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The basics of epidemiology prove that this isn't airborne, at least this far along. The R-nought or the basic reproduction number of a disease for the flu, which is airborne, is 2, meaning someone with the flu will reliably infect about 2 other people on average. The R-nought for measles which is incredibly contagious, is roughly 16, so someone with measles will infect about 16 other people if they are susceptible.
So far the R-nought for Ebola in this outbreak has been about 1 from what I've read. 1 person infects 1 other person. This number indicates pretty reliably that the disease is not airborne, nor is it infectious enough to be completely beyond the control of basic public health protocols. The problem has been properly applying those protocols in war-torn nations with poor public health infrastructure.
This also falls in line with previous data about appropriate public health procedures decreasing the risk of infection.
In some previous outbreaks, the R-nought was as high as 3, almost entirely due to inappropriate ceremonial burial practices that allowed the disease to spread. When those burial practices were eliminated from the equation, the total r-nought actually dropped below 1. Clearly traditional body cleansing and burial practices are a major factor in propagating these outbreaks. Once again though, no evidence that either of the main two strains, Ebola Zaire or Ebola Sudan have ever been transmitted from human to human through the air. There's always some sort of contact, either with the infected, or directly with their corpses.
Ro depends on the per capita rate of growth in the number of cases.
Population dependent. The Ro number is about 1.8 according to old numbers I've read through.
Drop them in a large city where the mean incubation rate is 6 days (up to 21 days) asymptomatic, then when you're contagious for the period of 3 to 10 days you can shed a lot of virus and transmit to others.
Someone mentioned higher up in this thread that if they knew everything about the transmission, who would need to wear space suits with ventilators around the patients if they knew with certainty the virus wasn't airborne.
From the article about a measles outbreak in April 2014 (emphasis added):
Quote:
The CDC said that 54 of this year’s 58 California cases were in some way
associated with importation of the virus from abroad. Twenty-five of the people
infected were not immunized–19 of them because of philosophical objections–and
18 more had no documentation of vaccinations. Three were too young for routine
vaccination and three others were not vaccinated for unknown reasons.
Ro depends on the per capita rate of growth in the number of cases.
Population dependent. The Ro number is about 1.8 according to old numbers I've read through.
The number varies entirely depending on the particular outbreak. While this was has been more widespread, covering a larger geographic area, it has been less infectious and has a lower casualty rate than most previous Ebola outbreaks.
As said before, there is absolutely zero evidence that this disease is or has ever been airborne in regards to human-to-human transmission. All the overly-sensationalized headlines from less than reputable sites doesn't really change that.
People south of the border don't fear vaccines, and are usually very up-to-date.
Open borders have nothing to do with measles outbreaks.
It's people who believe in Natural News and listen to that whack job, Jenny McCarthy.
OMG! What if half the people in NYC got the measles?
From the article about a measles outbreak in April 2014 (emphasis added):
The issue is that there wouldn't be an outbreak if people were being immunized properly. A measles virus against a population that is basically 100% immune is meaningless. The issue is that we have more and more people who aren't immunized and hence vulnerable to the disease, in whatever form is may come, wherever it may come from.
The problem has to do with people who aren't being vaccinated. The anti-vaccine movement in this country is leading to some major diseases that were basically unheard of, coming back with a vengeance. Measles, whooping cough....all incredibly contagious, all coming back in force. The area's where these diseases are striking aren't generally immigrant heavy area's but more suburban, upper middle class places, the exact types who buy into nonsensical pseudoscience that caters to their irrational nature.
You're the second or third person to completely ignore the fact that I said it's caused by people not vaccinating their children for fear of autism. I realize the trend of not vaccinating is a problem, but the only thing I can do about that is make sure my children's vaccines' are up-to-date. I do live in a border state, and there have been reports of cases of TB and measles down in the detention centers as we speak. I have no doubt that many of those kids being released to family are going to end up in my town, and specifically quite a few will end up at my kids' schools as they are majority Hispanic.
From the article about a measles outbreak in April 2014 (emphasis added):
It is not clear from the article what is meant by that statement. At another point the "importation" is discussed in terms of travel to the Philippines, especially. You seem to be trying to link the outbreak with illegal immigration from our southern border. The poster is correct, that latin American vaccine rates for MMR are about equal to our own and that is not a likely source. Immigrants and travelers from other areas of the world may be more to blame. It is best to get vaccinated.
Along the same lines, there is an outbreak of mumps in Ohio.
The number varies entirely depending on the particular outbreak. While this was has been more widespread, covering a larger geographic area, it has been less infectious and has a lower casualty rate than most previous Ebola outbreaks.
As said before, there is absolutely zero evidence that this disease is or has ever been airborne in regards to human-to-human transmission. All the overly-sensationalized headlines from less than reputable sites doesn't really change that.
We don't have an Ro number for this outbreak, and won't have one until it's over. It hasn't been contained yet.
This epidemic has already surpassed numbers of the last outbreak in Congo which started May 1995.
You're the second or third person to completely ignore the fact that I said it's caused by people not vaccinating their children for fear of autism. I realize the trend of not vaccinating is a problem, but the only thing I can do about that is make sure my children's vaccines' are up-to-date. I do live in a border state, and there have been reports of cases of TB and measles down in the detention centers as we speak. I have no doubt that many of those kids being released to family are going to end up in my town, and specifically quite a few will end up at my kids' schools as they are majority Hispanic.
The source most often cited for measles in this country is Americans traveling abroad to countries where measles is still endemic and acting as carriers in bringing the disease back. Measles is intensely contagious so its quite easy to spread.
Having worked in a clinic in South America, I can tell you that in terms of the culture, the people I encountered were far more trusting of doctors and far more likely to comply with a doctor's orders. The vaccination rates in various Central and South American countries are not that markedly different from ours. Mexico, Honduras and a few others actually have HIGHER vaccination rates than we do.
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