MODERN DAY ‘BLACK PLAGUE’? The Spread of Ebola

During an outbreak of Bubonic Plague or otherwise known as, the “Black Plague”, 75 million people died from 1347-1352. The “Black Plague” began in rats that were infected with the bacteria Yersinia Pestis. When a flea would bite a rat, the flea would also become infected with the bacteria. The infected flea would land on a human, biting them and ultimately transmitting the bacteria to the host. That singular person would spread it to their family members, who would in turn spread it others in the villages.

Victims of the “Black Plague” died a horrendous and painful death. In one form of the bacteria, it would stop your body from clotting, which would cause a person to bleed from every orifice of their body. The victim would essentially bleed to death. Fast forward to 2014 where another “Black Plague” scenario could be played out.

Ebola, a virus that seemingly has similarities to the “Black Plague” is spreading like wildfire throughout Africa with containment becoming a distant hope. Ebola also begins in animals and is spread from the animal to humans via eating the animal or from fecal matter. Like the “Black Plague” it causes the victims blood-clotting levels to drop causing them to bleed internally and externally. Experts say that Ebola can only be spread from human to human through contact with bodily fluids or blood from the infected person.

With the lack of medical resources and education, Ebola is spreading like wild fire in Africa. People are dying in the streets, infecting entire villages with the deadly virus. There is a shortage of beds where there is help, leaving many victims with no other choice but to go home and die. Liberia is being hit the hardest with 1,224 of the 2,046 deaths reported.

Obama has pledged to send 3,000 troops to set up treatment facilities and $500 million from America’s defense department to fund them. Obama seemed poised and responded quickly to Africa’s plea for help saying “The Ebola epidemic in West Africa and the humanitarian crisis there is a top national security priority for the United States”. If only he took that hard stance about ISIS!

Is the CDC and the American government telling Americans all they need to know about the possible spread of Ebola on American soil? As history does tell, all it takes is one infected person to travel on an airplane undetected to begin the spread of the virus. The incubation period of the virus is 2 to 21 days with no symptoms. The virus can live on surfaces for up to three days.

Would you trust the planes carrying possible sick people are being disinfected after every flight? Airline crews have “been trained” to detect a sick person, but if there are no symptoms for up to 21 days, how would they even know? The facts are Ebola will get worse and will potentially kill millions. Could this be a warning of the end of times? Only the heavens know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFv2Zy4Opw0

Image: Bubonic Plague doctor; http://www.flickr.com/photos/archeon/48606294/