Quick Reality Check

[cmleonard at ccstat.mc.duke.edu]

In article <Pine.SOL.3.91.950515164007.14408A-100000 at corona>, Patrick O'Neil <patrick at corona> writes:
>
>It is probably pointless at the moment but I say it anyway:
>
>The ONLY reason this particular outbreak of Ebola is getting special 
>media attention, and hence, public attention is because it happened to occur 
>coincident with sensationalistic books and a couple goofy movies.  
>
>REALITY:  In the first major, KNOWN outbreak of Ebola in 1976, 269 people
>died as a result of infection.  That is more than twice what has been
>reported in any news broadcast, even the upper end.  If it hadn't been for
>these movies and books, little heed would be paid in the West by the media
>or public.  I would wager that the coverage would have been less than that
>given to the outbreak of "plague" in India...afterall, it is a reasonably
>major country. 
>
>MORAL:  it is great to be piqued into wanting to learn more about viruses 
>and other pathogens, it may come in handy in the future, but it this 
>outbreak, tragic as it is for the local citizens of Zaire, is hardly the 
>beginning of a major worldwide plague.  
>
>Patrick

Ok, I concede that this newsgroup is really about virology and probably
no place for the non-scientist to invest his or her thoughts.
However, for as long as this outbreak persists this newsgroup
will continue to be home to some unique opinions.  What can
we learn here?  For starters, this virus scares the hell out
of a lot of people.  Secondly, there is a certain conviction
among some of us that this is really no big deal compared
to HIV or the 1976 outbreaks.  I hope this is true.  But I
perceive a lack of humility here before nature, a conviction that
what we do know will keep us safe, and what we don't know is just 
waiting to be discovered.  We have Richard Preston and Laurie
Garrett to thank for bringing to our attention a part of our world
most of us have overlooked.  This is not sensationalism but rather,
the free exchange of ideas.  Some of these ideas are frightening 
and there are those who would try to inflame our fears.  But speculation
need not become inflamation.  And a conviction to science need not
foster a closed mind.