What if it is not Ebola but a BioWarfare Weapon?

[cockerpunk]

Originally Posted by gsxrken

I can see the next 9/11 now... except now the 19 suicide "bombers" just take a big snort of Ebola and then visit a few US cities each.
Lovely.

do you understand how ebola works?

cause yeah, from that post i can tell you have no idea.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by Tobra

kangaroos, drunken kangaroos

Toodles off to Google images to search "drunken kangaroos", hoping to find an obscure image to use, but finds that there are lots and lots and lots of drunken kangaroos out there...


Probably more likely to be screwing with my rope bridge than the stupid monkeys.

Although, according to Google Fights, there are about 100 times as many stupid monkeys and drunken kangaroos...
drunken kangaroo / stupid monkey - Google Fight : make this fight with Googlefight !

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by cockerpunk

do you understand how ebola works?

cause yeah, from that post i can tell you have no idea.

If someone stood in the middle of Time Square right as they started to bleed out, then they could cause some damage, but you would pretty much need that level of human density to make it a "weapon", and it's only good for about 2 hours (earlier, not contagious, later, so disgusting that the average person won't walk up to the puddle).

[cockerpunk]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

If someone stood in the middle of Time Square right as they started to bleed out, then they could cause some damage, but you would pretty much need that level of human density to make it a "weapon", and it's only good for about 2 hours (earlier, not contagious, later, so disgusting that the average person won't walk up to the puddle).

indeed. the way it spreads is human bodily fluid contact.

this is why the only folks really in danger, are those caring for the sick or in contact with the sick's bodily fluids.

there is basically no danger if someone with ebola walked past you. maybe if they bled on you, or you cleaned up there poop.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by cockerpunk

indeed. the way it spreads is human bodily fluid contact.

this is why the only folks really in danger, are those caring for the sick or in contact with the sick's bodily fluids.

there is basically no danger if someone with ebola walked past you. maybe if they bled on you, or you cleaned up there poop.

Although, a person bleeding out out on a plane or train car would get a high infection rate, between the thrashing and such, they'd transmit body fluids across a significant fraction of the cabin, and even people trying to hide would end up with fluids in their eyes and mouth. That was an early fear with these filoviruses, and was possibly happening in the first Marburg case.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

Although, a person bleeding out out on a plane or train car would get a high infection rate, between the thrashing and such, they'd transmit body fluids across a significant fraction of the cabin, and even people trying to hide would end up with fluids in their eyes and mouth. That was an early fear with these filoviruses, and was possibly happening in the first Marburg case.

From the informed posts by Nathan's_Dad (MD) as well as other more reputable sources, I don't believe the victims violently thrash around while spewing blood from every orifice as seen on TV. It sounds as if the primary means of transmission are vomiting, profuse sweat, and diarrhea. I don't think they do it 360 degree Exorcist style, so unless you are in immediate proximity to someone that is actively symptomatic it should be ok.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

From the informed posts by Nathan's_Dad (MD) as well as other more reputable sources, I don't believe the victims violently thrash around while spewing blood from every orifice as seen on TV. It sounds as if the primary means of transmission are vomiting, profuse sweat, and diarrhea. I don't think they do it 360 degree Exorcist style, so unless you are in immediate proximity to someone that is actively symptomatic it should be ok.

Historically, the ebola cases that are documented end up with the person bleeding profusely from places like the eyes and nose, vomiting, uncontrolled diarrhea, and the type of fear that makes a person run around or freak out. The person is suddenly dripping from every soft tissue location, that makes people really freaking scared, and scared people do stuff like lunge at other people for help, run around, climb into locations where they don't belong, etc.

A person crashing from Ebola becomes a mobile virus vehicle, and could very easily spread blood and fluids around a large enclosed room, it's how it's happened before. This has happened before, and has been documented. It's not the first time people have died from this, nor is it the first time that contagious persons have traveled publicly to escape an outbreak.

Edit: Let me add that the "threashing" would also include the poor dude sitting next to this guy who suddenly was projectile vomiting dark black vomit, and bleeding from his eye sockets. THAT dude is going to thrash around as well and make it worse.