Ebola

Let's just get this out of the way. Ebola is a scary disease with a 10% to 75% survival rate (or for those with a "glass half empty" attitude - 25% to 90% death rate). The virus may be acquired upon contact with blood or other bodily fluids of an infected human or other animal* and the incubation period is 2 to 21 days.

The typical symptoms with known exposure are "sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat". This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. There is no specific treatment for Ebola and though it is still in the experimental stages, there is no vaccine available. -Info from www.WHO.int

The virus was identified in 1976 and I have casually followed various Ebola outbreaks since I read "The Hot Zone" in the early'90's (weird hobby, I know). The current vast and wide outbreak in West Africa has been growing exponentially for months and statistics state that nearly 9000 have been effected and over 4000 have died so far and it does not seem to be letting up. From what I have observed over the years, past outbreaks have been detected and quarantined/isolated quickly with usually about 300 people dead by the time it burns out. Why this has gotten so out of control is mind-boggling.

Now for the bad news - Unless you have been living off the grid for the last few weeks, you no doubt know that the US had it first domestic death from an Ebola infection in Dallas. The victim was a Liberian national travelling to the US after known exposure for which he did not disclose when leaving Liberia. And now, one of the nurses who cared for him has now been diagnosed and has the dubious honor of being our first domestic infection with at least 70 others at risk. There is a lot of speculation and a lot of accusations as to how the emergency room personnel screwed up by not recognizing his symptoms as Ebola. Let's be honest. What were the odds that a man walking into a hospital in the US - ANY hospital - would have been immediately identified as a patient with Ebola. Some of the other accusations are just ridiculous, so I won't even go there.

But what is the most disturbing is that, even though the epidemic was growing in West Africa, the CDC had no plan until Dallas. I guess I have always assumed that they operated like the team in "Criminal Minds" where they activate their special units of experts trained in highly infectious diseases who would swoop in, set up perimeters, create quarantine centers and issue mandated (and proven) protocols. You know, the special government agents in hazmat suits would know exactly how to handle and disinfect the victim's living quarters and isolate those who had been exposed. I guess I was wrong. Since they are among the same goverment agencies who allowed someone to run around the WH because they forgot to lock the front door, I'm guessing expecting them to secure our borders from potential pandemics would be too much of a stretch.

All that being said, now is not the time to lay blame, or to become hysterical. This really isn't the time that we root for our leadership to fail even though the likelihood of being exposed to Ebola are very low. But on the bright side, there will be time to lay blame for the upcoming 2016 election cycle...if we survive.

*Interesting fact - Fruit bats are natural carriers of the Ebola virus. So if you see a fruit bat wearing a cowboy hat...run.

UPDATE: While I was writing this, it was reported that there were three suspected Ebola patients who were taken to or showed up at Belleview Hospital in NYC...