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Full Version: New scenario suggestion: Ebola
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An extremely lethal virus starting in West Africa, you have to evolve means of making yourself less lethal and noticeable, in order to bypass quarantine protocols as you spread to other countries and not burn out too quickly.

Too soon?
Sounds interesting, I like it!
Some thoughts:

-Abilities granting the virus the ability to spread from people who aren't yet symptomatic, making quarantine protocols less effective
-Abilities which lessen lethality
-Abilities which grant the ability to infect seawater organisms to allow spread to quarantined islands
For Ebola, standard starting conditions should include:
Transmission:
- Livestock transmission
- Wildlife transmission
- Rodent transmission
- Bat transmission
- Blood transmission

Symptoms:
- Internal hemorrhaging
- Coughing
- Inflammation
- Total organ failure
- Necrosis
- Hemophilia
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Skin Lesions

While it is transmittable via droplet infection (like... someone coughing in your face), the utilized game mechanic (air transmission) is not known and probably not appropriate.
Especially total organ failure will lead to a fast death.

The problem with Ebola: While it is a very potent pathogen, it is mostly transmitted through local wildlife (including especially bats, excluding avians) and within the small population through direct contact with infected people already showing symptoms. Infected people are severely immobilized, therefore they most probably won't spread the disease over distance. Especially in the first known instances, it has been transmitted through unsterilized injection needles. Incubation time is short and severity is high, so governments would be able to quickly conduct quarantine strategies.

Confirmed pathogen carriers are primates, rodents, bats and pigs. While primates are pretty exclusive for equatorial regions, bats and pigs are highly present in rural regions and could spread the disease further outside of it's core region, being central africa.
It is an important differentiation whether the particular animal is infected or just a carrier. In the first case, the pathogen does propagate inside the animal, which usually leads to symptoms. An infected animal produces the pathogen and can actively spread it to it's surroundings. On the other hand, a carrier only contains pathogen particles, these have to be transmitted through other means like contact of blood or flesh with food, drinking water and of course parasites like fleas, ticks and mosquitos. This passive infection is not a big deal in urban areas and is already accounted for by the game, Rodent I (passive) and Rodent II (active).

The ability to suppress the lethal abilities of Ebola would comply with the bio-weapon mechanic, but for a realistic scenario it shouldn't be included. Already the virus type is far too easy...


As you are interested in an Ebola scenario for the game, you may want to observe the very current affair of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea). Let's see how they will handle the situation, they already closed borders.
More on CNN
The biggest focus of an ebola scenario should, I think, be evolving asymptomatic transmission (or less symptomatic transmissions, e.g. sneezing) which would make it much more difficult to quarantine the virus and would allow infected to spread the disease without being bedridden.

As for suppressing lethality, unlike the bioweapon disease type, ebola already starts as a highly lethal disease that is only really infectious in poor countries.
Ebola would be a nice addition Smile
So... How Ebola would look? As typical Virus, or like Bio-Weapon?
(02-08-2014 10:31 AM)ManganM Wrote: [ -> ]Ebola would be a nice addition Smile
So... How Ebola would look? As typical Virus, or like Bio-Weapon?

Unlike the bioweapon, which starts out weak and becomes lethal over time, ebola is already highly lethal, and will not spread far in countries that aren't poor without certain evolutions.
(02-08-2014 10:07 PM)A Gu Wrote: [ -> ]
(02-08-2014 10:31 AM)ManganM Wrote: [ -> ]Ebola would be a nice addition Smile
So... How Ebola would look? As typical Virus, or like Bio-Weapon?

Unlike the bioweapon, which starts out weak and becomes lethal over time, ebola is already highly lethal, and will not spread far in countries that aren't poor without certain evolutions.

Yes, but in Evolved, you're seeing the virus when selecting genes, naming it etc., right?
I'm wondering how would it look in selection screen... Rolleyes

To easier understand:
This http://www.ndemiccreations.com/plague/wa...mg.php?t=8
or
This? http://www.ndemiccreations.com/plague/wa...mg.php?d=3
(05-08-2014 07:48 PM)ManganM Wrote: [ -> ]
(02-08-2014 10:07 PM)A Gu Wrote: [ -> ]
(02-08-2014 10:31 AM)ManganM Wrote: [ -> ]Ebola would be a nice addition Smile
So... How Ebola would look? As typical Virus, or like Bio-Weapon?

Unlike the bioweapon, which starts out weak and becomes lethal over time, ebola is already highly lethal, and will not spread far in countries that aren't poor without certain evolutions.

Yes, but in Evolved, you're seeing the virus when selecting genes, naming it etc., right?
I'm wondering how would it look in selection screen... Rolleyes

To easier understand:
This http://www.ndemiccreations.com/plague/wa...mg.php?t=8
or
This? http://www.ndemiccreations.com/plague/wa...mg.php?d=3

Why not use this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebolavirus#...virion.jpg
It'll be more realistic.
Good idea!
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