New York City is prepared for infectious outbreaks

[La Lioness Priyanka]

A great article/interview from Mother Jones for those who are freaking out about Ebola

In short: Don't freak out. They've totally got this.

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/08/patient-being-tested-ebola-new-york-city-stop-freaking-out

(also in case anyone thinks I am being flippant about this, I live in NYC).

[MikeW]

1. Im more worried about the person

Who has it ... thinks they have the flu and continues to walk around in public even if its a short period.

Bodily fluids also INCLUDE (according to the ebola information) sweat which is easily left behind on all sorts of surfaces.

[VanillaRhapsody]

2. How long does it live exposed on a surface?

[SMC22307]

6. Several days...

according to these sources:

In order to catch Ebola, you have to touch the bodily fluids (such as sweat, vomit, diarrhea, blood, urine, or semen) of an Ebola patient — dead or alive. Because Ebola can stay alive on a surface for at least several days, you could also get it from touching bedding or other inanimate objects contaminated with those bodily fluids. After that, you would have to get the virus into your body by, for example, touching food and eating it.

http://www.vox.com/2014/7/31/5952515/facts-you-should-know-about-the-ebola-outbreak/in/5712456

SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: The virus can survive in liquid or dried material for a number of days (23). Infectivity is found to be stable at room temperature or at 4°C for several days, and indefinitely stable at -70°C (6, 20). Infectivity can be preserved by lyophilisation.

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/res/psds-ftss/ebola-eng.php

[onecent]

4. No one in the news anywhere has even said anything about sexual

transfer????? I am just wondering. Ha ha I am really too old now to care, but I have been wondering about it since they have really NOT brought attention to it in any source.

[SMC22307]

7. Yes, semen, and a couple of other bodily fluids...

one might encounter during sex (see above).

Evidently the virus was live for 61 days in one guy's sperm:

MAGGIE FOX: Number one do to feel like the authorities in Nigeria are equipped to do all the contract tracing needed, and is the incubation period and the contagiousness for the disease. There was one report about the guy whose sperm showed live virus for 61 days and I think there are still questions about people transferring the disease if they are asymptomatic.

STEPHAN MONROE: The second question has to do with the incubation period. The average incubation period is eight to ten days from exposure to onset of symptoms. The range is from two to 21 days. That's why we recommend that contacts of an infected person go on a fever watch for 21 days. We are aware of the report of the extended secretion of virus in semen, but in that case, there was no evidence of infectious in blood or other bodily fluids. So we’re not as concerned about transmission from blood and body fluids -- we do recommend that people use condoms and other barrier cautions. Use a condom for a follow up period after they have recovered. To the first question of the contact tracing going on in Nigeria, the CDC has staff in Nigeria who were there for other reasons that have gone to Lagos to assist along with the Nigeria Administration of Health to set up that contact tracing.

http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/t0728-ebola.html

[840high]

5. Yep.

[msanthrope]

3. Gird your loins, people. Put down the duct tape and plastic sheeting. nt