# New Ebola outbreak. just FYI no concern yet



## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

I'll keep PPL updated... but I think its important to note (and we have seen last time) how difficult+unlikely it is for even a better balanced(ie slower acting + less lethal and therefore easier spreading than normal)version of Ebola, to become an epidemic in the 1st world.

Anyhow here is a new outbreak:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/features...c-republic-congo-triggers-outbreak-fears.html


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Important post ,just been reading about it too .Ebola outbreak declared in Democratic Republic of the Congo after three die 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-democratic-republic-of-congo-after-three-die


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

I've been watching this pretty closely. So far, only one of the patients has tested positive for the Zaire strain of Ebola (same one as the most common strain involved in the big Ebola pandemic a few years ago), but testing is still ongoing. There was a "large group" of people on or about April 22 that became symptomatic for hemorrhagic fever. So far, 6 are hospitalized and 3 have died. The positive lab was from one of the patients that died.

There is good news and bad news in this. The good news is there as a vaccine that specifically targets the Zaire Ebola that is just about ready for distribution. The other good news is that being the same strain as the most common one during the epidemic could possibly indicate a resurgence of a specific strain that we already know a lot about, rather than a totally new strain.

However, this is also bad news, in that if it is a resurgence, what triggered it? We know that survivors of Ebola can retain the virus in some body fluids, but the actual length of time the virus can survive in body fluids is unknown. (Current studies have found the virus 9 months after recovery in male semen.) Although the DRC was not one of the "Big 3" countries involved in the pandemic, they did have some 60+ people infected, of which 49 died. Is this a remnant from the last pandemic, brought about by a relapse from someone who was cured, or is it simply a spontaneous coincidental eruption of a persistent disease? If it is a very delayed relapse, will we see other infected people who were "cured" relapse and the disease spread in other more unexpected places?

I don't think it is time to panic over this- but I do think that we need to *not *assume it is "over there" somewhere and cannot affect us. We were surprised once in Dallas, but should not be surprised again. I also do not think we need to go spend tons of money on powered respirators and biohazard suits, but it would not hurt to be sure to have supplies on hand for bioprotection.

As an Infection Preventionist, I have tons of materials, _validated_ internet links, and information regarding not just Ebola, but other possible pandemic diseases. I don't want to bore everyone with a long post, but if you would like more information, PM me and I am happy to share.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

DrDianaAnderson..." I don't want to bore everyone with a long post, but if you would like more information."

Anything on the Hantavirus and Plague stuff going on in Colorado?

http://outbreaks.globalincidentmap.com/#


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Pessimistic2 said:


> DrDianaAnderson..." I don't want to bore everyone with a long post, but if you would like more information."
> 
> Anything on the Hantavirus and Plague stuff going on in Colorado?
> 
> http://outbreaks.globalincidentmap.com/#


Those show up out here every summer.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

terri9630 said:


> Those show up out here every summer.


I saw the thing about a "Plague Outbreak in Boulder," and now I can't find it again. I know they have a real problem with praire dogs out there and I wondered if there were any HUMAN cases! :dunno:


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Pessimistic2 said:


> I saw the thing about a "Plague Outbreak in Boulder," and now I can't find it again. I know they have a real problem with praire dogs out there and I wondered if there were any HUMAN cases! :dunno:


I don't know about Boulder but there are usually some human cases in NM every year.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pla....34.mobile-heirloom-serp..0.1.376.wASv_Dqj2wI

https://www.google.com/search?q=hau...4.mobile-heirloom-serp..7.11.2398.tNRKOCSpAzU


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

terri9630 said:


> I don't know about Boulder but there are usually some human cases in NM every year.


I kinda like to check these things every now and then....another "bubble" that could pop anytime. :wave:


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

Pessimistic2 said:


> I kinda like to check these things every now and then....another "bubble" that could pop anytime. :wave:


Pess, You are starting to sound like the Koochi-Koochi girl at the burlesque show, worrying about the bursting bubbles. :rofl:

Pick a bubble and reinforce it. Just watch out for people in the front row with slingshots.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Funny how several years ago we had to have ebola outbreak exercises just in case a pandemic hit the U.S., then just as quickly no one in state gov't cared anymore (and they still don't).


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

tmttactical said:


> Pess, You are starting to sound like the Koochi-Koochi girl at the burlesque show, worrying about the bursting bubbles. :roflick a bubble and reinforce it. Just watch out for people in the front row with slingshots.


Hey, as old as I am, all a hootchi kootchi girl could do now is give me a heart attack!


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Even tho I wasnt the person being asked I will reply now as others have.

Plague's (and Hanta's) Epidemology (how its spreads) does not work well in non SHTF 1st world countries since its rodent centric in how it spreads.
W/o close interaction between people and mice (or rats) the pathogen has not enough opportunity to spread.

This is why it tends to every once in a while outbreak in very poor rural communities often indian reservations where plenty of rodents live in close proximity to PPL.

*The reason it then doesnt continue to spread far and wide like the "classic" plague did is that outside of those communities conditions like this do not exist in sufficient density to keep up a viable infection chain*


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

DrDianaAnderson said:


> I've been watching this pretty closely. So far, only one of the patients has tested positive for the Zaire strain of Ebola (same one as the most common strain involved in the big Ebola pandemic a few years ago), but testing is still ongoing. There was a "large group" of people on or about April 22 that became symptomatic for hemorrhagic fever. So far, 6 are hospitalized and 3 have died. The positive lab was from one of the patients that died.
> 
> There is good news and bad news in this. The good news is there as a vaccine that specifically targets the Zaire Ebola that is just about ready for distribution. The other good news is that being the same strain as the most common one during the epidemic could possibly indicate a resurgence of a specific strain that we already know a lot about, rather than a totally new strain.
> 
> ...


I would not be bored by any information you wish to share on the subject. I hold the opinion that a large pandemic that takes us a while to catch up with and get under control is perhaps one of the biggest, most likely threats we face.


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

BlueZ said:


> Even tho I wasnt the person being asked I will reply now as others have.
> 
> Plague's (and Hanta's) Epidemology (how its spreads) does not work well in non SHTF 1st world countries since its rodent centric in how it spreads.
> W/o close interaction between people and mice (or rats) the pathogen has not enough opportunity to spread.
> ...


Thanks for a good answer, BlueZ! The US sees a handful of cases of human plague every year. Just about all of it is located in the West - Northern Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado make up one area, and California/far Western Nevada, and southern Oregon make up the other area. Plague can be transmitted _rarely_ from person to person when the person with plague pneumonia coughs or sneezes onto another person. Otherwise, it is transmitted by flea bites from fleas who have bitten infected rodents, or by handling the body fluids or tissues of infected rodents. Hantavirus is not spread person to person, but rather by contact with infected rodents or their droppings. Only 4 kinds of rodents transmit Hantavirus: the cotton rat, the deer mouse, the rice rat, and the white-footed mouse. For more information on these rodents, including where they can be found, click here. 
Because of both diseases' inability to spread from person to person quickly and easily, we will probably not see a pandemic of either disease any time soon!


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

DrDianaAnderson said:


> Thanks for a good answer, BlueZ! The US sees a handful of cases of human plague every year. Just about all of it is located in the West - Northern Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado make up one area, and California/far Western Nevada, and southern Oregon make up the other area. , click here.
> Because of both diseases' inability to spread from person to person quickly and easily, we will probably not see a pandemic of either disease any time soon!


Shortened for brevity.

Okay I will bite--- How did you convert a link to "click here"? I would love to learn and use this technique. Click Here for Dummies, tutorial please.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> I would not be bored by any information you wish to share on the subject. I hold the opinion that a large pandemic that takes us a while to catch up with and get under control is perhaps one of the biggest, most likely threats we face.


I'll go along with that...especially with all the new "resistant strains" of various bugs they're discovering.....that'd be all we need, some new version of the plague or hantavirus (which had a 35-40% death rate in N. Mexico's cases). 

[Thanks for those links by the way, Terri9630!]


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

DrDianaAnderson...."Because of both diseases' inability to spread from person to person quickly and easily, we will probably not see a pandemic of either disease any time soon!"

Hope you're right there....both are nasty! Know anything about their potential for mutation? Several large cities in Colorado, I know, like Denver have HUGE populations of prairie dogs all over the metro areas!!


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Pessimistic2 said:


> I'll go along with that...especially with all the new "resistant strains" of various bugs they're discovering.....that'd be all we need, some new version of the plague or hantavirus (which had a 35-40% death rate in N. Mexico's cases).
> 
> [Thanks for those links by the way, Terri9630!]


Whether you have any strains resistant to common medications to rodent borne diseases iwont matter since the conditions suitable for an infection chain do not now exist in much of the pre SHTF USA.

And in a post-EMP Mad Max scenario where those conditions may reoccur... but then most medications will not be widely available anyhow... so Resistance factors will greatly diminish in importance with regard to disease progression.


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

Caribou said:


> Doc, now might be a good time for us to review our infection control preps and procedures. When the general public becomes aware prices on IC items will go up and availability will go down. What do you recommend?


Caribou,
You are correct about prices and availability! During the "Ebola Crisis", it was hard for my hospital to get some isolation garb because of the panic, and things like gloves and masks disappeared from shelves as fast as they were stocked!
Here is what I would recommend in general for pandemic preparation:


 *Soap:*bath soap, dish soap, and laundry soap. Hand soap does not need to be antibacterial, just plain old bars of soap will do. During a pandemic, you will probably use a lot more soaps than during a non-infectious SHTF event.
 *Water dispenser: *Remember that in a pandemic, you may lose public water. If you do not have your own independent water, you'll need to set up a hand hygiene station. A 5 gallon water dispenser with a spigot is adequate.
 *Alcohol hand sanitizer:* Choose a sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Stay away from the perfumed, colored sanitizers, as they can cause irritation and breaks in your hands. Also stay away from gels that are alcohol-free, as they are not as effective as the alcohol type. 
 *Surgical (procedure) masks:* These are what you would use to protect yourself against things that are transmitted by droplet infections - that is, the pathogen is larger than 5 microns and cannot easily stay afloat in the air. Examples of droplet diseases include flu and bacterial meningitis. Make sure you know how to properly wear the masks, or else they will be ineffective. These masks come with either ear loops or string ties. Unless you are used to the ties, I strongly recommend getting the ones with ear loops- much easier to put on correctly! These masks also come in pediatric sizes, so if you have kids, don't forget to stock in their sizes too.
 *N-95 type masks:* These masks are used for airborne-transmitted diseases such as TB, measles, chicken pox, and smallpox. These masks are made to filter out the ultra-tiny pathogens in the air. They should form a complete seal around your face with no gaps. They come in generally 2 types - an oval mask that comes in different sizes (and should be test fit to your face size) or a duckbill type mask that one size fits most. These masks are more expensive than surgical masks, and using them for droplet transmitted diseases could be a waste of resources. Also, facial hair can interfere with proper fit, so be sure to consider that when choosing your mask. 
 *Gloves:* Sterile gloves are not needed (unless you are going to be performing invasive procedures like surgery!). I prefer the nitrile gloves over the vinyl ones simply because they are more durable and comfortable, but that is just my preference. Choose medical gloves when possible, as they have a higher protection rating than food service gloves. Remember to wash hands before applying gloves as well as after removing them.
 *Disposable plastic aprons:* These are handy when providing care to someone who is sick, as it forms a barrier to keep blood or body fluids from getting onto your clothing. An optional item, but one that in my opinion is worth having.
 *Disinfectants: *both wipes and spray disinfectants (Lysol, Clorox, Oxivir, or Virex for example) are needed to keep surfaces clean. Don't get the cheap stuff here- it does no good if it doesn't kill the pathogens!
 I did not list things like biohazard suits, isolation gowns, powered respirators, etc. because for the average person trying to protect himself and his family, they are not needed.

I hope this is helpful!


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

tmttactical said:


> Shortened for brevity.
> 
> Okay I will bite--- How did you convert a link to "click here"? I would love to learn and use this technique. Click Here for Dummies, tutorial please.


Tmt:
Copy the URL you want the link to connect to. Then, highlight the word in your document that you want to become the link. Click on the hyperlink icon in the ribbon at the top of the text box (the little globe with the chain links). A box will pop up. Paste your URL into this box and click OK. Not hard at all!

artydance:


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

DrDianaAnderson said:


> Tmt:
> Copy the URL you want the link to connect to. Then, highlight the word in your document that you want to become the link. Click on the hyperlink icon in the ribbon at the top of the text box (the little globe with the chain links). A box will pop up. Paste your URL into this box and click OK. Not hard at all!
> 
> artydance:


Thank you, thank you, thank you. Watch for future progress in my posts. Not too proud to be a copy cat, when improved technique is involved.

For a Mountain person, you be pretty cool. (mountain-cool --- could not resist)


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Now this is interesting also:
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/nearly-1-...-northern-090202998--abc-news-topstories.html


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