ebola virus spread

[Mark Van Alstine]

In article <Jc+8Lob.michellen at delphi.com>, michellen at delphi.com wrote:

> how real are fears that ebola could spread tothe u.s.? just wondering...

Well, considering that Ebola (Reston) has *already* been found in the U.S.
(Fortunately it only affected simiams- see "The Hot Zone"). And seeing as
how the U.S. is pretty much unprepared to handle such a serious epidemic
if such a human lethal microbe emerged here- especially if was easily
transmitted (i.e airborne). And considering the relative ease that HIV or
drug-resistant tuberculosis emerged here. I would say such fears of a
potentially "fast" and lethal epidemic are not unfounded. 

A more in-depth discussion of this possibility can be found in "The Coming
Plague." A discussion, in the book, about an "excercise" done in Hawaii
dealing with such a crisis did not paint a very encouraging picture. That
exercise, BTW, was uncannily similiar to the events that later unfolded in
Rawanda. Excepting, of course, that there was no Ebola-like epidemic... 

Mark