General Discussion

TheVisitor

(173 posts) Fri Oct 3, 2014, 02:30 PM Oct 2014

Comforting Fact Regarding Ebola in the US

In 2008-2009, a healthcare worker returned from Uganda stricken with Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever.
Marburg is closely related to Ebola and it's transmission from human-to-human methods are nearly identical.

More Information on Marburg:
Marburg haemorrhagic fever - fact sheet

The comforting part is this:

Ms. Barnes, 44, became ill in January 2008, a few days after returning home to Golden, Colo. At first, she seemed to have a typical case of traveler’s diarrhea, but she soon worsened. She broke out in a rash and developed abdominal pain, terrible fatigue, weakness and confusion. Blood tests found her white-cell count low and her liver and kidneys beginning to fail. She was hospitalized, still deteriorating. Her blood was taking too long to clot, and her pancreas and her muscles were inflamed.

Tests for a long list of tropical diseases all came up negative. Doctors were stumped. Their best diagnosis was, “basically, some undefined viral illness,” said Dr. Norman K. Fujita, an infectious disease specialist.

Also, the exposure rate

It was a sobering result. The Marburg virus had never before reached North America, as far as experts know. It is a close relative of Ebola, and the diseases these viruses cause are among the world’s most dreaded, because they can have horrific symptoms and high death rates and are easily transmitted by bodily fluids. There is no vaccine, cure or even specific treatment.

Infectious disease experts had warned for years that someday an infected person might board a plane and carry one of these deadly viruses halfway around the world, potentially exposing countless others along the way. Now it had happened.

But Ms. Barnes survived, and no one else became infected, even though epidemiologists calculated that 260 people — hospital and lab workers, friends and family — had potentially been exposed.

Perhaps this will help quell some of the paranoia people are feeling and give them some peace of mind.

Here is the full story covered in 2009:

Very Sick, and Now a Curiosity - Marburg

7 replies

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Highlight:

Comforting Fact Regarding Ebola in the US (Original Post) TheVisitor Oct 2014 OP

Part of the reason for concern is because Texas botched the entire situation still_one Oct 2014 #1

That is reason for concern... TheVisitor Oct 2014 #2

Yeah, cwydro Oct 2014 #3

Another good thing? Scootaloo Oct 2014 #4

Thank you for the links, I didn't know Marburg had made it to the usa uppityperson Oct 2014 #5

I remember that case. MineralMan Oct 2014 #6

Some comfort, I guess. Thanks for posting this. nt AverageJoe90 Oct 2014 #7

still_one

(92,219 posts)

1. Part of the reason for concern is because Texas botched the entire situation

Reply to TheVisitor (Original post)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 02:32 PM

Oct 2014

TheVisitor

(173 posts)

2. That is reason for concern...

Reply to still_one (Reply #1)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 02:34 PM

Oct 2014

But it is to be noted that standard medical procedure here was followed and no one else became ill, even though they had no idea what virus she had for over 6 months.

cwydro

(51,308 posts)

3. Yeah,

Reply to still_one (Reply #1)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 02:35 PM

Oct 2014

that's what concerns me the most.

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)

4. Another good thing?

Reply to TheVisitor (Original post)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 02:37 PM

Oct 2014

Most places in the northern hemisphere lack any animals to act as reservoir populations. We do not have megachiropterans or primates, for the most part. It's just humans, and we can, if nothing else, track and isolate humans who have been exposed. Liberia can't do that with colobus monkeys or fruit bats.

What this means is that even if there is an outbreak, it can be dealt with and will most likely be a one-of event. Still scary, but we will never see ebola "go native," the way yellow fever did.