Something I've not seen addressed about Ebola. Can a mosquito bite a person with Ebola

[shraby]

and subsequently bite another person and pass the body fluids on in that manner? Also can a fly land on the vomit, blood, etc. from an infected person a then land on someone's food in a nearby residence and in that way deposit the virus on the food and spread the virus that way?
Not trying to alarm anyone, but just curious.

[JaneyVee]

1. No, not Ebola.

It is only spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. No known mosquito to human connection like Malaria etc.

[magical thyme]

2. mosquitos are not a reservoir or vector for ebola

so the short anser is "no."

Now as for flies carrying it around on their feet, I can't say. But the droplets don't remain viable for very long. I would expect them to dry up pretty quickly while flying around.

[Barack_America]

3. Hey! It's the early 80's all over again!

Don't forget about toilet seats!

[shraby]

4. I thought I asked two reasonable questions. I've not seen any comments anyplace about

them.

[JimDandy]

6. I find the question about the fly to be very interesting. n/t

[Raine1967]

7. You did.

and I think in the interest of trying to understand things, they were fair and reasonable questions.

I am glad to see that you are getting mostly respectful answers.

[LawDeeDah]

12. They were good questions, as all questions are.

[Marrah_G]

5. no

[Chan790]

8. It's not a ridiculous question, but "No, not to my knowledge."

As magical thyme said, mosquitoes are neither a vector not a reservoir for Z. ebolavirus (EBOV) or any other member of the viral family of Filoviridae. (which includes the 5 known species of Ebolavirus, and the one known Marburgvirus, and one known Cuevavirus)

That doesn't mean they can't be or it will not mutate to become so...but it's not likely, just as it is not likely that it can mutate to become airborne. (Filoviruses are large with long RNA chains which makes them highly susceptible to mutation but unlikely to mutate in certain specific ways such as becoming aerial vectors or adapting to a new host organism.)

[BlindTiresias]

9. Filoviruses are really a mammal thing

So no. I think even the chance of something like a fly or cockroach tracking around virions is also very remote, if at all possible.

[shraby]

10. Thank you to those who tried to answer my question. I appreciate it.

[kestrel91316]

11. We must be related. I worry sometimes that Feline Leukemia virus might

be spread by flea bites in certain limited circumstances.

Mind you, there is no published scientific data that says this. It's just one of those things that makes me go hmmmmm.

I seriously doubt that ebola is a vector-borne disease of any significance. Is it perhaps possible that it could happen in rare circumstances? I'm probably the wrong person to ask.

I do know that Ebola survives well in liquid blood, and survives especially well in cold temperatures if kept moist. There is probably something inherently inhospitable about a mosquito's gut to the virus, or it would be as common as malaria in Africa. So that alone argues for it not being arthropod-borne at all or only extremely rarely.

The virologists and epidemiologists generally have these things figured out long before we even get out of bed in the morning.

[shraby]

13. Thanks Kestrel. That's how my mind was working. If it survives in blood, why wouldn't

it survived in the blood in a mosquito, and as a mosquito injects a substance to keep blood from clotting when it's eating, seems to me that would transfer the virus. But as you say, it would be more common in Africa if the mosquito had a hand in spreading it.

[napi21]

14. I checked Google for the answer, and the answer is NO!

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2014/08/05/things-know-ebola-virus/13650543/

Q: Since Ebola can be transmitted via blood, can mosquitos or fleas spread the viral infection?

A: No. Ebola is only spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. There is no evidence supporting mosquito-borne Ebola, Rattay said.

"Certainly in Africa there are mosquito-borne diseases and they have not seen Ebola transmitted," Rattay said.

You can check the link yourself. There are answers to a number of questions about ebola there.
If you're really worried, do a google search and you'll see lots of questions answered and all prove it's difficult for anyone other than direct caregivers to get ebola from an infected person.

[shraby]

15. I wasn't worried, just curious.