Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

Question: what is the risk for crimean congo hemorrhagic fever pandemic? Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever of the Nairovirus group. Although primarily a zoonosis, sporadic cases and outbreaks of CCHF affecting humans do occur. The disease is endemic in many countries in Africa, Europe and Asia, and during 2001, cases or outbreaks have been recorded in Kosovo, Albania, Iran, Pakistan, and South Africa.

Answer: The risk of a pandemic is very slight. CCHF is transmitted via ticks, or blood. The fact of the matter is that if a disease is to become a truly dangerous pandemic, it must have aerosol transmission (eg. sneezing, coughing, etc.). The odds of many people coming into contact with the blood of an infected person are slight, at best. Furthermore, with the quarantine procedures that would be implemented, the odds of any hemmorhagic fever becoming a pandemic or not good at all. There are far more dangerous and more easily transmittable diseases than CCHF. Your concern would be far better suited to a disease that infects the nose, throat, or lungs.

Question: What is your opinion on this Executive Order signed by GWB? I apologize for the copy & paste, but many people won't read links. This is part of what the Order contains. Would this include the Swine Flu, and what will happen to those who refuse to have the vaccination to prevent Swine Flu? The part about "apprehension and detention" is what really bothers me. Thank you Executive Order 13295 of April 4, 2003 Revised List of Quarantinable Communicable Diseases By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 361(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264(b)), it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Based upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the ``Secretary''), in consultation with the Surgeon General, and for the purpose of specifying certain communicable diseases for regulations providing for the apprehension, detention, or conditional release of individuals to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of suspected communicable diseases, the following communicable diseases are hereby specified pursuant to section 361(b) of the Public Health Service Act: (a) Cholera; Diphtheria; infectious Tuberculosis; Plague; Smallpox; Yellow Fever; and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (Lassa, Marburg, Ebola, Crimean-Congo, South American, and others not yet isolated or named). (b) Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which is a disease associated with fever and signs and symptoms of pneumonia or other respiratory illness, is transmitted from person to person predominantly by the aerosolized or droplet route, and, if spread in the population, would have severe public health consequences. Sec. 2. The Secretary, in the Secretary's discretion, shall determine whether a particular condition constitutes a communicable disease of the type specified in section 1 of this order. http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo/eo-132… What I really would like to know is, if I refuse to have the Swine Flu vaccination, would I essentially be considered a terrorist by this administration, seeing how I might possibly contract the Swine Flu and spread it to others?

Answer: No, I do not think this will apply to you. I think this may have to do with those who have a communicable disease such as AIDS, and who willingly and knowingly infect others. Also, illnesses that can rapidly spread among the population and kill thousands. If you are that sick, i doubt you would be out spreading a disease.