ebola - we're all gonna die

[petemurphy]

this is looking rather serious

http://news.sky.com/story/1231319/suspected-ebola-...

time to drop a big incendiary bomb?

[Flibble]

petemurphy said:

this is looking rather serious

http://news.sky.com/story/1231319/suspected-ebola-...

time to drop a big incendiary bomb?

Last 2 lines: "The risk of transmission is low as the disease, one of the world's most virulent, is transmitted to humans from wild animals. It is transmitted between humans by direct contact with blood, faeces or sweat, or by sexual contact and the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses."

So not that dangerous really - it's not like flu where it can pass from person to person easily.

[Terminator X]

Apparently it kills people too quickly thus won't spread too far. For real global annihilation you need something like an AIDS type virus albeit one that will infect the whole population rather than just the gents

TX.

[goldblum]

Flibble said:

So not that dangerous really - it's not like flu where it can pass from person to person easily.

Also from the article:
"Ebola, which manifests itself as a hemorrhagic fever, is highly infectious, kills quickly and there is no known cure."

I'll settle for flu thanks.

[Flibble]

Terminator X said:

Apparently it kills people too quickly thus won't spread too far. For real global annihilation you need something like an AIDS type virus albeit one that will infect the whole population rather than just the gents

TX.

AIDS infects women too. In fact 50% of people with HIV are women: http://www.who.int/gender/hiv_aids/en/

[eldar]

We're all going to die, again.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q311nj5r3o

[twing]

eldar said:

We're all going to die, again.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q311nj5r3o

Nah, the rats'll do us first

[Terminator X]

Kills too quick, never gets out of the local area.

TX.

[The_Doc]

Darwin, evolution, microbes.

Perfect organism evolves to:
Infect host, keep host alive long enough for host to move around. Ideally by aircraft. Host cannot control technological innovation.
Tranmit to new host by easy route. Eg coughing/airborne.
Evolve to survive for a few days outside host, ideally on surfaces.
Develop resistance quickly, but at the risk of developing into a mild version of initial bug.
Have at least two animal vectors/reservoirs. Move across easily.

1. What diseases kills the most people across the world in 2026?
Tuberculosis and Malaria
2. When we travel to planets and colonise them, if they have lifewe will Infect them too. AND VICE VERSA.
3. Any disease that kills people **quickly**and can be stopped by gloves and soap, is not a worry. Particularly if not airborne with no animal reservoir. And if has obvious gruesome symptoms

[Road2Ruin]

Terminator X said:

Kills too quick, never gets out of the local area.

TX.

Except on this occasion, it has.

[WH16]

The book 'Hot Zone' by Richard Preston is worth a read and focuses on the 1989 outbreak which made it to the USA (and which I believe was the inspiration for the movie in the OP), and then again in 2014.

It very much can and does travel.

[CoolHands]

The press love it

Always need the latest doom story

[Furbo]

It's alright, hantavirus will attack and overwhelm it.

[Smint]

Big pharma will save us, they had miracle vaccines patented years ago, how lucky are we to live in such philanthropic times.

kerching

The Amish don't get infected by these things, maybe not having a TV is good preventative medicine.

[xx99xx]

WH16 said:

The book 'Hot Zone' by Richard Preston is worth a read and focuses on the 1989 outbreak which made it to the USA (and which I believe was the inspiration for the movie in the OP), and then again in 2014.

It very much can and does travel.

A very good book. His others are worth a read as well.

[CloudStuff]

CoolHands said:

The press love it

Always need the latest doom story

Exactly, it's all about the anxiety porn.

[Bill]

Did you read the BBC article?? It asks if we should be concerned and concludes no...

[Sheepshanks]

Road2Ruin said:

Terminator X said:

Kills too quick, never gets out of the local area.

TX.

Except on this occasion, it has.

There were cases in the UK last time.....

[Gnits]

Play the game Plague Inc to get an idea of the danger, Ebola has a hard time of it, if it does get serious I am going to Greenland (those who know, know what I mean).

[Terminator X]

Road2Ruin said:

Terminator X said:

Kills too quick, never gets out of the local area.

TX.

Except on this occasion, it has.

It MAY have done, they don't know for sure. Like I say though it kills too quick, if it got away it would just die off there as well.

Don't get me wrong, scary scary disease.

TX.