Liberian Official: Ebola Outbreak ‘Is Above The Control Of The National Government’

[B2G]

Source: CBS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CBS Charlotte/AP) — A Liberian health official says the Ebola outbreak is now above the control of its government.

“Our government has declared this now as a humanitarian crisis that is above the control of the national government,” Tolbert Nyenswah, Liberia’s assistant minister of health, told CBS News.

More than 700 people have died in four western African nations during the largest Ebola outbreak ever, with over 320 known cases in Liberia alone. One American died while contracting the virus in Liberia. Two other American medical missionary workers also contracted Ebola.

“This virus, if it is not taken care of, will be a global pandemic,” Nyenswah told CBS News, calling for more international aid to help treat the sick and stop the spreading of the disease.


Read more: http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2014/07/31/liberian-official-ebola-outbreak-is-above-the-control-of-the-national-government/

---

This is not good.

I'm also reading that the African nations affected by the outbreak are bringing very large delegations with them to the summit in DC next week. If any of them are infected but not showing symptoms at the time they board the plane...

[valerief]

1. I'm sure the missionaries will be more likely to bring the disease back with them. nt

[dembotoz]

3. that crossed my mind as well

[happyslug]

4. Medical Missionaries do have a high rate of mortality when it comes to Ebola

But that has to do with the fact they are treating such people, nothing more. Furthermore, such MEDICAL Missionaries tend to have been told about Ebola and thus know how it is spread and thus will tend to be isolated till the danger period is long past.

Thus I do NOT see Medical Missionaries spreading the disease, but people who have the disease, but do not know it, but wants to get away from the disease. Those are the traditional spreaders of such disease, not the medical Community of the last 100-150 years (Before the acceptance of Germs as the cause of Disease, it was a different story, the Medical Community embraced the concept of Germ in the 1880s, through some Doctors were advocating similar doctrines since the 1830s).

[valerief]

5. No, I mean Jesus missionaries. nt

[happyslug]

16. The Article only refers to Medical Missionaries.

Most missionaries to Africa today, tend to be native born in those countries.

One American died while contracting the virus in Liberia. Two other American medical missionary workers also contracted Ebola.....

This comes as two North Carolina-based missionary groups have ordered the evacuation of their non-essential personnel from Liberia after a doctor and a missionary contracted Ebola.

[B2G]

6. 2 missions and the Peace Corp

are pulling out their workers.

If they'be be quaranteed before getting on planes, I haven't heard yet. But I would certainly hope so. We're talking hundreds of people who have been in these hot zones.

[dembotoz]

2. this could make palistine and ukraine combined look like a cake walk

we do not need fancy dreamed up diseases to draw rating in a theater
is one is bad enough all by it self

[Android3.14]

7. It spreads by body fluids

I doubt if the delegation spreading the virus will be an issue. But thanks for the fear mongering.

[B2G]

8. Is ASKY Airline fear mongering?

[uppityperson]

9. If they are not showing symptoms, it is not contagious. If they are showing symptoms

having diarrhea for example, they may be contagious. If you are sick, stay home.

[defacto7]

19. and if they begin to feel ill while traveling?

If they decide they will try to travel anyway? Humans do such things.

[DhhD]

15. Airbourne or Asymptomatic? Good understanding of the Ebola virus.

http://scottmcpherson.net/journal/2007/12/3/thinking-the-unthinkable-asymptomatic-or-airborne-ebola-in-u.html
Ebola is seeking new vectors.

[defacto7]

18. I don't think so...

all it takes is one guy with Ebola vomiting on the plane, vomiting in the restroom, diarrhea. There will be a high likelihood of people on the flight being infected. It's not fear mongering to understand and discuss the dangerous nature of Ebola. It's real and it's dangerous and possibly has more vectors than we knew of.

Information is good. There are no overstatements here.

[onecent]

23. TOTALLY AGREE..with you,!!

[dickthegrouch]

10. At least they've had the courage to ask for help

Now it's up to us in the supposed 1st world to provide it, before the entire planet becomes the third world again.

[Zorra]

11. An average of 22 reported new cases of Ebola per day between

June 24th and July 27. Operative word here is "reported", it stands to reason that there are unreported infections as well.

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

Personally, I'm in favor of locking our borders down until this is outbreak is contained.

[840high]

12. ...

[totodeinhere]

13. Thank God my good friend who had been living in Liberia for four years was able to

get out of the country for Europe yesterday. He said that he had to go through a health screening at the airport but
he made it.

[GOLGO 13]

14. Blockade!

Things can get in but they can't get out, is what we'll be hearing next.

[Zorra]

17. Apparently house to house searches have been authorized in some West African nations.

NYT:

Nations Intensify Efforts to Suppress Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
JULY 31, 2014

ABUJA, Nigeria — West African leaders quickened the pace of emergency efforts on Thursday in response to a mounting tally of fatalities from the worst known outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, canceling travel plans and authorizing measures to combat the disease including house-to-house searches and the deployment of the army and the police.

The World Health Organization said the death toll had risen to 729 from 672, after 57 more people died during a four-day period between July 24 and 27 in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. In the same period, 122 new cases were detected, bringing the total of confirmed and probably infected patients to 1,323. The toll is the highest in a single outbreak since the virus was identified almost four decades ago.

Federal health officials in the United States on Thursday advised Americans to avoid nonessential travel to the West African countries Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia because of the Ebola virus outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a “Level 3” warning, its most serious type of travel notice, indicating “high risk” to visitors in the affected countries. This kind of advisory is uncommon and reserved for grave situations: It has been used in the past for the outbreak of the highly contagious respiratory disease SARS, and for the earthquake in Haiti.
snip----
“The epidemic is very big, very dispersed,” said Dr. Hilde de Clerck, the interim emergency coordinator in Sierra Leone for Doctors Without Borders. “It seems logical that the country is reacting. I do understand that the central government has to do something. Cases are now being reported in more southern regions. There is a geographical spread. We do see that it is several districts that are hit now.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/world/africa/sierra-leone-declares-health-emergency-over-ebola.html

Hopefully, all the nations of the world will come together right now and pool resources to help stop this horrible disease.

[defacto7]

20. What we need is a vaccine.

From reports it's 2 to 5 years away. I hope governments pool some war resources toward speeding the process. Otherwise we're in for a hell of a pandemic. This ain't no H1N1.

[lunasun]

21. On the fast track if the price is right

"We now have a couple of different vaccine platforms that have shown to be protective with non-human primates," says Bausch, who has received awards for his work containing disease outbreaks in Uganda. He is currently stationed in Lima, Peru, as the director of the emerging infections department of Naval Medical Research Unit 6.

The problem, instead, is the economics of drug development. Pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to pour research and development dollars into curing a disease that surfaces sporadically in low-income, African countries. They aren't likely to see a large pay-off at the end — and could stand to lose money.

Bausch and I spoke Wednesday afternoon about where things stand with developing an Ebola vaccine, what hurdles remain, and how you test a drug that only shows up in infrequent outbreaks. What follows is a transcript of our conversation, lightly edited for clarity and length.

Sarah Kliff: Can we start with where things are on the science of Ebola vaccines, and how much we know about the best way to prevent the disease?

Daniel Bausch: There have been some significant developments for both vaccines and treatments for Ebola and its sister virus, Marburg virus. We now have a couple of different vaccine platforms that have shown to be protective with non-human primates. The most notable development are monoclonal antibodies that are engineered to bind with the ebola virus. There have been breakthroughs in the past few years and, not only are they protective when given right after exposure, but they also work a few days after the illness starts.

http://www.vox.com/2014/7/31/5952665/ebola-virus-vaccine-why-hasnt-it-happened

[defacto7]

22. I think the time is right

for human testing even if it's not following protocol. I'm sure there would be volunteers.

This is a good report, thanks. I was listening to a researcher 2 days ago on NPR news that stated 2 years to a vaccine if money was no factor, up to 5 years if the normal financial conditions remained.

[Uncle Joe]

24. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, B2G.