patrick.net

updated 9:54 PM EDT, Tue August 12, 2014

WHO says it believes the virus has infected 1,848 people and killed 1,013, making this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.

The difference between this outbreak and other Ebola outbreaks is that traditional methods of stopping the virus from spreading -- protective gear, contact tracing, etc. -- don't seem to be working fast enough, said Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO's assistant director-general. The health care systems in the affected countries are also weak, so resources are scarce.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/12/health/ebola-outbreak/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

The One Question About Ebola That Nobody Can Seem To Answer:
How in the world is it possible that more than 170 health workers have been infected by the Ebola virus?

That is the one question about Ebola that nobody can seem to answer. The World Health Organization is reporting this as a fact, but no explanation is given as to why this is happening. We are just assured that Ebola “is not airborne” and that getting infected “requires close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person”. If this is true, then how have more than 170 health workers caught the disease? These workers are dressed head to toe in suits that are specifically designed to prevent the spread of the virus. So how is this happening? I could understand a handful of “mistakes” by health workers, but this is unlike anything that we have ever seen in the history of infectious diseases. These health workers take extraordinary precautions to keep from getting the virus. If it is spreading so easily to them, what chance is the general population going to have?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-12/one-question-about-ebola-nobody-can-seem-answer

CDC defines transmission for Ebola as follows.
1 Casual contact is defined as a) being within approximately 3 feet (1 meter) or within the room or care area for a prolonged period of time (e.g., healthcare personnel, household members) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment (i.e., droplet and contact precautions–see Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations); or b) having direct brief contact (e.g., shaking hands) with an EVD case while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment (i.e., droplet and contact precautions–see Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations). At this time, brief interactions, such as walking by a person or moving through a hospital, do not constitute casual contact.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/case-definition.html

vs.

Australia Group Common Control List Handbook – Volume II - V13.Ebola virus
Exposure / Infection Routes:
-Inhalation (lungs): Aerosols
Human Transmissibility:
-Yes (direct and respiratory)
Human-to human transfer usually occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected individual though aerosol transmission can occur between individuals in close proximity to one another.

http://www.defence.gov.au/deco/_Master/docs/Australia_Group_Common_Control_List_Handbook_Volume_II.pdf

On Public Health Agency of Canada website:

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/res/psds-ftss/ebola-eng.php

MODE OF TRANSMISSION: In an outbreak, it is hypothesized that the first patient becomes infected as a result of contact with an infected animal (15). Person-to-person transmission occurs via close personal contact with an infected individual or their body fluids during the late stages of infection or after death (1, 2, 15, 27). Nosocomial infections can occur through contact with infected body fluids due to the reuse of unsterilized syringes, needles, or other medical equipment contaminated with these fluids (1, 2). Humans may be infected by handling sick or dead non-human primates and are also at risk when handling the bodies of deceased humans in preparation for funerals, suggesting possible transmission through aerosol droplets (2, 6, 28). In the laboratory, infection through small-particle aerosols has been demonstrated in primates, and airborne spread among humans is strongly suspected, although it has not yet been conclusively demonstrated (1, 6, 13). The importance of this route of transmission is not clear. Poor hygienic conditions can aid the spread of the virus (6).

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/res/psds-ftss/ebola-eng.php

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2014_08_11_ebola/en/