# Marburg Outbreak in Africa **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 28, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566 "2005-03-28T05:13:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/21 "2005-04-13T01:54:44Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > IIRC from the book I read, the Reston VA outbreak never actually infected any humans for some arcane reason. One person was thought to have been, but turned out to be sick from a completely different thing. Those involved breathed a sign of relief and figured they had just dodged a honkin’ big bullet. They completely disinfected the building, though. Damn near nuked it to sterilize it. No one would even rent the building afterwards and it had to be torn down years later. They had several close calls when they were performing necropsies on the monkeys, as I recall, with at least one person getting jabbed in the finger with a scalpel. There was some thought that they might be able to use that strain as a basis for a vaccine, but apparently it hasn’t worked out. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/22 "2005-04-13T02:31:34Z")
I second (or third) the recomendation for Hot Zone. The first chapter alone is worth it. And doens’t Marburg have a 1 in 4 guaranteed kill rate, medicine or no medicine? _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/23 "2005-04-13T03:00:29Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I second (or third) the recomendation for Hot Zone. The first chapter alone is worth it. > > And doens’t Marburg have a 1 in 4 guaranteed kill rate, medicine or no medicine? _shudder_ Not in this case, fatality rates are up there with Ebola. :::shudder::: ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/24 "2005-04-13T12:38:53Z")
> [@](#): > > IIRC from the book I read, the Reston VA outbreak never actually infected any humans for some arcane reason. My recollection from the book is that they thouight _two_ people actually had been infected by it, but it wasn’t fatal, or even serious. Doesn’t matter – it was still an outbreak of Marburg-type retrovirus. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/25 "2005-04-19T14:31:42Z")
WHO claims outbreak out of control [http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/1113908597](http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/1113908597) [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/MHII-6BL2ZB?OpenDocument](http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/MHII-6BL2ZB?OpenDocument) Angola in denial. [http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=184019](http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=184019) Denying that there **is** a problem is usually a sign that the problem is going to get much, much worse. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/26 "2005-04-19T18:31:56Z")
I say we nuke [the cave](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=125259) and give [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=161403) treatment a try. It can’t hurt. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/27 "2005-04-19T21:59:17Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > My recollection from the book is that they thouight _two_ people actually had been infected by it, but it wasn’t fatal, or even serious. > > Doesn’t matter – it was still an outbreak of Marburg-type retrovirus. The virus plotted in _The Hot Zone_ was a variant of Ebola, not Marburg. It was named Ebola Reston. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/28 "2005-04-20T01:58:54Z")
My heart goes out to the victims of this outbreak. This can _not_ be a pleasant way to go, and it would kill me to watch my loved ones go through it. I’m amazed that the news isn’t covering this like I imagine they should. SARs and the avian flu stayed in the headlines even when only a relative few were affected. Fucking hundreds of people have died in this outbreak, and its barely registered in the papers. I don’t even want to hazard a guess as to why. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/29 "2005-04-20T02:10:26Z")
Couple of reasons, I’d say. 1. It’s in Africa and, let’s face it, 95%+ of American’s don’t give one good goddamn about something happening in Africa. 2. This isn’t the first time an outbreak has occured so it’s ‘news’ value is limited until something occurs which didn’t occur before. 3. SARS and Avian Flu were both new (and semi-mysterious) stories and therefore more interesting by definition. Also, both happened HERE. 4. Popewatch 2005. Driving a lot of stuff off the front pages. 5. Delaywatch 2005. More stuff grabbing front-page-over-the-flap. Give it time. If the fatalities climb into the thousands it’ll get some real play. Or if it hops to Europe or North America it’ll get some REAL play. Otherwise it’s a thrice told tale at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/30 "2005-04-20T14:13:38Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Give it time. If the fatalities climb into the thousands it’ll get some real play. Or if it hops to Europe or North America it’ll get some REAL play. > > Otherwise it’s a thrice told tale at this point. Frankly, I hope that neither one of those things happen. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/31 "2005-04-20T14:18:21Z")
> [@you with the face](#): > > I’m amazed that the news isn’t covering this like I imagine they should. SARs and the avian flu stayed in the headlines even when only a relative few were affected. Fucking hundreds of people have died in this outbreak, and its barely registered in the papers. I bet it’s tough to get any US based reporters to cover this. I know I’d hate to be assigned to cover any sort of deadly virus outbreak. Bet that when the new popey freshness dies down this will start to get some traction in the US media. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/32 "2005-04-20T14:35:33Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I bet it’s tough to get any US based reporters to cover this. I know I’d hate to be assigned to cover any sort of deadly virus outbreak. Bet that when the new popey freshness dies down this will start to get some traction in the US media. Pay me a modest chunk of change (say $6K/mo.) and I’ll go. Of course, they probably _wouldn’t_ like what I sent back as stories, as I’d do my damnedest to be like Hunter S. Thompson covering the outbreak. (Ya think _The Hot Zone_ was scary? I’d have the nation in a panic whenever someone got a case of the sniffles! :D) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/33 "2005-04-20T14:37:42Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Pay me a modest chunk of change (say $6K/mo.) and I’ll go. Of course, they probably _wouldn’t_ like what I sent back as stories, as I’d do my damnedest to be like Hunter S. Thompson covering the outbreak. (Ya think _The Hot Zone_ was scary? I’d have the nation in a panic whenever someone got a case of the sniffles! :D) Nah, I’d send **Bosda**. That would be worth the money. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/34 "2005-04-20T15:13:35Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Nah, I’d send **Bosda**. That would be worth the money. > > 😉 I will treat that as a complement, until dueling is legal again. And then…we meet at dawn, mseur! 😉😃😛 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/35 "2005-04-20T15:26:04Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > I will treat that as a complement, until dueling is legal again. > > And then…we meet at dawn, mseur! 😉😃😛 Ah, but I hold a vial of deadly pathogens. So this time the advantage is mine, Dr. **Bosda**! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/36 "2005-06-06T11:19:35Z")
A prototype Ebola/Marburg Vaccine is a success. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4612339.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4612339.stm) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566.md?page=1)