Last year’s natural outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Africa alarmed global health experts ... more Last year’s natural outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Africa alarmed global health experts because of the disease’s increasing appearance in Central and East Africa. The greater frequency with which Ebola is appearing raises questions about human accessibility to the virus and human usages of the virus for harmful purposes. The increase in natural outbreaks in the region, coupled with a possibility of a terrorist group recruiting experts to acquire the virus and to prepare it to use as a bioweapon, should lead policymakers to consider the risk of a deliberate outbreak. This prospect is worthy of consideration, particularly in East Africa due to the history of terrorist attacks by different groups in the area; the potential for these groups to obtain Ebola in the field; the lack of political capacity in the region and global will to develop a vaccine; and the pathogen’s natural occurrence in the region. The possibility of a deliberate outbreak in East Africa is a global health and security issue because of Ebola’s contagiousness in a globalized world; the increasing rate at which Ebola is appearing; the fear that could potentially arise from misinformation during an outbreak; and the lack of a vaccine. Based on an analysis of the conditions that make an Ebola bioterrorist attack in East Africa a potential threat, there are several recommendations for changing or enhancing global policy with regard to infectious diseases in general and Ebola specifically. These measures will better prevent and mitigate the spread of a deliberate outbreak and lessen the effects of a natural outbreak.
Last year’s natural outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Africa alarmed global health experts ... more Last year’s natural outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Africa alarmed global health experts because of the disease’s increasing appearance in Central and East Africa. The greater frequency with which Ebola is appearing raises questions about human accessibility to the virus and human usages of the virus for harmful purposes. The increase in natural outbreaks in the region, coupled with a possibility of a terrorist group recruiting experts to acquire the virus and to prepare it to use as a bioweapon, should lead policymakers to consider the risk of a deliberate outbreak. This prospect is worthy of consideration, particularly in East Africa due to the history of terrorist attacks by different groups in the area; the potential for these groups to obtain Ebola in the field; the lack of political capacity in the region and global will to develop a vaccine; and the pathogen’s natural occurrence in the region. The possibility of a deliberate outbreak in East Africa is a global health and security issue because of Ebola’s contagiousness in a globalized world; the increasing rate at which Ebola is appearing; the fear that could potentially arise from misinformation during an outbreak; and the lack of a vaccine. Based on an analysis of the conditions that make an Ebola bioterrorist attack in East Africa a potential threat, there are several recommendations for changing or enhancing global policy with regard to infectious diseases in general and Ebola specifically. These measures will better prevent and mitigate the spread of a deliberate outbreak and lessen the effects of a natural outbreak.
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Papers by Amanda Teckman
the disease’s increasing appearance in Central and East Africa. The greater frequency with which Ebola is
appearing raises questions about human accessibility to the virus and human usages of the virus for
harmful purposes. The increase in natural outbreaks in the region, coupled with a possibility of a terrorist
group recruiting experts to acquire the virus and to prepare it to use as a bioweapon, should lead
policymakers to consider the risk of a deliberate outbreak. This prospect is worthy of consideration,
particularly in East Africa due to the history of terrorist attacks by different groups in the area; the potential
for these groups to obtain Ebola in the field; the lack of political capacity in the region and global will to
develop a vaccine; and the pathogen’s natural occurrence in the region. The possibility of a deliberate
outbreak in East Africa is a global health and security issue because of Ebola’s contagiousness in a
globalized world; the increasing rate at which Ebola is appearing; the fear that could potentially arise from
misinformation during an outbreak; and the lack of a vaccine. Based on an analysis of the conditions that
make an Ebola bioterrorist attack in East Africa a potential threat, there are several recommendations for
changing or enhancing global policy with regard to infectious diseases in general and Ebola specifically.
These measures will better prevent and mitigate the spread of a deliberate outbreak and lessen the effects
of a natural outbreak.
the disease’s increasing appearance in Central and East Africa. The greater frequency with which Ebola is
appearing raises questions about human accessibility to the virus and human usages of the virus for
harmful purposes. The increase in natural outbreaks in the region, coupled with a possibility of a terrorist
group recruiting experts to acquire the virus and to prepare it to use as a bioweapon, should lead
policymakers to consider the risk of a deliberate outbreak. This prospect is worthy of consideration,
particularly in East Africa due to the history of terrorist attacks by different groups in the area; the potential
for these groups to obtain Ebola in the field; the lack of political capacity in the region and global will to
develop a vaccine; and the pathogen’s natural occurrence in the region. The possibility of a deliberate
outbreak in East Africa is a global health and security issue because of Ebola’s contagiousness in a
globalized world; the increasing rate at which Ebola is appearing; the fear that could potentially arise from
misinformation during an outbreak; and the lack of a vaccine. Based on an analysis of the conditions that
make an Ebola bioterrorist attack in East Africa a potential threat, there are several recommendations for
changing or enhancing global policy with regard to infectious diseases in general and Ebola specifically.
These measures will better prevent and mitigate the spread of a deliberate outbreak and lessen the effects
of a natural outbreak.