It may be the only time you will find these words in the same sentence: "Ebola" and "Add to Wishlist."
Giantmicrobes Inc., which makes a line of plush toys based on viruses and other microscopic organisms, has sold out its entire Ebola stock, including the small Ebola doll for $9.95, a Gigantic Ebola doll for $29.95 and an Ebola Petri Dish toy for $14.95, according to the company's website.
"Since its discovery in 1976, Ebola has become the T. Rex of microbes," says the Stamford, Connecticut-based maker of the "uniquely contagious toy" on its website, which promotes them as gag gifts that also have educational value.
With the latest Ebola outbreak, which already killed more than 4,500 people, mostly in West Africa, customers have snapped up the toy, which looks like half a pretzel.
"You do not want to get Ebola," warns the website. "A short incubation period of 2 to 21 days presages symptoms which include fever, aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, and both internal and external bleeding. And then, for between 50-90 percent of victims, death."
Giantmicrobes lists the World Health Organization as one of its largest customers, along with pharmaceutical companies and the American Red Cross.
Anyone disappointed by the current shortage of the Ebola toys can click on "Add to Wishlist" and wait for more stock to arrive. Or make a different selection from the company's array of other plush toys, including Anthrax, Botulism, Cholera and Dengue Fever.
It was not clear how many of the toys have been sold and the company could not be reached for comment.
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这可能是你头一次看到这两个东西出现在同一个句子中：“埃博拉”和“加入意愿清单”。
根据Giantmicrobes公司网站介绍，埃博拉病毒造型毛绒玩具库存已经全部售罄。这当中包括标价9.95美元的小埃博拉玩偶，29.95美元的巨大埃博拉玩偶以及14.95美元的埃博拉有盖培养皿玩具。该公司曾出品过一系列的病毒造型和微生物造型玩偶、
这家位于美国康乃迪克州斯坦福德的微生物玩具公司在其网站上说，“自1976年，人类首次发现埃博拉病毒以来，埃博拉就成为了微生物界的暴龙。” 该公司称这些恶作剧玩偶同样具有教育意义。
近来爆发的埃博拉病毒疫情，已经导致超过4500人死亡，此次疫情主要发生在西非地区。这些长得像半个椒盐脆饼的埃博拉病毒玩偶受到了热捧。
该公司网站上警告说，“你绝不会想染上埃博拉”。埃博拉病毒的潜伏期短暂，从2天到21天不等，有发热、疼痛、喉咙酸痛和身体虚弱等症状，接着会出现腹泻、胃痛、呕吐和内外出血。有50%-90%的感染者会失去生命。
Giantmicrobes 把世界卫生组织列为其最大的买家，次之的是美国的医药公司和美国红十字协会。
所有对目前埃博拉玩具短缺感到失望的顾客都可以点击“加入意愿清单”按钮，以等待新一批供货上架。或者选择该公司其他系列的毛绒玩具产品，包括炭疽病毒玩偶、肉毒杆菌玩偶、霍乱病毒玩偶和登革热病毒玩偶。
对于这些玩偶的具体销量还无从得知，该公司也未作声明。
