Five cases of plague confirmed in Tobruk, Libya, 2009

[Treyfish]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) & Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

WHO? send a delegation to the follow-up of plague in Libya ..

و طوارئ قصوى فى الإسكندرية

And extreme emergency in Alexandria

كتب طـارق أمـين - على الشوكى ١٨/ ٦/ ٢٠٠٩

Tariq wrote Amin - the spinal 6-18-2009 <TABLE style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; DIRECTION: ltr" border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle>

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تصوير -على الشوكى

Photography - the spinal

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الجبلى أثناء زيارته أمس للمنطقة الحدودية مع ليبيا

Mountain during his visit to the region on the border with Libya

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أرسلت منظمة الصحة العالمية وفداً طبياً إلى ليبيا، لدراسة موقف مرض الطاعون الذى ظهر على أراضيها مؤخراً بصورة محدودة، ومن المقرر أن تعد المنظمة تقريراً عن طريق مكتبها فى القاهرة حول مدى انتشار المرض، لعرضه على الدول الأعضاء فى المكتب الإقليمى، منها مصر.

WHO has sent a medical delegation to Libya to study the position of the disease plague, which appeared recently in a limited territory, and is scheduled to prepare a report on the organization through its office in Cairo on the extent of spread of the disease, to be submitted to the Member States in the regional office, including Egypt.

إلى ذلك، رفعت مديرية الصحة بالإسكندرية درجة الاستعداد القصوى أمس، تحسباً لانتقال المرض من الأراضى الليبية إلى الإسكندرية، عبر الحدود الغربية، أو عن طريق توافد الليبيين.

To this, the Directorate of Health, Alexandria high state of alert yesterday in anticipation of the transmission of the disease from Libya to Alexandria, across the western border, or through the influx of the Libyans.

من جانبه، أكد الدكتور حاتم الجبلى، وزير الصحة، أن مصر لم تسجل أى حالات إصابة بمرض الطاعون الذى ظهر فى ليبيا، خصوصا على الحدود الغربية.

For his part, Dr. Hatem el-Gabali, Minister of Health, that Egypt had not recorded any cases of disease, plague, which appeared in Libya, especially on the western border.

وحذر الجبلى - على هامش زيارته لمنفذ السلوم البرى أمس - من القوارض الميتة، التى قد تتسبب ? حسب قوله - فى تفشى وانتشار المرض.

He warned the mountain - on the sidelines of his visit to the port SALLUM on land - from the dead rodents, which may cause - as he said - in the outbreak and spread of the disease.

فيما طالب السفير محمد النقلى، سفير مصر فى ليبيا، بعدم القلق والذعر أو المبالغة بشأن الطاعون، مشددا على أن المرض فى ليبيا تحت السيطرة، وجميع الحالات تم شفاؤها تماماً، ولم تحدث سوى حالة وفاة واحدة.

Asked Ambassador Mohamed transportation, the Ambassador of Egypt in Libya, not to worry, panic or exaggeration on the plague, stressing that the disease in Libya under control, and all cases were cured completely, with only the case of one death.

وقال النقلى لـ ?المصرى اليوم?: ?لقد ظهرت فى ليبيا بؤرة واحدة للمرض، وتم القضاء عليها تماما، عن طريق الفرق الصحية التى قامت برشها وتطهيرها?.

The transportation of the ?Egyptian today?: ?We have emerged in Libya and one focus of the disease, has been completely eliminated, through which teams of health and cleared by the spray?.

وأضاف: ?إن هذا النوع من الطاعون عبارة عن بكتيريا قليلة الخطورة?، لافتاً إلى أن المشكلة الرئيسية كانت فى القوارض الجبلية التى تنقل المرض، حيث تم حل تلك المشكلة بالفعل عن طريق استقدام شركات أجنبية متخصصة للقضاء عليها.

He added: ?This type of plague bacteria in a low-risk?, pointing out that the main problem was in the mountain rodents carrying the disease, where the resolution of the problem was already through the introduction of foreign companies specialized to eliminate them. http://translate.google.com/translat...hl=en&ie=UTF-8

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[Commonground]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

Egypt: Mountain: aircraft and our vehicle to clear the border with Libya

Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 11:32

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قرر الدكتور حاتم الجبلى وزير الصحة استخدام الطائرات لرش الحدود مع لبييا تجنبا لخطر انتشار الطاعون، مشيرا إلى أنه تم رش أجزاء كبيرة من المنطقة الحدودية إلا أن المساحة تصل إلى 50 فدانا، مما يستوجب رشها بالطائرات توفيراً للوقت، فى سبيل تطهير جحور الفئران، كما أكد أن هناك مراجعة لصلاحية المبيدات المستخدمة بشكل دائم.

Dr. Hatem el-Gabali, Minister of Health to use spray planes to the border with Biya in order to avoid the risk of the spread of plague, pointing out that the spraying of large parts of the border area, however, that the area up to 50 acres, which requires the spraying of aircraft to save time, holes in order to clean up the rats, as confirmed that there is a review of the validity of pesticides used on a permanent basis.

جاء هذا خلال الجولة المفاجئة التى قام بها الجبلى أمس، الأربعاء، لتفقد منفذ السلوم ومطار الإسكندرية ومستشفى الحميات للوقوف على الإجراءات الوقائية لصد خطر كل من وباء الطاعون وأنفلونزا الخنازير.

This came during a sudden round by mountain yesterday, Wednesday, to inspect the port and airport SALLUM Alexandria Hospital diets in order to repel the threat of preventive action by the plague and swine flu.

وزار الجبلى المنافذ الحدودية، والمدخل المخصص للسيارات والشاحنات للتأكد من تعقيمها وتطهيرها قبل دخول الأراضى المصرية، حيث تم رش جميع الشاحنات بالمبيدات لقتل القوارض والحشرات.

He visited the mountain border crossing points, and the entrance for cars and trucks to ensure that disinfected and disinfected before entering Egypt, where all the trucks have been spraying pesticides to kill rodents and insects.

وانتقل الوزير إلى المعمل الميدانى بمبنى العزل الطبى بالسلوم، واستمع هناك إلى شرح من طبيب المعمل عن الإمكانيات المتوفرة به للتأكد من فاعليته فى تحليل العينات، حيث أكد الطبيب أن التحليل الواحد يحتاج إلى 3 أيام، للتأكد من النتائج ما إذا كانت إيجابية أم سلبية فى حالة الإصابة بمرض الطاعون.

He moved to the lab field Balsalum medical building insulation, and there heard from a doctor to explain the possibilities available from the lab to make sure of its effectiveness in the analysis of samples, where the doctor confirmed that the analysis needs to be 3 per day, to make sure the results whether positive or negative in the case of disease plague.

وأكد الجبلى بدوره أنه لا يوجد حتى الآن أى حالات مصابة بالطاعون ولا مجرد اشتباه، والوضع مستقر وتحت السيطرة تماما، مشيرا إلى أن الإجراءات المتخذة حتى الآن للقضاء على القوارض جيدة.

The mountain in turn that there is so far no cases of plague is not just infected with suspicion, and the situation is stable and completely under control, pointing out that the actions taken so far to eliminate the rodents are good.

وإذا تأكد وجود إصابات سوف يتم تحويلها إلى مرسى مطروح أو الإسكندرية لمستشفيات الحميات لعلاجها، كما وعد الجبلى أطباء تلك الوحدات والمعامل بمكافأة 600%.

If confirmed, the existence of injuries will be transferred to Marsa Matruh or Alexandria to hospitals for treatment of fever, the mountain also promised that doctors and laboratories to reward units 600%.

كما قام الجبلى بزيارة مماثلة لمحافظتى مرسى مطروح والإسكندرية للوقوف على الإجراءات الوقائية هناك، وحذر الوزير من قيام المعامل الخاصة بإجراء تحاليل أنفلونزا الخنازير أو الطيور، مشيرا إلى أن ذلك سوف يعرضهم للمساءلة وقد يصل الأمر إلى الغلق.

He also visited the mountain for the provinces of Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh to identify preventive measures there, and he warned that the private laboratories to conduct tests of avian or swine influenza, indicating that this would expose them to accountability has to be sealed up.

وأوضح أن 107 مديراً لمستشفيات الحميات خضعوا لامتحان نظرى فى خطة وزارة الصحة لمكافحة وباء الأنفلونزا بنوعيها، وقد رسب منهم 9 أطباء وسيعاد امتحانهم بعد شهر، وذلك للتأكد من إلمامهم بالدور الذى يجب القيام به.

The director of the 107 hospitals diets subjected to test my plan of the Ministry of Health to combat the pandemic of influenza, both, have failed, including 9 physicians and will be a month after the examination, to ensure familiarity with the role that must be done.

[Twall]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

Translation: Arabic ? English
منظمة الصحة العالمية لا توصى بتناول لقاحات واقية من الطاعون بمصر وليبيا
الخميس، 18 يونيو 2009 - 16:00


الصحة تؤكد أن الطاعون لم يصل لمرحلة الخطر بليبيا
كتبت أميرة عبد السلام


أعلنت منظمة الصحة العالمية أنها لا توصى بأخذ اللقاحات فى حالات تفشِّى العدوى بمرض الطاعون، إنما يوصى به فقط كتدبير وقائى للمجموعات المعرَّضة بشدة لخطر العدوى (مثل العاملين فى المختبرات الذين يتعرضون دوماً لخطر التلوث، مشيرة إلى أنه فى وقت من الأوقات كانت اللقاحات المضادة للطاعون تستخدم على نطاق واسع، ولكنها لم تثبت فعاليتها فى الوقاية من هذا المرض).

مؤكدة أن الجماهيرية العربية الليبية أخطرت منظمة الصحة العالمية بوقوع حالات إصابة بالطاعون فى منطقة طبرق، وهى بؤرة معروفة لهذا المرض. وعلى ذلك نفذَّت الجماهيرية تقييماً مبدئياً للوضع واتخذت السلطات المحلية تدابير وقائية تتضمن التنسيق بين القطاعات المعنية، ورش المناطق الموبوءة، وتعزيز أنشطة الترصُّد وبث الرسائل الصحية والتثقيفية بين عموم الناس، ومعالجة كافة الحالات المشتبهة والمؤكَّدة مختبرياً.

ويوجد فى الجماهيرية الليبية حالياً خبير من كبار خبراء منظمة الصحة العالمية فى زيارة ميدانية للسلطات الليبية لبدء تقصيات واسعة النطاق وعملية تقييم للوضع والمساعدة فى تطوير نظام فعَّال للتصدِّى للفاشية واحتوائها فى الوقت المناسب. وطبقاً للوائح الصحية الدولية سوف تقوم منظمة الصحة العالمية بتوفير المزيد من معلومات الصحة العمومية فور تلقِّيها من الميدان.

المعالجة:
يعتبر التشخيص المبكر وسرعة المعالجة أمرين أساسين للحد من مضاعفات الطاعون والوفيات الناجمة عنه. ويمكن للتدخلات العلاجية الفعالة أن تؤدِّى إلى نسبة شفاء تصل إلى 100% تقريبا،ً إذا ما تم تشخيص الإصابات فى الوقت المناسب. وتشمل هذه التدخلات: إدارة العلاج بالمضادات الحيوية والمعالجة الداعمة.

الوقاية:

تهدف التدابير الوقائية إلى توعية عموم الناس ليكونوا على بيِّنة من المناطق التى ينشط فيها الطاعون الحيوانى المنشأ، واتخاذ الاحتياطات اللازمة لتجنُّب لدغ البراغيث وكيفية التعامل فى المناطق الموبوءة بالطاعون. وينبغى للناس تجنُّب الاختلاط المباشر بالأنسجة الملوثة بالعدوى أو التعرُّض لمرضى مصابين بالطاعون الرئوى.

مشيرة إلى أن الطاعون هو مرض بكتيرى تسبِّبه عصيات بكتيرية تسمى اليرسنية الطاعونية (Yersinia pestis)، التى تصيب بصفة رئيسية القوارض البرية. وينتقل المرض من حيوان قارض لآخر عن طريق البراغيث. ويصاب البشر الذين يتعرضون للدغ البراغيث المصابة بالطاعون الدبلى الذى يتميَّز بظهور دبل أى تمدد (انتفاخ) للعقدة اللمفية فى موضع لدغة البرغوث.

والطاعون من الأمراض التى تستدعى استخدام آلية اتخاذ القرار للتقييم والإخطار عن الأحداث الصحية التى قد تشكِّل طارئة صحية عمومية تسبب قلقاً عالمياً، والمنصوص عليها فى اللوائح الصحية الدولية لعام 2005

World Health Organization does not recommend to take up the vaccines and protective of the plague in Egypt and Libya
Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 16:00


Health, emphasizing that the plague did not reach a critical stage for Libya
Written by Amira Abdel-Salam


World Health Organization said it did not take the recommended vaccines in the event of an outbreak of plague infection, but is recommended only as a preventive measure for groups at high risk of infection (such as laboratory workers who are constantly exposed to the risk of contamination, pointing out that in time the anti-plague vaccines used widely, but it did not prove effective in the prevention of the disease).

Confirmed that the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya notified the WHO of cases of plague in the Tobruk area, a known hotbed of the disease. And therefore carried out a preliminary assessment of public development and local authorities have taken preventive measures include the coordination between the sectors concerned, workshops, the affected areas, and to strengthen the surveillance and broadcasting health messages and education among the general public, and dealing with all suspected cases and confirmed by laboratory.

There are currently in the Libyan Jamahiriya senior expert from the World Health Organization experts in the field visit to the Libyan authorities to start investigations and extensive and the process of evaluating the situation and assist in developing an effective system to address the outbreak and contain it in a timely manner. According to the International Health Regulations will be the World Health Organization to provide more information as soon as it receives public health from the field.

Treatment:
Is early diagnosis and rapid treatment are key to reducing complications and deaths from the plague him. And curative interventions could lead to effective recovery ratio up to almost 100%, if the injury was diagnosed in a timely manner. These include: management of treatment with antibiotics and supportive treatment.

Prevention:

Preventive measures aimed at sensitizing the general public to be aware of the areas where plague is active animal origin, and to take necessary precautions to avoid bites and how to treat fleas in plague-endemic areas. And people should avoid direct mixing of contaminated tissue infection or exposure to patients with respiratory plague.

Pointing out that the plague is a bacterial disease caused by bacteria called Bacillus Alisnip Taonip (Yersinia pestis), which mainly affects wild rodents. The disease is transmitted from rodent to another animal by fleas. People who are exposed to the bites of infected fleas bubonic plague, which is characterized by the appearance of any expansion Debel (swelling) of the lymph node in the position of the bite of an infected flea.

The plague of diseases requiring the use of decision-making mechanism for the assessment and notification of health events that may constitute a public health emergency caused global concern, as set out in the International Health Regulations 2005

[English Teacher]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

But the WHO does not list anything on their website. What does that mean? That they just haven't gotten around to it?

[sharon sanders]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

WHO is investigating the situation. The WHO website is behind on the updates.

[alert]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

It is clear from the Egyptian sources that this illness is more widespread than the Libyans are admitting. It certainly could be one of the largest outbreaks of pneumonic plague in years. As I have said before, though, the list of illnesses that could be mistaken for plague is VERY long. Until an impartial laboratory (possibly WHO or CDC or NML) confirms plague bacteria in some of these cases, I still view this outbreak as undiagnosed.

[Twall]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

they are running the information on tv

Translation: Arabic ? English
عودة 3200 مصرى من ليبيا..
بدء حملات اصطياد الفئران على الحدود الليبية
الخميس، 18 يونيو 2009 - 19:56


محاولات لضبط الحدود مع ليبيا بسبب الطاعون
السلوم - حسن مشالى


تسلمت سلطات منفذ السلوم البرى 120 مصيدة فئران، وتم نصبها أمس، الأربعاء، على الحدود مع ليبيا، وتمكنت من اصطياد حوالى 80 فأرا فى يومها الأول، تم تسليمها للأجهزة المعنية لتشريحها وفحصها معمليا لمعرفة مدى إصابتها بالطاعون من عدمه. وكان الدكتور حاتم الجبلى وزير الصحة قد زار منفذ السلوم أمس، وتابع الاستعدادات الصحية والوقائية وعملية تركيب أول جهاز مسح حرارى بالمنفذ.

على الجانب الآخر، صرح اللواء على إبراهيم الخزرجى مدير منفذ السلوم البرى، بوصول حوالى3200 مصرى أمس من ليبيا، كما لم تتأثر حركة النقل بين البلدين، وكانت فى معدلاتها الطبيعية، حيث عبرت حوالى 187 شاحنة إلى الأراضى الليبية، ودخلت مصر حوالى 154 شاحنة تم خضوعها لعمليات الرش والتطهير 3200

return from Libya, Egypt ..
Mousing launches the Libyan border
Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 19:56


Attempts to control the border with Libya because of the plague
Salloum - Hassan Mashaly


SALLUM port authorities received a 120 trap wild mice, and was installed yesterday, Wednesday, on the border with Libya, and was able to hunt about 80 in the mouse the first day, was delivered to the organs for autopsy and laboratory examination to determine the extent of her plague or not. And Dr. Hatem el-Gabali and Minister of Health had visited the port SALLUM yesterday, and continued health and preventive preparations and the process of installation of the first survey of a thermal port.

On the other hand, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Khazraji Director SALLUM land port, the arrival of about 3200 Egyptian yesterday from Libya, and was not affected by traffic between the two countries, and in the normal, where about 187 trucks crossed into Libyan territory and entered Egypt, about 154 trucks were subject to for spraying and cleansing

[Twall]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

yes thats it, im sure namru and others are also helping with this effort first solid steps of real fact finding made public.

[tropical]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi...3/newsbrief-03
Morocco begins ovine plague vaccinations

2008-09-23
Morocco on Monday (September 22nd) began a large-scale vaccination campaign against the "Peste des Petit Ruminants," which has infected or killed thousands of animals since July. Some 3.5 million sheep will be vaccinated each week. In order to limit the spread of the disease, Morocco last month carried out a vaccination campaign in several parts of the country, where the plague has affected 206 farms.

___

Human plague vaccines based on either a live, attenuated strain or a killed, whole-cell preparation

http://iai.asm.org/cgi/reprint/IAI.00050-08v1.pdf

___
This site is being maintained for historical purposes, but has had no new entries since October 1998. To find more recent articles, please visit the following:

• MMWR at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsrch.htm
• CDC Web Search at http://www.cdc.gov/search.htm

<hr> Plague Vaccine

MMWR 31(22);301-304

Publication date: 06/11/1982


http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/PrevGuid/m0041848/m0041848.asp

"... plague vaccine reduces the incidence and severity of disease resulting from the bite of infected fleas.

The degree of protection afforded against primary pneumonic infection is not known."

___

So, if there vaccinations were conducted,
it is more probably did because of the primary rats/fleas illness, not primary pneumonic form.

If Egypt wants to cut off the pneumonic forms entering through the direct border line, they were probably tried to seal it off until the bordering Libyan focuses weren't isolated; or maybe not ...

[alert]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi...3/newsbrief-03
Morocco begins ovine plague vaccinations

2008-09-23
Morocco on Monday (September 22nd) began a large-scale vaccination campaign against the "Peste des Petit Ruminants," which has infected or killed thousands of animals since July. Some 3.5 million sheep will be vaccinated each week. In order to limit the spread of the disease, Morocco last month carried out a vaccination campaign in several parts of the country, where the plague has affected 206 farms.

___

Human plague vaccines based on either a live, attenuated strain or a killed, whole-cell preparation

http://iai.asm.org/cgi/reprint/IAI.00050-08v1.pdf

___
This site is being maintained for historical purposes, but has had no new entries since October 1998. To find more recent articles, please visit the following:

• MMWR at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsrch.htm
• CDC Web Search at http://www.cdc.gov/search.htm

<hr> Plague Vaccine

MMWR 31(22);301-304

Publication date: 06/11/1982


http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/PrevGuid/m0041848/m0041848.asp

"... plague vaccine reduces the incidence and severity of disease resulting from the bite of infected fleas.

The degree of protection afforded against primary pneumonic infection is not known."

___

So, if there vaccinations were conducted,
it is more probably did because of the primary rats/fleas illness, not primary pneumonic form.

If Egypt wants to cut off the pneumonic forms entering through the direct border line, they were probably tried to seal it off until the bordering Libyan focuses weren't isolated; or maybe not ...

Despite the similarities in the name, "peste de petit ruminants" is a different disease. That disease only affects animals.

[tropical]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

Despite the similarities in the name, "peste de petit ruminants" is a different disease. That disease only affects animals.

I know.

Ruminant guts are not humans.

But the point was that probably the human vaccinations used in Libya are not used to treat pneumonic human plague.

I could stil guess from the posted news that it is the same old human "consumption of plagued meat/bited by infected fleas", or "rats plagued from eating infected meat/bited by infected fleas", actual illness provenience, as the "plagued camel consumption", instead of "humans infected from an bioengeneered warfare weaponized pneumonic plague", or an "natural pneumonic plague".

If not bubonic/rats/fleas/humans, didn't all the countries there freaked out to pneumonic flu and closed the borders?

Any real prove that it is primary pneumonic?

The novel triple mixed chimera flu "must" be natural, but this plague "must" be artificial?
Maybe are both artificial? ...

[alert]

Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

I know.

Ruminant guts are not humans.

But the point was that probably the human vaccinations used in Libya are not used to treat pneumonic human plague.

If not, I could guess the same old human "consumption of plagued meat", or "rats plagued from eating infected meat" is this actual illness provenience, as the "plagued camel consumption", instead of "humans infected from an bioengeenered warfare weaponized pneumonic plague", or an "natural pneumonic plague".

If not bubonic/rats/fleas/humans, didn't all the countries there freaked out to pneumonic flu and closed the borders?

Any real prove it is primary pneumonic?

There is no confirmation what this is, or how many cases, or how many deaths, or even exactly where the outbreak is. We don't even have a good symptomatic description of the illness. There is no guaranteee that this has anything to do with plague at all. It could be any of a long list of diseases. We don't know until we get confirmation from impartial sources. The Libyan reports are contradictory, and reek of a coverup.

I never said this must be artificial - I actually don't think this is. Nature is the best bioterrorist of all. I just think that Libya has not been completely honest here with its reporting.

Even primary pneumonic plague is not justification to close the borders, as it can be cured with antibiotics. If that diagnosis was confirmed, they would just ship a truck full of antibiotics to the border. I suspect the border closing is because Egypt doesn't know what this is. When there are Ebola outbreaks in the Congo, many bordering countries do shut the border. A viral hemorrhagic fever is certainly a possiblity here.

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Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

Alert, I agree with you that a virus like ebola and the like are possible here. Is there any known forms of a viral hemorrhagic fever that are airborne?

I don't believe so.

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Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

Can we determine for sure that this virus is airborne because as you said it might be something like ebola, then it that case this would not be an airborne virus?

You are several steps ahead of the game. We don't know that it's a virus - it could be bacterial (plague is). We have no idea how it's being spread, but I'm guessing person-to-person based on articles mentioning entire families becoming ill. It is probably not airborne, as if it were, it probably would have spread much further in two months.

But we really can't determine anything for sure without more information.

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Re: Illness in Libya (poss. plague) &amp; Ministry of Health in Egypt is Preparing Procedures

Excuse me If I sound dump at diseases, but doesn't airborne mean h2h? If not then how does ebola and other diseases like the one possible here spread? Is flu airborne? I just assumed every disease that when you sneeze and cough on everyone was airborne.

Airborne means easily spread though the air. A disease can spread person to person without being airborne. Ebola and AIDS, for example are spread through bodily fluids, but not airborne. SARS was spread by respiratory droplets, but not airborne. Seasonal flu, on the other hand is airborne. An airborne disease would certainly spread h2h, but diseases could spread h2h without being airborne.

In fact, I would say the current status on H5N1 is exactly that.

I would also think the last ten posts or so in this thread should be moved to the discussion forum.