[westward]

Based on the timeline, he had to have contracted Ebola pretty much the day he left.

That seems pretty unusual, isn't it? How long was he there, a couple months?

"Symptoms usually occur within eight to 10 days of infection and Dr. Spencer had been home nine days when he reported feeling ill." That's not including travel time local and international.

That's a tight schedule!

[malandrew]

At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if people tend to let their guard down in the days and hours before they leave the country.

Instead of quarantining by default, I think it would be interesting to offer a free, relaxing vacation in a low population density region to people who are returning from helping in Africa. i.e. you cannot leave West Africa and return to a major city directly. Instead you fly back to your home country by way of a desirable destination and hang out there for a few weeks.

[capkutay]

Given gov't budgets in disease prevention, they're more likely to quarantine people in prions than a relaxing vacation

[hga]

It would be really cheap for the rest of us to provide "the basics", e.g. a flatscreen TV (get the cableco or DirectTV and/or Dish to donate service), Internet connection (ditto on trying to get it for free from a provider) and if needed a computer, and then it won't be that onerous. Historically to my knowledge we typically haven't gone the prison route outside of special cases like Typhoid Mary.

[jberryman]

I think this is something like selection bias: had he contracted ebola earlier he wouldn't have returned to the US, or maybe would have been shipped back for treatment, which would be a very different headline.

[tsotha]

That's just the average. It can be over 42 days.

[Bud]

Maximum observed incubation period for Ebola is 21 days.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/declaration-ebola-end/e...

[fourstar]

Got a source for that?

[001sky]

"Background: 21 days has been regarded as the appropriate quarantine period for holding individuals potentially exposed to Ebola Virus (EV) to reduce risk of contagion. There does not appear to be a systematic discussion of the basis for this period.

Methods: The prior estimates for incubation time to EV were examined, along with data on the first 9 months of the current outbreak. These provided estimates of the distribution of incubation times.

Results: A 21 day period for quarantine may result in the release of individuals with a 0.2 – 12% risk of release prior to full opportunity for the incubation to proceed. It is suggested that a detailed cost-benefit assessment, including considering full transmission risks, needs to occur in order to determine the appropriate quarantine period for potentially exposed individuals."

http://currents.plos.org/outbreaks/article/on-the-quarantine...

[adventured]

WHO claims 2 to 21 days from infection to symptoms

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/faq-ebola/en/