[smokinjoe]

I always thought the issue with Ebola was how quickly the host dies. If there were a period of about a week where no symptoms arose, then the virus would become significantly more deadly.

Until then, it doesn't seem probable that the host lives long enough to spread the virus.

Then again, my info is based off of what I researched in school around the mid 90s (fresh off of reading The Hot Zone).

[giardini]

"If there were a period of about a week where no symptoms arose, then the virus would become significantly more deadly."

This is precisely the problem with the new Ebola Zaire strain: the incubation period varies from ~3-21 days, during which the patient may show no symptoms yet can spread the virus. And since Ebola Zaire's mortality rate is 60-90% (early estimates were on the high end) this is an epidemiologist's nightmare.

[lotsofmangos]

I looked at the graphs and thought it might be time to go live in the woods for a bit.

[theycallmemorty]

Wow do you have a citation for that? Because that's utterly terrifying.