Comments on: Ebola Will Not Become Airborne And Here Is Why

By: Rethinking Pandemics At Several Levels – Greg Laden's Blog

Rethinking Pandemics At Several Levels – Greg Laden's Blog — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 12:54:16 +0000

[…] For example, during the Ebola pandemic, many people were on the edge of panic because they somehow *knew* that it was only a matter of time before Ebola became fully airborne, like horrid diseases seem to do rather quickly in their fictional form, in novels, in movies, or on TV. In fact, Ebola is highly unlikely to become easily transmitted by air for reasons I go in to here. […]

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 22:04:01 +0000

Chris, I actually didn’t use the term recombination, or reassortment, in the post, but you are right, there is a difference, and I added a word to clarify.

The viruses you mention have changed in the wild through recombination. But given the widespread nature of HIV, for example, it is interesting to not that it has not changed much, not at all in its mode of transmission. That supports, rather than refutes, the argument.

Also, again, the genetic source of West African Ebola is still a single individual. HIV probably existed for decades before it became a pandemic (see: http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2014/10/27/ebola-and-the-french-disease/) The time scales (a year vs. something approaching a century) are vastly different. And, again, HIV has not changed its mode of transmission.

But yes, the possibility that Ebola changes in a way that makes its spread more likely because of differences in the link between symptoms and the ability spread is a concern. But, since its current mode of spread is closely related to symptoms, it may not amount to much. I would worry a a lot more if it was already airborne and became more focused in that modality.

By: Chris Upton

Chris Upton — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 19:09:36 +0000

HIV, HCV, polio all undergo recombination during replication.
Why not ebola?
Ag shift is reASSORTMENT in flu, so yes, this is very different process.
Rather than focusing on airborne spread… it’s probably a greater likelihood that a mutation creates a virus that makes it attenuated slightly… increasing chance of spread before people get really sick. All depends on how long this outbreak goes on.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 12:56:45 +0000

Malaria, hands down.

By: Ross Sutton

Ross Sutton — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 04:16:00 +0000

A hypothetical – I wonder if tomorrow the Directors of Health in Sierra Leone, Liberia and other West African countries were offered a 100% effective, proven vaccine (or even another 100% effective preventive strategy) against malaria or one against Ebola which would they choose – and which one would the donors give funding towards an “EPI type” program if they had to choose.

By: I Live Only 2 Hours From the Ebola Hospital in Dallas: Here's What I'm Doing to Protect My Family | Jennifer Raff

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 19:57:35 +0000

[…] Doctors Without Borders. Despite irresponsible rumors to the contrary, Ebola isn't airborne, nor is it likely to become airborne in the future through mutation. If you're not taking care of an infected person, you're extremely unlikely to contract it. The […]

By: I Live Only 2 Hours From the Ebola Hospital in Dallas: Here's What I'm Doing to Protect My Family - Created by admin - In category: World - Tagged with: - The News On Time - Minutes by minute following the worldwide news

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 18:11:54 +0000

[…] Without Borders. Despite irresponsible rumors to the contrary, Ebola isn’t airborne, nor is it likely to become airborne in the future through mutation. If you’re not taking care of an infected person, you’re extremely unlikely to contract […]

By: Theo Smart

Theo Smart — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 19:46:22 +0000

The other day, on a NEJM webinar, an MSF doctor pointed out that if Ebola were airborne, there would be more evidence of unlinked transmission — cases that did not have close contact with other cases. And that evidence has not been seen — with the possible exception of some of the nosocomial infections. But those could have been due to droplet transmission, or quite frankly, accidents. BTW, the CDC issued this fact sheet that makes a clear distinction between airborne and droplet spread: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/infections-spread-by-air-or-droplets.pdf

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 16:08:58 +0000

In reply to Noreen. Noreen, let me know how that goes for you. I'm sticking with the science. And yes, science is not certainty. Only faith provides perfect certainty. For what it is worth.

By: Noreen

Noreen — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 16:00:58 +0000

It’s kind of scary how this guy who seems so sure about what he is saying, uses words like diseases “in general”, “but they really don’t change their mode of transportation”(tells me that they could),”I’m pretty sure”, “this does not happen very often”, “we expect…” (who is “we”?), “probably”, “IF it did…”(if and it may or may not??), “the chances are” (oh, so there is a chance), “potentially”, “rarely”, “may or may not”, “except possibly one”. well, I’m real convinced now! the only absolute facts are that us humans are not in control, we don’t know everything nor will we, we are not Omni-powerful, etc. but one thing for sure is God is, so put your trust in Him and not in the arm of the flesh. let me end this by saying I thank God for doctors (I go to them), and dentists and cancer research and vitamins and stitches and band aids and surgery and blood transfusions and God using people to save other people from ebola. my point is, we just can’t think we know it all when it comes to ebola and other viruses. if we did, this guy wouldn’t have used all those words.