Ebola •

The U.S. are Monitoring the Contacts of the Ebola Patient in Texas

October 2, 2014 By James Faulkner Leave a Comment

Yesterday the CDC confirmed the first case of Ebola that was diagnosed inside the U.S. and today we have the name of the patient. His name is Thomas Eric Duncan and it was announced that the people with whom the man had contact with are being monitored. The Ebola patient in Texas is being cared for inside an isolation unit at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

Ebola Patient in Texas

At least 12 people are being monitored by the health authorities, after coming in contact with the man who was diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus inside the United States. The man’s identity was revealed today and his name is Thomas Eric Duncan. He is Liberian and has been traveling back and forth between the U.S. and Liberia for years to visit family members.

State officials have revealed at a news conference yesterday that among the people with whom Duncan had entered in contact with are also five children and a small group of adults. The team who is in charge of the monitoring is made up of 10 people from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Local and state health officials and the abovementioned team are actively trying to track down all the people the Ebola patient came in contact with ever since he entered the country. The man spent four days in the U.S. before being hospitalized.

Some are alarmed by the fact that Mr. Duncan went to the hospital because he was feeling ill and then he was allowed to leave, even though he said that he had recently came back from West Africa, which is enough to alarm an entire hospital.

Are you scared by this recent news that there is an Ebola patient in Texas? Drop us a line in the comment section below and let us know what’s on your mind.

The CDC Confirms First Case of Ebola in the U.S.

October 1, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Last week we reported on the CDC’s estimate that the Ebola cases in West Africa could exceed half a million by January, and today we’ve got the latest Ebola news. The CDC has just confirmed the first case of a patient being diagnosed with Ebola inside the U.S.

First Case of Ebola in the U.S.

The CDC has released a statement yesterday in which they have confirmed the existence of the first case of Ebola in the U.S. This refers to a patient that was diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus while inside the United States of America. All the others who have been treated for Ebola on U.S. were diagnosed on African continent. This patient entered the county on their own two feet, while being infected with the virus.

We still don’t know who the patient is, but we know the CDC is referring to them as he and that he arrived from Liberia to Texas 10 days ago. He developed the first symptoms of the disease on September 24 and following hospitalization, he was put inside an isolation unit at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. The man was out and about while sick with Ebola for four days.

U.S. officials have launched a massive effort to treat the man and also identify all the people he has come into contact ever since he arrived from Liberia.

Director of the CDC, Tom Frieden, said that the number of people that were potentially exposed to the virus is small:

‘Handful’ is the right characterization, one, two or three others. It’s possible that someone who had contact with this individual could develop Ebola in the coming weeks. There is no doubt in my mind we will stop it here.

How does the news of the first case of Ebola in the U.S. make you feel? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it.

The CDC Predicts that Ebola Cases Could Exceed Half a Million by January

September 25, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

Yesterday we’re reported how the WHO declared that the present Ebola outbreak has killed more people than all the Ebola outbreaks combined and now we’ve got the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) making its predictions about the Ebola situation in West Africa and the numbers are not good. The CDC predict that Ebola cases could exceed half a million (550,000 more exactly) by January of 2015.

The US CDC has made public their latest report and they are urging for interventions to take place, otherwise the cost of delay will be devastating. The CDC has predicted that if the current trends are going to continue without any drastic measures being implemented, then the number of Ebola cases could exceed half a million by January 2015 in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The CDC has made its estimate based on the reported cases, but they’ve also taken into account the one that aren’t reporting and based on those unofficial numbers (also an estimate), then the cases are likely to reach 1.4 million Ebola cases. Many people in the West African countries do not believe that Ebola is a real threat and choose not to go to the hospital when sick.

Naturally, the CDC is aware of the fact that no guarantee can be offered along these numbers, but they do say that:

If conditions remain unchanged, the situation will rapidly become much worse, [and they serve as] a warning and a call to action.

All these numbers and calculations done by the CDC are published in their latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). You can visit their website if you want more insight into the matter.

What are your thoughts on the fact that Ebola cases could exceed half a million by January? Do you fear a global Ebola pandemic? Share your thoughts and comments with us in the comment section below. We love hearing from our readers.

Present Ebola Outbreak Deadlier than All Previous Outbreaks Combined

September 24, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

A while back we reported on one of the two American Ebola survivors, Nancy Writebol, and now it’s time we took a closer look at the Ebola situation in West Africa.

Things are getting out of hand in West Africa, as the present Ebola outbreak has killed more people than all the previous outbreaks combined, a recent report revealed. A new analysis performed by the World Health Organization suggests that the virus can no longer be stopped from making West Africa its permanent residence.

But what sets apart this preset virus from all those in the past? Well, it’s no more lethal or virulent than the ones in the past, revealed the New England Journal of Medicine, but the conditions in the infected regions in Africa are different. Firstly, there is a complete lack of approved drugs and secondly, the cross-border travel is much more common than it used to be.

WHO estimated that more than 20,000 are going to be infected with the deadly Ebola virus by the November 2. The same researchers have determined the fatality of the disease and the number is bone-chilling: 71% of all confirmed cases resulted in the patient dying.

There is also a chance that the present Ebola outbreak might never leave humans and that it might always be present in some areas of Africa. Up until now, fruit bats were infected and from time to time humans would get infected.

Sherry Towers, a computational modeling professor at Arizona State University had this to say about the present Ebola outbreak and its outcome.

Diseases with a very high mortality, like Ebola, don’t usually persist because they are too effective at killing their hosts. A dead person can’t move around in the population and continue to spread disease to susceptible hosts.

Do you think that Africa isn’t going to be able to shake the present Ebola outbreak off? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it.

American Ebola Survivor Speaks Publicly for the First Time Since Her Release

September 4, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Yesterday, we reported about a third American Ebola patient, a doctor working in Liberia and today we’ve got more news about one of the two American Ebola survivors who decided to speak publicly for the first time since being released from hospital: Nancy Writebol.

American Ebola Survivor Speaks

Nancy Writebol is one of the two Americans who have caught the deadly Ebola virus and managed to survive. The American Ebola survivor got sick while working in a clinic in Monrovia, the Liberian capital. Her job was to sterilize and clean the equipment of the people who entered in contact with Ebola patients. But something went wrong and she got infected.

The American government decided to get her back home and treat her in a special isolation unit in a hospital in Atlanta. She received the experimental Ebola drug ZMapp, among others and she managed to pull through. The second American Ebola victim was Kent Brantly and he was released from the hospital before Mrs. Writebol was.

The American Ebola survivor, Nancy Writebol, spoke publicly for the first time since being released from the hospital in Atlanta. She was near her husband, David Writebol, also a missionary, who had just been released from quarantine, after returning from Africa.

She said:

I don’t even know if I’m going to make it to the United States. I don’t even know if I’m going to see my dear husband again.

Ebola has killed 1,552 people and has infected around 3,000, giving the disease a 50% death rate. The most cases have been reported in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia and Guinea. The virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. The current Ebola outbreak is the largest in recorded history. There is no vaccine or cure for the deadly disease, but GlaxoSmithKline is about to start human trials for an Ebola vaccine this week.

What are your thoughts on this news? Drop us a line in the comment section below and share your thoughts with us.

Third American Ebola Patient, Doctor Working in Liberia

September 3, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

A few days ago we reported on how Liberia’s president fired state officials who fled the country due to the Ebola outbreak and now we’ve got news about a third American Ebola patient, a doctor working in Liberia.

Until now, Ebola had only infected two Americans: Nancy Writebol and Kent Brantly. They became infected after working in medical facilities that dealt with Ebola victims in Liberia. After becoming infected, they were flown into the U.S. and put in a special isolation unit in a hospital in Atlanta. They received experimental treatment, among which a revolutionary Ebola drug called ZMapp and were released last week from the hospital. Both former Ebola patients have recovered well.

Third American Ebola Patient

Today, it was revealed that there is a third American Ebola patient. A doctor working in Liberia has become infected with the deadly virus and is now in an isolation unit in Liberia.

SIM USA has released a statement that one of its doctors, whose identity is still kept a secret, was infected with the Ebola virus while treating obstetric patients in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia. The statement also revealed that as soon as the doctor started experiencing symptoms, he isolated himself. No more information about whether the doctor will be brought to the U.S. for treatment was released.

Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA, said in the same statement:

My heart was deeply saddened, but my faith was not shaken, when I learned another of our missionary doctors contracted Ebola.

The Ebola outbreak is the largest in recorded history. Ebola has no treatment or vaccine, but efforts are being made into producing one. GlaxoSmithKline will begin human testing of an Ebola vaccine this week and the experimental drug ZMapp has been used successfully in some Ebola infection cases.

What are your thoughts on this matter? Share your comments with us in the comment section below.

Liberia’s President Fired State Officials Who Left the Country Due to the Ebola Outbreak

August 27, 2014 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

We’ve written on the Ebola epidemic treatment that is funded by the EU and today we’re going to take a look at some more Ebola news. It appears that Liberia’s President fired state officials who left the country due to the Ebola outbreak.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has ordered the dismissal of senior and junior level cabinet ministers who have left the country and have still not returned, due to the Ebola outbreak.

Last week, Sirleaf gave those people an ultimatum, saying that they have one week to return to Liberia, or else they will be dismissed. The only ones who were exempted from the threat were those who had serious health-related excuses.

Lewis Brown, information minister, said that among the people dismissed was the Chairman of the National Investment Commission, Michael Wotorson, and some deputy and assistant ministers. The departure of government officials have added to the state of doubt in the country.

Brown declared that President Sirleaf needs and wants her ministers in the country, to join their powers and fight against the Ebola outbreak.

Brown stated:

You might remember that about a week and a half ago, the president issued an ultimatum that she wanted all officials of the Executive Branch back home. And so many of the officials on various assignments honored this and returned home. But a few still have not. And so with the expiring of the deadline, the president proceeded to issue dismissal orders.

Wotorson, jumped ahead and resigned his position in a letter to his cabinet colleagues:

This was a difficult decision for me, but it was the right one for me and my family.

The first US-Africa summit in Washington took place earlier this month in Washington, but Liberia’s president did not attend, as she chose to remain in the country.

Brown added that Liberia is facing harsh times due to the Ebola outbreak and that:

This [Ebola] is [a] scourge that requires all of us to work together to give support to our lead agencies, including the Ministry of Health to make sure that they have all of the support that we can muster to provide them the capacity they need to be able to help the country deal with this situation.

What are your thoughts on the fact that Liberia’s president fired state officials who lest the country out of fear for the Ebola outbreak? Was she right to do so? Share your comments with us in the section below.

Ebola Epidemic Treatment Funded by EU

July 30, 2014 By Deborah Cobing 1 Comment

The news about the frightening spread of Ebola is all over the web, raising an unprecedented awareness about the virus. As we previously reported, this is the largest Ebola outbreak in history.

Doctors without Borders currently advice people to treat Ebola from early signs of it using a basic saline solution. After the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the situation has currently stabilized and no new case has been reported for 21 days in Guinea. According to World Health Organization, there are currently 40 people who survive at 100 reported cases of Ebola virus infection. Ebola epidemic treatment is not specific, but saline is an efficient one that is available with funding support from European Union. From Wednesday on the EU will offer 2 million Euros in West Africa. The amount will raise the current humanitarian effort to fight Ebola disease at 3.9 million Euros.

Ebola Epidemic Treatment is currently supervised by EU experts

EU assigned a relevant number of experts in the area working with local authorities. At the same time, there are organizations working with EU that will deliver this help locally: World Health Organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. According to The Global Post, the current Ebola Epidemic is one of the most deadliest, as well as one of the largest in terms of geographical coverage. Until now, Ebola has spread in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with a total of 1,200 cases and 672 deaths. As we can observe, these countries are some of the poorest countries from all over the world, making Ebola disease one of the numerous “poverty diseases”.

As you could suspect, there are serious grounds to believe that the virus could arrive in Europe, but, as health officials announced, there are ways of tracking it effectively, so it shouldn’t spread. Because the virus has an incubation period of 21 days and we find ourselves in the summer high-peak travel season, chances are on one hand to plan a summer vacation that includes distance traveling and, on the other hand, your infection with Ebola virus to be invisible during the incubation period.

Preparations are currently made to avoid such potential problems in areas directly related with infected geographical areas, like Ivory Coast. At the same time, although there is an increased level of precaution taken for an efficient early Ebola epidemic treatment in Europe, experts say there are reduced risks for the virus to spread in Europe, mostly because cases have been signaled in remote areas and infected people were encouraged to stay in isolation until they fully recovered.

Largest Ebola Outbreak in History Happening Now

July 2, 2014 By Sebastian Mc’Mannen 1 Comment

The Western part of Africa is facing the largest Ebola outbreak in history. In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone 467 deaths have been registered since February. The authorities and nonprofit health organizations are overwhelmed by the crisis. Efforts to inform the populations and take efficient measures are met with resistance and violence. The worsening epidemic comes just a couple of months after India become polio-free. The virus is deadly in 90 percent of the cases. The transmission can occur through contact with infected persons’ or animals’ bodily fluids. Among the symptoms are fatigue, internal bleeding and fever. The symptoms occur two weeks after the infection. The WHO named three major reasons of why the outbreak is so vast. One is related to the traditional burial practices of the local populations. Another that the dense population in the capital cities greatly eases the transmission. A third reason is the intense commercial activities taking place along the borders between the three countries.

Managing the largest Ebola outbreak in history

The Red Cross personnel in Guinea city of Gueckedou have been threatened by a group of people armed with knives on Tuesday, according to Reuters. This is not the first incident. A similar one took place two months ago by Doctors Without Borders near the city of Macenta. A Red Cross official declared they are suspending the operations for the time being due to safety concerns.

People are crossing the borders as usual in trading or other activities, making it harder for the authorities to contain the largest Ebola outbreak in history. Eleven Health Ministers from Western Africa will meet on Wednesday and Thursday to establish a strategy aimed at tackling the situation. The World Health Organization argues that “Containment of this outbreak requires a strong response in the countries and especially along their shared border areas,”. The total number of infected persons reached 759 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Other 68 infected persons died since June 23, WHO reported. The situation is worsened by the fact that people turn to traditional doctors and faith healers. The Liberian authorities warned that anybody hiding an infected person will be punished under the state law. The management of the largest Ebola outbreak in history is deeply influenced by the fact that these are some of the poorest countries in the world. Their deeply underfinanced health systems have troubles in covering the situation which is only worsened by the frail borders.