issue 07 / volume 41

news // 5

Examining the contraction and spread of Ebola

» Developments around the world thus far

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

 

A Ebola virus disease
outbreak is currently
affecting parts of West Africa.
Some inevitable spreading to
other countries has already
occurred, with potential
spreading on the horizon for
many others.

Formerly known as Ebola
haemorrhagic fever, the illness
spreads through direct contact
with body fluids. Ebola can also
be spread by fruit bats, which are
considered a delicacy in some

to spread the disease via biting.
Symptoms typically start

pain. Those are typically followed
by the much harsher symptoms
of diarrhea and severe internal
and external bleeding. There
are currently no known cures or
vaccines for Ebola. The fatality
rate ranges between 20 and
go per cent depending on the
outbreak and treatment efforts,
with an average of 50 per cent of
victims succumbing to the virus.
The current outbreak of
Ebola is the most extreme case
to date. Although estimates are
difficult to determine and are
constantly changing, there are

which have resulted in at least
4,000 deaths. Officials believe

: that the infected toll may actually : |
: be higher than documented, :
: as many cases go unreported,

: particularly in rural areas. The
cases are almost entirely confined
: to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and

: Guinea, with a few isolated ones
: in Nigeria and Senegal. As of

: press time, there have been at

: least three documented cases

: of Ebola outside of West Africa,
with one in Spain and two in the
: US.

Thomas Duncan, a Liberia

native who lived in Dallas,

: Texas, tested positive for Ebola

: on September 30, 1 days after

: returning to Dallas from a trip

: to Liberia. Eight days after the

: diagnosis, Duncan was given an
parts of Africa and are also known experimental drug and placed
: under isolation. He succumbed — :
: to the virus on October 8, making :
with fever, vomiting, and chronic : him the first known person to :
: be diagnosed with Ebola and die

: within the US.

The second US citizen

confirmed with Ebola is

: photojournalist Ashoka Mupko,
: who was covering the outbreak
: in West Africa for NBC. Mupko
: is currently being treated in :
: Providence, Rhode Island, and as :
: of October 10 his condition has
improved. :
: Teresa Romero, a nurse from :
: Spain, was also confirmed to have :
: caught the virus as of October
: 7. She contracted Ebola in

: Madrid through treating Spanish :
currently over 8,o00 known cases :

missionaries from Liberia.

: Romero is currently receiving
: treatment, and is the first known :

: person to have contracted Ebola :
: from outside of West Africa. As of :
: October 10, the hospital treating
Romero has stated her condition
: has worsened. Despite mass

: protest, Romero’s dog Excalibur,
: who had not been confirmed to

: be infected with the disease, was

: under government order.

: in direct contact with confirmed
: infected patients from West

: the US and Romero in Spain.
: Health care workers from several

forcibly put down on October 8

Several patients in the US
and Spain are being monitored
and/or quarantined after coming

Africa and with Duncan in

countries have been treated or

: are undergoing treatment in

isolation after coming in contact

: with the virus from West Africa.

Measures are currently

: in place to screen potential

: victims of Ebola, including

: questionnaires filled out by

: people returning from West

: Africa in some US airports.
Currently Ebola is not known
: to have spread to any parts of
: Canada or the US outside of

: Texas. Efforts to prevent and

: treat this disease are currently
: underway, and proceeds to

: contain the virus’ damage control :
: are heavily encouraged.

As of October 9, six Canadian

: airports have prepared screenings :

 

for those flying in from West
Africa, while ceasing all flights

: to West Africa. Microbiologist

Jason Tetro told CBC, “The

: number of people who come

from the affected countries is

: very minimal. So really this is an
: excellent move to reinforce the

public trust.”
“You want to know if

someone has travelled froma

: region that has high reservoirs

: of infection. You want to know if
: they've been near somebody who
: could have had Ebola and they

may be exposed. And you want

: to see if they have symptoms.

I think all those things are
reasonable.”

 

Trinity Western graduate facing
discrimination over Christianity

» Amaruk Wilderness Corp. responded offensively; may not be legitimate business

Angela Espinoza
News Editor
Minews
@theotherpress.ca

 

n September 30, Bethany

Paquette, a biology
graduate from Trinity Western
University, filed a complaint to
the BC Human Rights Tribunal
against Amaruk Wilderness
Corp. The company allegedly
discriminated Paquette based
on her religion by sending her
several emails questioning her
beliefs.

The emails, which

have been released to the
public, occurred throughout
September, with Paquette’s
original email dated September

: 10. Paquette applied for an

: “assistant internship guide”

: position in the Yukon to

: represent Amaruk’s Canadian

: division; Amaruk is supposedly
: based in Norway. Amaruk

: wilderness guide and instructor :
: Olaf Amundsen responded

: to Paquette on September u1,
: stating she was not qualified
: for the position. He then

: stated:

“Unlike Trinity Western

: University, we embrace

: diversity, and the right of

: people to sleep with or marry
: whoever they want.”

Amundsen’s response was

referring to Trinity Western’s
: controversial enrolment

: strategy, which requires :
: students to pledge they will not :

: engage in sexual activity prior

: went on to say, “In addition,
: the Norse background of
: most of the guys at the

: that we are not a Christian

: organization, and most of us
: actually see Christianity as

: having destroyed our culture,
: tradition, and way of life.”

: since been approved by the
: BC Human Rights Tribunal,
: and the situation is to be

: investigated.

toa heterosexual marriage.
The email from Amundsen :

management level means

Paquette’s claims have

: headlines on October 7. As
: information has developed over :
the past several days, Amaruk’s :
: difficulty in contacting anyone
: from the company, reporting

: that of the numbers listed by

: Amaruk, all those CBC has

: called have been answered by
: a “hold signal.” Others have

: found that various images

: used by Amaruk, including

: the Google Plus profile

: picture of Fragassi-Bjornsen,

: were from other sources—

: Fragassi-Bjornsen’s photo

: was apparently taken from

: Pinterest.

: legitimacy has been called into
: question.

Several women who

allegedly have similar histories
: with Amaruk have begun to

: tell their stories. One such

: woman, Stephanie Waterman,
: told CBC about an experience
: with Amaruk regarding an

: “executive assistant to the

: CEO” application she later

: pulled out from. Waterman

: said, “When I cancelled the

: interview, I received about 15

: emails in quick succession.

Amaruk Wilderness Corp.
; May not exist
: Paquette originally brought

the story to CBC, which made

“All pretending to be from

different people involved with
; the company, and all very
: litigious, accusing me and my

: friend of slander. My feeling is

that it’s all one person.”
CBC has also expressed

Despite the question of

whether or not Amaruk is an

: actual company, Paquette’s

: discrimination claims will still
: go forward.