Ebola.

[Workingman]

The WHO is considering calling a global health emergency over the outbreak in DR Congo.

33 cases this week with 24 deaths, That is a huge rate of increase in the outbreak since August which already has 214 cases and 139 deaths.

The big fear is that the area is now a civil war zone on the border with Uganda with 57 crossing points and there have been a reported 7.5 million movements / checks since the outbreak began

[Suff]

There have got to be some questions as to whether it has been weaponised.

Or maybe it is really just a case that modern travel has finally hit an area rife with Ebola where it was endemic but never really travelled far.

[Workingman]

Suff, when I was reading about it in August the thinking was that it was contained simply because the outbreaks were localised to remote villages. At that time it was well away from trade routes.

Any weaponising of it is extremely scary. Imagine it being released in a global travel hub such as Heathrow, CDG or Singapore.

[Suff]

Any weaponising of it is extremely scary. Imagine it being released in a global travel hub such as Heathrow, CDG or Singapore.

Absolutely horrific. Which is why the US says if you use a weapon of mass destruction (N or B or C), then they will respond with the only weapons of mass destruction they still have (N).

Of course if you want to weaponise it, you need to test it first.

It's probably just modern transport finally hitting blackspots. But the other scenario still exists as a possibility.