CDC microbiologist James Graziano, MA, and virologist Johanna Salzer, PhD, DVM, test blood samples for Ebola at CDC’s lab in Bo, Sierra Leone. CDC works to prevent and control Ebola.
Photo courtesy CDC
One of the world’s worst Ebola virus outbreaks was declared a public health emergency almost a decade ago in West Africa. The outbreak began in Guinea and quickly spread to neighboring countries, eventually killing over 11,300 people over two years. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention played a vital role in international work to control the outbreak, racing to save lives in the face of mistrust.
Today, improvements in disease surveillance, public health infrastructure and vaccination have improved Ebola outbreak prevention, but barriers remain. The Nation’s Health spoke with Daniel Jernigan, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, about how far the public health community has come in managing outbreaks since 2014 and what the future holds.
What is CDC’s contribution to tackling Ebola, both in the past and today?
CDC has played a crucial role in controlling and preventing Ebola since its discovery in 1976. During the 2014 West Africa outbreak, CDC provided technical assistance, deployed a considerable number of staff to affected areas, led a vaccine trial, conducted research, supported laboratory testing and supported a domestic response.
Today, CDC continues to provide support through surveillance systems, training health care workers, improving laboratory capacity and collaborating with international partners to respond to outbreaks.
What are some specific examples of how CDC works in this area?
Through the work in our high-containment laboratories, some of which serve as global reference laboratories for the world’s most deadly diseases.
In this innovative and unique space, CDC scientists have identified new pathogens and fostered the creation of important medical countermeasures, like vaccines, to combat deadly viruses, including Ebola. Work done in these laboratories during and beyond the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak contributed to the development and approval of vaccines that now are used to stop outbreaks and prevent the disease.
Ongoing applied research is another critical component of CDC’s readiness and response activities. Specifically, CDC and partners discovered that when a person survives Ebola, the virus can remain in the body for years after infection.
Some data suggest that four of the last five outbreaks were caused by this type of persistent infection. This type of information is critical to help us inform prevention efforts and stop outbreaks.
What are lessons from the 2014 outbreak that can guide public health today?
The West Africa outbreak in 2014 redefined our understanding of high-consequence pathogens and demonstrated their significant potential to threaten national security: More than 28,600 people were infected, and around 40% died.
It’s hard to know what the economic and social impacts on West Africa were, but I am sure they were substantial and long-lasting.
Outbreaks in West Africa significantly affect health care, travel and trade within the region.
Our experience with the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak showed how disruptive monitoring of travelers at the state and local level was even within the United States.
The magnitude and quick spread of the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak showed that the U.S. is vulnerable if we aren’t prepared. Early detection and rapid response at the source are critical to prevent and mitigate the impact of future outbreaks both domestically and globally.
A volunteer receives a shot during an Ebola vaccine trial in West Africa in 2017, a year after a major outbreak there ended.
Photo courtesy NIAID
What are common misperceptions about Ebola and how does CDC combat misinformation?
Common misperceptions about Ebola include exaggerated claims about how the disease is spread, theories about the origin of the virus or intentions behind response efforts, false information about cures or prevention methods and fear-mongering narratives that amplify panic or stigmatization towards affected individuals or communities — all of which we saw during the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak.
To combat misinformation, today and 10 years ago, CDC actively engages on social media platforms and with traditional media to provide accurate information promptly.
In West Africa, it was essential to work with trusted partners and community leaders to share reliable information while addressing misconceptions directly.
How prepared are we in the U.S. today to control outbreaks of hemorrhagic diseases like Ebola?
We are better prepared than we were, but not where we should be. The world is more connected and crowded than it has ever been.
Even 10 years later, the ability for a spillover of Ebola in the forests of Guinea to spread to the major urban areas of West Africa and on to all those destinations that are just a few hours away on a plane flight means we need to take this very seriously.
Investments in the core emerging infectious diseases portfolio, genomic sequencing and advanced molecular detection, as well as recent innovations with wastewater surveillance and traveler-based genomic surveillance, give CDC actionable data and a cadre of trained responders that helps us identify and respond to outbreaks faster and save lives.
Overall, we want to detect it where it emerges, detect it at the point of arrival, and detect it if it starts spreading in communities in the U.S.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/ebola.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
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- Top
- What is CDC’s contribution to tackling Ebola, both in the past and today?
- What are some specific examples of how CDC works in this area?
- What are lessons from the 2014 outbreak that can guide public health today?
- What are common misperceptions about Ebola and how does CDC combat misinformation?
- How prepared are we in the U.S. today to control outbreaks of hemorrhagic diseases like Ebola?