Ebola in US (Texas)

[Earlsfat]

Hoping this post isn't going to get killed - I've heard very little about this until a few minutes ago:

(Reuters) - A man who flew from Liberia to Texas has become the first patient infected with the deadly Ebola virus to be diagnosed in the United States, health officials said on Tuesday, a sign the outbreak ravaging West Africa may spread globally.

The patient sought treatment six days after arriving in Texas on Sept. 20, Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told reporters. He was admitted two days later to an isolation room at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

U.S. health officials and lawmakers have been bracing for the eventuality that a patient would arrive on U.S. shores undetected, testing the preparedness of the nation's healthcare system. On Tuesday, Frieden and other health authorities said they were taking every step possible to ensure the virus did not spread widely.

"It is certainly possible someone who had contact with this individual could develop Ebola in the coming weeks," Frieden told a news conference. "I have no doubt we will stop this in its tracks in the United States."

LINK

It's gotten here and had 6 days to infect other people. This is retarded... are we supposed to stay away from people from / who've been to Texas?

Stay safe fellas... I doubt the dude that has it in Texas was playing with dead Africans' bodies (doubting that's the only source of transmission). I'd like to know where he was and specifically what he did in Africa that got him infected.

 

[sal70ss]

CNN was saying this morning, tha this person just got back from west Africa, Liberia

 

[K5JMP]

patient zero

 

[Camaro75LT]

I got my tetanus shot, I'm all set.

 

[MotionClone]

I was reading somewhere that Ebola is bodily fluid borne and not as easy to transfer because of that. The virus can mutate though and become airborne which would cause an epidemic.

 

[kimosabi]

I read News about ebola patient in the US almost a month ago. Why so late in your country?

 

[MotionClone]

I read News about ebola patient in the US almost a month ago. Why so late in your country?

I think that one was suspected of having ebola but didnt.

 

[K5JMP]

I read News about ebola patient in the US almost a month ago. Why so late in your country?

there were 2.. and they were flown here under quaruntine... doctors working in the affected area.

this guy flew on a commercial airline, then walked around for 6 days before he was hospitalized.

not good.

 

[MotionClone]

Many African countries have banned flights from Liberia for fear of spread of ebola. How come US and other countries havent?

 

[Earlsfat]

I was reading somewhere that Ebola is bodily fluid borne and not as easy to transfer because of that. The virus can mutate though and become airborne which would cause an epidemic.

Unless the dude from Texas was some kind of aid worker - detail not provided in article - then I'm wondering how he got it. Did he touch something that and ebola infected person touched after coughing on their hand or sneezed on? Was he on a business trip?

I'm guessing that either that part of the world really is that bad (handling the dead, virtually no sanitation, etc) or there are other transmission methods we are not aware of. Bubonic plague was transferred by fleas to humans. Maybe mosquitos are making this worse? Maybe the particulates in coughs aerosolize the disease?

Don't know, but someone walking around Texas for 6 days infected is not good.

Many African countries have banned flights from Liberia for fear of spread of ebola. How come US and other countries havent?

Arrogance.