What’s More Fun Than Ebola?

Why, an Ebola that has mutated, obviously

The Ebola virus sweeping through West Africa has mutated repeatedly during the current outbreak, a fact that could hinder diagnosis and treatment of the devastating disease, according to scientists who have genetically sequenced the virus in scores of victims.

The findings, published Thursday in the journal Science, also offer new insights into the origins of the largest and most deadly Ebola outbreak in history, which has killed more than 1,500 people in four countries and shows few signs of slowing. It also provided another reminder of the deep toll the outbreak has taken on health workers and others in the affected areas, as five of the paper’s more than 50 co-authors died from Ebola before publication.

Just not a whole lot of good news for those poor folks.

categories Life, People, World Stuff | | datetime August 29, 2014 8:53 am

3 Responses to “What’s More Fun Than Ebola?”

  1. Dr Alice says:
    August 29, 2014 at 7:04 pm

    One of Tom Clancy’s books deals with an Ebola outbreak in the US (bioterrorism, natch). He did his homework and referred to the frequent mutation of the virus – apparently its DNA (RNA? not sure) is very primitive and mutates easily. In the book this was actually a help because the virus became less lethal with every generation. But this does not appear to be happening here. Very scary.

  2. AliceH says:
    September 1, 2014 at 7:55 pm

    I’m no Dr Alice (heh) but I wonder what % of our betters and their experts who told us all that stuff about “no risk to the public” and “all precautions being taken to prevent uncontrolled entry to US soil” and “stop panicking you ignorant rascists” were aware of a) the mutation or b) the possibility of mutation?

    I wasn’t panicked. I was seriously P.O’d at how the “experts” were essentially insisting there was no risk at all.

  3. Mr. Bingley says:
    September 2, 2014 at 6:39 am

    It’s an Alice invasion! What’s the plural of Alice? Alicii?

    Anywho, AliceH, our government has so thoroughly squandered its presumption of ‘good-faith’ via this endless stream of ‘oh gosh everything is marvy’ pronouncements out of DC that I frankly have a tough time taking anything it says at face value.

    “The Border is secure” yeah, right.

    “Recovery Summer” um, not.

    The list goes on and on.

    Why, it’s like…Alice in Wonderland!

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