Several days ago, Thomas Eric Duncan died from Ebola after arriving in Dallas from Liberia. He didn't appear to be ill during his journey or soon after he arrived. "Various news outlets are reporting that travelers arriving in the United States from West Africa would have their temperatures taken and be asked to answer questionnaires ascertaining any possible exposure," Kris Hickman writes for the Association of Health Care Journalists.
This story, among other ideas circling the news, has caused worry, but do people really have a reason to panic? A reproduction number refers to the number of individuals to whom an infected person is likely to pass a disease. Epidemiologists have estimated that Ebola's reproduction number is between 1.5 and 2. Measles, one of the most contagious diseases in the world, has a reproduction number of 18, and HIV has a reproduction number of 4.
The calculations are based on how long infected individuals are contagious and how much of the virus is needed to pass the diseases, among other factors, "but these data indicate that Ebola is, in fact, controllable with appropriate and timely responses from the public health sector," Hickman writes.
Ebola is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, but only when the patient is showing symptoms. The fatality rate is approximately 50 percent, particularly without proper treatment. "Reporters tapping into public health experts who can explain the concept of reproduction number should be able to show how containable the disease is and put it into proper perspective," Hickman writes. (Read more)
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