Each day, the Ebola landscape changes, keeping it in the news and keeping me looking out for the latest updates.
As of yesterday, in Spain, the condition of a nursing assistant with Ebola appeared to be improving, but a person who came in contact with her before she was hospitalised had a fever and was being tested.
In the US, a nurse who contracted Ebola after treating a Liberian man in Dallas was being flown to the National Institutes of Health outside Washington while a second nurse has been transferred to a biohazard infectious disease centre in Atlanta. Both nurses provided care to Thomas Duncan, who died of Ebola, but authorities as of yesterday did not know how the pair contracted the virus.
Countries and the UN are providing humanitarian and health aid to affected African countries, with US President Barack Obama approving the call-up of reserve and National Guard troops in case they are needed to help the several thousand already planned to be sent to West Africa.
ANYONE who researches this insidious disease, like I did yesterday, will have an appreciation of just how lethal it is.
The facts speak for themselves. It is a severe viral illness spread between humans through bodily fluids and, in this latest outbreak, seven out of 10 victims are dying. There is no known cure and people who get it can die a horrible death with symptoms involving fever, muscle pain and internal and external bleeding.
So given all this, why aren't countries such as New Zealand taking a tougher line on air travel?
New Zealand is screening travellers from areas of concern and so far more than 60 people have been vetted. Isolation wards at hospitals around the country are on stand-by in case someone with it arrives in the country.
Prime Minister John Key says New Zealanders should not be overly worried but should exercise caution travelling to countries where the virus is established.
"If they do travel to countries that have got Ebola or, for whatever reason, they seriously believe they have been in contact with someone who has got that disease, then they should report to authorities straightaway," he was quoted as saying.
He says the Government will take further steps if the situation worsens.
This response falls short. Instead of waiting for things to get worse, we should act now.
Anyone arriving from Africa or who authorities suspect could be a risk should be placed into mandatory quarantine until doctors clear them. But if this measure is too difficult to set up and manage, then people from affected countries should simply be banned.
In the US, some lawmakers have pushed for a complete travel ban on people from Ebola-stricken countries but the White House has so far ruled this out. Jamaica has banned people who have been to Ebola-infected countries.
Some people will accuse hardliners, including myself, as over-reacting and say quarantine measures or banning people are too draconian.
But it's better to be safe than sorry and it's easy to take a liberal line from the supposed safety of New Zealand.
The ease of international travel means we're not immune and it would only take one person to bring this frightening disease to our shores.
Screening is too hit and miss. We are essentially playing Russian roulette.
