It's both, directly intertwined.
- It's "airborne" if it can survive in a small dry droplet nuclei that can be carried by the air like dust.
- Ebola can't currently do this, so it would need to mutate into a new variant in order to do it.
ANY virus can be spread by sneezing sufficiently large droplets of body fluid a few feet. This is not what is meant by an "airborne" virus.
So how does a virus that survives in a host mutate so it can survive outside of a host. In such a way that it can become smaller and more susceptible to surviving in small "dry" droplet nuclei. I know mutations often, if not always, happen by accident, but these little "buggers" are the best survivors the world over. Some theorize based on genetic evidence that viruses could have been the "first" forms of life on our planet. Their existence bestows us, and we shouldn't take our perception of them for granted. The current outbreak demands that we re-examine Ebola. Media outlets are all discussing the fact that we might be missing something and whether or not Ebola can be transmitted by some other means.
The nurse in Dallas wore protective gear and there is currently an investigation underway to determine how she caught the virus. We've been told that the only way you can catch the virus is if someone is symptomatic and through their bodily fluids. But, their bodily fluids wouldn't be enough if it were to touch our skin. It would have to enter our bodies via a cut or scrape on our body. Or it could possibly enter our body via a tear duct or genitalia during intercourse. So you shouldn't rub your eyes after coming in contact with bodily fluids.
I'm hoping they are still studying this strain, and verifying the fact that it hasn't mutated or that it can be transmitted through some other means, ie; "airborne". The flu mutates every season which is a quick mutation by evolutionary standards. Who's to say Ebola, another virus, can't mutate just as easily. I often hear of people dismissing this as a possibility because they note it takes time for these things to happen, but with the flu viruses it isn't the case. And yes, of course, the mutation could lead to a less lethal virus so it can survive longer, but that is also a guess.
How do they study the current Ebola virus in this outbreak to determine it hasn't mutated. What methods do they use to determine this?