Nope, I do not think it will become pandemic. I do think we should be aware, but it isn't anything I will lose any sleep over.
Perspective
1633-1634 Small Pox destroyed 70% of the Native US population. (Mashantucket Pequot museum and Research center)
1793 Yellow fever caused 2000 deaths in Philadelphia.
1830-31 Cholera was responsible for 130,000 deaths worldwide. (CDC)
1918 Spanish flu was the cause of 675,000 deaths in the US and 20 million people worldwide. (US department of Health)
And that doesn’t even touch on the estimated 30-60% population decreases caused by various plagues throughout history.
If you want to talk about disease, let’s talk about something more serious and that would be the fact that eradicated diseases are coming back. Now that is truly more terrifying than Ebola.
Or, maybe worry about Malaria- it kills over 1 million people a year.
Notice that each of those diseases on your list is either treatable or has vaccines now. Ebola has neither. A vaccine has been developed for chimpanzees, but a vaccine for humans is a few years away.
And why does that bring you comfort? Kind of scary that treatable diaeases still cause more deaths. You are still far more likely to catch a deadly flu than to catch Ebola. Even an untreatable cancer will likely be your demise over Ebola.
But I can see logic has escaped you.
Wait! Yes yes. Ebola is coming to get you. Run. Hide. Quarantine yourself.
Although I get the feeling you dont interact much with the outside world to begin with.
It brings me neither comfort nor despair. In many ways, Ebola is more manageable than some of the diseases on your list. It's not spread by coughing, or insects. The chimp vaccine caused a strong antibody response. A future human vaccine will likely do the same.
The problem with your response is that it doesn't answer the original question "Will the African outbreak eventually go global?" Get a hold of your emotions, think about the way epidemics are managed, and then give us your carefully formulated response. We would like to hear what you have to say.
I said no. And I gave you perspective on the reality of disease.
The reason I say no is because it has been around for nearly forty years and it hasn't really left the region. Unlike HIV/AIDS which has circled the globe and been around for a shorter time period. But to be fair, it isn't an obvious disease so there was opportunity for spreading.
Although, I'm not sure why you expect a dissertation on global disease with a simple question. Or perhaps just a small essay on pathology? Did you confuse us with medical students?
To me, it sounds like you want to spread fear among the masses. That, or you just took a class on pathology of disease and want to feel all smart.
Neither. A response like what you just gave us is what I was after. Nice to get candid opinions from reasonably educated people off the street (or internet).
IIN that the African Ebola epidemic will go global.
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Nope, I do not think it will become pandemic. I do think we should be aware, but it isn't anything I will lose any sleep over.
Perspective
1633-1634 Small Pox destroyed 70% of the Native US population. (Mashantucket Pequot museum and Research center)
1793 Yellow fever caused 2000 deaths in Philadelphia.
1830-31 Cholera was responsible for 130,000 deaths worldwide. (CDC)
1918 Spanish flu was the cause of 675,000 deaths in the US and 20 million people worldwide. (US department of Health)
And that doesn’t even touch on the estimated 30-60% population decreases caused by various plagues throughout history.
If you want to talk about disease, let’s talk about something more serious and that would be the fact that eradicated diseases are coming back. Now that is truly more terrifying than Ebola.
Or, maybe worry about Malaria- it kills over 1 million people a year.
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Anonymous Post Author
9 years ago
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Notice that each of those diseases on your list is either treatable or has vaccines now. Ebola has neither. A vaccine has been developed for chimpanzees, but a vaccine for humans is a few years away.
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gorillaphant
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And why does that bring you comfort? Kind of scary that treatable diaeases still cause more deaths. You are still far more likely to catch a deadly flu than to catch Ebola. Even an untreatable cancer will likely be your demise over Ebola.
But I can see logic has escaped you.
Wait! Yes yes. Ebola is coming to get you. Run. Hide. Quarantine yourself.
Although I get the feeling you dont interact much with the outside world to begin with.
--
Anonymous Post Author
9 years ago
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It brings me neither comfort nor despair. In many ways, Ebola is more manageable than some of the diseases on your list. It's not spread by coughing, or insects. The chimp vaccine caused a strong antibody response. A future human vaccine will likely do the same.
The problem with your response is that it doesn't answer the original question "Will the African outbreak eventually go global?" Get a hold of your emotions, think about the way epidemics are managed, and then give us your carefully formulated response. We would like to hear what you have to say.
--
gorillaphant
9 years ago
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I said no. And I gave you perspective on the reality of disease.
The reason I say no is because it has been around for nearly forty years and it hasn't really left the region. Unlike HIV/AIDS which has circled the globe and been around for a shorter time period. But to be fair, it isn't an obvious disease so there was opportunity for spreading.
Although, I'm not sure why you expect a dissertation on global disease with a simple question. Or perhaps just a small essay on pathology? Did you confuse us with medical students?
To me, it sounds like you want to spread fear among the masses. That, or you just took a class on pathology of disease and want to feel all smart.
--
Anonymous Post Author
9 years ago
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Neither. A response like what you just gave us is what I was after. Nice to get candid opinions from reasonably educated people off the street (or internet).