A new article on Ebola by Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone:

[hedgehog]

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/27/ebola-wars?intcid=mod-most-popular

[mnhtnbb]

1. Just took The Hot Zone out of the library this a.m. and already

engrossed in it.

Looking forward to reading the article. Thanks for posting!

[hedgehog]

2. I know I can open it because I have subscription; I hope it works for other people.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. You might like his The Cobra Event

which is very much based on facts, about bio-terrorism.

[mnhtnbb]

7. I actually went to the library to check out Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918

and the Search for the Virus That Caused It by Gina Kolata.

And there on the same shelf --about half a dozen books over--was The Hot Zone.


One of my Hospital Administration classmates--Class of 1975 at UCLA--and I have been chatting on-line
about the Ebola situation. We were reminiscing about our Epidemiology class, taught by
Roger Detels http://chipts.ucla.edu/people/roger-detels/
My friend--who was a Navy medic during the Vietnam War-- recommended the Flu book, and having heard about The Hot Zone, decided to bring it home
and start with it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. John Barry wrote the Great Influenza a bit ago

I mention it because he is a really good writer and his book on the 1927 Mississippi Flood, Rising Tide, is marvelous.
He encompasses a lot of history into his subjects, really sets the stage for the what is going on in the country during the main events of his topic.

[Sienna86]

3. I accessed the article

These medical workers are heroes and it shows the promise of Zmapp. Now if they could just produce more...

[City Lights]

4. Thanks for posting...reading it now. nt

[uppityperson]

5. Interesting article for lay people with onecomplaint.

He focuses on bleeding causing death, not a mention of organ failure from little blood clots or cytokine storm (body's immune system over reacts) causing shock by blood pressure dropping. At least he quit with the organ liquifying stuff.

Other than that, interesting article, covering a range of people and topics. I hope that a vaccine is made soon as there will continue to be outbreaks and deaths, destruction of too many communities.

[TeeYiYi]

14. He does mention the shock...

...and drop in blood pressure.

...She seemed close to the end stage of Ebola-virus disease; she had developed a sea of red spots and papules across her torso—signs of hemorrhages under the skin—and she was beginning to bleed internally. She could crash at any time: lose blood pressure, go into shock, and die. ...

TYY

[uppityperson]

15. Thank you. I was wrong. I saw the "bleed internally" and missed the next sentence.

[TeeYiYi]

16. You're welcome...

It was kind of hidden in that paragraph. I had to read it twice to make sure.

TYY

[kestrel91316]

8. Excellent article.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Most excellent article!

Happy to rec.

[superpatriotman]

10. IMPORTANT!

Read this paragraph:

One common route of entry is thought to be the wet membrane on the inner surface of the eyelid, which a person might touch with a contaminated fingertip. The virus is believed to be transmitted, in particular, through contact with sweat and blood, which contain high concentrations of Ebola particles. People with Ebola sweat profusely, and in some instances they have internal hemorrhages, along with effusions of vomit and diarrhea containing blood.

Shake hands with someone, rub your eyes. Boom! Possible transmission.

[hedgehog]

11. Well, assuming that the person you're shaking hands with has a hand covered

with blood, vomit or feces......or else has just rubbed their hand up and down the sweaty body of an Ebola victim.

[superpatriotman]

13. "...contact with sweat..."

Sweat. Contact with infected sweat. That is not ambiguous. I have not heard about sweat transmission from an infected person.

[Yo_Mama]

17. You'd probably notice if they were that infected.

I don't think you'd be shaking hands.