Some of the nation’s top infectious disease experts worry that one of the deadliest viruses on the planet could mutate and be transmitted just by a mere cough or a sneeze. Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy a the University of Minnesota, writing for the New York Times stated that “The second possibility is one that virologists are loath to discuss openly but are definitely considering in private: that an Ebola virus could mutate to become transmissible through the air“.
Yesterday, on September 12, 2012, Osterholm also told CNN that “It’s the single greatest concern I’ve ever had in my 40-year public health career.” Echoing Osterholm, Dr. David Heymann, professor for the London School of Hygiene of Tropical Medicine, said “It is impossible to predict how any virus will mutate”.
Both Osterholm and Heymann note that virologists are extremely hesitant to discuss the possibility of discussing the possibility and potential for Ebola to become an airborne virus because they are scared to death of being professionally discredited and accused of whipping up hysteria with regard to the dangers posed by the present Ebola outbreak. However, in private, they both state, that anyone close to the virus are expressing grave fears about this possibility. In fact, Osterholm specifically stated in the New York Times article that … it’s something they are “definitely considering in private.”
Osterholm is not merely expressing the fear that Ebola will go airborne based upon a knee-jerk emotional response. Osterholm’s observations are based upon his knowledge of the fact thatthe replication of Ebola has been “notoriously sloppy in replicating”, which greatly increases the chances that the present form of Ebola can morph into a new strain that is considerably more dangerous and very possibly would become airborne.
