Ebola

[Swamper]

First off, if you don't know what I'm talking about, visit this link: http://www.dhpe.org/infect/ebola.html. Theres nothing bad.

Ebola is a virus, a very, very bad virus. And I mean Bubonic Plauge 10x worse if it ever gets out. Scientists do not know for sure how it spreads, it has no cure, and a 9/10 kill rate. It originated from someplace in Central Africa, and is lethal in humans. Basically, it causes the host to melt from the inside out. It's a level 4 virus, and has a wide range of symptoms, such as a headache, progressing to a rash, then to throwing up blood and in the worse cases, bleeding from all orifices of your body.Usually, you contract it from coming in contact with bodily fluids of an animal or person that has the virus. As for as scientists know, it isn't airborne, which is a relief. The latest outbreak was in 1985-1989. There haven't been any reported cases in the US, although there were some in Europe.

This virus is very real and very scary. If it ever got out, it could easily wipe out the majority of the population. Once you contract the disease, you have about a week to live. It's this kind of stuff that reminds me how powerful Mother Nature really is.

[jschild]

... Random much?

I mean yes it is really bad - bad enough movies were made about it during the 1990s. But unless it mutates so it spreads airborne it isn't a truly serious threat - but if it did - yowzers!

[Swamper]

I don't know anything about any movies made in the 1990's about it. I just found out about it this week, and have done a lot of research about it. I thought it was interesting and frightening enough for my fellow Scapers to hear about. Sorry.

[jschild]

Nothing to be sorry about. I at first thought there was a new outbreak of it or something.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola

is the wiki about it.

Movie wise, check out Outbreak, which was inspired by it.

Also, Nova did something I think called the Plague Fighters or something like that.

Scariest thing is some Japanese terrorists considered using it as a bioweapon.

[ABOMINATION]

Read Rainbow Six, by Tom Clancy. That makes Ebola look like a wimp. It's not real, but I think that it could be possible, unfortunately. *shudders*

[Commander GD]

Originally Posted by ABOMINATION

Read Rainbow Six, by Tom Clancy. That makes Ebola look like a wimp. It's not real, but I think that it could be possible, unfortunately. *shudders*

With modern bioscientific research, any disease can be produced quite easily.

[Nukatha]

According to wikipedia there are different strains, like the flu.

We can't pull a smallpox on it.

[ParaGoomba Slayer]

How long are you contagious before you die/get better, with say the black plague? If I came in contact with the black plague for example, how long would it be until I died?

Wouldn't a disease like this be hard to spread to pandemic/epidemic levels because it's too good at killing its host? [/The Andromeda Strain]

[jschild]

Originally Posted by ParaGoomba Slayer

How long are you contagious before you die/get better, with say the black plague? If I came in contact with the black plague for example, how long would it be until I died?

Wouldn't a disease like this be hard to spread to pandemic/epidemic levels because it's too good at killing its host? [/The Andromeda Strain]

The Black Plague was extremely contagious, however, it's pretty harmless today because it's a bacterium.

Ebola kills within a few days, but unless a disease is airborne, they aren't that dangerous in the larger sense unless they have a very long "inactive" period.

[John Smith]

The symptoms remind me of "rage" except the infected don't go balls to the walls zombie on you.

[Swamper]

Originally Posted by ParaGoomba Slayer

How long are you contagious before you die/get better, with say the black plague? If I came in contact with the black plague for example, how long would it be until I died?

Wouldn't a disease like this be hard to spread to pandemic/epidemic levels because it's too good at killing its host? [/The Andromeda Strain]

Ebola spreads through bodily fluids, and you can have it for up to 14 days before symptoms show up. So you are carrying around that virus, and everytime some fluid from your body touches someone else, then they risk being affected. Then, when you start dying, all the blood that comes out of your pores are hot, too.

There is a strain of Ebola that spreads through air, but it doesen't effect humans yet. If it does, we could be in trouble.