CIDRAP: "We Believe There Is Scientific Evidence Ebola Has The Potential To Be Airborne"

When CDC Director Tim Frieden first announced, just a week ago and very erroneously, that he was "confident we will stop Ebola in its tracks here in the United States", he hardly anticipated facing the double humiliation of not only having the first person-to-person transmission of Ebola on US soil taking place within a week, but that said transmission would impact a supposedly protected healthcare worker. He certainly did not anticipate the violent public reaction that would result when, instead of taking blame for another epic CDC blunder, one which made many wonder if last night's Walking Dead season premier was in fact non-fiction, he blamed health workers for "not following protocol."

And yet, while once again casting scapegoating and blame, the CDC sternly refuses to acknowledge something others, and not just tingoil blog sites, are increasingly contemplating as a distinct possibility: namely that Ebola is, contrary to CDC "protocol", in fact airborne. Or as, an article posted by CIDRAP defines it, "aerosolized."

Who is CIDRAP?  "The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP; "SID-wrap") is a global leader in addressing public health preparedness and emerging infectious disease response. Founded in 2001, CIDRAP is part of the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota."

The full punchline from the CIDRAP report:

We believe there is scientific and epidemiologic evidence that Ebola virus has the potential to be transmitted via infectious aerosol particles both near and at a distance from infected patients, which means that healthcare workers should be wearing respirators, not facemasks.

In other words, airborne. And now the search for the next LAKE, i.e., a public company maker of powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR), begins.

Here is the full note: we hope the CDC will take the time to read it.

Health workers need optimal respiratory protection for Ebola

Today's commentary was submitted to CIDRAP by the authors, who are national experts on respiratory protection and infectious disease transmission. In May they published a similar commentary on MERS-CoV. Dr Brosseau is a Professor and Dr Jones an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Healthcare workers play a very important role in the successful containment of outbreaks of infectious diseases like Ebola. The correct type and level of personal protective equipment (PPE) ensures that healthcare workers remain healthy throughout an outbreak—and with the current rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak in West Africa, it's imperative to favor more conservative measures.

 

The precautionary principle—that any action designed to reduce risk should not await scientific certainty—compels the use of respiratory protection for a pathogen like Ebola virus that has:

• No proven pre- or post-exposure treatment modalities
• A high case-fatality rate
• Unclear modes of transmission

We believe there is scientific and epidemiologic evidence that Ebola virus has the potential to be transmitted via infectious aerosol particles both near and at a distance from infected patients, which means that healthcare workers should be wearing respirators, not facemasks.¹

The minimum level of protection in high-risk settings should be a respirator with an assigned protection factor greater than 10. A powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) with a hood or helmet offers many advantages over an N95 filtering facepiece or similar respirator, being more protective, comfortable, and cost-effective in the long run.

We strongly urge the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to seek funds for the purchase and transport of PAPRs to all healthcare workers currently fighting the battle against Ebola throughout Africa—and beyond.

There has been a lot of on-line and published controversy about whether Ebola virus can be transmitted via aerosols. Most scientific and medical personnel, along with public health organizations, have been unequivocal in their statements that Ebola can be transmitted only by direct contact with virus-laden fluids^2,3 and that the only modes of transmission we should be concerned with are those termed "droplet" and "contact."

These statements are based on two lines of reasoning. The first is that no one located at a distance from an infected individual has contracted the disease, or the converse, every person infected has had (or must have had) "direct" contact with the body fluids of an infected person.

This reflects an incorrect and outmoded understanding of infectious aerosols, which has been institutionalized in policies, language, culture, and approaches to infection control. We will address this below. Briefly, however, the important points are that virus-laden bodily fluids may be aerosolized and inhaled while a person is in proximity to an infectious person and that a wide range of particle sizes can be inhaled and deposited throughout the respiratory tract.

The second line of reasoning is that respirators or other control measures for infectious aerosols cannot be recommended in developing countries because the resources, time, and/or understanding for such measures are lacking.⁴

Although there are some important barriers to the use of respirators, especially PAPRs, in developing countries, healthcare workers everywhere deserve and should be afforded the same best-practice types of protection, regardless of costs and resources. Every healthcare worker is a precious commodity whose well-being ensures everyone is protected.

If we are willing to offer infected US healthcare workers expensive treatments and experimental drugs free of charge when most of the world has no access to them, we wonder why we are unwilling to find the resources to provide appropriate levels of comparatively less expensive respiratory protection to every healthcare worker around the world.

How are infectious diseases transmitted via aerosols?

Medical and infection control professionals have relied for years on a paradigm for aerosol transmission of infectious diseases based on very outmoded research and an overly simplistic interpretation of the data. In the 1940s and 50s, William F. Wells and other "aerobiologists" employed now significantly out-of-date sampling methods (eg, settling plates) and very blunt analytic approaches (eg, cell culturing) to understand the movement of bacterial aerosols in healthcare and other settings. Their work, though groundbreaking at the time, provides a very incomplete picture.

Early aerobiologists were not able to measure small particles near an infectious person and thus assumed such particles existed only far from the source. They concluded that organisms capable of aerosol transmission (termed "airborne") can only do so at around 3 feet or more from the source. Because they thought that only larger particles would be present near the source, they believed people would be exposed only via large "droplets" on their face, eyes, or nose.

Modern research, using more sensitive instruments and analytic methods, has shown that aerosols emitted from the respiratory tract contain a wide distribution of particle sizes—including many that are small enough to be inhaled.^5,6 Thus, both small and large particles will be present near an infectious person.

The chance of large droplets reaching the facial mucous membranes is quite small, as the nasal openings are small and shielded by their external and internal structure. Although close contact may permit large-droplet exposure, it also maximizes the possibility of aerosol inhalation.

As noted by early aerobiologists, liquid in a spray aerosol, such as that generated during coughing or sneezing, will quickly evaporate,⁷ which increases the concentration of small particles in the aerosol. Because evaporation occurs in milliseconds, many of these particles are likely to be found near the infectious person.

The current paradigm also assumes that only "small" particles (less than 5 micrometers [mcm]) can be inhaled and deposited in the respiratory tract. This is not true. Particles as large as 100 mcm (and perhaps even larger) can be inhaled into the mouth and nose. Larger particles are deposited in the nasal passages, pharynx, and upper regions of the lungs, while smaller particles are more likely to deposit in the lower, alveolar regions. And for many pathogens, infection is possible regardless of the particle size or deposition site.

It's time to abandon the old paradigm of three mutually exclusive transmission routes for a new one that considers the full range of particle sizes both near and far from a source. In addition, we need to factor in other important features of infectivity, such as the ability of a pathogen to remain viable in air at room temperature and humidity and the likelihood that systemic disease can result from deposition of infectious particles in the respiratory system or their transfer to the gastrointestinal tract.

We recommend using "aerosol transmissible" rather than the outmoded terms "droplet" or "airborne" to describe pathogens that can transmit disease via infectious particles suspended in air.

Is Ebola an aerosol-transmissible disease?

We recently published a commentary on the CIDRAP site discussing whether Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) could be an aerosol-transmissible disease, especially in healthcare settings. We drew comparisons with a similar and more well-studied disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

For Ebola and other filoviruses, however, there is much less information and research on disease transmission and survival, especially in healthcare settings.

Being at first skeptical that Ebola virus could be an aerosol-transmissible disease, we are now persuaded by a review of experimental and epidemiologic data that this might be an important feature of disease transmission, particularly in healthcare settings.

What do we know about Ebola transmission?

No one knows for certain how Ebola virus is transmitted from one person to the next. The virus has been found in the saliva, stool, breast milk, semen, and blood of infected persons.^8,9 Studies of transmission in Ebola virus outbreaks have identified activities like caring for an infected person, sharing a bed, funeral activities, and contact with blood or other body fluids to be key risk factors for transmission.^10-12

On the basis of epidemiologic evidence, it has been presumed that Ebola viruses are transmitted by contaminated hands in contact with the mouth or eyes or broken skin or by splashes or sprays of body fluids into these areas. Ebola viruses appear to be capable of initiating infection in a variety of human cell types,^13,14 but the primary portal or portals of entry into susceptible hosts have not been identified.

Some pathogens are limited in the cell type and location they infect. Influenza, for example, is generally restricted to respiratory epithelial cells, which explains why flu is primarily a respiratory infection and is most likely aerosol transmissible. HIV infects T-helper cells in the lymphoid tissues and is primarily a bloodborne pathogen with low probability for transmission via aerosols.

Ebola virus, on the other hand, is a broader-acting and more non-specific pathogen that can impede the proper functioning of macrophages and dendritic cells—immune response cells located throughout the epithelium.^15,16 Epithelial tissues are found throughout the body, including in the respiratory tract. Ebola prevents these cells from carrying out their antiviral functions but does not interfere with the initial inflammatory response, which attracts additional cells to the infection site. The latter contribute to further dissemination of the virus and similar adverse consequences far beyond the initial infection site.

The potential for transmission via inhalation of aerosols, therefore, cannot be ruled out by the observed risk factors or our knowledge of the infection process. Many body fluids, such as vomit, diarrhea, blood, and saliva, are capable of creating inhalable aerosol particles in the immediate vicinity of an infected person. Cough was identified among some cases in a 1995 outbreak in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo,¹¹ and coughs are known to emit viruses in respirable particles.¹⁷ The act of vomiting produces an aerosol and has been implicated in airborne transmission of gastrointestinal viruses.^18,19 Regarding diarrhea, even when contained by toilets, toilet flushing emits a pathogen-laden aerosol that disperses in the air.^20-22

Experimental work has shown that Marburg and Ebola viruses can be isolated from sera and tissue culture medium at room temperature for up to 46 days, but at room temperature no virus was recovered from glass, metal, or plastic surfaces.²³ Aerosolized (1-3 mcm) Marburg, Ebola, and Reston viruses, at 50% to 55% relative humidity and 72°F, had biological decay rates of 3.04%, 3.06%. and 1.55% per minute, respectively. These rates indicate that 99% loss in aerosol infectivity would occur in 93, 104, and 162 minutes, respectively.²³

In still air, 3-mcm particles can take up to an hour to settle. With air currents, these and smaller particles can be transported considerable distances before they are deposited on a surface.

There is also some experimental evidence that Ebola and other filoviruses can be transmitted by the aerosol route. Jaax et al²⁴ reported the unexpected death of two rhesus monkeys housed approximately 3 meters from monkeys infected with Ebola virus, concluding that respiratory or eye exposure to aerosols was the only possible explanation.

Zaire Ebola viruses have also been transmitted in the absence of direct contact among pigs²⁵ and from pigs to non-human primates,²⁶ which experienced lung involvement in infection. Persons with no known direct contact with Ebola virus disease patients or their bodily fluids have become infected.¹²

Direct injection and exposure via a skin break or mucous membranes are the most efficient ways for Ebola to transmit. It may be that inhalation is a less efficient route of transmission for Ebola and other filoviruses, as lung involvement has not been reported in all non-human primate studies of Ebola aerosol infectivity.²⁷ However, the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems are not complete barriers to Ebola virus. Experimental studies have demonstrated that it is possible to infect non-human primates and other mammals with filovirus aerosols.^25-27

Altogether, these epidemiologic and experimental data offer enough evidence to suggest that Ebola and other filoviruses may be opportunistic with respect to aerosol transmission.²⁸ That is, other routes of entry may be more important and probable, but, given the right conditions, it is possible that transmission could also occur via aerosols.

Guidance from the CDC and WHO recommends the use of facemasks for healthcare workers providing routine care to patients with Ebola virus disease and respirators when aerosol-generating procedures are performed. (Interestingly, the 1998 WHO and CDC infection-control guidance for viral hemorrhagic fevers in Africa, still available on the CDC Web site, recommends the use of respirators.)

Facemasks, however, do not offer protection against inhalation of small infectious aerosols, because they lack adequate filters and do not fit tightly against the face.¹ Therefore, a higher level of protection is necessary.

Which respirator to wear?

As described in our earlier CIDRAP commentary, we can use a Canadian control-banding approach to select the most appropriate respirator for exposures to Ebola in healthcare settings.²⁹ (See this document for a detailed description of the Canadian control banding approach and the data used to select respirators in our examples below.)

The control banding method involves the following steps:

1. Identify the organism's risk group (1 to 4). Risk group reflects the toxicity of an organism, including the degree and type of disease and whether treatments are available. Ebola is in risk group 4, the most toxic organisms, because it can cause serious human or animal disease, is easily transmitted, directly or indirectly, and currently has no effective treatments or preventive measures.
2. Identify the generation rate. The rate of aerosol generation reflects the number of particles created per time (eg, particles per second). Some processes, such as coughing, create more aerosols than others, like normal breathing. Some processes, like intubation and toilet flushing, can rapidly generate very large quantities of aerosols. The control banding approach assigns a qualitative rank ranging from low (1) to high (4) (eg, normal breathing without coughing has a rank of 1).
3. Identify the level of control. Removing contaminated air and replacing it with clean air, as accomplished with a ventilation system, is effective for lowering the overall concentration of infectious aerosol particles in a space, although it may not be effective at lowering concentration in the immediate vicinity of a source. The number of air changes per hour (ACH) reflects the rate of air removal and replacement. This is a useful variable, because it is relatively easy to measure and, for hospitals, reflects building code requirements for different types of rooms. Again, a qualitative ranking is used to reflect low (1) versus high (4) ACH. Even if the true ventilation rate is not known, the examples can be used to select an appropriate air exchange rate.
4. Identify the respirator assigned protection factor. Respirators are designated by their "class," each of which has an assigned protection factor (APF) that reflects the degree of protection. The APF represents the outside, environmental concentration divided by the inside, facepiece concentration. An APF of 10 means that the outside concentration of a particular contaminant will be 10 times greater than that inside the respirator. If the concentration outside the respirator is very high, an assigned protection factor of 10 may not prevent the wearer from inhaling an infective dose of a highly toxic organism.

Practical examples

Two examples follow. These assume that infectious aerosols are generated only during vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, or similar high-energy emissions such as some medical procedures. It is possible that Ebola virus may be shed as an aerosol in other manners not considered.

Caring for a patient in the early stages of disease (no bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, etc). In this case, the generation rate is 1. For any level of control (less than 3 to more than 12 ACH), the control banding wheel indicates a respirator protection level of 1 (APF of 10), which corresponds to an air purifying (negative pressure) half-facepiece respirator such as an N95 filtering facepiece respirator. This type of respirator requires fit testing.

Caring for a patient in the later stages of disease (bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea, etc). If we assume the highest generation rate (4) and a standard patient room (control level = 2, 3-6 ACH), a respirator with an APF of at least 50 is needed. In the United States, this would be equivalent to either a full-facepiece air-purifying (negative-pressure) respirator or a half-facepiece PAPR (positive pressure), but standards differ in other countries. Fit testing is required for these types of respirators.

The control level (room ventilation) can have a big effect on respirator selection. For the same patient housed in a negative-pressure airborne infection isolation room (6-12 ACH), a respirator with an assigned protection factor of 25 is required. This would correspond in the United States to a PAPR with a loose-fitting facepiece or with a helmet or hood. This type of respirator does not need fit testing.

Implications for protecting health workers in Africa

Healthcare workers have experienced very high rates of morbidity and mortality in the past and current Ebola virus outbreaks. A facemask, or surgical mask, offers no or very minimal protection from infectious aerosol particles. As our examples illustrate, for a risk group 4 organism like Ebola, the minimum level of protection should be an N95 filtering facepiece respirator.

This type of respirator, however, would only be appropriate only when the likelihood of aerosol exposure is very low. For healthcare workers caring for many patients in an epidemic situation, this type of respirator may not provide an adequate level of protection.

For a risk group 4 organism, any activity that has the potential for aerosolizing liquid body fluids, such as medical or disinfection procedures, should be avoided, if possible. Our risk assessment indicates that a PAPR with a full facepiece (APF = 50) or a hood or helmet (APF = 25) would be a better choice for patient care during epidemic conditions.

We recognize that PAPRs present some logistical and infection-control problems. Batteries require frequent charging (which requires a reliable source of electricity), and the entire ensemble requires careful handling and disinfection between uses. A PAPR is also more expensive to buy and maintain than other types of respirators.

On the other hand, a PAPR with a loose-fitting facepiece (hood or helmet) does not require fit testing. Wearing this type of respirator minimizes the need for other types of PPE, such as head coverings and goggles. And, most important, it is much more comfortable to wear than a negative-pressure respirator like an N95, especially in hot environments.

A recent report from a Medecins Sans Frontieres healthcare worker in Sierra Leone³⁰ notes that healthcare workers cannot tolerate the required PPE for more than 40 minutes. Exiting the workplace every 40 minutes requires removal and disinfection or disposal (burning) of all PPE. A PAPR would allow much longer work periods, use less PPE, require fewer doffing episodes, generate less infectious waste, and be more protective. In the long run, we suspect this type of protection could also be less expensive.

Adequate protection is essential

To summarize, for the following reasons we believe that Ebola could be an opportunistic aerosol-transmissible disease requiring adequate respiratory protection:

• Patients and procedures generate aerosols, and Ebola virus remains viable in aerosols for up to 90 minutes.
• All sizes of aerosol particles are easily inhaled both near to and far from the patient.
• Crowding, limited air exchange, and close interactions with patients all contribute to the probability that healthcare workers will be exposed to high concentrations of very toxic infectious aerosols.
• Ebola targets immune response cells found in all epithelial tissues, including in the respiratory and gastrointestinal system.
• Experimental data support aerosols as a mode of disease transmission in non-human primates.

Risk level and working conditions suggest that a PAPR will be more protective, cost-effective, and comfortable than an N95 filtering facepiece respirator.

Acknowledgements

We thank Kathleen Harriman, PhD, MPH, RN, Chief, Vaccine Preventable Diseases Epidemiology Section, Immunization Branch, California Department of Public Health, and Nicole Vars McCullough, PhD, CIH, Manager, Global Technical Services, Personal Safety Division, 3M Company, for their input and review.

References

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Comments

[messymerry]

Hey knukles,

Find a copy of Richard Preston's book, "Demon in the Freezer".  If anything, it is even scarier than The Hot Zone...

It's about smallpox which I consider a much more real and present danger...and weaponized versions of variola are out in the wild and unaccounted for. 

Woo Wee pretty scary,

[knukles]

Yep... read it!
And what was in the press just a few weeks ago?  All sorts of old smallpox, etc., containers found scattered amongst 10 or 12 facilties?  Forgotten for years, unaccounted for and "what the fucked, bury it under a mountain of paperwork."

[Parrotile]

Want to be even more concerned?  Cowpopx (Vaccinia) and Smallpox (Variola) are VERY closely related, and the sequence differences well known (i.e. broadly published)

It would certainly not be at all beyond the capability of a group (such as the Aum Shinrikyo faction) to at least attempt a partial "conversion", and there are a range of cell lines that support Smallpox (e.g. bovine epidermis, monkey kidney, and others).

Something else to keep you awake at night

[Mediocritas]

Yep. Not popular to say around here, but Ebola (horrible as it is) is too aggressive and too visible to be truly, lose sleep at night, dangerous to humanity. With sufficient motivation (and logistical support), it can be ring-fenced. A more dangerous virus is one that is already all around us (eg, carried by birds, or a seemingly mild human retrovirus), which is only a few SNPs away from high-transmissibility in humans and morbidity. Such a beast can't be ring-fenced.

That's why I find this kind of thing disturbing: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2014/04/study-notes-h5n1-twea...

What concerns me most is that the full genome sequences of so many of these nasties are freely available online. Any molecular biologist with enough skill to maintain BACs, run PCR, program an oligo synthesiser and follow various kit instructions (ie, a trained monkey) can pick genes to assemble a true horror without much difficulty.

I have no desire to provide any technical information, particularly not in an online forum populated with its fair share of crazies, but I'm sure you already know what I know. There are many more scary things than wild-type Ebola, and Ebola is frickin' scary!

[SilverRhino]

Yup .... reading about Blackpox was fucking disturbing.

[Kirk2NCC1701]

You don't need any "3rd Party Reference" for figuring out that this sucker get air-borne -- just use Physics 101.

As posted by Yours Truly on Thu, 10/02/2014 - 16:08 | 5281653 Kirk2NCC1701  ...

These CDC careerist fucks have clearly failed Thermodynamics -- if they ever had the course -- because AIR IS A FLUID.

As long as there are airborne things (dust, pollen, atomized water droplets, etc, etc), for the Virus to cling to, it gets a FREE RIDE, and will then cling to whatever surface it can -- you dumb-ass Muthafuckers.

There are days that I swear that Medical Schools should not allow anyone into their MD program, until their prospects have a full degree (BS or MS) in Physics & Chemistry.  You won't believe how many MDs I know, who are smart and dumb at the same time.  Many remind me of an Idiot Savant.

It feels like we're living an episode of THE STRAIN.  Government scum!

[Rusty Shorts]

...Meanwhile,  VICE, just hanging out in Ebolaville, LIBERIA, NO RESPIRATORS with the other 3000 troops...and having a Cocktail or three as we speak...and eating some nice Chop.

[One And Only]

And their camera man got ebola. Google it.

[Thanatos]

http://www.crucell.com/R_AND_D_CLINICAL_DEVELOPMENT_EB.HTM

[MsCreant]

"The fiddlefucking about for whatever reason (Don't Panic!?) is going to wind up costing lives."

No offense love, but it already has cost lives, is currently costing lives. 

Bastards.

[janus]

It Is Airborne...always has been, always will be.

there are some blood-stained hands in the halls of power; but this is just the beginning.  the fact that we didn't immediately shut down all air-space in the west african ebola sector will go down as the highest crime of all time.  they've know this shit from the beginning; and there's no doubt in my mind that this is deliberate.  fucking gallows are too good for these people.

and this all accords to one of my Truth Principals:  any position that is sensible, rational and supported by evidence but at the same time mocked or otherwise barred from public discourse is, ipso facto, True or at least supremely valid. 

i picked up a high-level NGOer whose wheelhouse circumscribes infectious diseases in developing nations.  we've chatted several times going to and from logan.  after a prefunctory greeting, it was time to get down to brass tacks.  janus sez, "so, you boys are sticking with this rubbish of fluid-based transmission even though it's obviously air-borne."  NGOer responded with customary patronizing indignation, "all the data and evidence tells us that EBV is difficult to spread...there's nothing to worry about."  janus replies, "well, that's difficult to believe when hundreds of healthcare workers are contracting this, in spite of the level-3 protective equipment."  this was dismissed with the glib bullshit you're hearing today, "they all contracted it from improperly removing their suits."  again, i humbly respond, "well, dr. NGOer, i've had a bit of haz-mat training myself (anthrax shit), and the most important and most emphasized component of said training was decon.  in the case of infectious agents, there are multiple stages and very specific protocols.  and so, you're telling me that western trained front-line specialists are just discarding their training en mass?  that literally hundreds have just poo-pooed the protocols...all-like, fuck this noise, a lil hemmoragic fever never killed anybody...i don't feel like taking the time to decontaminate."

it's all damnable madness!  it's time for pitchforks (or the modern variants)!  this is both republifag & democunt bullshit.  i do not recall ANY republifags injecting caution into our open-ebola policy.  the first kid that dies from this....awwwwww snap!  i'd say you boys (and gals) best stop worrying about the next election and start trying to figure out how you'll avoid the lynchings.

anyway, i eventually dropped it...after all, he's an 'expert' in the field; and they invariably sneer and catalog their credentials when faced with the pressures of maintaining their position in the company of firm logic...authority aborts all discussion in amorica.  i just wanted him to know that 'we' are onto them before i schooled him on foreign policy.

the Truth Principal works every time....kinda like when the catholics put Galileo to death for his heresy...kinda like that time i found out about the laws in europe that send people to prison for simply questioning the 'facts' about the holocaust.  what a surprise it was to learn that all of europe only contained some 3 million jews (according to jewish records).  and then six million die?  in 'ovens'?  and we have no records of any of this; in spite of the fact that germans are the most disciplined and fastidious of record keepers?  and then there's another 10 million 'survivors'.  i'm no math-wiz, but somethin ain't squaring there.  

pretty soon, executive orders will be issued threatening anyone with prison for suggesting that ebola's airborne. 

but, hell, let's go ahead and send ALL our troops to west africa...we're all just 'world-citizens' after all. 

i just do not recognize this country any more.  i try to keep the faith and wait on the awakening...but, ebola's being pumped in and the people don't care unless it has something to do with the iphone 6.  my expatriation may be sooner than later.

just keep voting,

janus

[WillyGroper]

Knucks according to Susan Collins a repeal of obolacare is off the table.

We get the work around.

[NYPoke]

DUH...the first word that came to mind.  Ya beat me to it.

[X.inf.capt]

+1 anyways

it needed to be said TWICE!

[auntiesocial]

somebody tell Paul Krugman to add Ebola to the list of accomplishments!

[awakeRewe]

And I looked, and behold, a pale Golf Cart! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him

[Buck Johnson]

It's like pulling teeth with the CDC.

[forensicator]

The blame game is just the Obama playbook, and he was just following his leader.

[hedgeless_horseman]

# of patients with flu/ebola symptoms /day/hospital > 10(# of respirator suits/hosptial)

[sixsigma cygnus...]

Oopsie daisy.  The Government would like to extend its condolences to the families of the piles of rotting bleeding corpses.

[The_Dude]

Quarantine = Discrimination

http://time.com/3474945/politics-quarantines-typhoid-mary-ebola/

This is the prototypical thinking of our 'thought leaders' as this pandemic begins to spin out of control.  This is what years of social liberal indoctrination lead you to.  Throwing out thousands of years of human learning and understanding and instead adopting a truly destructive mindset and more evil still, subjugating your fellow man to it. 

This author wrote a book with the same thesis.  Here is the books fa(cia)fuck page if you actually have an account and would like to send her a polite comment.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Beth-Keane/255173934603301?sk=timeli...

Or better yet, here is the authors webpage:

http://www.marybethkeane.com/the-author/

Not that I would advise it but if somebody in NY went to this psycho ladies house, punched her in the head and told her to turn her fucking brain back on, I would probably have to help them with bail money!

[Dave Thomas]

Of course Stefan nails it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG9eezhU2fI

[TruthInSunshine]

Extensive health screening for west African travelers das raycisss!

[Blankenstein]

Mary Beth Keane has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literatue and a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction.  She has NO scientific background or training.  She should be the LAST person consulted when determining how to stop the spread of this VERY DEADLY virus. 

[Bunghole]

Just had my full face North APR quantatively fit tested last month.  I have a good supply of P100 filters too.

I've been doing annual fit testing since I was issued one in 1994 when I got my HAZMAT certification.

It's amazing how many people talk about having respirators but dont know how to perform negative and positive seal tests on them, how to properly maintain or store them.

Darwin was right.

[hedgeless_horseman]

It's amazing how many people talk about having respirators but dont know how to perform DECONTAMINATION.

Got foamy-bleachy-brushy and a burn pile?

[Bunghole]

A kiddie pool and a tank sprayer work too.

[hedgeless_horseman]

You bet your life?

Instead of the kiddie pool, consider making the burn pile the decontamination area, and adding disposable brushes and a foaming agent to the bleach.

Clean up is a snap with some gasoline and a match!

[zerozulu]

leave no chances, take a dip in Isopropanol.

[Parrotile]

DON'T light a cigarette afterwards!!

[Winston Churchill]

I was thinking a heavily chlorinated swimming pool is probably 100% sure.

[Overfed]

Lithium hypochlorite. Bitchez.

[1000yrdstare]

amen, just got my fit test as well...My volunteering as a  firefighter is actually paying off...

[pods]

I was always partial to the banana flavor rather than Bitrex.  

pods

[clade7]

I'm going with cigarette filters, one up each nostril, and one in the pie hole...I'm poor...and I read someplace tobacco kills these ebolas...

[Oliver Klozoff]

They found their way into my ears at more than one concert.

It was Tangerine Dream and Froese's guitar solo that put "What's that you say, sonny?" into my repetoire.

[1Inthebeginning]

Where do you get them?

[hedgeless_horseman]

Cannister will fit on either side for left or right handed shooters.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-25/ebola-victim-run-west-africa-ca...

http://www.safetysourceinc.com/GroupInfo/GroupID/5592

[HardlyZero]

healthcare workers should be wearing respirators, not facemasks

i) Patients and procedures generate aerosols, and Ebola virus remains viable in aerosols for up to 90 minutes;

ii) All sizes of aerosol particles are easily inhaled both near to and far from the patient;

 iii) Crowding, limited air exchange, and close interactions with patients all contribute to the probability that healthcare workers will be exposed to high concentrations of very toxic infectious aerosols;

 iv) Ebola targets immune response cells found in all epithelial tissues, including in the respiratory and gastrointestinal system;

v) Experimental data support aerosols as a mode of disease transmission in non-human primates. 

I say the last scared the bankers and other assorted running out to get their respirators...tomorrow will the trading floor open ?  with facemasks or respirators ?   It is going to look like a hospital tomorrow over major cities ?

[darteaus]

Why was a respirator was tested on a Bunghole?

[MsCreant]

We have a lot of breathing assholes around. Just look at our govt. and the CDC...

[Smiley]

Used to be part of my work uniform for a couple years, handled some SCARY chemicals while wearing it.  Make sure you have a large supply of razors on hand to keep your facial hair trimmed: SHAVING DAILY IS MANDATORY if you are serious.  Mask only works properly if you have a good seal all around your face.

[Citxmech]

You also better have windowed hoods to wear OVER that respirator if you want to keep it from getting contaminated:  http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/protective-suits.htm

True BSL-4 containment/protection protocols are expensive.

[Smiley]

Protection scaled with danger of the compounds I was dealing with.  Full face breather was the minimum.

As things got scarier I had to wear something similar to the (Tychem BR in the link) along with my face respirator, chem boots, and gloves.

I was in a full space suit (similar to the BR 400 pictured in the link) with a triple forced air filtration pack for the...more unpleasant chemicals/compounds.  Moon suit and filters had to get discarded into restricted bio-hazard refuse containers immediately after one use.  Also had to wear double gloves, and over-boots and THEN have another assistant run some crazy sticks-to-everything tape around the ankle and wrist seams (you were not allowed to tape your own seams so as to minimize the chance of gloves getting punctured).  Took about half an hour just to suit up to go into a containment booth.

[strongband]

....

[TideFighter]

Hey, Barry (cough, cough) Word? (cough, cough)

[Payne]

Instead of sending troops, send masks that will cut the rate of infection, Mr. Obama.

[oak]

please have our troops back! those brave men and women have not prepared for this situation.

[MsCreant]

God this is a good point, holy shit.

[Thanatos]

http://www.crucell.com/R_AND_D_CLINICAL_DEVELOPMENT_EB.HTM

[Thanatos]

Maybe they have been "prepared" for it.

This vaccine was tested in 2006 on lots of Monkeys (actually protected them from the virus).

And 32 Humans... Although the Human subjects were not exposed to ebola after being vaccinated.

None of the Humans suffered any ill effect.

Since then, some 70 million was given to Crucell by the NIH and other peeps (prob Billy Goat Gates is in there somewhere)

Who knows what to make of it.

I get around a bit and I know lots of people in lots of fields... The Epidimologist I showed this to last week was shocked. He'd never heard of it and he has a big fridge full of Crucell vaccines.

He thinks we are all doomed via incompetence and that statement was made 10 minutes after he walked out of a natl concall on this shit.

Whatever.. It's not harshing my mellow. Fuckitol 1000mg.

[auntiesocial]

some douche has the domain for 1500 on godaddy

[darteaus]

"Obolacare"

Give the man some credit!

[Snake]

http://www.alternet.org/inside-bizarre-right-wing-panic-over-ebola-virus...

[shovelhead]

Yes.

You can always trust a feminist author to have a politically unbiased  view.

"Right Wingers ate my baby."

"You don't have a baby."

"Well, if I did have one they would eat it."

"Are you insane?"

"Sexist PIG!"

[Snake]

.

[drendebe10]

Just hold ur breath.

[jmeyer]

Ebola's gone viral.

[Bloppy]

Media misunderstands public panic over Ebola http://tinyurl.com/mrao6cl 

[StupidEarthlings]

I swear ZH is just as bad as mainstream media with the fuckin ebola stories.

Lets get the truth..not copy fox news stories. Go find it..somebody. 

I guarantee its 

A) made up..and does not exist ..and just for fear/control/blame...

Or

B) real...yet created by someone...to be used for fear/contol/blame.

Now..somebody go get the fuckin scoop.

And stop printing these goddamn msm scare tactic stories...I can see this crap on tv.

[nuke ISIS now]

Obola-Care

[Followmelightbulb]

What do you think will happen to Black Friday sales if no one goes out because of this????

[runswithscissors]

ebolee you can believe in

[kita27]

We believe that perhaps there is scientific evidence that possibly there may be the chance that it is feasible that the Ebola virus may be able to be spread in the air , perhaps, maybe!

[Ghordius]

You nailed it: the sentence is dodgy to the core. "We believe... there is scientific evidence..."

NO. You either have scientific evidence, or you don't. Belief might be a wondrous thing, but it is not scientific evidence, and even less scientific proof

Then science is a method, and it's built on proving with experiments, which deliver proofs

[luckylongshot]

There also appears to be a pile of evidence that Ebola is a false flag that allows western troops to move into west africa to steal Nigerias new oil discovery and force the diamond miners in Sierra leone back to work. One report claims the Red Cross is spreading the virus through vaccinations and that the only people who have died are those that have been vaccinated.Be alert!

[Bituminoid]

Of course it is airborn. It's a body fluid based transmitted disease. What happens when you sneeze/cough/shit dirrieah/ etc.... what are you sending out into the air? Getting in your mouth, lunch, ass, nose, eyes, ears.....

Idiots

[Bituminoid]

One Adam-12 One Adam-12 Emergency!!!!! Perry Mason - ME TV Hey If I don't leave my house and order delivery food I can't get sick right?

Is the use of the word"pods" appropriate at this point?

[JustObserving]

But Obama has been working so hard on golf courses to prevent it from being airborne.

[TruthInSunshine]

It's for security purposes.

Lots of open space outside with few people = lower chance of exposure

[HardlyZero]

The virus pobably roots into the dimples on the golf balls .... don't touch my balls !!  Fore ! ?

[X.inf.capt]

talk about incompetence...

[tom a taxpayer]

= Dallas Cleaning Guy protocol

= CDC protocol

[Deathrips]

No Shit? You mean they have the taste of foot in the mouth again...the central planners?

RIPS

[clade7]

Although bumblebees lack the physical attributes to achieve flight, we at the Cidrap feel there is evidence that they may indeed be capable of it...

[tarabel]

This this is is double double land land..

[tarabel]

Yes, there is an organ in the orifice. No, a foot is not an organ.

Guess again.

[debtor of last ...]

Weaponized through sending 3000 troops to West Africa.

[Sudden Debt]

In this hole, the liquified remains of patriots where dumped

[Things that go bump]

Remains will be burned.

[debtor of last ...]

Or:

"Get our boys back home"

Just like Obola promised..... Infected and overwhelming the healthcare system with another 30 cases.

[RmcAZ]

I would rather trust this sort of research/write-up, as opposed to a talking head on TV saying "Don't worry about it."

[X.inf.capt]

you are wise...

[LFMayor]

IF I get this shit, I plan on going to the chic, suave, the finest eateries and night spots in the greater DC metro area and pulling a Rick James on all the door handles and undersides of tables and chairs.

Fuck YOUR COUCH  FUCK YOUR COUCH

[timeless21]

Okay..lets pretend now that we are shocked..

[Sudden Debt]

Actually I am! I thoughtt it would take half a million deaths before they figured that one out!

[darteaus]

The sooner we get an epidemic, the sooner we can get martial law and 0bola can become President For Life!

[JLee2027]

So it got breathed in and infected the nurses. Great. Oh crap.

[imbtween]

I saw the CIDRAP report a couple weeks ago while doing casual research on ebola. Thing is, it's several years old, and the nature of this virus is that it mutates at a high rate, so while it would totally defy logic to say any virus is not transmissable via "aerosoles", it's also not an "alarming developmen". Settle down y'all.

[RmcAZ]

I'd say its pretty alarming when the CDC officials running the show don't acknlowedge this, and quite to the contrary, state definitively that the ONLY way to transmit is via physical contact.

[darteaus]

Why doesn't the head of the CDC go visit the nurse in Dallas wearing the approved gear?  If it works for others, why won't he demo the protocol?

[X.inf.capt]

because he would'nt lead by example...

just blame some little girl, who was doing her job...

[dizzyfingers]

imbtween  it's also not an "alarming developmen". Settle down y'all."

What IS alarming is so many lies about how it ISN'T spread that way. No one should settle down about that.

[Chupacabra-322]

A History Of US Secret
Human Experimentation
3-25-3

1931 Dr. Cornelius Rhoads, under the auspices of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Investigations, infects human subjects with cancer cells. He later goes on to establish the U.S. Army Biological Warfare facilities in Maryland, Utah, and Panama, and is named to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. While there, he begins a series of radiation exposure experiments on American soldiers and civilian hospital patients.

1932 The Tuskegee Syphilis Study begins. 200 black men diagnosed with syphilis are never told of their illness, are denied treatment, and instead are used as human guinea pigs in order to follow the progression and symptoms of the disease. They all subsequently die from syphilis, their families never told that they could have been treated.

1935 The Pellagra Incident. After millions of individuals die from Pellagra over a span of two decades, the U.S. Public Health Service finally acts to stem the disease. The director of the agency admits it had known for at least 20 years that Pellagra is caused by a niacin deficiency but failed to act since most of the deaths occured within poverty-striken black populations.

1940 Four hundred prisoners in Chicago are infected with Malaria in order to study the effects of new and experimental drugs to
combat the disease. Nazi doctors later on trial at Nuremberg cite this American study to defend their own actions during the Holocaust.

1942 Chemical Warfare Services begins mustard gas experiments on approximately 4,000 servicemen. The experiments continue until 1945 and made use of Seventh Day Adventists who chose to become human guinea pigs rather than serve on active duty.

1943 In response to Japan's full-scale germ warfare program, the U.S. begins research on biological weapons at Fort Detrick, MD.

1944 U.S. Navy uses human subjects to test gas masks and clothing. Individuals were locked in a gas chamber and exposed to mustard gas and lewisite.

1945 Project Paperclip is initiated. The U.S. State Department, Army intelligence, and the CIA recruit Nazi scientists and offer them immunity and secret identities in exchange for work on top secret government projects in the United States.

1945 "Program F" is implemented by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). This is the most extensive U.S. study of the health effects of fluoride, which was the key chemical component in atomic bomb production. One of the most toxic chemicals known to man, fluoride, it is found, causes marked adverse effects to the central nervous system but much of the information is squelched in the name of national security because of fear that lawsuits would undermine full-scale production of atomic bombs.

1946 Patients in VA hospitals are used as guinea pigs for medical experiments. In order to allay suspicions, the order is given to change the word "experiments" to "investigations" or "observations" whenever reporting a medical study performed in one of the nation's veteran's hospitals.

1947 Colonel E.E. Kirkpatrick of the U.S. Atomic Energy Comission issues a secret document (Document 07075001, January 8, 1947) stating that the agency will begin administering intravenous doses of radioactive substances to human subjects.

1947 The CIA begins its study of LSD as a potential weapon for use by American intelligence. Human subjects (both civilian and military) are used with and without their knowledge.

1950 Department of Defense begins plans to detonate nuclear weapons in desert areas and monitor downwind residents for medical problems and mortality rates.

1950 I n an experiment to determine how susceptible an American city would be to biological attack, the U.S. Navy sprays a cloud of bacteria from ships over San Franciso. Monitoring devices are situated throughout the city in order to test the extent of infection. Many residents become ill with pneumonia-like symptoms.

1951 Department of Defense begins open air tests using disease-producing bacteria and viruses. Tests last through 1969 and there is concern that people in the surrounding areas have been exposed.

1953 U.S. military releases clouds of zinc cadmium sulfide gas over Winnipeg, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Fort Wayne, the Monocacy River Valley in Maryland, and Leesburg, Virginia. Their intent is to determine how efficiently they could disperse chemical agents.

1953 Joint Army-Navy-CIA experiments are conducted in which tens of thousands of people in New York and San Francisco are exposed to the airborne germs Serratia marcescens and Bacillus glogigii.

1953 CIA initiates Project MKULTRA. This is an eleven year research program designed to produce and test drugs and biological agents that would be used for mind control and behavior modification. Six of the subprojects involved testing the agents on unwitting human beings.

1955 The CIA, in an experiment to test its ability to infect human populations with biological agents, releases a bacteria withdrawn from the Army's biological warfare arsenal over Tampa Bay, Fl.

1955 Army Chemical Corps continues LSD research, studying its potential use as a chemical incapacitating agent. More than 1,000 Americans participate in the tests, which continue until 1958.

1956 U.S. military releases mosquitoes infected with Yellow Fever over Savannah, Ga and Avon Park, Fl. Following each test, Army agents posing as public health officials test victims for effects.

1958 LSD is tested on 95 volunteers at the Army's Chemical Warfare Laboratories for its effect on intelligence.

1960 The Army Assistant Chief-of-Staff for Intelligence (ACSI) authorizes field testing of LSD in Europe and the Far East. Testing of the european population is code named Project THIRD CHANCE; testing of the Asian population is code named Project DERBY HAT.

1965 Project CIA and Department of Defense begin Project MKSEARCH, a program to develop a capability to manipulate human behavior through the use of mind-altering drugs.

1965 Prisoners at the Holmesburg State Prison in Philadelphia are subjected to dioxin, the highly toxic chemical component of Agent Orange used in Viet Nam. The men are later studied for development of cancer, which indicates that Agent Orange had been a suspected carcinogen all along.

1966 CIA initiates Project MKOFTEN, a program to test the toxicological effects of certain drugs on humans and animals.

1966 U.S. Army dispenses Bacillus subtilis variant niger throughout the New York City subway system. More than a million civilians are exposed when army scientists drop lightbulbs filled with the bacteria onto ventilation grates.

1967 CIA and Department of Defense implement Project MKNAOMI, successor to MKULTRA and designed to maintain, stockpile and test biological and chemical weapons.

1968 CIA experiments with the possibility of poisoning drinking water by injecting chemicals into the water supply of the FDA in Washington, D.C.

1969 Dr. Robert MacMahan of the Department of Defense requests from congress $10 million to develop, within 5 to 10 years, a synthetic biological agent to which no natural immunity exists.

1970 Funding for the synthetic biological agent is obtained under H.R. 15090. The project, under the supervision of the CIA, is carried out by the Special Operations Division at Fort Detrick, the army's top secret biological weapons facility. Speculation is raised that molecular biology techniques are used to produce AIDS-like retroviruses.

1970 United States intensifies its development of "ethnic weapons" (Military Review, Nov., 1970), designed to selectively target and eliminate specific ethnic groups who are susceptible due to genetic differences and variations in DNA.

1975 The virus section of Fort Detrick's Center for Biological Warfare Research is renamed the Fredrick Cancer Research Facilities and placed under the supervision of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) . It is here that a special virus cancer program is initiated by the U.S. Navy, purportedly to develop cancer-causing viruses. It is also here that retrovirologists isolate a virus to which no immunity exists. It is later named HTLV (Human T-cell Leukemia Virus).

1977 Senate hearings on Health and Scientific Research confirm that 239 populated areas had been contaminated with biological agents between 1949 and 1969. Some of the areas included San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Key West, Panama City, Minneapolis, and St. Louis.

1978 Experimental Hepatitis B vaccine trials, conducted by the CDC, begin in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ads for research subjects specifically ask for promiscuous homosexual men.

1981 First cases of AIDS are confirmed in homosexual men in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, triggering speculation that AIDS may have been introduced via the Hepatitis B vaccine

1985 According to the journal Science (227:173-177), HTLV and VISNA, a fatal sheep virus, are very similar, indicating a close taxonomic and evolutionary relationship.

1986 According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (83:4007-4011), HIV and VISNA are highly similar and share all structural elements, except for a small segment which is nearly identical to HTLV. This leads to speculation that HTLV and VISNA may have been linked to produce a new retrovirus to which no natural immunity exists.

1986 A report to Congress reveals that the U.S. Government's current generation of biological agents includes: modified viruses, naturally occurring toxins, and agents that are altered through genetic engineering to change immunological character and prevent treatment by all existing vaccines.

1987 Department of Defense admits that, despite a treaty banning research and development of biological agents, it continues to operate research facilities at 127 facilities and universities around the nation.

1990 More than 1500 six-month old black and hispanic babies in Los Angeles are given an "experimental" measles vaccine that had never been licensed for use in the United States. CDC later admits that parents were never informed that the vaccine being injected to their children was experimental.

1994 With a technique called "gene tracking," Dr. Garth Nicolson at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX discovers that many returning Desert Storm veterans are infected with an altered strain of Mycoplasma incognitus, a microbe commonly used in the production of biological weapons. Incorporated into its molecular structure is 40 percent of the HIV protein coat, indicating that it had been man-made.

1994 Senator John D. Rockefeller issues a report revealing that for at least 50 years the Department of Defense has used hundreds of thousands of military personnel in human experiments and for intentional exposure to dangerous substances. Materials included mustard and nerve gas, ionizing radiation, psychochemicals, hallucinogens, and drugs used during the Gulf War .

1995 U.S. Government admits that it had offered Japanese war criminals and scientists who had performed human medical experiments salaries and immunity from prosecution in exchange for data on biological warfare research.

1995 Dr. Garth Nicolson, uncovers evidence that the biological agents used during the Gulf War had been manufactured in Houston, TX and Boca Raton, Fl and tested on prisoners in the Texas Department of Corrections.

1996 Department of Defense admits that Desert Storm soldiers were exposed to chemical agents.

1997 Eighty-eight members of Congress sign a letter demanding an investigation into bioweapons use & Gulf War Syndrome.

http://www.rense.com/general36/history.htm

[LFMayor]

So.... you're telling us that they're not very good at keeping secrets, right?

[JRobby]

What was the middle part?

[LFMayor]

I missed that part, too.  But the start was "It was the worst of times, it was the best of times".  That and something like un-abridged.

[msmith9962]

I think they were sectretly testing ED pharmaceuticals on me for most of the 1980s.  I had to tell people it was the pleats.

[LFMayor]

I called that phase of my life Junior High.

[TheEndTimes]

who in the name of christ would ever consider reading this? lmao some of you neckbeards...

[MsCreant]

Some of these are well known facts. I plan to look into some of the others. I am curious.

[Joaquin]

Cough

[Sid James]

Run!

[Gunga]

If I am diagnosed with ebola I will go immediately to Washington DC to register my dissatisfaction with the federal governments handling of this outbreak.

[darteaus]

Are you going to ride the Metro?

Take any tours?

[JRobby]

Andromeda Strain

[HardlyZero]

12 minkys.

[Tenshin Headache]

Osterholm should be running the CDC.

[knukles]

How about there shouldn't be a CDC?

[Sid James]

If Ebola is not spread through the air, why is it treated as a level 4 hazard in Bio labs requiring handlers to have their own air supply?

Biosafety level 4: When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a positive pressure personnel suit, with a segregated air supply is mandatory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level#Biosafety_level_4

[Jack Burton]

Damn that's a lot of information! But yes, from all I have read, and posted on, the idea that virus can travel in a droplet of sneeze particles must be considered probable. The sicker the patient, the higher the viral loading of the droplet. So, were I a health care worker, I would refuse to work till resperators were provided. But still, I think it is not easy to transmit by this route, if it were, then Ebola would be much further along in Africa. So I think, yes, it can travel that way, but is it easy and common? NO, the evidence says it is hard to transmit like that. I heard a scientific debate on this a week ago, it was argued that Ebola lacks a certain surface structure that makes air transmission easy. The probablity of a mutation giving ebola the needed structure to do this was considered LOW, baed on past viral experience of mutation.

[Winston Churchill]

Jack,

I think there is a natural level of immunity among the Aftrican populations.

The math on the spread looks funky to me.A natual immunity would account for the low

1:2 infection rate.

Highly doubtfull that the west has the same immunity within its population.

If it gets loose here, it may be far worse than in Africa.

[debtor of last ...]

Yes, a broader immunity against infections of any kind.

[knukles]

Winnie, that's racist.
And why they developed Cicle Cell Anemia

[Jack Burton]

That's a good point Winston, and one I overlooked. And I should not have, as I did study a lot about the European diseases that wiped out native Americans due to no immunity among Americans, to European diseases. We may find native North AMericans now have little to no natural ability to fight ebola. Thus the race to produce the possible cure is important. With 100% cure in Monkeys, a promising showing in the few humans aho got it. The one American nurse who got Ebola in Afrcia and was treated with the medicine, said within hours he began to feel much better, and di go to full recovery.

[AurorusBorealus]

Actually, a lot of Africans are immuno-suppressed owing to HIV.  Since Ebola attacks the immune system, it may well be that infection rates are lower in Africa, becaue of AIDS.

[gosh]

Im surprised no terrorist has smuggled in a bunch of ebola infected people.

[dexter_morgan]

That we know of........

[CHX]

How do you know that ?

[Dr. Engali]

Nothing to worry about "folks". We have 4000 of our finest military men and women over in Africa right now shooting all those nasty Ebola viruse terrorists dead right now with their .223s.

[clade7]

They gave up trying to develop a Nasal spray vaccine like for the Flu, and just went with already developed and time tested .223 Nosler spray instead...?

[darteaus]

5.56 is not a .223

http://thearmsguide.com/645/is-there-a-difference-between-223-and-5-56/

[Dr. Engali]

I have guns that shoot .22, .223, 5.56 NATO rounds, 7.62x39, .270, .9mm, .357 and .45s, but thank you for the lesson.

[darteaus]

9mm (springfield xd subcompact w/laser & light)

.357/.38 (6" stainless python)

.38 (5 shot hammerless revolver)

.22 (scoped 1022 & target pistol)

.223 (mini-14 stainless w/red dot)

==================

All at lake bottom

[Government need...]

Just purchased a customized AR-10 variant for home defense and secondarily for SHTF hunting.  Tritium iron-sights, just like my HK45.  Some might consider this to be a little excessive, but I'm assuming illegal home invaders are going to be body-armored.  I'm not experienced in killing humans, but I wanted to ensure that if I got a round into center-mass, I would be sure to neutralize the threat.  The 20-round mags give me some ability to lay down suppressing fire, or simply miss a few dozen times, just like the cops that murder innocent citizens every month in the US.  It was either .308 or Rem-700 tactical chambering the Lapua .338.  I decided I didnt want the mess of splitting my target into multiple pieces.  That and the fact that .308 rounds are $2.50 less expensive.

[ebworthen]

Ooops.

Yet the inbound flights & sending thousands of troops to infected regions will continue.

Must...prop...the ponzi house-of-cards...

[MsCreant]

This is a horror show in the making. We need to stop it. Even if families can scrape money together for respirators its not like our people would wear them 24/7 and that is what would be needed.

[Evil Bugeyes]

It seems that Ebola does become extremely contagious in the later stages.

Why not import Ebola survivors from Africa to care for Ebola patients? They should be immune, hence less danger of infection spreading. Of course, they would still need to don hazmat suits to avoid carrying infection outside of the hospital ward.

[Tenshin Headache]

Recall that for male survivors, virus persists in semen for at least 3 months.

[clade7]

And when our Commander in Chief heard this news, He commented, "Seamen?  One more excuse for me to abolish the Navy"

[Barnaby]

More like "Oh no, I love the Village People! Up periscope, if you know what I mean."

[Kirk2NCC1701]

You'd better relieve that Tension Headache by yourself then.  ;-)

[medium giraffe]

Ok, now I know it's bullshit.  Thanks.

[Sid James]

Ebola virus has the potential to be transmitted via infectious arsehole particles both near and at a distance from infected patients.

[p00k1e]

Uh, oh - the nurse, Nina Pham, is a non-Caucasian.    

[Barnaby]

Minh Souphanousinphone: Not too much happen in this town. When someone come back from dead, it get around.

[Bell's 2 hearted]

"Crowding, limited air exchange, and close interactions with patients all contribute to the probability that healthcare workers will be exposed to high concentrations of very toxic infectious aerosols;" 

gee, almost sounds like an airplane enviroment ...

[I Write Code]

Y'know what is terrifying are these big, open ebola tents they set up.

Say you sneeze and the authorities hussle you off to one of these tents, where you're cheek to jowl with 79 other people who DO have ebola.  Well, if you didn't have it when you came in, you'll have it about thirty seconds later.  Have a nice day.

[p00k1e]

Make sure to carry your .357 at all times.       When ‘they’ go to put you in the Ebola room, that’s your last stand. 

[pipes]

...and many of us "lay-people" have known this for some time.

Which is why some doctors and heads of certain agencies should be held accountable by the rabble, in a fashion that rabble lends itself.

I know that if I for one, were to come across a local talking-head doctor who frequents local4 t.v. news, and who as recently as this past week was STILL repeating the nonesense direct contact propaganda...well...he'd likely have to do radio for a while.

[pipes]

One downvote...who would have thought Dr. Frank McGeorge read ZH? huh.

[GooseShtepping Moron]

I can't understand why this wouldn't be assumed from the very beginning. Just because Ebola isn't particularly transmissible through the air, that does not mean that it is totally impossible to catch it from aerosol droplets. This conclusion fits the data exactly. If Ebola was a virulent airborne contagion it would have sickened millions by now, so that is not the case; but if it were not at least possible to catch it from an aerosol then some of the transmissions would remain unexplained.

Anybody who ever thought otherwise was being imprudent and/or facetious. All this is simple common sense, but apparently that is in short order today.

[the not so migh...]

i think the infection rates would be higher for air transmission, we should have 1000 sick poeple in US allready

[Inthemix96]

I have said it before and will do so again, there is something not right with this 'Outbreak' of whatever it is they call it.

Bear in mind, the watchers are now being watched, 24-7.

You fucking will, be held, accountable.

Shut the mother fucking airlines down you cunts, and stop taking the fucking piss out of folks sensibilities.

No?

I didnt fucking think so.

I would fucking hang you all, to a fucking man.

Utter, utter cunts.

[NuckingFuts]

You have a way with words 96.  +1

Utter Cunts indeed

[Inthemix96]

Its about time they listened my friend nuckingfuts.

They really dont want to meet me, or the people I know, cos it will kick off.

To you lot, you have been warned, you are pushing us a little too fucking far you cunts.

;-)

[Rusty Diggins]

Yes, funny how we can set up a massive logistics cooridor to supply the means to terminate any non rothy central bank country.  Yet we cannot do the same to provide materials and trained personnel to address this problem.

Ban commercial travel

If we must intervene, use the same mechanisms we use to securely transfer the means of death to the other side of the globe.

The fact that this has not been done proves to my scurvy little mind that this is indeed intentional.

As i mentioned before, this has the finger prints of the smartest people in the room all over it.

[Bill of Rights]

Influenza as well which kills 500,000 a year so who gives a fuck. Look here not at the failing economy. All they have left is fear.

[darteaus]

"Have a nice flight!"

[HardlyZero]

healthcare workers should be wearing respirators, not facemasks... 

To summarize, for the following reasons we believe that Ebola could be an opportunistic aerosol-transmissible disease requiring adequate respiratory protection:

i) Patients and procedures generate aerosols, and Ebola virus remains viable in aerosols for up to 90 minutes;

ii) All sizes of aerosol particles are easily inhaled both near to and far from the patient;

iii) Crowding, limited air exchange, and close interactions with patients all contribute to the probability that healthcare workers will be exposed to high concentrations of very toxic infectious aerosols;

iv) Ebola targets immune response cells found in all epithelial tissues, including in the respiratory and gastrointestinal system;

v) Experimental data support aerosols as a mode of disease transmission in non-human primates.

I'd say airlines whip out respirators tomorrow if anyone gets on any plane from now on....going forward.