Ebola on nightline

[Mark Van Alstine]

In article <m0sBeIH-000CwfC at uctmail.uct.ac.za>, ed at molbiol.uct.ac.za wrote:

> ...and from the huge contingent of foreign journalists on the 
> death-watch in Kikwit and Kinshasa, who seem to have no respect for 
> or understanding of the word "quarantine" - and who the Zairean 
> government is now apparently insiting on quarantining in their 
> hotels/in the Hotel Intercontinental in Kinshasa.  Until, of course, 
> they bribe their way out.
> 

Ed,

I wasn't aware that foreign journalists were recieving injections using
Ebola infected srynges, helping in preparing the dead, according to tribal
customs,  for burial, or caring for those already infected with Ebola... 

More likely they are pestering local goverment, international health, and
hospital officials. Or maybe they are simply sitting around their hotel
rooms sipping gin and tonics... };->

And of course, I would imagine it would be relatively straight forward to
subject the relatively few foreign journalists to direct immunofluorescent
assays for seropositivity if there _were_ any real question as to their
being infected. 

The CDC should even bill their employers for it! };->

Mark