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| Rainforest Development |
The world of worriers has a new face. It is the face of the Ebola virus, and, yes, Ebola evolved long ago into an airborne disease, right here in the U.S. Certain primates in a federal lab and holding facility in Reston, Virginia, died of what was found to be Ebola. Workers in the facility became infected, but with a less deadly form of Ebola. Researchers believed the virus was spread to the workers by means of the building's ventilation system, but had mutated into a flu-like illness, Ebola Reston. The discovery of Ebola Reston dates back a quarter century.
There are five known strains of Ebola, including Reston, and outbreaks of the more serious strains have historically been confined to rainforest areas of Africa. The original host species is the fruit bat. Imagine, for a moment, the numbers of African fruit bats! In it's deadlier forms Ebola is greatly to be feared, because, aside from nasty, painful, symptoms and 90% fatality, Ebola has a long incubation period (21 days.)
Fear, as opposed to outright hysteria, is a natural reaction. Does anyone else, though, find it remarkable that people worldwide have been so rapid to spread hysteria regarding a potential Ebola outbreak on American soil? On the other hand, we have been less than slow to react to the effects of Earth's load of toxic waste caused by overpopulation (not to mention obscene levels of consumption in the developed world.)
Understanding viral disease may help to dispel, if not the fear of Ebola, some of the nonsense we hear promulgated by ignorant politicians and in various media. Viruses are the natural world's supreme opportunists, so, yes, a virus infects rapidly, reproducing in overwhelming numbers; this allows a viral disease to skip from one species and one victim to the next with ferocious efficiency. We know the spread of Ebola to humans in West Africa has been assisted by the development of roads and places of human habitation; workers in remote areas were exposed by animal species, such as primates. Human to human transmission was exacerbated by traditional African burial and by lack of knowledge and consequent lack of precautions in medical facilities.
Here is link to Ebola facts from WHO (the World Health Organization:)
...the chief cause for the impending collapse of the world - the cause sufficient in and by itself - is the enormous growth of the human population: the human flood. The worst enemy of life is too much life: the excess of human life. ― Pentti Linkola, Can Life Prevail - A Radical Approach to the Environmental Crisis
As to whether Ebola was originally developed as a biological weapon by the United States, or is now part of our weapons arsenal, I'd be hesitant to speculate. More likely I would be very concerned about the CDC, which undoubtedly possesses sample strains of deadly Ebola. The fear is whether the CDC is worthy of implicit trust, given recent discoveries of neglected Anthrax samples, to mention just one messy incident.
Preventing Ebola from entering the United States is a non-issue. The possibility of global pandemic is more to be feared. Among other aspects of the problem is International air travel. Travelers are not screened for viral diseases. I have to wonder whether it would even be possible, to do so. In any event, it would be preposterous to suggest a country might seal itself off from emerging infectious disease ... even an exceedingly virulent disease with high mortality.
What is there to take away from all this? In discussing a potential pandemic we are discussing human overpopulation and the exploitation of remote, wild places. Immigrants entering the U.S. by means of the southern border aren't likely to bring us Ebola (not unless they are bringing African monkeys in tow.)
This is really an issue of an immutable rule of nature; life will find a way. Humans, my friends, are a very badly behaved species, spreading like cancer. The concept that mankind can and, possibly, will be sloughed off the planet, like so many bad cells, offends the sensibilities. After all so many religions proclaim the supremacy of humankind. Believe me, religion aside, the issues are worthy of humility of thought and a factual, not to say, mindful, approach.
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