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hedgehog

(36,286 posts)

33. What I was thinking of is that currently, humans are not a good fit for Ebola.

Sat Jun 28, 2014, 01:57 AM

Jun 2014

It has a nice reservoir out there somewhere where it co-exists with some other mammal(s). I think the accepted method of transmission to human is a result of catching and eating an infected animal, getting exposed to the blood in the process. Ebola also tends to kill quickly, which limits its ability to spread from person to person. Again, even to spread among humans now, there has to be intimate contact with bodily fluids. In past outbreaks, local medical personnel had the highest rate of exposure and death.

Right now, if a particular virus has a mutation that makes it easier for it to co-exist with humans, the odds are it doesn't matter because the odds are it never encounters a human. As long as it stays in the reservoir, "Ebola II" has no advantage over "Ebola I". But, if more people carry Ebola viruses, the odds change. Now if "Ebola II" takes longer to kill people or spreads via coughing, it has a real advantage over "Ebola I". It would have more opportunities to infect new humans and may find a new home in the human population.

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Why the Ebola outbreak in Africa should concern us all: [View all] hedgehog Jun 2014 OP

I agree. laundry_queen Jun 2014 #1

As an example of what can happen when an airborne disease hits a new population - hedgehog Jun 2014 #3

A lower deathrate would actually spread it faster Marrah_G Jun 2014 #17

sorry, our government has a rebellion to quell in Iraq, not head off a world wide epidemic nt msongs Jun 2014 #2

Maybe we just have too many humans on this planet. Quantess Jun 2014 #4

OK - and the way to solve that is a world wide epidemic that results in hedgehog Jun 2014 #7

I'm not saying I like Ebola. I am very cynical and also realistic. Quantess Jun 2014 #8

A large part of the Enlightenment/Rennaissance period came about because of the plague SoCalDem Jun 2014 #26

Oh, and also... Quantess Jun 2014 #10

I think you meant to write anti-biotic resistant viruses. Jenoch Jun 2014 #19

Anti-biotics do not work on Viruses Marrah_G Jun 2014 #20

You are right of course. Jenoch Jun 2014 #23

Thanks to both of you for correcting me. Quantess Jun 2014 #32

Which is worse than the probable alternative... Spider Jerusalem Jun 2014 #18

Dr. Malthus, I'm not sure if I agree lapislzi Jun 2014 #21

which day? ECHOFIELDS Jun 2014 #13

R u serious? KamaAina Jun 2014 #15

Eh, don't feed it. n/t lapislzi Jun 2014 #22

LOL, I agree with you but good luck with the backlash here cbdo2007 Jun 2014 #24

Kicking. nt littlemissmartypants Jun 2014 #5

Well, all I can say is..... AverageJoe90 Jun 2014 #6

Like when New Orleans used to have yellow fever epidemics KamaAina Jun 2014 #16

The mortality rate of Spanish Influenza was between 10 - 20% lapislzi Jun 2014 #29

Message auto-removed Name removed Jun 2014 #9

Ebola is scary shit, no question. However, AFAIUI it belongs to a unique family of viruses which Warren DeMontague Jun 2014 #11

Thanks for that info - good to know. hedgehog Jun 2014 #12

Thanks for posting. I hadnt heard that when I listened awhile ago to a snagglepuss Jun 2014 #14

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Jun 2014 #30

Measles and Pox jumped species, Ebola is already in our species. Bluenorthwest Jun 2014 #25

What I was thinking of is that currently, humans are not a good fit for Ebola. hedgehog Jun 2014 #33

anything that can kill like ebola has to be stopped--period--surprised there is discussion dembotoz Jun 2014 #27

No one's suggesting that Ebola be permitted to spread unchecked. lapislzi Jun 2014 #28

Of course it can't be ignored Marrah_G Jun 2014 #31