Ebola Virus Issues
October 2014- As Lyme patients we often have a compromised or weakened immune system, and have a much harder time when contracting additional viral or bacterial infections. The information provided below is shared with prevention measures in mind. Please feel free to share it as you see fit.
Officials- NIAID/CDC "officials" responsible for Ebola protocols and its guidelines are the same ones involved with, and who have been overseeing Lyme disease issues and promoting their guidelines as the final word on the subject- and what a disaster they've made of not only the Lyme disease guidelines (along with the Infectious Diseases Society of America- IDSA), but also the Lyme tests, studies, vaccines, treatment protocols, etc.
These same officials have been featured in the news recently; however, hospital staff, nurses unions, doctors, reporters and many others are publicly stating they do not believe what the CDC/NIH officials are passing off as "fact" and are rightfully concerned. Reports indicate approximately 1/2 of the health care workers who contracted Ebola Virus while treating patients have died as a result.
When the safety protocols/guidelines in place for Ebola virus fail to protect, it is a tragic situation. Yet, rather than improve the protocols or admit there is a problem, government "officials" immediately have come on the news and blamed, for example, the sick nurse in Dallas for "breaking guideline protocols" without any of the officials knowingANY of the facts. According to them, the breakdown can't possibly be the fault of the CDC/NIH guidelines because they are developed from the "best science". These are the same type of bogus claims used by the CDC/NIH/IDSA when defending their highly contested, disastrous Lyme disease guidelines.
My concern, and yes, I am deeply concerned for those infected and everyone who could possibly be infected, is eventually people will have their fill of the NIH/CDC claims as more and more people become infected. If this happens, leaving the public to fend for themselves, there could possibly be a rush to purchase products individuals might need to implement personal preventative measures (as with the "rush" typically seen before a hurricane).
Below is a list of inexpensive items that can be purchased at your local grocery store. The good news is, even if you are on a really tight budget you can purchase one product at a time during each visit to the store (average $4 each trip). If these items are not utilized in the near future, and I truly hope and pray they are never needed for the Ebola situation, they can still be used during flu season to prevent the spread of other viruses, and/or be used if you ever clean your house or do laundry. ~smile~
Will purchasing these specific items totally prevent you from becoming infected with Ebola or other viruses? No. Could they possibly help with reducing the risks? Yes.
According to Published Literature
The Ebola Virus is Susceptible To…
3% acetic acid- which is found in household vinegar. "Vinegar is roughly 3%-5% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main component of vinegar apart from water." (Wiki)
Alcohol-based products- such as rubbing alcohol. According to studies, antimicrobial-impregnated wipes (i.e., towelettes) are not as effective as alcohol-based hand rubs.
Household Bleach- Dilutions (1:10-1:100 for ≥10 minutes) of 5.25% household bleach (sodium hypochlorite), and calcium hypochlorite (bleach powder). If you want to purchase off-brands (not the Clorox brand), please check the labels to verify the concentrations.
1% glutaraldehyde- not as desirable or readily available- see info below.
Treatment of Ebola Virus Symptoms
Dehydration- Gatorade (sport drink) or Pedialyte (for young children)- Treatment for the flu symptoms includes replacing electrolytes and rehydration. Gatorade contains salt minerals such as sodium, potassium and chloride to help replenish lost electrolytes. Sodium, potassium and chloride are some of the major electrolytes found inGatorade as well as other sports drinks (Pedialyte for young children).
Treating Flu Symptoms- You may want to have on hand products you typically use to relieve or treat flu symptoms.
More Information On The Ebola Virus
COMMUNICABILITY: Communicable as long as blood, body fluids or organs, contain the virus.
Ebolavirus has been isolated from semen 61 to 82 days after the onset of illness, and transmission through semen has occurred 7 weeks after clinical recovery.
Infection may also spread through contact with the soiled clothing or bed linens from a patient with Ebola. Disinfection is therefore required before handling these items. [The original Dallas patient’s apartment was disinfected. The mattress and sheets were also removed from the home and destroyed.]
SYMPTOMS: Early signs of infection are non-specific and flu-like, and may include sudden onset of fever, asthenia, diarrhea, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, vomiting, and abdominal pains.
Less common early symptoms include conjunctival injection, sore throat, rashes, and bleeding.
Shock, cerebral oedema, coagulation disorders, and secondary bacterial infection may co-occur later in infection.
Haemorrhagic symptoms may begin 4 - 5 days after onset, including hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, pharyngitis, bleeding gums, oral/lip ulceration, hematemesis, melena, hematuria, epistaxis, and vaginal bleeding.
Hepatocellular damage, marrow suppression (such as thrombocytopenia and leucopenia), serum transaminase elevation, and proteinuria may also occur.
Persons that are terminally ill typically present with obtundation, anuria, shock, tachypnea, normothermia to hypothermia, arthralgia, and ocular diseases.
Haemorrhagic diathesis is often accompanied by hepatic damage and renal failure, central nervous system involvement, and terminal shock with multi-organ failure.
Contact with the virus may also result in symptoms such as severe acute viral illness, malaise, and maculopapular rash.
Pregnant women will usually abort their fetuses and experience copious bleeding.
Fatality rates range between 50 - 100%, with most dying of hypovolemic shock and multisystem organ failure.
Some people who have recovered from Ebola have developed long-term complications, such as joint and vision problems.
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Ebolavirus is susceptible to 3% acetic acid, 1% glutaraldehyde, alcohol-based products, and dilutions (1:10-1:100 for ≥10 minutes) of 5.25% household bleach (sodium hypochlorite), and calcium hypochlorite (bleach powder).
The WHO recommendations for cleaning up spills of blood or body fluids suggest flooding the area with a 1:10 dilutions of 5.25% household bleach for 10 minutes for surfaces that can tolerate stronger bleach solutions (e.g., cement, metal).
For surfaces that may corrode or discolour, they recommend careful cleaning to remove visible stains followed by contact with a 1:100 dilution of 5.25% household bleach for more than 10 minutes.
SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Filoviruses have been reported capable to survive for weeks in blood and can also survive on contaminated surfaces, particularly at low temperatures (4°C).
One study could not recover any Ebolavirus from experimentally contaminated surfaces (plastic, metal or glass) at room temperature.
In another study, Ebolavirus dried onto glass, polymeric silicone rubber, or painted aluminum alloy is able to survive in the dark for several hours under ambient conditions (between 20 and 250C and 30–40% relative humidity) (amount of virus reduced to 37% after 15.4 hours), but is less stable than some other viral hemorrhagic fevers (Lassa).
When dried in tissue culture media onto glass and stored at 4 °C, Zaire ebolavirus survived for over 50 days.
This information is based on experimental findings only and not based on observations in nature. This information is intended to be used to support local risk assessments in a laboratory setting.
FIRST AID/TREATMENT: There is no effective antiviral treatment. Instead, treatment is supportive, and is directed at maintaining organ function and electrolyte balance and combating haemorrhage and shock.
SOURCES/SPECIMENS: Blood, serum, urine, respiratory and throat secretions, semen, and organs or their homogenates from human or animal hosts.
Human or animal hosts, including non-human primates, may represent a further source of infection.
Additional Info
Glutaraldehyde- A solution of 10% w/w glutaraldehyde is sold under the name "Diswart Solution" to remove common and plantar warts. Product claims include: "Inactivates viruses and bacteria. Dries the wart surface. Stains the area treated brown, but will not harm the surrounding skin." Glutaraldehyde has been listed as a component of hydraulic fracturing "fracking" fluid. Glutaraldehyde is an ingredient in a popular product for freshwater aquariums as a source of bioavailable organic carbon used by aquatic plants.
Sources
WHO
WIKI
CDC
Prevention of Ebola Virus in U.S. Hospitals
October 2014
Lucy Barnes