Ebola in U.S. and spreading beyond West Africa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_West_Africa_Ebola_outbreak

Once again the media is in denial, but Ebola is no longer contained in Africa where it is hitting hard.

The tests used to for the new strain - which is more contagious than the Zaire strain may not be effective in detecting cases and giving false negatives to patients who appear to be infected and are very ill.

Countries with suspected or non-transmissive cases

Benin

On August 7, Benin reported two possible Ebola cases at two different hospitals within the country. Both patients were Nigerians, who had traveled to Benin on business. Samples were sent to Senegal for confirmation.^[50] Initial tests were negative for Ebola.

Ghana

Multiple suspected Ebola cases were reported in Ghana by early August. All blood tests returned negative results, but Ghana has built three isolation centers.^[51][52]

Saudi Arabia

On 1 April, Saudi Arabia stopped issuing visas for the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca to those from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.^[53] Despite this, on 3 August, a man suspected of being infected with Ebola returned home to Saudi Arabia from Sierra Leone, and died within three days of arrival.^[54] On 10 August, it was confirmed that he tested negative for Ebola.^[55]

On 5 August Saudi Arabia announced that it would block issuance of Hajj and Umrah visas to the citizens of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.^[56]

On 6 August, the Saudi Ministry of Health advised citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia to avoid travelling to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea until further notice.^[57]

Spain

On 5 August 2014, the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God confirmed that the Spanish Brother Miguel Pajares was infected with the Ebola virus while volunteering in Liberia. His repatriation, coordinated by the Spanish Ministry of Defense, occurred on 6 August 2014.^[58] Spanish authorities confirmed that the patient would be treated in the 'Carlos III' hospital in Madrid. The decision attracted some controversy, amid questions as to the authorities' ability to guarantee no risk of transmission.^[59] Brother Pajares died from the virus on 12 August.^[60]

United States

On 31 July 2014, U.S. health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, warning against non-essential travel.^[61]

American aid worker Kent Brantly became infected with Ebola, while working in a Monrovia treatment center as medical director for the aid group Samaritan’s Purse; Nancy Writebol, one of Brantly's missionary coworkers, became infected at the same time.^[62][63][64] Both were flown to the United States at the beginning of August for further treatment in Atlanta's Emory University Hospital, near the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control.^[65]

On 6 August 2014, the Centers for Disease Control moved its Ebola response to Level 1 (the highest on a scale from 1 to 6) to increase the agency's ability to respond to the outbreak.^[66]

Other countries and economic regions

Economic Community of West African States

On 30 March 2014, during the 44th Summit of the heads of state and government of West Africa, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) disbursed US$250,000 to deal with the outbreak.^[67] At the event in July of that year, the Nigerian government donated US$500,000 to the Liberian government to aid the fight against the virus.^[68]

In July, the WHO convened an emergency sub-regional meeting with health ministers from eleven countries in Accra, Ghana.^[69] On 3 July 2014, the West African states announced collaboration on a new strategy, and the creation of a World Health Organization sub-regional centre in Guinea "to co-ordinate technical support";^[70] the centre was inaugurated in Conakry on 24 July.^[71]

On 31 July, the WHO and West Africa nations announced $100 million in aid to help contain the disease.^[72]

European Union

In March, the European Commission (EC) gave €500,000 to help contain the spread of the virus in Guinea and its neighbouring countries. The EC has also sent a health expert to Guinea to help assess the situation and liaise with the local authorities. EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva said: "We are deeply concerned about the spread of this virulent disease and our support will help ensure immediate health assistance to those affected by it. It's vital that we act swiftly to prevent the outbreak from spreading, particularly to neighbouring countries."^[73]

In April, a mobile laboratory, capable of performing the molecular diagnosis of viral pathogens of risk groups 3 and 4, was deployed in Guinea by the European Mobile Laboratory project (EMLab) as part of the WHO/GOARN outbreak response. Prior samples were analyzed at the Jean Mérieux BSL-4 Laboratory in Lyon.^[74]

Germany's Foreign Office issued travel warnings for all affected countries at the end of July.^[75] Spain did so on August 2.^[76]

Canada

On 12 August 2014, the Canadian Public Health Agency announced that the country would donate between 800 and 1,000 doses of an untested vaccine (VSV-EBOV) to the World Health Organization.^[77] The offer was made by the Minister of Health directly to the Director General of the WHO as part of the country's commitment to containment efforts. The Government of Canada holds the intellectual property associated with the vaccine, but has licensed a company called BioProtection Systems to develop the product for use in humans.

As of 12 August 2014, Canada's contribution to address the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa is estimated at $5,195,000. This includes resources dedicated to humanitarian, security, and public health interventions.^[78]

China

On 30 July Hong Kong's health authorities increased surveillance against the virus after a Hong Kong woman became ill after visiting Kenya. She tested negative for the disease. She will discharged after 21 days' isolation in hospital.^[79]

On 16 August, Chinese President Xi Jinping and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday discussed several hot issues, including Ebola, in their fourth meeting this year. The meeting in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, was held before they attended the opening ceremony of the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games.

Xi said China will continue to make joint efforts with the international community to prevent and control the Ebola virus outbreak that has hit west Africa. China has provided emergency medical assistance to Ebola-hit countries and sent expert groups. China's medical teams in the countries are working with local staff, according to Xi.

A Chinese plane carrying supplies worth 30 million yuan (4.9 million U.S. dollars) arrived in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia on Monday. The supplies include medical protective clothes, disinfectants, thermo-detectors and medicines. China also sent three expert teams composed of epidemiologists and specialists in disinfection and protection as well as medical supplies to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone despite high risk of infection. Before their arrival, eight members of a Chinese medical team sent to assist patients in Sierra Leone's hospitals were quarantined after treating Ebola patients.

Xi also spoke highly of the measures taken by the United Nations and World Health Organization its professional institutions, and called for more assistance and input for medical and health services in African countries. ^[80]

Colombia

On 8 August, the Vice Minister of Health and Social Protection of Colombia, Fernando Ruiz, assured the public that the Government is preparing itself to face the virus even though Colombia's given conditions don't give Ebola the chance to natively spread since "the bat species in charge of transmitting the disease nor the practice of eating it aren't present in Colombia."^[81] Ruiz also stated that Colombians travelling to the affected parts of West Africa are being warned to take appropriate precautions.^[82] Previously, on 5 August, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection issued a press release stating that "since the month of April the National Government has been closely following and monitoring the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa and the State has decided to adopt word by word the contingency plan prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO)."^[83]

Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea temporarily suspended the issuance of visas from neighboring countries and cancelled regional flights by Ceiba Intercontinental Airlines.^[84]

India

On 21 July, three Dwarka, Delhi residents on an inbound flight from Accra to New Delhi via Addis Ababa were placed under surveillance after WHO confirmation that one of the passengers on the flight had tested positive for Ebola; however, as of 8 August, none of the three had shown any symptoms of the disease.^[85] On 8 August, India placed all of its airports on high alert and stepped up surveillance of all travellers entering the country from Ebola-affected regions. The Union Health Minister, Harsh Vardhan, issued a statement, "There is no cause for panic. We have put in operation the most advanced surveillance and tracking systems." From 9 August, passengers coming from Ebola-affected countries will have to complete a form before landing; the form has a checklist for symptoms and asks travellers from West Africa for information about places visited, length of stay and other important information.

"The form is ready and will be officially released by Saturday. We will request all airlines to direct their staff to distribute the form in-flight, like immigration forms are given before arrival," said Jagdish Prasad, director general of health services, Union Ministry of Health. In New Delhi, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi has been designated as a treatment centre for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases. A 24-hour emergency helpline will also be functional from Saturday. Its numbers are (011)-23061469, 3205 and 1302. The estimated 47,000 Indians in the affected countries are being contacted by area diplomatic missions and supplied with educational material about the disease.^[86]

Japan

In April, the Government of Japan gave $520,000 through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support the Ebola outbreak response in Guinea.^[87]And in August, $1.5 million provide additional support to efforts to aid is to be disbursed via the WHO, UNICEF and Red Cross, and will be used for measures to prevent Ebola infections and to provide medical supplies.^[88]

Morocco

Beginning in April, Morocco reinforced medical surveillance at the Casablanca airport, a regional hub for flights from and to West Africa.^[89][90] In early August, Liberian interior minister Morris Dukuly announced the Ebola death of a Liberian man in the country,^[91] but the Moroccan Ministry of Health announced that the person died of a heart attack, rather than Ebola.^[92]

Philippines

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has raised Alert Level 2 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and has temporarily halted the sending of Filipino workers to the affected countries since June 30. Filipino seafarers are also cautioned about potentially contracting Ebola when their ship docks in affected countries.^[93] The Department of Health expressed its willingness to send medical workers to Ebola-affected countries to help contain the outbreak.^[94]

Senegal

Senegal's Ministry of Interior has ordered all movements of people through the southern border with Guinea to be suspended indefinitely to prevent the spread of the disease, according to a statement published on 29 March by state agency APS.^[95]

Seychelles

Seychelles introduced a visa requirement for the citizens of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali, Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Congo, D.R. Congo, Gambia, Mauritania, and Senegal. Citizens of these countries will require a visa until the Ebola outbreak is declared over.^[96] Members of the Sierra Leone national football team were refused visas over the outbreak.^[97]

United Kingdom

Public Health Wales reported on 5 August 2014 that a British woman might have been exposed to the Ebola virus while travelling in West Africa.^[98] She volunteered to be house-bound in her home in Cardiff, Wales, even though she was showing no symptoms of the virus. The potential victim is being closely monitored by public health agencies.

comment: Ebola is spreading and in some countries others are being infected by it. It is airborne via droplets as opposed to the media spin it is only transmitted by body liquids.  It can be transmitted by a sneeze and doctors have caught and died from Ebola working with patients.

The data above is current and indicates a disease which is moving around the globe via airlines. Some countries are blockng air travel to prevent further spread of the disease.

There is a vaccine which has not been tested on humans which apparently works and has cured two patients.  However it is difficult to make and there is no assurance this vaccine will work as Ebola continues to spread and may mutate. The tests used to for the new strain - which is more contagious than the Zaire strain may not be effective in detecting cases and giving false negatives to patients who appear to be infected and are very ill.

Ebola has now spread outside of West Africa. There have been cases in many other countries and deaths  from it.

There is no effective medical infrastructure anywhere to deal with a true outbreak of Ebola. The vaccine, even if it works would have to have hundreds of millions of doses created to vaccinate the public. The cost of making and giving the vaccine would be stellar and the economy of the U.S. is simply not good enough to implement this or is the current health system ready or able to cope with a Pandemic. 

These are the facts. Prepare - store water, food, wood, coal, and whatever would be needed if the power, internet, and areas became chaotic if plunged into darkness. Already there are areas in the U.S. having issues over the killing or torture of people by gangs and looting.

As far as the coming of a Pandemic - it is not only not if but when, as I originally said, it is how many Pandemics and other diseases which we are not immmune to will spread with it.

I continue to try and finishe the Survival Manual and despite the fact the .gov thinks a panic would kill more people than the disease, you all should

1) continue to monitor and find sources outside the main stream media which is highly controlled and even .gov websites which are often weeks or months behind what is happening.

2) Study and store enough food and water for you family and learn the basics of how to cope if you lose your home and are out in the streets. The world economy is not that stable. You should keep some resources - i.e. preciious metals, diamonds, cigarettes, and other items which could be traded if the banks shut down.

3) Recognize attacks on individuals trying to post facts and news which shows much of what is controlled press to be lies.  We are in a time when overt lies are common in hundreds of media reports which repeat them.

4) Understand that some people trying to get the word out do not have an agenda,  are not tring to make money for themselves, and hope to be wrong in their predictions. No one wants a Pandemc and stating the current medical system cannot deal with one at this point is a reality.

5) For those who believe in God or have strong faith in any anything that gives them strength during adverstiy, get closer to God and pray for all of us, all nations, all religions, and all races that we be spared a period of health, economic, network, and power chaos which will take us back a hundred years.

"Prepare - be informed - and you will be in a better position to protect the ones you love, your family, and especially - the children.

Medclinician

"Not if, but when"  coming soon Pandemic Now by Medclinician

The tests used to for the new strain - which is more contagious than the Zaire strain may not be effective in detecting cases and giving false negatives to patients who appear to be infected and are very ill.

The Ebola-virus will spread just like any other virus tends to spread. Media seem to be used as "mind-control", avoid panic. But when people find out that media are producing lies you only may expect more panic. One remark I read was that someone always did catch a cold during a plane-flight. One virus can be more contagious than another, Ebola is very contagious, so it of course will spread. On airports in western countries you might be able to detect it. But a busy airport may deal with more than a 100.000 passengers per day. 

Have we had any confirmed cases outside of Africa yet? I thought all the tests were coming back negative so far. And the Spanish priest and the two Americans were infected in Africa and transported back for treatment so that one's a little open to interpretation.
I'm not saying it isn't going to show up elsewhere (to be honest, this virus has me stumped because I've been expecting - and predicting - multiple isolated cases outside of West Africa for a good few weeks now), but as Chuck has said in the past, there are too many first responders who would be prepared to blow the whistle in Europe and the US for the authorities to easily hide it.

Medclinician2013 wrote: There is no reason at all that it will remain confined to West Africa being airborne - I mean to me catching it in a plane like the common cold is airborne.

You'd think I'd have learned by now, but here we go...
Unless I missed something, it appears that people aren't catching it on a plane by airborne transmission, Med. I know we've had the whole airborne/droplet transmission debate raging for a while and I understand the concern. Any additional way to catch a 60% fatal disease is scary, but it's apparently not jumping on to planes and spreading or we'd have seen it popping up all over the place for months now. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say, and if a virus is so inefficiently airborne that it doesn't seem to be able to pass from host to host even in the most favorable of conditions (in a plane on an international flight) is it something we should be overly worried about? Simply put - if it's airborne it's doing a p**s poor job of doing it, and I honestly find it hard to worry when it's proven that it can certainly get to me in other ways.
Here's my concern. The airborne thing is still being argued to death, but we absolutely know 100% it's passed by contact - and yet nobody's discussing the best ways to protect themselves from that mode of transmission (which is by far the most likely way to become infected). Worrying about a way to catch it that's debatable takes our focus away from things like basic hygiene, distancing and hand washing. In the face of the imminent spread of a very nasty virus, I think there's a real danger in worrying about the best mask to wear when your preps might not include enough hand sanitizer, gloves and the knowledge to use them effectively.

onefluover wrote: ...like a Chihuahua hanging from a paraglide...

I like it

To my knowledge Med, no plane has HEPA filters in their air conditioning system. I've lost count of how many times I've ended up with a cold after flying. Planes are hives of infection. My company supplied a number of contractors that provide catering and cleaning services for airlines.

Up until a couple of years ago I was fairly confident that planes were being cleaned properly because I was supplying them with a product called Virkon (sold as Rely-On in the US), which has had exhaustive testing done on its efficacy to eradicate human borne diseases.

There is also a product made by the same company called Virkon S. This is formulated for animal borne diseases and has never had ANY testing done on it's efficacy to human borne disease. Virkon is registered with our TGA (same as your FDA) whereas Virkon S is not.

Almost overnight both cleaning and catering companies switched from using Virkon to VirkonS to save a few $$$. Virkon is expensive - virkon S is cheap.

I argued with them for months regarding the efficacy of Virkon S for controlling human borne diseases before finally refusing to fill their orders and ultimately losing them as clients.

After the fact I found out that both contractors had taken the lead in switching products from AQIS - our government border protection agency, who due to budget restraints, had made the switch several months earlier.

I've written to AQIS, members of parliament, in fact any person who would listen, trying to get them to understand that the two products are vastly different. No-one cares....it's that simple.

God help Australians if ebola or any other communicable disease goes international because we sure as hell don't have any protection at out borders.

Medclinician2013 wrote: thank you so much Rickster. I didn't have this information or the background- but I needed to know-everyone need to know  this

DITTO!

I am sitting with one million frequent flyer miles so I have been on a lot of flights. My concern is not with what is used to clean aircraft but what kind of job the cleaning crew does. We know that airlines get behind for various reasons eg. weather, mechanical, etc. so in some cases the cleaning crew is under pressure to turn aircraft as soon as possible. It's not uncommon for cleaning crews to be on the aircraft before all pax deplane. Working against the clock leads to oversight and short cuts that will be a "killer" in a pandemic world.

Why do they need to keep negative pressure on the room if it isn't airborne? That makes no sense at all unless they aren't absolutely sure just how airborne Ebola is!

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES = NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW THIS THING SPREADS!

The newer news I am getting is not only my work, but a group of others working with me daily to track Ebola and the newest news on Life Extensions and medical breakthroughs. I grow weary and my work will continue long after I am gone. The truth needs to be told  beyond the spin in the media, coverups in the press and gross statements which inaccuate and misleading. Ebola is spreading. It is airborne. It is dangerous and it could be the next Pandemic. It is not a time to panic but to prepare. We must acknowledge the risk and danger of this infectious high CFR disease. The current test is not reliable and produces false negatives. Today - August 27, 2014

courtesy of reporter MM  at PWN for Medclinician:

Many people have been mis-informed regarding human to human transmission of Ebola. The Canadian Health Dept. States that airborne transmission of Ebola is strongly suspected and the CDC admits that Ebola can be transmitted in situations where there is no physical contact between people, I.e.: via airborne inhalation into the lungs or into the eyes where individuals are separated by 3 feet. That explains why81 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have died in West Africa to date. These courageous health care providers use careful CDC level barrier precautions such as gowns, gloves and head cover, but it appears they have inadequate respiratory and eye protection.

Currently the CDC advises health care workers to use goggles and simple face masks for respiratory and eye protection, and a fitted N-95 mask during aerosol-generating medical procedures. Since so many doctors and nurses are dying in West Africa, it is clear that this level of protection is inadequate. Full facerespirators with P-100 replacement filters would provide greater airway and eye protection, and I believe this would save the lives of many doctors, nurses and others who come into close contact with, or proximity to, Ebola victims.

Since CDC level respiratory/eye precautions for Ebola are inadequate for healthcare workers in West Africa, I assume they will also be inadequate in the United States.

Ronald R. Cherry, MD

mm: A contradiction it is not airborne but it is not nearly as weak of a virus as they are leading people to believe. Its main form of transmission in Africa is ingestion of both feces and partially cooked meat. That indicates the virus can survive on and in objects under pretty harsh conditions. It can also be spread through micro particulates like droplets from sneezing or coughing. Its not the easily controlled and contained thing they are trying to portray in the media. Likely they are downplaying the risks to prevent public panic but this is one scary bug.

mm: Every single day Ebola keeps cropping up in different places, eight cases spreading into Africa’s most populated nation Nigeria, several more now have surfaced beyond the African continent with suspected new cases in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. At least six others fresh off flights from West Africa are currently being quietly tested at locations here in the US in New York, Philadelphia and Ohio. With all the latest news of the spreading outbreak understandably giving rise to public fear and panic that it is just a plane ride away now, millions if not billions on this planet are pondering whether the African pandemic might be rapidly turning into a global epidemic spreading to every corner of the earth. Of course to reduce these concerns, the World Health Organization (WHO) and US government are busily downplaying the risks to citizens here in North America.

c. 2014 PWN - posted AFT courtesy of Medclinician

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0821/638520-ebola/

The test results of a suspected Ebola virus case in Donegal are expected tomorrow evening.  

In a statement, the HSE said its "public health department was made aware earlier today of the remains of an individual, discovered early this morning, who had recently travelled to the one of the areas in Africa affected by the current Ebola outbreak."

The man, who was in his 40s and originally from the Mountcharles area near Donegal town, was found dead early this morning. 

He was from a well-known family and was unmarried. 

His body was brought to Letterkenny General Hospital by an undertaker following his sudden death.

The dead man was thought to have been living in Dublin and had been working in Sierra Leone some weeks ago for a communications firm.

He had reportedly been receiving treatment for malaria but not as an admitted patient to any health facility.

He was visiting relatives in Donegal when he became ill.  

The HSE said it had been in contact with some of the man's family members.

It also said precautionary infection control procedures have been put in place in the community and at the mortuary.

If the case is confirmed tomorrow, then an established Government Task Force is expected to meet to discuss the situation.

comment: Ireland - possible Ebola death.

Medclinician

can virkon's kill the ebola virus

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29548001

Ebola: Spain quarantines doctors who treated infected nurse
Two doctors who treated a Spanish nurse diagnosed with Ebola have been admitted into hospital for observation, health officials say.  The admissions bring to six the total number of people under quarantine at the hospital in Madrid.

Ebola crisis: global response has ‘failed miserably’, says World Bank chief
The president of the World Bank, Jim Kim, admitted on Wednesday that the international community had “failed miserably” in its response to the Ebola virus that has killed more than 3,800 people in west Africa and warned that the crisis now affecting Spain and the US was going to get much worse.

Medclinician

Dutch Josh wrote: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-10-10/ebola-pandemic-update-probable-cases-brazil-and-paris-7-more-isolated-spain-who-warn

Despite claims of containment, Reuters reports seven more people turned themselves in late on Thursday to an Ebola isolation unit in Madrid; but following a visit by PM Rajoy, Spanish citizens can relax as the government is setting up a special Ebola committee. Following yesterday's scare in Paris, The Independent reports authorities are investigating a 'probable' case of a French national who may have contracted the disease in Africa. The World Health organization has warned that East Asia is at risk of becoming a "hot spot" for diseases - but is well prepared after SARS and avian flu but it is the appearance of a confirmed case in Brazil that is most concerning. A 47-year-old man, originally from Guinea, is LatAm's first case and suggests SOUTHCOM's "nightmare scenario" is closer than many would care to believe. Finally, the CDC has issued special guidance to 911 operators on dealing with suspected Ebola cases across America.