Ebola is very unlikely to become the next Black Death. But that doesn’t mean something else won’t. Even with modern medicine, we haven’t rid ourselves of pandemics; indeed, they have sprung up far more recently than 1918. HIV/Aids is the most recent truly devastating pandemic – and H5N1 avian flu was even more widespread, though less deadly. The real danger is a brand new virus, or a hybrid of several (HIV is a combination of four viruses), rather than an evolution of one which, like Ebola, is already known to humans. The US has many advantages in combating the spread of diseases. Near-universal literacy, television and internet penetration mean reliable information about how to deal with an outbreak is much more easily disseminated to those who need it. The lack of these has greatly hindered efforts to fight Ebola in West Africa, where local customs and superstitions – including traditions surrounding the treatment of dead bodies – have made it easier for the virus to spread.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 16:22:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015