Virus infected 10 people, dead 9 easy to spread on air?

The most serious outbreak of Ebola in the current history is raising growing concerns about the spread of this dangerous virus around the world, via air. How high is the risk of this disease causing "10 people, 9 deaths" ?

To answer this question, the BBC correspondent talked to infectious disease experts to find out what we know about airborne disease spread and secret signs. reveals the risk of spreading Ebola virus worldwide.

Infectious problems

There is a noticeable fact that, many people consider aircraft cabins to be a favorable environment for disease. People who travel by plane often seem to be wary of their friends sneezing or coughing, for fear of infecting their condition.

However, the risk of getting an infectious disease from a sick passenger is not as high as most of us think, according to Christine Pearson, a spokeswoman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."Airplanes are no more dangerous than anywhere you come in contact with people, such as a shopping mall or food stall , " Ms Pearson said.

John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary University (London, UK) agrees with the idea. Oxfor pointed out that the aircraft's ventilation system operates from the floor to the ceiling, where air is removed from bacteria and viruses before re-circulating. Simulation experiments are aimed at examining the possibility of spreading the detected bacteria, which are generally limited to a few rows on one side or the other. Even if that happens, the risk seems small, according to a study published in the British Journal of Medicine.

Scientists have studied a flight carrying 9 students later found to be carrying the H1N1 flu virus. Only two other passengers out of more than 100 people were checked, then got sick and both of them sat in the same two rows with sick children. Therefore, the researchers concluded that there was only 3.5% risk of infection if you sat in those rows.

A few other studies on measles and tuberculosis have also been revealed, the rate of infection of these diseases on aircraft is also relatively low. From studies like this, Mr. Oxford said, "the biggest risk is not on the plane, but at the taxi on the way to the airport."

Still, John Edmunds, professor of infectious disease modeling at London's School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK), said it was difficult to come to any firm conclusion, even for those The disease is more common. This expert explains, the number of studies is small, which means that you cannot find reliable numbers about risk and compare them with the risk of infectious diseases in textbooks. Therefore, assessing the risk of spreading rare and less studied diseases such as Ebola in flights, is even more difficult.

The mode of transmission is clearly a risk factor. There are a few cases where norovirus is spread among passengers, possibly because everyone shares the toilet. However, as we know, Ebola virus is relatively difficult to infect: unlike respiratory diseases like colds and flu, the virus can only spread through contact with human body fluids such as saliva, vomit or blood.

The medical staff disinfect on the plane.(Photo: CNN)

Although it's unlikely that people with Ebola will try to travel here and there by plane, we still can't rule out this possibility altogether. Patrick Sawyer, an American citizen who died of the virus last week, showed some symptoms on a flight from Liberia to Nigeria, raising concerns for other passengers. Airline employees and health officials must now be more aware of the risks and need to conduct isolation of anyone suspected of carrying the disease.

According to experts, there is always a risk of a passenger boarding a flight before they appear obvious symptoms. However, so far, there is positive evidence, you are less likely to get Ebola virus infection from someone at the beginning of the disease, before they start vomiting and hemorrhage.

"I personally do not want to be a passenger sitting next to a person carrying the Ebola virus. However, if he just sits there with a fever, I can't imagine this situation is at high risk , " admits Edmunds. receive.

Oxford expert stressed that basic hygiene measures could reduce the risk of further Ebola infection, even if they cannot eliminate the risk completely. According to him, Ebola virus is easily destroyed by hot water and soap. In addition, scrubbing with alcohol can also remove this virus in a millisecond.

Small risk

If a person looks healthy but carries the virus in his body, landing in a country, there is a possibility that this person can spread the disease through contact. This is probably a greater risk for a global pandemic, as the world once noted that undetectable carriers spread the H1N1 and SARS flu viruses around the globe.

A member of the Organization Without Borders Doctors are wearing specialized protective clothing to treat patients infected with Ebola virus in Nigeria.(Photo: Getty Images)

According to Edmunds, in the past, the spread of diseases was limited by the length of the journey. For example, measles develops rapidly, so all cases will become exhausted at the end of a long journey. Because Ebola has an incubation period of up to 21 days, carriers can go to a country a few weeks before discovering symptoms, potentially spreading it to people he / she knows. .

Despite this, Oxford expert is optimistic that this dangerous infectious disease can be controlled. Anyone who shows symptoms will be quickly diagnosed before being quarantined and the health authorities will also check anyone who comes into contact with them, including the crew, passport inspectors. and their families.

Gregory Härtl, a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the official view of the agency is now that the risk of Ebola outbreak in West Africa has become a global epidemic. small. However, WHO is also partnering with the International Air Transport Association to review their recommendations.

Currently, WHO does not recommend checking passengers at airports, because thermal scanners are used to check for fever that cannot detect Ebola incubators at an early stage. There are no recommendations to limit travel because of this infectious disease.

Still, the situation is progressing very fast and the recommendations may have to change over the next few days. Currently, no one can predict whether any other plane riders will be infected, but they all expect increased alertness to help reduce any risk.