since reading his and the general consensus. from people who were there, is that yes Ebola is a terrible way to die, but that Preston's book was a bit exaggerated to make it as frightening as possible.

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