Human asymptomatic Ebola infection and strong inflammatory response (Lancet article)

[kestrel91316]

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2800%2902405-3/fulltext

".....These findings show that some individuals were infected with the virus without developing symptoms. Results from previous outbreaks had only indicated that such an asymptomatic infection was possible. During the first three outbreaks of Ebola virus in Sudan and Zaire in 1976 and 1979, WHO teams noticed that individuals had symptoms that ranged in severity, from mild (and probably asymptomatic) to rapidly fatal.16 Moreover, the immunofluorescence showed higher antibody prevalence among asymptomatic family members who had had physical contact with clinical cases than among the general population who had no contact with symptomatic patients.17, 18 More recently, a cohort of 152 household contacts of convalescents was studied for up to 21 months during the Kikwit outbreak in Republic Democratic of the Congo.19 Blood samples of only five such individuals were IgM and IgG positive. Although the authors could not exclude the possibility of false positive (5 [3%] of 152), they suggested that mild cases may occur......"

snip

"..... The public-health impact of Ebola infection needs also to be reassessed in light of these new findings. The risk of transmission via blood products donated by such individuals or via semen should be taken into consideration in public-health policy since infectious filovirus have already been found in semen from symptomatic patients 2—3 months after symptoms.32, 33....."

~~~~~~~

Just another monkeywrench in the works.............

[840high]

1. kick for exposure.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. If there are people capable of carrying it and transmitting it without getting sick themselves

We should be aware of it.

[tblue37]

4. Typhoid Mary caused many cases of typoid because she was a

carrier of the disease, though it never made her sick. She infected at least 53 people, though she remained asymptomatic.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Exactly.

There are unknowns around ebola.

[Yo_Mama]

6. This is one way it spreads.

For example, in medical settings. Or in intimate contact - nursing mothers, sexual intimacy.

[AverageJoe90]

7. Well, I could have been wrong.

But if so, then perhaps I'll go ahead and just discount it altogether, since the pessimists haven't once gotten things right yet.

[seabeyond]

13. you interpreted the data incorrectly. no "you could have been wrong". you were wrong.

so regardless if you consider anyone researching ebola as "optimist" or "pessimist" people explained how you interpreted it incorrectly and you totally ignored that info, just the same as ignoring what the article stated. what is that?

[AverageJoe90]

15. I basically walked back what I said. Isn't that good enough for you?

Are you honestly having trouble understanding? Or did you come here just to pick a fight? Your response seems to indicate the latter.....

[seabeyond]

17. a simple, i was wrong, thanks for the info. instead of the half baked walking back you talk about.

[kestrel91316]

19. She's not the one here to pick a fight.

[LisaL]

8. What is the point?

We are being told that only those who start showing symptoms can infect others.
But actually, some people are infected but never develop symptoms.
Presumably they are carriers of the disease and possibly could infect others. Like typhoid Mary.

[pnwmom]

9. What is the point of objecting to the information being discussed?

It isn't good news if it means that SYMPTOMLESS people (that's what asymptomatic means) are infectious and capable of spreading the disease through their saliva, blood, or other bodily fluids.

[kestrel91316]

12. Just shows how much weird stuff goes on with this bug and how we have

far more questions than answers, so we NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL.

CDC and WHO might at any point find out they have made some erroneous assumptions about it.

[AverageJoe90]

14. "CDC and WHO might at any point find out they have made some erroneous assumptions about it."

Speaking realistically, I doubt it, TBH. We certainly would have found out by now if it was any sort of likely.

Now, to be fair, it doesn't mean that everything is all roses----it certainly isn't, but again, the pessimists have been pretty much wrong all around so far, and until I find definitive proof otherwise, I will not budge, and cave in to what is essentially a form of fearmongering, as so many have already.

[Yo_Mama]

22. Tragically, the pessimists have been batting 1000

I wish it weren,'t so, but it is so.

[AverageJoe90]

23. No, it is not so. That's a fact.

Oh, and by the way, the extreme rose-colored glasses super-optimists weren't correct, either, I'll grant you that.

But it *is* indeed a fact that Ebola has not become an epidemic in the United States, nor is ever at all likely to, and that no solid evidence exists, whatsoever, that Ebola is transmitted by other than direct contact with contaminants, or has mutated otherwise(or is likely to!) etc.

[BlindTiresias]

10. Oh...

No, that isn't good at all considering the common wisdom was that symptomatic=infectious. If asymptomatic carriers exist in any meaningful quantity that changes things pretty significantly.

[AverageJoe90]

16. I wouldn't count my chickens just yet.

There's been a lot of fearmongering going on lately.....and so far, none of the pessimistic studies or predictions have turned out to be accurate. So it's probably wise to hold out for now and wait.

[cali]

20. as you appear to consider that anything at all outside of what Dr. Frieden utters

to be "fear mongering" and "alarmist", and you refuse to look at what ebola experts have to say, I'd say you simply have a closed mind. The CDC is one good source, but as I've mentioned, there are others. It's foolish to discount what experts in the field have to say.

[AverageJoe90]

21. My mind isn't closed, no. I *am*, however, rather skeptical of pessimistic predictions, admittedly.

But at least I have a good reason to be: not only have most of these not panned out(Ebola coming to the U.S. excepted), but we're seeing the likes of FOX News and company trying to take stuff like that to try to paint Obama as an incompetent bungler, or worse.....

[pnwmom]

11. Thank you for this. n/t

[uppityperson]

18. mark to read the whole thing later vs clips, when not tired