Fear: How the Government Controls Idiots

I read The Hot Zone when I was a freshman in high school. I read it for Biology (and so far that class hasn't had to slap any disclaimers on their books). If you've read it, you know the nightmares that followed involving red eyes, blotchy skin and the painful, bloody death that would occur after being infected with.....Ebola.

Ebola is a fascinating, thrilling and terrifying subject. Strains of it have a 90% death rate. It kills its victims in a quick and brutal fashion. So why the hell am I going to mock some people who certainly seem to fear a legitimate threat? I know when I need to be afraid, that's why. I know the difference between concern and control. Examples courtesy of the lovely snipets I am pulling from an article dealing with the threat of Ebola as a biological weapon.

Ebola breakouts in Africa have been widely reported. But Ebola's use as a bio weapon has not.

Start the scary music.

A small amount of Ebola (variety Marburg) released into the subways of New York, Boston or Washington, D.C., could result in hundreds of thousands of deaths within days.

*Sighs. Gets on some shoes, goes to the store and picks up some chips and soda. Returns and sits down.*

Ebola and Marburg are both filoviruses, yes, but Ebola is not of the "variety Marburg".

If you released Ebola Reston into any subway, no one would die within a few days. In fact, no one would even become ill. Why? Because Ebola Reston only affects non human primates. How do we know this? There have been two outbreaks of Ebola Reston IN THE UNITED STATES. Ebola Reston was discovered IN VIRGINIA! So much for the scary "It could happen here" . So what of the other Ebola strains? Well, Ebola's natural reservoir hasn't been found, so to get some Ebola, one would have to get it from Level 4 Biohazard containment. If that seems difficult, you would have to find some other infected vector. We'll discuss the release of the virus in a minute.

The Russian strains of weaponized anthrax are resistant to penicillin and tetracycline, and probably other antibiotics also.

Funny, the website you got that from says "There are reports that Russian scientists have developed a B. anthracis strain that is resistant to the tetracycline and penicillin classes of antibiotics."

Bacteria, viruses and toxins have been modified to enhance virulence and infectivity, paving the way for development of pathogens with resistance to vaccines.

No mention of natural resistance? I bet you're the kind of person that pushed over old ladies to get a flu shot.

Viruses such as Ebola have no known effective treatment at this time, and a vaccine has not been developed.

At the time this article was written, this was true. Studies are being done with a treatment that is rumored to be sucessful in 1/3 of infected monkeys.

Wearing a chemical or fireman's mask, or even a surgical mask, may possibly offer some protection against contracting the disease...

Yes.....this is true. Why do I have a feeling I am going to laugh at the next line?

...which is caught by inhalation of the virus or contact with a patient's blood or body fluids.

Heehee, I saw that coming. Ebola is not airborne. Studies done on Ebola have shown that not ony cannot be transmitted through the throat (because it does not infect the lungs) but also cannot survive in the atmosphere. Some lab tests have managed to spread ebola through an aerosol but it has no real world data. Ebola, like other viruses, can undergo mutations, but it is believed that the mutations needed for Ebola to develop the ability to infect the respiratory system and to survive in the air are unlikely to occur.

It is necessary to note that the Ebola Reston outbreak did show that this strain was airborne. It was believed to have infected monkeys that inhaled dust of excrement from infected monkeys.

However, it is highly contagious with a very small number of viruses inhaled, and the chances of contracting the disease from close and prolonged contact with acutely ill patients shedding viruses is high.

Humans exposed to the only airborne strain of Ebola did not present symptoms. Humans exposed to the most virulient strains of the virus must have contact with bodily fluids of the infected host. If there are no external symptoms, risk of infection is slim.

Ebola is a hemorrhagic filovirus shaped like a hockey stick, and belongs to one of four groups of the category, family Filoviridae.

Not that it really has anything to do with anything, but sure....ebola looks like a hockey stick....if you're tripping on acid.

Ebola Marburg epidemics have occurred on six occasions: five times in Africa, and once in Europe.

Marburg is not Ebola.

With Ebola, the incubation period is so short and death is so rapid that by the time health authorities know what hit us, everyone would be dead who was exposed. Inhalation of only 5 viruses (or virions) is usually sufficient to be infectious.

Speculatory at best. It takes a few days for test results to confirm the presence of Ebola. After that, the CDC and other health organizations would be able to begin quarantine and treatment measures. At it's most deadly, strains of Ebola kill 90% of victims, so not 'everyone' would be dead.

In a village setting, the disease tends to burn out quickly because of rapid incapacity and death of the victims. The picture may be different in large cities with numerous cases and more people exposed.

Right. The differences being in the ability to recognize, treat and quarantine. Exposure to Ebola does not guarantee infection. In fact, as stated earlier, there is a low risk of infection by merely being near a person with ebola, even if they are showing symptoms. The organization of medical units like the CDC, USAMRIID and WHO can easily maintain a virus like Ebola if proper precautions and barrier techniques are used.

The only real way to avoid Ebola is to flee the urban areas as soon as the situation is known. Short of that, the people should avoid football games, concerts, subways, convention halls, hospitals and schools, wherever large crowds make an inviting target.

Great idea. Or just avoid close personal contact with an infected host like the CDC says.

Get your Lysol and your duct tape. It's going to be a rough decade.