Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan dies at Dallas hospital

[MdmeX]

The virus detective who discovered Ebola in 1976

The virus detective who discovered Ebola in 1976

By Rob Brown BBC World Service


Nearly 40 years ago, a young Belgian scientist travelled to a remote part of the Congolese rainforest - his task was to help find out why so many people were dying from an unknown and terrifying disease.

In September 1976, a package containing a shiny, blue thermos flask arrived at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium.

Working in the lab that day was Peter Piot, a 27-year-old scientist and medical school graduate training as a clinical microbiologist.

"It was just a normal flask like any other you would use to keep coffee warm," recalls Piot, now Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

But this thermos wasn't carrying coffee - inside was an altogether different cargo. Nestled amongst a few melting ice cubes were vials of blood along with a note.

It was from a Belgian doctor based in what was then Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo - his handwritten message explained that the blood was that of a nun, also from Belgium, who had fallen ill with a mysterious illness which he couldn't identify.





http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28262541

[Willi]

it does not sound as virulent thn as now!!!

Them all analyze infected thermos and no one got ill?

[Mosiah]

Just when you started to believe that we could never witness something as vile as the Tuskegee Experiment...

Some people should go to prison for this!

[Willi]

How comes the Belgian 30 researcher years ago could have been handling Ebola blood in melted ice cubes and charge into Ebola area with impugnity and not get infected, when health workers in full hazmat suits getting infected?

This whole thing seems inconsistent.

[Sir X]

Not really like the flu,stronger strains develop over time,said case with antibiotics, humans are more resistant to antibiotic therapy because of over prescription. I refuse medication from MDs unless its a last resort.

[Willi]

Humans more resistant or bacteria more resistant?

My point is that its not like they seem more resistant, its seems like dem stronger and more virulent. At the rate this thing going, one would have to conclude that it will wipe out the human race! i still think that this does not ring true...somehow, despite what the depop. aganda would like.

[Za]

Humans more resistant or bacteria more resistant?

My point is that its not like they seem more resistant, its seems like dem stronger and more virulent. At the rate this thing going, one would have to conclude that it will wipe out the human race! i still think that this does not ring true...somehow, despite what the depop. aganda would like.

It seems to affect different people different ways. eg the death rate in Guinea is
about 30% while in Sierra Leone it's about 60%. Take this case of this Nurse,
that treated family members, all she used were trash bags and a surgical mask and she didn't get infected.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/25/health/ebola-fatu-family/

[Willi]

razz.

I wonder if its all the same disease?
Marburg virus came from tropical monkeys but is close but different virus to Ebola. Also the different mortality can be due to quality of treatment and also if you have concommitant illness.

Chik-V is killing off the older folks in Jamaica who already had other serious health complaints. Give a call back home and ask how many of your peeps over 70 dropping like flies!

[Sir X]

Actually its both ways, humans are becoming more resistant to antibiotics and viral strains and diseases get more virulent ,antibodies and strains adapt to its enviroment.

http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/

[Willi]

Humans cant be resistant to antibiotics, bacteria are. Anti-biotics are meant to kill them, not humans, no? Though I did hear that illegal antibiotics were being used/tested in West Africa and a common side effect is bleeding...

[Sir X]

Resistant means not effective in its use because of the bodies immune system building up a higher tolerance for it to work ,so in a sense yes,not only resistant but allergic, which is another form of resistance. The info is all over,the net,I gave you a CDC link,google up MRSA.

[Willi]

I did and found nothing to support your claim.

[Time]

Okay. For some strange reason it is continuously reported that he died yesterday, but since you're the expert on when his time expired, correct dem nuh?

Lazie, listen to the nurse who was present when he died. Between 6:22 and 7:42 into clip,he clearly states that the man died on Saturday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pp28QYJDMI