A new book is out by the award winning author of poetry, Sophie Hannah. It is entitled, “Agatha Christie: The Monogram Murders,” by Sophie Hannah. Hercule Poirot is enjoying himself in a little French coffee house called, Pleasant’s Coffee House. He has just been enjoying hot coffee when a rather intense lady enters the restaurant. He notes her discomfort and decides that he will approach her and ask if there is anything he can do to help her.  He introduces himself to her and tells her he is a retired policeman in London.  He tells her he recognizes that she seems to emanate fear at this time. Jennie, the woman in distress does not want help.  In fact she tells Poirot that she just wants the situation to happen.  She has been running too long and is tired of hiding.  She must endure the murder and let things just happen.  Poirot is really Belgium and has come to hibernate in France as a means of a break. However, he cannot resist this damsel in distress.  The dialogue and mystery go on from there.  It is a fast easy, enjoyable read.  Please take some time and enjoy this mystery. 

Hannah also won first prize in the Daphne Du Maurier Festival Short Story Completion for her Novela, “The Octopus Nest”  (http://www.sophiehannah.com/other-writing/the-fantastic-book-of-everybodys-secrets). 

If you have not tried a new author lately, try this writer. You may be pleased by her writing. 

Ebola Virus a pandemic?

The Ebola Virus is killing many in the nations of Guinea, Sierra Leon, and Liberia. It is a pandemic in the regions around these nations in Africa.  It has not become a world wide pandemic health care professionals are trying to make sure this does not happen. 

It is a deadly disease that has no vaccination that is effective.  The only thing that seems to be effective to date for defeating the spread of the disease is cleaning with bleach.  

The CDC tells us the symptoms include:  

Fever                                                   Fatigue                
Severe headache                                 Diarrhea

Muscle pain                                        Vomiting

Weakness                                            Abdominal (stomach) pain

Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days. Recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years (http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html). 

I realize that many are panicking in America because it would be so easy to transmit this disease to others in our large cities within weeks, but we must move cautiously. I have lived overseas and understand some of the reasons a disease like Ebola takes hold of a population.  Truthfully, many of the poor in third world are still dealing with TB and other communicable diseases.

Because we have no real cure for Ebola, and we know it can be transmitted so easily, but it is not air born.  It is fluid born and I dare say that those who have contracted it were in close contact with a sick person. 

If you want to learn about the treatment of Ebola, please checkout the CDC website page http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/treatment/index.html.