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Marburg on the march in Angola?

Discussion in 'Alley of Dangerous Angles' started by Ragusa, Apr 12, 2005.

  1. Ragusa

    Ragusa Eternal Halfling Paladin Veteran

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    Ragusa, Apr 12, 2005
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  2. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I read a book about that virus once. The Hot Zone. It was scary stuff. Luckily, none of those scary viruses has spread around the world yet.

    I also read that those sorts of viruses are unlikely to become pandemics because they are too efficient (i.e. they kill their hosts too quickly). Viruses like influenza that have longer incubations and are less deadly tend to be more successful.
     
    Harbourboy, Apr 12, 2005
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    Method of transmission is also different. Flu is airborne and will always be potentially the most dangerous, especially with the rate at which it mutates. Marburg/Ebola/Filoviruses are actually not that infectious, you will need prolonged contact with a carrier. It is that devastating mortality rate which is of concern.
     
    Tassadar, Apr 12, 2005
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  4. Ragusa

    Ragusa Eternal Halfling Paladin Veteran

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    Yep. As far as general deaths are concerned TB, malaria, hepatitis and even influenza are worse and more dangerous. The point indeed is the scary mortality rate.

    Odd enough the outbreaks have been locally relatively fixed, and the duration of the epidemics relatively short, therefor limiting the numbers of casualties. Probably that's also a result of the deadlyness of haemmorragic fevers. TB, malaria, hepatisis and flu kill slower - and spare more.

    And probably without exception, the outbreaks have taken place in rural areas where there are less people that could get infected.

    Even so, the effectiveness with which the WHO and their specialists have been able to seal off hotbeds is simply remarkable. It takes a lot of courage to gou out in a village to take care of the infected, with such a disease, and on top of that perhaps a deeply supersticious and possibly hostile population.
     
    Ragusa, Apr 13, 2005
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    Yeah definitely. Full credit to the health workers who risk their lives dealing with deadly exotic diseases.
     
    Tassadar, Apr 13, 2005
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    In terms of proportion, yes, in terms of quanity, no. The whole "everyone died before the disease got too far" thing really limits the numbers who fall to Ebola and Marburg.

    And yep, the health workers are courageous folks. Damned courageous.
     
    AMaster, Apr 13, 2005
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    Tassadar, Apr 13, 2005
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