Infectious disease experts: Why the risk of Ebola entering the US is extremely low.

[muriel_volestrangler]

26. No, I think you haven't understood the basics of the disease

21 days is the absolute limit for symptoms to show:

Symptoms of Ebola HF typically include:

Fever
Headache
Joint and muscle aches
Weakness
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Stomach pain
Lack of appetite
...
Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to ebolavirus though 8-10 days is most common.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html

Sneezing is not a typical symptom, so it is not "absolutely reasonable to assume that some of those 54 were sneezed upon".

When an infection does occur in humans, there are several ways in which the virus can be transmitted to others. These include:

direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person
exposure to objects (such as needles) that have been contaminated with infected secretions

The viruses that cause Ebola HF are often spread through families and friends because they come in close contact with infectious secretions when caring for ill persons.

During outbreaks of Ebola HF, the disease can spread quickly within health care settings (such as a clinic or hospital). Exposure to ebolaviruses can occur in health care settings where hospital staff are not wearing appropriate protective equipment, such as masks, gowns, and gloves.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/index.html

The "he could have spread it to 54 different people" model really doesn't apply to this disease. It's not like flu.